Page 3 of Frozen Hearts and Death Magic

But then the fae bowed slightly, put his hand on his head, between his horns, as if dizzy, and sat on the bed, eyeing her with curiosity. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, and didn’t know you had… brought me in… with good intent.” His words were careful, as if he were measuring them.

She stared at him. “You don’t want to admit I saved you?”

His expression was relaxed, bored even. “We can’t know what could have happened.”

She moved to the window and touched the latch. “It’s all a matter of experimenting. You can go back outside and see. It won’t be fair because you’re conscious now, but it’s worth a try.” Of course she didn’t want him to leave, but she didn’t think he was ready to go anywhere, and it was annoying that he wouldn’t even thank her.

“Still won’t prove anything about the past. Unless you want me gone.” He tilted his head and narrowed his beautiful eyes. “But you don’t, do you?”

“Not before I know who you are and what you’re doing here.”

He looked up, an amused expression on his face. “But those are such big questions. Do you know who you are and what you’re doing in this place?”

She scoffed. “Of course I do.”

There was a knock on the door. Naia stiffened, then threw another blanket at him and whispered, “Lie down and hide.”

The fae frowned but got under the blankets. Funny how he didn’t argue when it was something that benefited him. Hopefully it was just her brother and he hadn’t heard the fae’s voice. With that much rain outside, he shouldn’t be able to hear anything.

Naia moved the door just enough to see her twin standing in the hallway, his long black hair messy for once.

“Fel? Something wrong?”

“I…” He craned his neck as if trying to look inside the bedroom. No way he’d see the bed from this angle, and even if he saw it, it would just look like it was messy, but it still unnerved her. Fel frowned, thoughtful. “I thought I heard... Are you all right?”

Naia faked a cough. “Yes. Fine. You probably heard the rain.” She fake-coughed again. “Or me.”

Her twin narrowed his green eyes as if suspicious, but then smiled. “Are you hiding something?”

She scoffed. Or maybe it was a nervous laugh. “What am I even going to hide?”

Fel shrugged. “You tell me. But you need something for that cough.” He then turned around and walked away without even saying goodnight or anything. Weird. Well, at least he wasn’t going to stay and chat or check her bedroom.

Naia closed and barred the door, then walked back to the bed and removed the extra blanket.

The fae seemed curious, and cocked his head toward the door, almost as if pointing at it with one of his horns. “That’s… metal magic?”

Right. He didn’t mean Naia’s magic, which had brought him inside and saved his life, but her brother’s. On the upside, at least this was a piece of information. “So you know about our magic.”

His eyes were quite captivating when looking up, thinking. “I’d say… no. I was under the impression that only royal families had magic among humans.”

Naia clenched her fists. “And what in the world do you think we are?”

He narrowed his eyes. “This is… a castle?”

“A manor. Comfortable enough for us. We don’t have an obsession with showing off.”

“Interesting.” The fae took a deep breath, his eyes scanning the room with even more curiosity than before. “And this isn’t Ironhold.” That was the metal kingdom, and it meant he knew Aluria quite well, to know about their magic and even a kingdom’s name. His eyes narrowed, again looking around the room, then setting on her. “Where are we?”

She crossed her arms. “I don’t know. What if we exchange an answer for an answer?”

His lips formed a hint of a smile. “You could lie.”

“So could you.”

He rolled his pretty mahogany eyes. “I’m an Ancient.”

Ancient. That was what the white fae called themselves. So he was the enemy. Naia had to tread carefully. “Not fae?”

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