Court of Winter (Fae of Snow & Ice, #1)(3)
Her loud sigh followed, but without me hindering her further, she took flight. Her black wings lifted her effortlessly from the ground as she sailed the remaining distance to our home’s front door.
Within seconds, she was inside, and my stomach twisted, knowing she would have been home hours ago if not for me.
Pressing my lips together, I hurried through the six inches of fresh powder on the ground as numbness spread through my toes.
Banging sounds came from inside our home as light glowed through the back windows. Cailis was stacking wood in the fire, and thanks to one of our neighbors giving us a kernel of his fire elemental affinity, she had it roaring in seconds. Following that, she dug through the kitchen cupboards, probably trying to find something for us to eat.
I stopped at the shed in the back and pulled out a few gardening tools. I knew it could probably wait until morning—and that Cailis thought I was only here to appease my guilt—but I had a feeling that now was the right time to harvest the acorlis. If plucked at just the peak moment, the thick root vegetable had a sweetness to it that was unparalleled.
The shed’s door protested when I tried to pull it open against the accumulating snow. It took several tugs, but soon enough, I had several heavy tools in my arms. They clanged together and vibrated in my palms as I hefted them over my shoulder.
Angry-looking indigo and navy clouds swirled above. A gale was definitely on its way as the northern sky grew darker with each second that passed. But the richness of my garden that waited ahead soothed my anxiety at the upcoming winter.
I stepped over the edge of my field, and a tingle of magic brushed over my skin like an old friend saying hello.
Around me, my crops shone in a rainbow of colors: emerald green, bright periwinkle, burnt orange, vibrant magenta, and sunny yellow. Each vegetable, fruit, grain, and plant thrived in the rich soil blessed with orem in our frozen land, and seeing my plants made me feel as though I’d come home.
“Hello, friends,” I whispered. Running my hands over the soft petals of a berry plant, I plucked a leaf off and studied the fine veins that wove throughout it. The leaf bent easily in my palm, which meant it was only days away from being ready to harvest. “I’ll get to you soon enough, little one.”
“Do you need a hand with those tools, sweet Ilara?” a male called from behind me.
A scent hit me next—cloves and tobacco.
I stiffened and dropped the leaf. It fluttered to the ground as more snow fell from the sky, but the thriving magic in my garden meant that most of the snow evaporated before it hit the ground.
Breaths coming faster, I was loathed to confront him, but if I didn’t, he would follow me to the edge of my garden where I would be alone, magicless, and at his mercy.
It wouldn’t be the first time.
“I’m fine, Vorl.” I spun slowly to face him.
My village archon’s smooth complexion always reminded me of my wheat in the spring. His cool blue eyes hid a heart of ice, and his leathery and heavily muscled black wings were so large they nearly dragged on the ground. Like all other Solis fae, he had near-white hair. In the dying light of the impending gale, it shone faintly silver.
“Why aren’t you at the council meeting?” I asked him.
He shrugged and leaned against my shed. A piece of bread was pinched in his hand, and he ate it languidly. The scent and look of it . . .
I bristled. “I see you let yourself into our home again. Are you enjoying the last of our bread?” I cast a quick glance over his shoulder.
Sure enough, Cailis was visible through her bedroom window. She was putting laundry away and probably had no idea Vorl had let himself in through the front door and helped himself to the last of our loaf. The large fae male, heavily blessed with magic, could move as silently as the wind.
Vorl popped the final bite of bread into his mouth, his strong jaw working through the doughy ball. “Very much so. It’s almost as delicious as you are.”
He pushed away from the shed, straightening to his full height as a pulse of magic drifted from him when he rubbed his fingers together. His magic cleansed the butter and crumbs from his palms, his skin once again clean.
A moment of envy filled me at how powerful he was, and I wanted to kick myself for it. Of all the fae in my village to be envious of, it would not be him.
“Doing some late-night gardening?” he asked, nodding behind me.
My grip tightened on my tools. “No, I was just heading back inside. The weather is going to—”
“Don’t lie to me, Lara.” His voice turned icy. Brutal. The beast within him flared in his eyes, because that was what he was. A heartless, cruel, vindictive beast of a fairy.
I flinched, and a flicker of perverse delight shone in his eyes.
Don’t show weakness. Do not show him weakness. Squaring my shoulders, I kept my chin up. “I’m not lying.”
In a move so fast it was a blur, his hand locked around my throat, and my tools clattered to the ground just as a boom of thunder shook the land.
He spun me so fast the realm turned. A split second passed, then my back slammed into the shed as his grip on my neck tightened. The welcoming magic of my garden disappeared in an instant since we’d crossed the barrier. Icy wind bit into my cheeks as the shed’s cold planks heaved at my back. My heart thundered as I struggled to breathe. I thrashed against him, fighting as hard as I could, but it was no use.