Page 79 of A Shard of Ice

I heard him say that, but then Xander said that Snow fell in love at the Ice Court. I thought that maybe their love had changed. I know that such things are possible.

“Xander said that Snow fell in love at the Ice Court. I thought that maybe…I um…”

“That it was with me.” He sounds like he is smiling, which is infuriating.

“Well, she wants you alive so that she can marry you, so why is that so farfetched?”

“You don’t know much about the fae, do you?”

“I’m from a small village in the human kingdom. We saw fae from time to time but were far removed from the courts.” Ishrug. “So, to answer your question, no, I know very little about your kind.”

“Willowbrook,” Damon says the name of our small village.

“You remembered.”

“Of course. You told me stories of your home all the time.” He sighs, and it sounds sad. “Snow fell in love with my brother, Kyran. He fell in love right back. Snow used to be very different from the person she is today.”

“You said she was beautiful, both inside and out.”

“She was. The day before the wedding, Snow’s evil stepmother poisoned both Snow and Kyran. Many say that she was a witch. She has not been seen since that fateful day. Kyran fell down dead, and Snow was corrupted, her heart turned wicked.”

“I’m so sorry, Damon.”

“By morning, I was lost. I forgot who I was. I forgot everything. I thought I was a human and that my name was Taylor.”

“Up until the snowstorm hit.”

“Yes, and then I remembered. I never got to grieve my brother.” His voice is hollow.

“And I treated you so badly. I’m so sorry. I’m sorry for everything you went through. I didn’t know.”

“It wasn’t your fault, Kyrie. Don’t beat yourself up over it. I understand. You have nothing to feel bad about. Your reaction was perfectly normal.”

After a time, I say, “Now Snow wants to marry you? Why would she want that? Especially if she loved Kyran.”

“I remind her of him. We looked very much alike. She misses him and wants to replace him with me.”

“That’s sick, Damon.”

“Snow is sick.” His voice is a rough rasp. “I have to fix things, Ky. I have to fight this. We’ll find the rest of the lost kings andwage war. The realm will die otherwise. I need to do it, not just for my people but for everyone living in our realm. I need to do it for Kyran. He would hate what Snow has become. Only then can I start to live.”

“Of course you must. I know you’ll do it, Damon.” We lie in silence for an age, and then, thank Kakara, I fall asleep.

27

Kyrie

I wake up to find Damon thrashing about on the floor. He is moaning in his sleep. The blanket is tangled around his legs. I slip out of bed and kneel next to him. My eyes have adjusted to the dark somewhat. His face looks tormented as he continues to thrash. I reach out to touch his arm, trying to wake him. His eyes snap open, wild and panicked.

“Damon, it’s okay,” I soothe. He gasps for air, his chest heaving with the force of his breaths. He sits, running a hand through his hair. He continues to gulp in air like a drowning person.

“Kyrie,” he whispers, his voice strained. “It was so real.”

“You were having a nightmare.”

He nods.

“Would it help to talk about it?”

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