Page 18 of Wings of Snow

He set it down on the bathing chamber sink, and power began to ripple around him as he faced Sabreeny. “You tried to kill a guest in my home?”

His voice was so quiet, so lethal, that even I shivered despite his question being directed at his concubine.

Sabreeny’s chin lifted as her hair tumbled down her back. “No! She’s lying. I didn’t?—”

“You dare lie to me again?” The entire house shook with the strength of Drachu’s magic, and my breath sucked in.

“My king,” she pleaded. Her lips quivered as her creamy complexion paled. “I serve you and only you.” She fell to her knees, bowing her head as she curled her hands around his legs. She ran her palms up his thighs, and her fingers disappeared under the fabric covering his groin.

He let out a low growl when she began stroking him, and Cailis and I shared a wild look.They were actually conducting an act like this now?

But just as Drachu began to lengthen in her hand, his arousal evident beneath the fabric for all of us to see, he flicked her palm away and snarled deeper in his throat.

“You are no longer my salivar. Out.Now.”

Sabreeny’s lips parted, and she desperately moved closer to him, bringing her mouth to his half-formed erection. “Please, my king, let me remind you how much I can pleasure you.”

“Out!” he roared when she tried to lift his clothing and bring him to her mouth.

My heart beat like a beast in my chest when Sabreeny’s eyes dipped. Such a crestfallen expression fell over her face that I actually felt sorry for her when she rose. But that feeling only lasted a split second and was doused when she shot me a murderous stare.

The salivar gave her king one last pleading look, but the absolute steel in Drachu’s expression had cut his features into unrelenting stone.

With an enraged shriek, she ran from the room, then the distant sound of a door slamming reached my ears.

Breathing hard, I glanced between Drachu and Tylen. Tylen’s eyes were hard, as were Drachu’s.

“Are you hurt?” Tylen asked.

I fingered my throat, but the blood had already clotted. “No. I’m fine.” I went to the sink and splashed water on my injury until the blood was gone.

“I apologize for that,” Drachu said, his magic still filling the space as he glared toward where Sabreeny had fled.

“We need a minute.” Cailis grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the guestroom.

Once our door was closed, I yanked on my magic until I was able to form another silencing Shield around us, but dammit, it was difficult.

Panting from the effort, I nearly screeched, “What in all the realms was that?”

Cailis was breathing just as hard. “Right? Did she actually try to kill you?”

“She did. She said if we were gone, Drachu would stay here with her. She blamed me for his plans to depart.”

“Blessed Mother.” Cailis shook her head as she fumed. “These fae are...unhinged. Their behavior is so bizarre.” Her cheeks flushed. “And Sabreeny was going to suck Drachu’s”—she gestured to her groin—“right in front of us. It’s so...brazen.”

“Or desperate.” I shook my head as adrenaline from Sabreeny’s attack still raced through my veins. “We need to do something to protect ourselves better. If we go with Drachu to that temple, we need to leave some kind of message behind describing where we went, just in case we never return to the Solis continent, and just in case Drachu does decide to keep us prisoner.” I closed my eyes, thinking of the letter I’d written my mate, telling him to wait for me. But I knew,knewto the marrow of my bones, that if I didn’t return in the near future, the crown prince would look for me.

I scoured my thoughts with how to let him know where we were going, then realized there was only one solution. “I’m going back to the beach. Prince Norivun knows that Drachu offered me refuge if I ever needed it. If Drachu truly has dishonorable intentions, then I need to leave something on the shore that only Norivun can find. Considering that the potion the queen gave us makes it impossible to track our whereabouts, this may be the only way he could ever find us.”

“But how are you going to do that?” Cailis nibbled on her lower lip.

“Did you pack any parchment or quills?”

She nodded and grabbed the bag, rummaging around until she found the supplies.

I hastily wrote down where Drachu was taking us, then rubbed the paper all over me, again and again, until every portion of its surface had come in contact with my skin.

Cailis wrinkled her nose. “What are you doing?”

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