Page 35 of The King of Frost and Shadows

I didn’t want to know.

The people closed in tighter behind us. I could feel their breaths on my back, and then a few shoved forward … and chaos erupted around me.

11

TAVISH

Ishould’ve known that even a human version of Lira would be a pain in my ass. As a young girl, she’d loved to challenge her parents. She had been determined to find her own way and never molded to expectations. I’d always admired that about her, wishing I could be more like her … until now.

The group of men behind her charged forward, coming way too blasted close to knocking her and my guards over. Seeing the way her dress hung open in the front, almost displaying her breasts, with golden blood trickling down and staining the material, I burned to unleash the damn protective streak inside me and kill everyone who’d harmed her.

Staying away hadn’t lessened my emotions toward her; in fact, I feared my feelings for her might have intensified.

Alastor removed his sword from behind her, readying to lop off her head. The wildling enjoyed violence, and men like him had forced me to become the man I was now.

Unfortunately, I had no choice about what I had to donext. If I didn’t mitigate the desire for a revolt, civil war would break out.

I allowed frost magic to pulse from deep inside me. Unlike the darkness and the illusions I could manifest, this magic was light blue. I lifted my hand, allowing the frost to run down my arm and out of my palm, its rigidness turning my blood almost to ice, making me feel refreshed. However, I didn’t have time to enjoy the sensation. I froze Alastor with his knife inches from meeting the back of Lira’s neck.

My chest heaved as rage consumed me, and I clung to it. Not only was the sensation familiar, but it allowed me to amplify my magic. I needed my people to see what I could do if they chose to fight against me. The sky darkened as more magic hummed from me to the point that the moon disappeared and a haze hovered above our heads. Both my frost and darkness magic merged, which caused the snow to increase, allowing a coating to cling to our clothes.

With my magic on display, I bellowed, “None of you have the right or authority to make a decision that yourkinghasn’t blessed!” With each word, dread pooled heavier in my stomach … the sort of dread I hadn’t felt since the day I regained consciousness at fourteen, only to find my parents, who lay dead, feet away from me.

Not only was I on the brink of losing control of my people, but theoneway to protect Lira was to set her up to face the most vicious of them all.

“You’re protecting a sunscorched at the cost of your people,” Sablean shouted, hatred lacing his words and his dark-green eyes turning sinister. He marched toward the front to take the place of his best friend, not wanting him to have died in vain. “We will not—”

I flipped my wrist, allowing the illusions I cast in nightmares to filter into his mindas I flew over Lira’s head and landed beside the man. The way my neck tingled with awareness, I knew Lira was watching over her shoulder, and the strange, pleasant sensation of having her attention soared through me even more. I placed the edge of my blade against his throat, and Sablean whimpered.

I had no intention of killing him—he hadn’t posed any direct harm to Lira or myself—but that didn’t mean I could tolerate his disobedience. I asked through gritted teeth, “Does anyone else want to challenge me?” I pressed deeper into Sablean’s neck, needing his blood to spill. However, I didn’t cut deep enough to end his life.

My stance had to be clear. Threatening or disobeying the king would result in death, but speaking one’s mind out of turn would be forgiven once. I had to maintain control.

If a war broke out among the Unseelie, none of us would survive here. Our ground barely grew enough food to feed us, and only because the Seelie fae had allowed a handful of their people with earth magic to provide enough nutrients for us to skimp by.

A war would require resources we didn’t have.

I made sure my gaze connected with each person who’d been protesting outside the castle, and I noted who had been at the doors, demanding I come out and explain myself to them.

Like I blasting needed to seek their approval when I’d been doing everything I could to take back what was rightfully ours … by readying myself to kill the one person who had made me feel something more than the anger I’d breathed for the past twelve years of my life.

It was all for them.

And this was how they responded.

I wanted to punish each and every one of them. And I would, but not here. Not now.

The Unseelie who weren’t outside were watching from their windows. If I injured anyone else, it would only fuel their hatred for Lira and encourage others to join the instigators opposing me.

Foolishly, I wished I could go back in time. I should never have brought her here.

Silence descended. The guards stood at my side, but they hesitated as if uncertain they wanted to protect me.

I’d allowed things with her to go too far. Eldrin had warned me, but not before the damage was done. I had to do right by my people … do what my father would’ve done for them. My obligation was to them more than anyone.

I cleared my throat. “Good, because from this point on, anyone who speaks out against me will die at my hand.” I paused, allowing my words to sink in. I’d already delivered on this promise once before, against one in my inner circle. “Now, I will say what needs to be said, and I won’t tolerate any interruptions.” I nodded to the frozen man I’d killed in front of them. “My plan was to take the princess alive and in good health to the Seelie kingdom’s veil and spill her blood in front of witnesses. However, that plan has changed.”

I had to be careful because I didn’t need them to realize the truth. “I gave the sunscorched more privileges than she deserved to serve our greater good … to have the most impact. But that wasn’t enough for her. Not only did she try to escape, but she attacked me, which I won’t tolerate.” If I allowed her to do it, my people would turn on me. “As such, my guards are to prepare for the second-ever gauntlet. The sunscorched princess will take part, and you will get to enjoy watching her fight for her life.”

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