Page 6 of A Bride for the Winter King
“You wouldn’t have to marry him in the end. And you’d get a generous dowry just for entering?—”
“Keep your money. I don’t need it. Why do you care so much about the Winter King, or Morrigan, anyway? What’s in it for you?”
Seth grits his teeth. “Never mind that. If you get past the first few rounds of elimination, I’ll make sure your brother survives. And I’ll do everything in my power to set him free if we manage to track Morrigan.”
The wordweputs me on guard. A man like Seth doesn’t go around making empty promises, but there’s something he’s not telling me. If anything, my resemblance to the Winter King’s dead wife might put him off altogether.
“What’s the catch? Why capture Morrigan? Why not kill her?”
Seth isn’t supposed to know about Morrigan’s blood link to Cece—a spell that prevents us from killing her without condemning Lil’ Bit to the same fate.
The prince runs his thumb across his lips. “That’s my business, but I need her alive. As for the obvious drawbacks, Elio’s been suspected of killing off a few candidates over the years. But you…you can defend yourself. A spider like you, disguised as a rose, will be able to sneak around his castle without being seen.”
Other courts call all Shadow huntersspidersbecause of our skills, but I shiver all over. This is a bad,badidea. “You’re mad! I could never pass for a Spring seed.”
Seth tilts his head to the side, his tone all soft and quiet. “Don’t sell yourself short, Lori of everywhere at once.” His lips quirk. “With a little help, a woman like you could bring kingdoms to ruin.”
My throat bobs, the certainty in his voice loosening something inside me. All my life, I’ve worked so hard not to stand out. To blend in with the mortals back home and shine only by my hard work here in the Shadow Court. Sparing male egos left and right.
Never shining too bright to attract the wrong kind of attention.
“It’s a win-win-win situation. You’re hungry for new adventures, Lori.”
I am. I truly am. The business with the spider only reminded me how close to death we are here in the Shadowlands. It’s my new home, but I don’t want to die for the greater good. I want to fight and laugh and love…
Damian and Nell step out of the door-shaped mirror at the other end of the gym, interrupting my inner musings. And the Shadow King looks about to wrench Seth’s heart out of his chest and serve it with a side of wedding cake.
Chapter 3
The Serpent's Plus-One
LORI
All mirrors connect us to the sceawere—the space between worlds that allows us to travel to and from Faerie. Equipped with an expansive knowledge of Fae runes and a mask, a magical being can easily walk in and out of different realms—or simply step from one room to another.
The Shadow King’s arrival wraps the entire gym in darkness. Damian zooms toward Seth with incredible speed, but right as he’s about to grab him, the prince dissipates into an airy mist. The king’s arm shoots out toward the space Seth just occupied, and he wrenches the cocky prince out from the depths of his storm magic without hesitation.
“Seth.” With a low hiss, Damian flattens his fellow Fae to the wall. “What did I tell you about coming here unannounced?”
I peer through the mesh walls to check on our deadly visitors, scared that the altercation might attract their attention. “Are the reapers still in the gardens?” I whisper to Nell.
“No. They’re in the vault now,” she answers, her emerald and gold mask tucked safely over her eyes.
My shoulders slack in relief. “This one hasn’t stopped talking since you left.”
“And what kind of fairy tales did he share with you?” Damian bands an arm under Seth’s chin. “You came for the Yule pageant again? I warned you. My hunters are off limits.”
I suck an audible gulp of air. Damian looks like he knows exactly what Seth wanted to talk to me about, and a hint of betrayal shows on my face. “You knew about this?”
“I did, and I told him that it’s too dangerous.”
“It’s too dangerous for me to save my brother?” I say, my mouth opened in outrage.
“Your brother?” Damian frowns.
We stare at each other for a breath, and I realize he’s still unaware of my brother’s troubles. “Let’s start again. Seth here offered to help my brother in exchange for my participation in the Yule pageant.”
“How is your brother involved with this rascal?” Damian asks, but I shrug off his inquisitive stare.
