Hello worthy readers, if you’ve made it this far in the book, congratulations. Buckle up, the story just started!
She landed hard, the breath knocked out of her. The missile hit the opposite wall with so much force that it should have brought the roof crashing down but the house merely shook, absorbing the impact. “Stay down.” Riordan growled and went to the window, peering out. He cursed colourfully and she leaped up. “Who are those?” She asked, angry at her hope being dashed. “What do they want?”He looked calm again when he turned to her. “Go to the inner room now! If you want to survive the next hour, you had better stay in there and out of sight.” He ordered and she balked at being ordered around by him. Without waiting for her response he prowled outside to meet his guests. Go inside her foot. She pulled up at the window again, peering out discreetly. She watched him stop in front of the army, his arms loosely at his side. “Derrick!” He called. “I didn’t expect to have you.” “I have no time for pleasantries Riordan. Where is the bride I gave to you?” The man called Derrick snarled.
Riordan’s face held a scowl and her heart pounded with something akin to fear. The ball in her hand burned, feeling like a dirty secret. “Step away from the chest.” He growled and she threw her shoulders back and glared defiantly.“Why? Is there something I shouldn’t find?” She asked and his nostrils flared with annoyance. “For once! Do as you are told!” He snarled. Somebody really didn’t want her to find the ball. Her hand closed around the item in question and she felt her eyes widen when she closed her hand on nothing at all. She stared at her hand in shock to confirm that the ball was gone and before she knew it she was tackled into the floor. “Do you want to die?!” Riordan growled above her and she laughed. “Mate, is that not the whole point of this dance? You either kill me or I kill you.” She snarled. Remembering her father’s scream and her mother’s blood, she swore it would be her that ended him, even if she perished in the process. She threw him off her and paced. “Who
“Watch out!” Riordan’s warning came a little too late. Freya landed hard on her bound hands and she hissed with pain as her shoulder shifted to the front. Riordan leapt from his horse and ran for her just as another missile whistled through the air again. She flinched and he caught the arrow that nearly punched into her eye in midair. With an enraged growl, he shoved her behind him. “Show yourself!” He snarled and the leaves ruffled. The twins stepped out and she gasped, hurrying to her feet. One of her worst nightmares was playing out in front of her. “Shadow.” Hans said with a dirty smile. “There are rumours spreading in town about you, you know. They say you are dead.” “Seeing the state of her, that would have been a better end wouldn’t it?” Dirien sneered and she stiffened. Damn Riordan and these stupid chains. She wouldn’t mind a hole opening up in the ground so she could crawl into it. “Chains or no, I won’t find it difficult to whoop both of your asses.” She bluffed. They
Riordan grabbed her shoulder and punched the socket back into place. Freya screamed with pain and staggered back with a hiss.“Your shoulder was out of place.” Riordan said, cool as a cucumber and strode past her. Freya glared at his back, livid. What was this?! She was so embarrassed she could die. The mate bond was messing with her head, how could she forget he was the enemy?He hit a high whistle and a few moments later, his horse came cantering back. “Good boy.” He ran his fingers through the horse’s mane and she pointedly looked away from those fingers. She hated those fingers, she would be sure to break them before she killed him. He climbed atop his horse and glanced back at her, extending a hand. “Come here. Your horse got away.” Said Riordan. “You jest.” She deadpanned. “You can’t possibly be proposing I share a horse with you.”“I am.” He replied. She saw it then, him behind her with his arms around her. She would breathe him in with every breath, feel him against her b
Freya’s scream was stolen by the darkness as the grip on her ankle dragged her into the cave. She tried to fight back, to resist this dreadful crawl but she was being hauled in too fast. She screamed again and her head hit the cave wall as she was yanked through a corner. She couldn’t see anymore, couldn’t lift a finger to fight back because her hands were still freaking tied at her back. She screamed in frustration and was suddenly hauled up the steep wall, hanging from her ankle. Her eyes adjusted and she felt her heart stutter as she came face to face with a creature from nightmares. Looking slightly feminine, the cave dweller was so pale she was translucent, her face alone the size of a dinner tray with green stringy hair trailing over her shoulder. Humanoid arms ended in what looked like long kelp and the creature fixed her with a rheumy gaze and yawned open her huge jaws. “What the fuck?!” Freya yelled and squirmed urgently, trying to kick out of the grip. “H-hangry.” The cre
Never again, Freya thought as the ride dragged on forever. She was stiff as a board as the horse raced to take them far away from the creature. This had to be the worst ride she ever took. He gripped the reigns with their shackled hand and her thoughts lingered uncomfortably on the strength in his back to which her cheek was pressed. His scent invaded her nose with every breath, all male and wolf and she shifted uncomfortably, nearly falling off the horse’s back. Against her, he sat stiff as a board and she wished she could see his face to catch a glimpse of what he was thinking of at this moment. Was she the only one affected?“What the hell was that?!” She hollered in his ear to distract herself. “I’m right in front of you. Why are you yelling?” He growled. “Well answer me. What the hell just nearly ate me for dinner?!” She hollered again. “That was a Gordon. They are thousands of years old and have long gone extinct.” Replied Riordan. “No shit! That lady didn’t look very ext
“Riordan!” Vinaud said as he stood up. Riordan extended a hand which he pumped enthusiastically before he motioned him to the seat opposite him.“Sit.” Said Vinaud and when Riordan moved to do just that, Freya followed and Vinaud’s attention finally snagged on her. His brows rose into the air. “Who is she?” He asked harshly. “Reynette, my mistress.” Replied Riordan. Vinaud tsked and his gaze never left her. “Mixing business with pleasure, big man?” He asked and Riordan smirked and jerked her forward. “This one time is worth it. She won’t leave my side, and her lips are sealed.” Replied Riordan. She watched their host from deep within her cape and she held her breath, choking on the tense moment that felt explosive. He hadn’t moved a muscle and was still staring at her with lowered brows, like he would pull down her cape any minute to satisfy his curiosity. “Do I know her?” He directed the question at Riordan who chuckled. “I doubt. Forgive her manners, she is a shy one.” Vin
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Freya replied stiffly and he smiled and pulled the hood down from her face. “Am I mistaken?” Riordan asked with a smirk. “Then should we go back out and ask him what he remembers about you?”She glared at him and shoved his chest hard but he didn’t budge. “Who are you to pry into my business?” She gritted out. “If you wanted to hand me over to him you should have done it from the start.”“Hand you over?” He scoffed. “No, I don’t plan to do that at all. What did you steal from him?”“It’s none of your business.” She repeated and he nodded. “You’re right, it doesn’t much matter what you took. What matters is that there have been thousands before you that have attempted to steal from Vinaud. Nobody ever succeeded, until you.” Said Riordan. She frowned and studied him. “Are you going somewhere with this?”“You’re the only person that ever succeeded in stealing from Vinaud and walking free, Shadow. I need you to do it again.” “No.” She said im
“Your mother was the most beautiful female I ever came across, both inside and out. When I heard she died, I was thrown off balance for a while and my court suffered for it. She didn’t deserve to leave so soon.”“No, she didn’t.” Freya agreed. “Prince Zeldaurus mentioned in your letter that you don’t wish to stay in Faerie, probably because he knew I would try to convince you to stay in the Summer court.” He said and she scoffed. “If I wanted to stay anywhere at all, this would be the place. Believe it or not, I don’t exactly have a great relationship with my aunt.” She said and he laughed.“Who does? The Winter Queen is a perfectly complicated creature but she is not without her charms.”“What was their relationship like?” She asked and the king hummed.“It was an interesting dynamics. Your mother and the queen used to be close, much like ying and yang.”“No way...” She said and his eyes crinkled with laughter. “They were. Tiana adored her and worshipped the ground she walked on w
It wasn’t until after they had portaled into the Summer court that Freya could finally draw a breath and admit that they had finally escaped the wicked witch of the north afterall. The Summer court was just as beautiful as the winter court and she thought, maybe even more so. There was none of the harsh beauty of the winter court, everything here was natural and sublime. The sun cast a rosy glow on the horizon and butterflies flitted from flower to flower. It was a lot like where Adrian’s portal had taken her before but this close to the castle, the air was different. The castle stood huge and grand, ornately designed as if it had stood strong through several centuries. Flowers draped the sides of the castle aesthetically and all the Fae were dressed in brilliant and dazzling dresses, looking as light and carefree as the breeze that swayed their dresses. “Come.” Zeldaurus offered his hand she slipped her hand into his, unable to contain her smile. She liked this side of him. This fa
Freya had tried everything she could think of to break out of her room. The door didn’t give way no matter how much she pounded on it. Her claws left no dent on the surface and her claws didn’t graze the walls either. She stared into the white roof, looked at the white walls, the white floors and she thought that the colour white had the power to drive someone mad.When the door opened once again, she leaped into a sitting position but her excitement died down when she found that it was just the Princess. “Were you expecting someone else?” Princess Kastilla asked, a smirk on her lips. “Where is Zeldaurus? He is not still being punished is he?” She asked. “Perhaps, perhaps not.”Freya growled and Princess Kastilla raised her hands. “Easy, Wolfie.”“I never told you I’m a werewolf.” She replied and Princess Kastilla laughed. “Do you have to tell me it’s day?” She countered. “About your questions, the Queen has a soft spot for him. She will let him off the hook soon if she has not
For a second, even Freya was afraid of her power and what it would do. She just knew that she wanted this torture to end and so her power exploded from her fist to do her bidding. There was a flash and when it cleared, the Queen had a shield of ice up, pushing back against her thick tentacles of darkness. The two warriors behind shouted and ran for her and the whipper faltered, gaping with shock. Zeldaurus was up before she could blink, his bloody tattered body lunging between her and the other warriors. “Get out of the way, Zeldaurus.” One of them gritted out, his body shaking with the effort of restraining himself from ripping into her. “No.” Zeldaurus gritted out. In front of her, she saw his huge body ripple and shudder and she knew he was also fighting the urge to snap her neck. “She is not a threat to the queen.” He snarled. “Think! What can a clueless untrained female do to the Winter Queen?”They paused, looking between them and oh, Zeldaurus had never been more wrong. Her
“I did.” Zeldaurus replied. “While in the town, I found a female who seems to have lost her way. She is not registered; belonging to neither the Winter or the Summer court. I have brought her to you so you may chose her court.” He replied. “The woman?” The queen glanced at her again and she felt the heat of being under her withering stare. “Come closer so I may see you.” She ordered. Freya walked up the flight of stairs until she was at the foot of the dais. “On your knees.” Zeldaurus unexpected voice in her mind startled her and she obeyed. How did he do that? Amongst everything else, she had forgotten to ask about that. “Come closer, female. I want to look at you.” She cooed and Freya attempted to stand. “On your knees.” She added sharply and before she could stop herself, she raised her face with a dark glare. “Lower your eyes!” Zeldaurus commanded in her head and she did, but not before she saw the surprise and interest in the queen’s eyes at the action. Biting her tongue
The touch of his lips to hers rocked her like an explosion at her feet. Her hands fisted in his lapels and she pulled him closer. He was still for a moment and then as if she had opened a dam, he flipped their positions and pressed her into the mirror. He kissed her the same way he approached life, thoroughly, profusely, meticulously. She felt it all the way to her toes which curled and she felt her hands shift into claws which gripped him tighter.She wasn’t the only one that felt this, of that she was sure as he finally slowed down and released her. Her chest was rising and falling fast and her lips tingled from his kiss and she thought the perhaps she might finally find peace after this but it was like pouring fuel onto a burning fuse. Her body craved his touch back on her skin, his lips back on hers and she took an instinctive step forward. She finally got the sense knocked back into her when he took a corresponding step backward. She watched as his eyes shuttered entirely but not
Zeldaurus was below with their host, getting ready for their departure and Freya headed for the roof. She took in Faerie around her, a realm so terribly beautiful and perfect. Magic was definitely in perfect sync here. It was mind boggling that the same realm had birthed the terrible barren landscape that she had been stuck in for so long. Footsteps behind her came closer until their host came to stand beside her. “I heard you were in there for years.” Syrelia said.“Yes.” She replied and Syrelia shook her head. “The time contrast still amazes me till date. Prince Zeldaurus wanted to come to you immediately but there was a delay before the portaler could get here. I nearly had to restrain him from coming for you because if he had tried you both would have missed each other.”She scoffed. “Well I’m here now and he’s doing a pretty good job of ignoring me.““The truth is... I’ve known Prince Zeldaurus for a while now and I’ve not seen him interact with any female the way he interacts
After a long and refreshing bath, Freya finally felt human again. Being here now was reminding her of the reason she even came to Faerie in the first place, the reason why she held out for so long even when her trials nearly took her life. She was even more determined now to see it done. For the most part, Faerie had not been a gracious host to her, she had seen horrors here and been stuck in Vienna’s body for years. She couldn’t let all of that be in vain, she didn’t want to. Now more than ever, she wanted to finish what she started and she couldn’t wait to say goodbye to the damn realm. She went below stairs to find Zeldaurus but was met with guards that told her he was in an important meeting and had ordered not to be disturbed. “Snap their necks.” A voice said in her head, sounding nearly mad. She shook her head to clear it of the weird whispers and turned away. “Well I’m sure you can pass a message across to him then. Tell him to find me.”Their shocked faces said that obviou
Whatever this realm was, it was the most wretched place Freya ever came across. Every single day was a battle to remain alive, to stay on top of the numerous dangers that sought to ensnare her. She padded out of the home she had claimed for herself in the three decades that she had spent in the realm she called ‘Bare bones’. In Vienna’s form, she leaped to the ground and took off, flying over the terrain with a freedom she never had before. Not once in the thirty years that she had spent in here had she shifted back to her human form and she had no complaints. Her wolf was exactly what she needed here. Vienna kept the both of them alive and even though she longed day after day for her mates, Vienna understood that there was nothing she could do about that. Freya would not understand and they didn’t need Freya’s human emotions getting in the way. Her tongue lolled out as she hunted and several creatures watched her, none daring to approach. It had been a rough and tedious journey w