Page 4 of Dark Master's Redemption

Trailing vines climb the buildings and drape across lofty bridges of ice; they glow blue, with little silver berries that white night-birds swoop down to pluck. Luminous blue-white moths with big, fuzzy wings drift by; I even see white arctic foxes yipping as they play beside a fountain.

It’s a paradise, here in the far north. And all of it is somehow cold enough to keep the structures frozen, yet warm enough to feel like an early spring night rather than the deathly frigid temperatures we encountered outside on the glacier.

Magic is everywhere, shimmering with white soap bubble rainbows and dark, black oil slick ones. It’s almost exactly like my magic, I realize as I take it all in with wonder.

A city of Dark Fae.

Alive and well in the world.

2

PROMISE

As Ariana and I arrive in the ice citadel of Novakitsk, an entourage makes its way towards us. Master Vasily Ilyov must have alerted his ambassadors of our arrival before he disappeared; dressed in draping, brocaded silks like winter kimonos with sleek fur collars, the three Dark Winter Fae in our welcome party look almost like Vampires with their tall height and excessively pale coloring.

Luminous beneath the moon, the two men and one woman wear their hair in ornate hairstyles, full of braids, cloisonné chopsticks with colorful tassels, and gleaming glass beads reminiscent of ancient Mongolia. Their fingers are tattooed with silver-blue Fae script that glows beneath the moon; setting their hands together, they bow before us.

Then bow just to Curio—their Dark Winter Fae prince returned home.

“Clariss! How I’ve missed you.”

Curio surges forward with a laugh that fills the night with sudden joy. His peppermint winds whirl around him as he embraces the woman in the lead of our welcome party. He smiles, his buoyant, wintery glee infectious as she gives an answering laugh, hugging him in return.

As they exchange cheek kisses, a wind whirls with the brisk, cold scent of elderflower. It comes from the woman, complementing Curio’s striking peppermint magic on my tongue. As the two embrace, I realize how similar they look—and know the leader of our welcome party is Curio’s sister, as he grasps her hand and leads her to us.

Grinning like a brigand.

“My friends. I would like you to meet my elder sister, Clariss Silverfrost. Clariss, these are my dear friends from Florence, Ariana Summers and Lucca Bellari. And of course, you know the Lady Eiseth Pendragon of Britain.”

“Lady Eiseth. Good to see you again.” Curio’s sister Clariss steps forward with regal delight now, clasping hands with Eiseth and kissing cheeks as if they are old friends.

Clariss’ blue-white gaze is all for me now, however. As she eyes me, brisk, I know she’s realized who I am; her magic whirls up, ferocious, as truly enormous auric wings flare from her spine. She steps back now, raising her hands to throw up a massive shield wall of blue and white rainbow-dark magic behind her.

Barring our way into the city.

“The Prince of the Summer Fae goes no further.” A vicious chill takes her voice as she stares at me, daggers like icicles seething from her power. Her pale blue eyes flash as she glances at Curio. “You will incur father’s wrath, brother, for bringing our enemy here.”

“Patience, Clariss.” Curio chuckles as he waves nonchalantly at me. “Dig a little deeper into his magic, sister. For Prince Lucca Bellari is Dark Fae, like you and I, no longer just Summer Fae, as his people suppose. He is Cuorante—his Night magic is subtle, but it’s there. Besides, father already met us at the gate and approved of us entering the city. With Lucca.”

With a chill frown towards me, Curio’s sister at last lowers her arms. Her barrier remains, however, as she moves towards me and raises a hand; her cold magic makes me pull back instinctively as curls of vapor like dry ice waft from her fingertips.

Curio motions me to stay put for his sister’s evaluation. Clearly, though their father already approved of me coming into the city, Clariss Silverfrost’s word goes here, now that I’m inside.

She sets her hand to my heart and her touch pains me, so cold it burns. It makes me inhale; whorls of ice dance across my diamond-white coat as my entire body feels frozen to my marrow all over again. Her winter ice patterns up my collar; I feel it burn my neck as my inner fire flares now, to beat her deep chill with my Summer Fae heat.

Her touch raises a dark rage inside me, then. Something goes black within me as I dive into an utterly void place Quinn, Ariana, and I all share. Something pulses from my heart, like a lance of dark starlight.

Clariss pulls her hand back—her eyes widening as she glances up into my eyes.

“See everything you hoped to?” I’m glib, but even I know my tone is far from friendly as I face a mortal enemy. Because the Summer and Winter Fae have been at odds for eons—the strongest two Fae Courts in the world, diametric opposites in our power.

“You hide the darkness inside your Light well, Summer Fae Prince.” Clariss gives me an elegant nod now, though it’s still tense.

“I have to.” I stare her down, not backing down from her evaluation of me. “My father can never know what I am.”

“And we will never tell him.” She gives me a serious nod now, acknowledging that my secret as a Dark Fae is safe here, among others who are like me.

It seems my evaluation is over as Clariss turns to Ariana next. She gives Ariana a thoughtful gaze as I feel Clariss read Ariana with her power like she just read me. Though her formidable magic seethes through Ariana, my lover stands firm under that onslaught. Something in her is better able to withstand Clariss’ power as Curio’s sister steps close now.

---