Page 27 of A Bride for the Winter King
Sara skids to a stop behind him, her jaw hanging slightly agape.
I blink at the two Fae hosts and chew the insides of my cheeks. Stabbing one or both of them is probably a sure way to get eliminated.
“My oh my… You look just like—” Paul stops short of saying Iris’s name, and silence falls over the ballroom. The two hosts exchange a worried glance.
“Don’t just stand there in shock. Tell the world.” Seth grips the microphone from Paul and grins from ear to ear. “Lori here is a ringer for my dear cousin Iris, is she not?”
“Where are you from, Lori?” Sara asks in a queasy, muted tone. “And where did you find that dress?”
I open my mouth to speak, to play the game, but the Winter King’s horrified grimace is still imprinted in my brain.
And I did that.
The darkness in his eyes when he ripped away the skirt of my gown shivers through me once more. “I—I can’t…”
“That’ll be all for tonight. Excuse us,” Seth pulls me toward the exit, his body shielding me from the vicious glares of my fellow contestants.
Blood returns to my cheeks and brain once we reach the gardens. My heels sink deep in the snow, the sudden pain in my calves slapping me back to reality.
I slip out of the nonsensical shoes and throw one of them at the prince’s smug face. “What the fuck, Seth?”
He veers off the projectile’s path with a feline smile. “Don’t fret. You made an impression. That’s all that matters.”
I chew on that for a moment and feel my resolve sharpen. Seth is right. The Winter King’s threat has reminded me of who he truly is—the King of Death. He snagged my father’s soul—justas he takes all mortals—and used it to increase his own power. I can’t allow myself to be swayed by his grief when he cares so little for mine.
“Seth!” Sarafina half-runs toward us, a cloak and a pair of boots bunched in her arms. She dumps the items at my feet without a single look. “What kind of sick game are you playing?”
My feet are already half frozen, and I cower inside the winter clothes with a low hum.
Sara slaps my sponsor straight across the face, and the sound echoes in the quiet gardens. “I spoke out for you, you dipshit! And you use some weak-ass enchantment to turn one of your candidates into Iris? I will kill you myself!”
“Easy, Sara.” Seth backs away from her with his palms up in surrender. “She’s real.”
“Pfft! No way.”
“See for yourself.” He motions in my direction, and the pale-skinned woman walks all the way into my bubble.
Hands tucked deep in the pockets of the fur cloak, I summon my daggers, ready to fight if she strikes first.
“Well…” she licks her lips. “Just because I can’t figure out how you did it doesn’t mean she’s real. I should throw you and your Spring seeds out tonight.”
Seth’s face softens the way it does when he’s trying to reel me in. “The citizens of Wintermere are losing interest in the pageant. Elio’s popularity with the masses has never been this low. Don’t pretend this won’t help your cause. The more they watch, the more they feel connected to him, the less likely it is for him to be overthrown.”
“Because you have his best interest at heart, of course,” Sara says on an eyeroll. “I won’t join forces with you. Not at Elio’s expense. A doppelgänger is one thing, but to have her wear Iris’sactualwedding dress? That’s just cruel.”
Byron flies in, his wings flapping so fast, I can barely see them. “Mistress, I need you inside.Now.”
The guard running to catch up with him isn’t a reaper, but he’s wearing a similar uniform without sleeves—only gray instead of white.
Jaw clenched, Sarafina shakes her head and walks away. “Excuse me.”
I dismiss my shadow daggers, the pockets of my cloak shredded to bits, and my heart in a similar state of disrepair. If I’d known, I would never have worn the damn dress. I look down at my fishnet stockings, happy to be rid of it.
“I can’t believe you made me wear a dead woman’s wedding gown. That’s seriously fucked up.”
Seth scratches the back of his neck. “I’ll go back inside, but you go ahead and rest. Your early departure will only add to your mystery.”
“Elio wants me to drop out. He was very clear about that,” I croak.
