Court of Winter (Fae of Snow & Ice, #1)(40)



My breathing picked up, but I forced myself to say, “Um, books, I guess?” I’d never had much time to read nor had easy access to books following primary school, although even that luxury didn’t make this situation any better.

Balbus bowed. “Lovely. There’s a library within the prince’s wing that he’s instructed me to give you full access to. The castle also has a library, which you’ve been granted permission to use. I shall fetch reading material shortly. Now, as for your clothes, the castle’s tailor shall be by later this afternoon to obtain your measurements. All right, my dear?”

I could only manage a nod.

“Splendid. Should you need anything until then, simply pull that golden cord near the bed, and Patrice, Haisley, or I shall return. Otherwise, you can expect to see Daiseeum later tonight when she pops in to help you with undressing and bathing.”

“Daiseeum?”

“Your assigned lady’s servant.”

“My lady’s servant. Right.” I followed Balbus to the door, wringing my hands the entire way. “Might I go with you, Balbus? Please? Perhaps to help in the kitchen with the dishes I dirtied?” Mother, I just needed to get out of this room.

His jaw dropped. “Help in the kitchen? You can’t be serious?”

“As serious as a whiteout on the Cliffs of Sarum.”

His eyes widened further. “Ock, no, Lady Seary! The prince would shave my wings for that. You’re to stay here in your chambers. I do apologize, my dear. Prince’s orders.” With that, he exited the room and closed the door with a flourish.

When I tried to turn the doorknob to follow him, the handle wouldn’t budge.

“Blessed Mother!” I beat on the door, but it did no use. Balbus didn’t come back to rescue me, and nobody else came either. For all I knew, they couldn’t even hear me. I had no idea how strong the wards were protecting this chamber, but they’d been thick when I’d passed through them, making me wonder if they trapped sound too.

My solitude didn’t last long, though. Balbus returned with books as promised, but instead of allowing me to follow him despite nearly begging, he once again locked me in my chambers.

Fuming, I turned back toward my prison and for a moment just stood there. That lasted all of two seconds.

I quickly turned into a flurry of exploration, looking under every layer of bedding, upturning every piece of furniture, and prying under all of the artwork on the walls. I figured there had to be something that could help me escape or perhaps would yield a hidden exit. I just needed to find it.





Hours later, my fingertips and knuckles were raw from endless tapping and scratching as I searched for hollow areas in the walls or hidden exits. All of my searches proved unsuccessful, though, and were only interrupted when the tailor arrived. He was quick, efficient, and the opposite of loquacious. Despite trying to pry information from him too—that could hopefully help with my escape—the only words he uttered were turn or arms out or extend your legs. He didn’t even comment on my wingless back.

Grumbling, I resumed my searching after he left, but by nighttime the only interesting things I’d discovered were an old necklace stuffed deep within one of the couch cushions, an aged bottle of the greenest leminai I’d ever seen, and a magical safe hidden behind the small portrait of flowers near the wardrobe.

The safe was, of course, guarded with a spell, so I couldn’t open it, but since the opening was too small for me to fit through, I knew it couldn’t contain a hidden passageway to escape. Most likely, it held jewels or ledgers that needed protecting, which wouldn’t help me in the least.

My stomach was howling in hunger by the time I conceded defeat. It didn’t help that my throat also itched with a vengeance as Vorl’s magic began to fade. Within a few days his magic would dissipate completely, although the bruises would be long gone by then—as they always were whenever Vorl purposefully hurt me and hid it.

My physical discomfort only amplified my situation, so I kicked the wall in frustration. That, however, only led to a stubbed toe, but dammit, there was no way out of here, not unless I could fly out of the courtyard, which the bastard prince knew I couldn’t, and that would only be if a domed ward didn’t encapsulate the courtyard’s air.

Depressingly, this chamber was too warded for someone such as myself to breach, which meant that unless the prince set me free or I could convince one of the servants to help me, I was stuck here for the foreseeable future.

Only the forlorn nature of the plants in the garden had pricked any interest in me. The prince had been right in that aspect. Even though I’d stated it was asinine of him to think I would want to tend to them, I did.

It was cold and dark by the time I slipped out through the glass doors. At least it’d stopped snowing, but a new inch of fresh powder covered the ground. Dropping to my knees, I let my fingertips touch the soil as I searched for a pulse or hum that orem existed within the garden. Dry, frozen dirt greeted me. I pushed harder, forcing my fingers into our Mother’s depths.

Nothing.

My brow puckered as I tried to comprehend the absence of magic. Even though some territories on our continent were more naturally blessed in orem than others, they all held our land’s magic to some degree. But here, within these walls, I didn’t detect an inkling of it.

“How odd,” I whispered to the frozen shrubs, vines, and plants. “No wonder you’re all dead. You poor things.”

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