Page 32 of The Winter Prince

Chapter 20

Revi

Reviconsideredskirtingthevillage. He wore his frostcat form so that he could crouch high up in a conifer and observe the ongoings, of which there were little. His people had all received messages to stay inside as much as possible until he had dealt with the threat. It made his hunting easier if there weren’t bystanders that he had to worry about protecting. It was easier to keep them safe from the enemies—and from himself.

He shook the thought away. He would not hurt his people, even in the bloodlust of battle. Still, it was easier if they were inside when he passed by on his patrol.

It also meant Revi didn’t have to speak to them. He would do anything to protect them, but he had never been the one for speaking. That was Enlo’s purview.

Something, though, made him pause at this village. Something tugged on his senses. Despite how far from the Winter Castle he was, the sun beat down. The land felt parched. Dried up. Life struggled here even more so than the other border villages he’d passed recently. That, perhaps, was something Revi could help with, even if he could only give them a brief respite.

He made his way down from the tree, putting one paw silently in front of the other until he touched earth. He slunk forward, little more than a shadow moving in the shade of the trees. He didn’t need to go into the village to do what he was going to do, but the closer he could get, the more it would help.

He stopped just on the edge of the forest and pressed his nose to the ground, letting his senses flood with the feel of the land here. The complete lack of magic. It was bereft, utterly devoid of any sense of Winter’s magic.

His lips pulled back in a silent snarl, familiar hatred burning up for the woman who had cursed his home, and for himself. Always for himself. His vision tinged red, but he pushed away the anger. It would not serve him in his task.

He reached deep in his well of magic; the cool touch of it was a relief from the oppressive summer heat, even if the sensation of coolness was internal. He funneled the cold up through him and breathed it out along the earth. One breath. Another. Another.

With considerable effort, he cut the magic off and sagged against the earth. He had given so much and yet... it had barely done anything to this place. He could have been imagining the small dip in the temperature of the air. It wouldn’t last. It wasn’t enough. His people needed more, but the simple fact was that there was no more. The magic of the Winter Court was melting away a little more each day.

When he felt less shaky, he rose to his feet. He had done what he could for this small village. He had to resume his hunt. He couldn’t return to the castle until he was certain the threat was resolved.

Not for the first time since he had left, his thoughts turned to Kienna. Of course she was fine while he was gone. He trusted Zoya to take care of her physical needs, and yet... He longed to see her, to be near her, so that he could be the one to help her if she needed anything.

The thought was ridiculous.

“My prince?” The voice that interrupted his thoughts was high and flutelike, like a small breeze on a winter morning.

He bristled and looked around. He had not heard anyone approach. That was an unforgivable mistake whenhewas supposed to be the hunter.

“Itisyou,” the voice said again. A small figure stepped out from behind a tree. A boy, Revi realized. He was thin, with grey-white skin the color of birch bark and a gauntness to his cheeks that had less to do with his Elyri nature and more to do with the difficulty of growing food in the current climate.

His eyes were wide as he took in Revi. He dipped in a quick bow.

“I thought I felt... a pulse,” he said, his voice hesitant and quivering. “A bit of heartbeat to the land. My ma said I was imagining it, but my senses have always been a bit more sensitive than others.”

Revi looked away. He couldn’t bear the fragile hope in this boy’s expression.

“I did what I could,” he said roughly. “It wasn’t enough.”

The boy’s bright smile said otherwise. “The air already feels much better than it did before. Thank you, my prince.”

“You shouldn’t be outside,” Revi growled. “I’m in the area because I am hunting.”

The boy paled slightly. “I’m sorry. I just wanted a glimpse of you.” His throat bobbed, and he raised a fist in a small burst of passion. “I know some people blame you for the curse, but Ma and I don’t. If I was older, I’d go and wreak havoc on the Summer Queen for what she did to you. She deserves it!”

Revi blinked. “As… much as I appreciate the enthusiasm, that would defy my direct order to take no vengeance on her.”

The boy flushed. “Right. Of course I wouldn’t defy your command, my prince.”

Giving that order had been difficult. He wanted nothing more than to rage against the Summer Queen, but he had no right to—he had wronged her when he’d claimed she’d broken their bargain with the few troops she’d sent.

He had broken the bargain, not she. Hewasthe one to blame.

He couldn’t bear to admit that to this boy, though. He didn’t want to see that flame of admiration leave the boy’s eyes—even if he deserved the scorn that would follow.

Revi shifted, desperate for a different topic. “Do you... does your village need anything else? I can send some supplies back from the castle when I return.”

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