“Mmf,” Barion grunted as he eased into wakefulness in the afternoon. “Ah, we must be close.
There’s that cold weather the Nightfall wolves love so much.”
“It’s too cold,” I huffed. “This coat isn’t enough.”
“I told you to put on the thicker socks this morning,” Barion said.
I sucked my teeth. I was dressed to travel and also to make an entrance at Efra, somewhere between comfort and formality. The simple dark gown and heavy cotton skirt had been uncomfortable earlier in the day but now I was grateful for its warmth. I’d tucked the pendant Griffin had given me into my trunk this morning. I didn’t want anyone in Nightfall to ask about it. Instead, I’d worn my simple silver jewelry, a necklace and rings, just in case anyone doubted my status.
“Here,” Barion said as he rummaged through his canvas bag. “I brought a pair for you.”
I bit back a smile. “You think of everything, don’t you?”
“It’s what your father pays me for,” Barion said with a wink. He handed me a pair of wool socks, and I quickly unfastened my boots to pull them over the thin cotton I’d thought would be adequate. “Really, though, this is the kind of weather your family comes from,” Barion said. “I’d think you’d enjoy it.”
I scoffed. “Why would that be the case? I’ve never even visited the Starcrest pack.”
“Well, likely you will if you’re chosen to be the king’s betrothed,” Barion said. “The pack’s territory is just across that mountain range there.” He pointed out the window, toward the snowy peaks rising just over the horizon. “It’s even colder there.”
“I do enjoy the cold,” I said, “as long as I’m indoors, with a fire and a bath.”
Barion laughed. “Well, I guess you are more Daybreak than Starcrest.”
An hour later, we had reached the gates of Efra, after traveling through miles of fields and farms tended by hardy wolves in warm clothing. I’d seen the city on my maps, and I’d seen detailed sketches done by convoys we’d sent over the past two centuries. But the drawings could never have prepared me to see the city up close.
The city was walled in pale stone, shot through with gleaming crystal that caught the sunlight and glittered. The wall itself was low, an added defense against attackers—one that hadn’t stopped King Drogo when he’d come to take the crown—but it didn’t hide the soaring buildings behind it, built in wood and that same pale stone. The wall was patrolled by guards in leather armor and heavy fur cloaks, and two of them pushed the immense wooden gate open at Barion’s booming greeting.
Daybreak was rustic, stone and wood and thatched roof and heat, and Efra was its elegant opposite.
The coach rolled through the gates. The hard-packed roads were bustling with activity, taverns and inns and shops and cafes, and they were patrolled by soldiers in that same leather armor. The air smelled cold and smoky. I itched to hop out of the coach and walk on foot, to see the details of the city up close. Barion seemed to realize that, too, and he shot me a look.
“The manor’s in the center of the city,” he said. “Sit tight until then.”
We made our way through the bustling streets, until we reached another low wall with a final gate. This one was gleaming silver and ornately designed, so delicate the bars looked like spider webs. They were wound together to illustrate two wolves with their heads tipped back, howling at the sky.
Barion’s expression soured. “The king’s not taking care of this property,” he said, low. “The state of this place…”
The manor wasn’t in disrepair, exactly, but it did look neglected. It was bigger than the Daybreak Manor, built of wood and pale stone, with soaring turrets and massive stained-glass windows like a church—except even through the glass the curtains were visible. Why put curtains over stained glass?
The garden was slightly overgrown, and there were no lights in the windows I could see. It was a beautiful structure, just cold, and dark. I pulled my cloak tighter around my shoulders as we approached.
The manor door swung open, and a tall, broad-shouldered woman in an uncomplicated gray dress and heavy black cloak stepped out onto the road. She had a book tucked into the crook of her arm, and her dark hair was streaked with silver, tied into a functional bun at the top of her head.
“Welcome,” she called.
Barion shot me a look that said wait, and then stepped out of the coach first.
“Lady Glennis,” he said warmly, offering her a short bow. “You look beautiful as always.”
Lady Glennis rolled her eyes. “Welcome, Barion. I trust you’ve brought Daybreak’s suitor for the
King’s Choice?”
“Of course,” Barion said. He strode to the door of the coach. “May I present the Lady Reyna of the Court of Daybreak.”
I stepped out of the coach carefully, still feeling a little achy and restless from the long coach ride. But I wanted to impress the Lady Glennis—I wanted to represent Daybreak well. I kept my shoulders square and chin up as I approached the lady, and then swept into a careful curtsy.
“Thank you for welcoming us,” I said. “I am honored to be here as the representative of the Court of Daybreak.”
She gave me a once-over, her expression neutral and unreadable. I felt like an animal on display at the marketplace as an experienced farmer decided if the livestock was worth purchasing.
“I’m Lady Glennis,” she said. “I’ll be the matron of the Choice. You may come to me with any questions or concerns as we proceed through the ceremonies.”
“I do hope we haven’t missed the welcoming meal,” Barion said.
She clicked her tongue. “There will be no welcoming meal this evening. We’ll begin with an introductory breakfast tomorrow.”
“Ah,” Barion said, cringing. I pressed my lips together. Not a great first impression.
Lady Glennis flipped open the book in her arms and made a few notes. “The games will be a bit different than the Choices of the past. I trust that won’t be a problem.”
“Not at all,” I said with a smile. “I’m looking forward to it.”
“Lovely,” she said. “Don’t worry, Barion, if the wolves of Nightfall excel at anything, it’s ensuring our guests are well-fed.” She smiled at him, and then gestured at a handful of servants lingering near the front door. They hurried forward to the coach. “My staff will show you to your quarters, Barion. As for you, Lady Reyna, I’ll escort you to your quarters myself. The staff will bring your things.”“Thank you,” I said with another small curtsy.I followed Lady Glennis into the manor. The front hall was immense, with vaulted ceilings and polished stone floors; the low heels of her boots echoed through the space. The stained-glass windows were covered, but the room was well-lit with torches and a huge, roaring hearth, making it feel warm and cozy despite its size. She led me up the immense staircase in the center of the hall, then down a narrower path, to what I assumed must be the guest quarters.“I hope the journey was kind to you?” Lady Glennis asked.“Oh, it was lovely,” I said.
Breakfast, Rue revealed, was sausage, eggs, crusty bread, and hot coffee. I was almost relieved— part of me had been expecting a raw leg of deer or something. Maybe that was what the king had but wasn’t going to subject his guests to it quite yet. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and found a plush pair of slippers waiting. As soon as I’d slipped my feet inside, Rue hurried over with a fine robe and pulled it over my shoulders.“Good, good,” she said. “Eat first then we’ll help you prepare for the day. First impressions are the most important, you know.”I sat down at the table, and Rue briskly fixed my coffee with fresh milk and a touch of honey.“Thanks,” I murmured. “Just the way I like it.” After the first sip, my brain started to slowly rouse into wakefulness. “How did you know?”Rue just winked at me. “In two hours, Lady Glennis has requested your presence in the Solarium. You’ll be introduced to the other suitors of the Choice before all five of you are introduced to the
I tried not to scowl at my reflection and mostly succeeded. I hated the thought of the king looking at me and imagining my wolf—she was a private part of my soul, and I loathed to share her with the world at all.“That’s fine,” I said.To her credit, Amity seemed to understand I wasn’t interested in chatting. Hopefully, she’d just chalk it up to nerves. True to her word, she only put a small amount of makeup on me—a tint to my lips and a blush on my cheeks, making me look a little more doe-eyed and innocent than I wanted to. Then, from the drawer of the vanity, she pulled out a fine silver box.“You’ll be wearing this today,” she said. “Lady Glennis had them made for all the contestants of the Choice.” She opened the box and revealed a delicate tiara.It was silver, with delicate white stone cut in the shape of a semicircle, flanked by nine small diamonds. “This stone… Is it…?”“Moonstone, yes,” Amity confirmed.“It’s lovely,” I murmured. I’d seen jewelry made with moonstone at the ma
She liked having the wolves at her side, liked feeling protected, and knowing other wolves were close by. The itch to shift was at the base of my skull, but it was a small, familiar sensation, and one I easily ignored.We made our way to the solarium, which seemed to act like a central courtyard. It was like a gorgeous, domed greenhouse, with the sunlight falling in through the thick glass panels and snow gathered at the rivets where the panels connected, but the space inside was much warmer than the air outside. Still cool enough that my Daybreak-acclimated self needed my long sleeves, but certainly comfortable.The space was full of plants that seemed to be adequately taken care of. None of the ferns looked particularly happy and some of the flowers were drooping, but it was overall lush and a clear display of wealth and status. Not everyone had the capacity to keep such aesthetic greenery alive in these temperatures. I couldn’t help but wonder if these were plants my grandfather, C
We had a cup each and some vaguely awkward chitchat, carried mostly by Fina doing her best to get us all to open up. But the other contestants were either uninterested, or simply anxious, waiting for the official start of the competition.Luckily for Fina, we didn’t have to wait long. The door to the solarium opened. Lady Glennis strode in, her heels cracking on the fine stone floor. Her simple green gown was cinched at the waist, functional, but still elegant. She had a notebook open in her arm and a severe look on her face.My heart dropped. What could an expression like that mean? If the king was already in a bad mood, I certainly didn’t want to be the one to meet him. What happened to make the Lady Glennis look so openly upset?“Good morning, ladies,” Glennis said curtly. “I trust you’ve enjoyed making your introductions.” She peered at us, brows raised slightly. We all nodded and murmured our affirmatives.“Good,” she said. “Unfortunately, there’s been a change of schedules. The
My eyes widened as I peered at the map, drinking in the unfamiliar lines and words. It wasn’t Frasia—it was a region I’d never seen before. It looked mountainous, riddled with winding rivers and small lakes, with a jagged coastline. A few towns were illustrated and labeled, but I couldn’t read the language. Where was this? What kind of people lived here? Were they shifters? Mountainous —maybe dragon shifters? The thought thrilled me. I traced the path of the rivers, imagining I was there charting them myself. I saw it clear as day in my mind, myself in functional pants and heavy boots, standing on the bank of a freezing cold river as I gazed up at the crest of an unfamiliar mountain range. I imagined myself sketching the shapes of the mountains, adding detail to my maps.“What do you think you’re doing?” a rough, unfamiliar voice said behind me.It surprised me so much I nearly jumped out of my skin. I straightened up and whipped around, and found I was staring directly into a broad,
4The richly detailed Frasian maps made it easy to lose the hours. It wasn’t until my stomach rumbled demandingly that I finally was able to pull my attention away from the richly detailed representations of cities and coastlines I’d never seen. With some regret, I rolled the maps backup and slipped them into their leather tubes.Downstairs, I found Fina curled up in an overstuffed chair by the fire, entranced in a novel and already three-quarters of the way through it.“Hey,” I said.She jolted so hard she nearly toppled out of the chair. “Oh!” She blinked rapidly. “Wow! What time is it?”I bit back a laugh. “Looks like you’re enjoying the book,” I said.She brandished it at me. “It’s about a wolf who falls for a dragon shifter,” she said. “Very intense.”“Sounds like it.”“And I thought the king was intimidating,” she said. “Whew. At least he’s a wolf.”“I don’t know,” I said, “I think I might prefer a dragon. At least then you don’t have to deal with the rest of the pack.”“What?
I hurried to the guest dining room, following Amity in her wolf form as she trotted briskly through the darkened halls. When I stepped into the dining room, small and cozy save for the vaulted ceilings and extravagant albeit dusty chandelier, the four women were already seated at the table.“I’m so sorry,” I said as I hurried in. “I was writing a letter and lost track of time.”“No worries,” Fina said with a smile. “We only just arrived as well.”Rona sucked her teeth. “Just like a princess to invite guests and show up late.”I started. Rona said that with such venom it shocked me. “It’s just as I said, I was only—”“Evening, ladies,” Lady Glennis said as she strode through the back door of the dining room. I wasn’t expecting to see her but I was grateful for the interruption. I took my seat at the table and took a quick sip of wine, avoiding Rona’s burning gaze. “I heard you had decided to dine together. I hope I’m not intruding.”“Of course not!” Fina said brightly. “The more the me