Page 120 of A Lord of Snow and Greed

“Father is being mysterious,” Vale murmured.

“Not sure I like that.”

Neither did I, but I said nothing. Saga noticed too because she side-bumped me.

“Is your mouth frozen shut?” Her tone was light and teasing.

“Kind of,” I replied, trying to give her a true smile.

Saga cocked her head, hinting that I’d failed at my attempt. “Neve? Is something wrong?”

“No,” I lied and rubbed my hands together for something to do. “Like you said, just cold.”

Vale looked away.

Saga exhaled and a puff of white filled the air. “I guess there’s trouble in paradise.”

“I’ll fill you in later,” Vale said.

I suspected he would tell her about the vampire. A good idea. Perhaps Saga would see it coming and be able to warn him when assassins descended on the castle.

We didn’t have to suffer the uncomfortable silence hanging over our trio for too long as seconds later, a lur horn sounded. I straightened, seeking the horn blower, and found him by the door, the bronze horn to his lips as he blew again, and the king appeared.

“A lur horn?” Saga whispered. “Why?”

I understood. They were only blown during a time of war. Chills ripped down my spine as the king stomped into the courtyard, his face like ice and a white fur cloak flowing behind him.

Thankfully, my own cloak hid the tightness that took over my body as the king passed us by. For two decades,King Magnus left his father to rot in the dungeons. He had imprisoned not just rebels but innocent performers. And, of course, he didn’t care at all if I perished in a vampire attack.

If he knew my ancestry, he’d welcome it.

And what would Vale do if he found out?

I swallowed down the pain that came with that question. Vale had affection for me, but if he knew that I was of the Falk line, would he hate me as much as his father hated the Falks? Besides my disgust with myself, that was yet another reason I’d been keeping my distance from the male who had been so kind to me.

The male who, despite reason, I still felt a pull toward.

Stars, I hated myself.

As it was, the king didn’t even spare me a glance as he passed us. Instead, he stopped between two Clawsguards who had cleared a space for the king.

“Bring out the prisoners,” he bellowed with no preamble.

My lips parted. The rebels were already being executed?

“What happened to the idea of a trial?” I whispered to Saga.

Not that the one I’d seen with the White Bear had been much of a trial at all. Still, I was shocked that the king wasn’t putting on a show for his people.

“I don’t know. This is unusua—” A gasp flew from her lips.

Footfalls in the snow sounded and a quartet of soldiers led out the performers from the Royal Theater.

My heart stopped as the guards herded the actors and actresses toward the wall.At my side, Vale grew stiff.

“I spoke to some of them. They’re innocent,” he growled.

I swallowed, studying the performers. Most appeared terrified; trembling and shuffling and some tripping before they made it even halfway across the courtyard. They had to be freezing too, not dressed in anything remotely suitable for the outdoors.

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