Page 5 of The Winter Prince

Revi’s lips curled back in a silent snarl. “No.”

Enlo hadn’t expected any luck there either—the other Courts could only spare so much of their own crops—but the question had needed to be asked.

“I did hear from the steward,” Enlo said quickly; better to draw Revi’s attention from the other Courts before he was too riled to discuss anything else. “The farmers’ latest crop of summer squash did somewhat better. Half of it yielded produce instead of a third.”

Revi’s side-eye made it clear he saw through Enlo’s attempt at cheer on the topic. “And his other crops?”

Enlo shifted. “The same as before.” Which was very poorly. Even the summer crops refused to grow, thanks to the curse.

Revi’s silence tightened with his tension. When he spoke, his voice was low and broken. “My Court is dying.”

Enlo was out of his seat in an instant. He dropped to his knee beside Revi’s sofa. He dug a hand into his cousin’s shoulder, gripping the thick, soft fur there. “No. No, we won’t let it. There’s still the caves. Our scouts are exploring them, and their reports are promising. We can develop them into new homes for our people—”

“And how long will that take? And how long will that sanctuary last without a reliable food source?” Revi tilted his head away from Enlo, hiding his gaze. “The Winter Court is dying, Enlo. We can’t stop it. Eventually the land will wither away entirely.”

Enlo sat back on his heels. “We can slow it, though. Slow it until you win the human’s heart, and then the curse will break and the Court will be restored.”

Revi huffed, the sound too quiet for Enlo to discern Revi’s feelings from it.

“Is everything ready for her?” Enlo asked.

Revi’s muscles tightened under Enlo’s hand. “What is there to prepare? The rooms are clean. There’s food in the kitchens.”

Enlo frowned. It would be impossible to miss how reluctant Revi was about their impending guest, but Enlo wished he would try a little harder. The fate of the Winter Court depended on Revi getting this stranger to fall in love with him, and no one was going to fall in love with a surly beast.

“Areyouready?” Enlo tried again.

“There’s nothing to prepare,” Revi growled, baring deadly sharp fangs. “I will be here. She will be here. What more do you want, Enlo?”

“Something other than anger would be nice. A sign that you care.”

Revi’s claws dug into the cushion beneath him. “I care. You know I do.”

“I know you do.” Enlo leaned forward and let some of his frustration leak into his voice. He needed Revi to hear this. He needed Revi to set aside his pride for once. If Enlo were in his place... but he wasn’t. Revi was the prince of the Winter Court. Revi was the one who mattered, and all Enlo could do was try to get him to care like Enlo did.

“Give this girl a chance, Revi. Yes, she’s human, but there are legends of Elyri-human matches. They’re not mindless beasts.”

“No, that designation falls to me,” Revi agreed darkly. “Humans are just weak.”

Enlo rolled his eyes. “Of course they are. They hold nothing of power—they don’t have our beauty, their magic is sporadic, and their physical attributes are as weak as a child’s. But you don’t need her to be powerful. You need her affection. Just enough to say that vow and free us from this cursed summer.”

“I have already told you I will try, cousin.” There was an edge to Revi’s tone. Not anger, but rather pain of some sort.

Enlo sat back. That was probably the best he was going to get at the moment. “Just remember your promise.”

“How could I forget with a buzzing little fly in my ear?” Revi’s tail flicked back and forth.

Enlo grinned. “Someone has to buzz in your ear. All the other Elyri are too afraid to. I consider it my sacred duty.”

Revi barked a short laugh. “How many days left?” he asked after a lull.

“A week.”

The past few weeks had passed at a crawl slower than moss grew, an insistent itch at Enlo’s shoulders as he waited for this mysterious woman to arrive.

He had taken to haunting the library himself, poring over the scroll enshrined at the end, under the great window that overlooked Revi’s frostrose bush. Now more than ever, it seemed vital to understand every nuance of the Summer Queen’s curse. If Revi failed to secure the affection of this human, it was a very real possibility that their Court wouldn’t survive long enough for him to get a second chance.

Enlo pulled his gaze away from the scroll under the window. “I’ve already sent out orders to all the denizens of the Winter Court to let her party—if she is not alone—pass unharmed.”

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