Page 23 of Thorns of Frost

“Why? You don’t fancy marrying Lady Endalaver?” Just the thought made bitterness coat my tongue, but I swallowed it down.

“Not particularly.”

“She seemed to have you wrapped in her affinity yesterday, so you could have fooled me.”

“Her affinity.” He scratched his chin. “Yes, that manipulation affinity she possesses is quite dangerous.”

It wasn’t lost on me that he didn’t deny being enthralled by her. Not wanting to continue any talk of Georgyanna Endalaver, I sank my fingers more into the soil, relishing its coldness as that old anger began to simmer inside me again. The fact that he hadn’t denied enjoying Lady Endalaver’s company only strengthened it.

It heated my blood, roaring through me even more at the reminder of what my future held.

Ignoring him, I let my anger stew and threw my energy into the field, letting it take me away to a place far, far from here where there was no starvation or strife or potential war. Just soil, plants, and life. I hummed, caressed, and coaxed the dead roots and plants toward me as I found one after another. I moved along, clearing snow as I went.

Black roots. Chipped thorns. Dry stalks.

The prince’s protective bubble expanded every time I moved even though he stayed where he was, but his bubble grew larger and larger.

I put as much distance between us as I could and pictured this field growing to life once more, kissed by the gods and teaming with crops.

I got so lost in what I was doing that I barely noticed when the prince suddenly crouched right beside me. “We need to leave soon. You should eat before training.”

My stomach growled as though in agreement. “Let me do one more thing.” I dug my fingers into the dirt. I’d felt the touch of a large root, one that traversed most of the field. If I could just reach it, I was certain it could perhaps speed the process up here. “I think I’ve almost—”

A wicked-sounding roar cut through the blizzard, the sound like razors down glass, and the dome around the prince and I shuddered from something large and heavy slamming into it.

I was on my feet in an instant, just as the prince cursed beneath his breath, and his Shield shattered.

“Snowgum!” The prince threw himself over me as a rush of air brushed my cheek.

Somethinghugeflew over us, and then four massive paw prints appeared in the snow only feet away.

That was it.

Paw prints only.

Because the snowgum’s magic had made it invisible.

“Oh Mother, save us!” I whispered.

“We’re getting out of here. Now.” The prince’s arms wrapped around me as his mistphasing magic rose.

But just as fast, the snowgum slammed into us, tearing me from the prince’s arms as the prince rolled to the side.

“My prince!” I called.

He yelled in pain as blood suddenly soaked through his tunic.

“Oh Blessed Mother! Oh Mother!” I scrambled to my feet as the invisible predator sank its fangs into the prince.

A blast of the prince’s affinity had the creature shooting off him even though I couldn’t see it. But Ifeltit. Power. Air. The rush of something massive being thrown through the howling wind.

The whiteout still raged around us. I could barely see the prince through the swirling snow, but I leaped toward him, using his black tunic to guide me.

I landed at his side, and with a sickening sense, realized it wasn’t only black surrounding him but red. Blood seeped through his tunic, and it was pooling beneath him at an alarming rate.

“Where did it bite you?” I clawed frantically at his clothing.

He groaned and slowly sat up.

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