Page 49 of A Bride for the Winter King
Sara’s eyes fall to my ribs. “That I believe.”
My mouth still full, I follow her gaze to my covered ribs and growl. Can every single Fae in existence sense the damn venom embedded in my bones?
“I’m here to pick up the trail of a woman called Morrigan. She’s been through here recently,” I sum up, leaving out a few important details, but with enough truth to test my interrogator. “And the Shadow King wants her alive.”
Sarafina pushes her plate aside. “What did you truly see in the maze, when your Spring friend died?”
“I saw Aster speaking with someone—she’d said earlier that a woman needed help by the maze, but all I could make out in the storm was a dark silhouette. I thought it might be Morrigan and followed.”
Sarafina sits back in her chair. “Alright. I don’t know anyone by that name, but I’ll verify your story at the Yule brunch tomorrow. If the Shadow King vies for you, I’m tempted to keep you around. Us darklings need to stick together in these uncertain times.”
I’m grateful for her use of the wordus. Fae seldom consider mortals their equals, but I shake my head. Her plan clearly ignores the most obvious hurdle. “Ugh-ugh. Elio told me in no uncertain terms that he never wanted to lay eyes on me again.”
Sarafina flattens both palms to the table, and a flurry of snowflakes scatter in the air above her knuckles. Magic creeps through the room, frosting the windows through and through,along with the doorknobs and the gaps between the solid wooden doors and the floorboards. An eerie silence takes over, the bustle of the tavern below us vanishing in a flash.
“What—”
Sarafina holds up one finger for me to wait and nods after a few seconds. “No one could possibly hear us now.” She straightens her spine and links her fingers over the table. “I won’t waste your time, Lori, and take a leap of faith. As a spider, you’re not loyal to the first kingdoms, which allows me to be candid.
“Something is very wrong with the magic of this realm. Unpredictable ice storms have disrupted the activities in the mines, and snow is melting in places it shouldn’t. I’ve only picked up a few pieces of the puzzle so far, but I think something big is going to happen before the pageant is over.
“If someone wants to move against the Winter King, it’ll happen before the solstice. I know your kingdom has faced similar challenges, so it wouldn’t hurt to keep you around—as long as you didn’t press your advantage with Elio.”
“And what would I have to do?”
“Just keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. It would give you an opportunity to hunt for your mark in the next two provinces, and I would have eyes and ears on the ground, along with a competent fighter to protect the brides if something happens. Whoever killed your friend Aster is still on the loose, and I’m sure Seth told you what happened in the maze was not an isolated incident. Things of the sort happen every year during the pageant, and I’m sick of it.”
My mind flashes to the gorgeous, ethereal warrior accompanying the Red brides. “Why don’t you ask the Reds for help? They look deadly as fuck.”
“Reds don’t fight for anyone but themselves,” she says with a decisive slice of the head. “The next challenge will be a survivor-type situation. Are you up for it, Sixteen?”
“Call me Lori.”
The corners of her mouth quirk. “Very well. But only if you call me Sara.”
I chew on my bottom lip.
I don’t know if I can trust any of these Fae, but Sara’s concerns sound valid and genuine. If some scourge or curse is spreading across the Fae Continent, I’m all for stopping it before it reaches the Shadowlands.
“Can I tell Seth?” I ask.
I can’t jeopardize my chances to save Ayaan, but what Sarafina is offering would allow me to stay in the pageant and fulfill my duty to the prince as well.
She wraps her arms around her body at that. “Are you sleeping with him, too?”
“No, but I trust him. You don’t think he’s involved in whatever’s coming, do you?”
She rakes a black nail across a knot in the wood table. “Seth isn’t cut out for the Winter crown, and he knows that. I don’t see what other angle he could have to conspire against us.” Her lips are still pursed, but she finally leans forward with a quick nod. “Very well, then. But if we are to trade information, I’m going to need some transparency from you both. Byron will have a long chat with Seth in the morning to lay out strict ground rules, and if everything works out, I will smooth things over with the king.”
She appears confident in her ability to sway Elio into letting me stay, and my stomach flip-flops. A part of me was relieved to be out of the pageant and free to leave Wintermere.If I stay, what happened earlier will happen again…but I swat the intrusive thought away and vanquish the little voice in my head that pleads for me to run.
The ice cutting Sara and I off from the rest of the world melts a little, the windows returning to their original tint.
I almost mention the hooded woman I saw meeting with Elio in the gardens, but if the Winter King is in leagues with Morrigan without Sara’s knowledge, she won’t believe me. Worse, she might ask him about it. Until I know more, I need to keep this close to the vest.
“Alright, I’m in.” I move to stand. “Where is Seth?”
Sara escorts me to the exit. “In one of the rooms below, but he’s not alone.” She swings open the door. “The brides are expected to sleep in the big tent outside. Tell them that you’ve been interrogated by me because of your resemblance to Iris, and make no mention of Elio. I’ll be your alibi.”
