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I raised an eyebrow. “Look. I don’t know you. I’m trying to do my part, but there’s no way I’m throwing myself at the feet of your good pal, the Dark King, and his magical doors, knowing he could just lock me up somewhere and I’d never be seen again.”
“Listen, sweetheart. You had no problem with this stranger when I was kissing you. And he’s not the monster people say he is. You saw him in my memories. Did he give off dark and murderous intentions when he calmed that boy? Also, who said anything about using him? I only travel by magic when I have to.”
“There’s no way we can walk to the other six covens before Solstice.”
“So, you’re coming. Great.”
“You are infuriatingly stubborn, Atlas.”
“It’s a gift from the goddess.”
“I think I hate you right now.”
He feigned shock, pressing a hand to his chest. “I’ve never had a single person in my whole life hate me. How will I ever survive it?”
I scowled. “Something tells me you’ll manage.”
Just to spite him, I used magic to pack the extra blankets and pillows he’d requested after we gave up on waiting for the Spirits to come
* * *
“A sleigh? You want to take a sleigh?”
“Isn’t she a beauty?” Flashing his lopsided grin at me, he slammed a hand on the door.
Parked outside of the inn, the sleigh took up most of the snow-covered road. The sun beamed off the jagged icicles hanging from the buildings, daylight filling every crevice of the land. The Fire Coven came alive, witches and shifters scooping the remnants of the storm from their homes’ steps and walks, some gathering to watch the giant carriage.
“We’re absolutely going to freeze to death, and none of this will matter.”
“Not exactly, Frostbite.”
He pointed to a marking on his arm and squeezed his eyes shut, peeking once. When nothing happened, he cleared his throat and repeated the process. The spell lit blue, and he waved his hand, making a giant glass dome appear, enclosing the sleigh. When he felt my stare, he adjusted his sleeves and glanced away. “Still working on the casting part, but hey, I made a door this time.”
“I thought you said you could conjure spiders and run faster. You said nothing about this.”
“If I had listed everything, it would have been bragging, and no one likes a showoff.”
“And you’ve never been a showoff a day in your life, I’m sure.”
He stepped forward, grabbing my waist and hoisting me into the sleigh with ease. “Not one.”
For a moment, as the reins cracked through the chilly air and the team of huge, black horses tore off, gliding across the top of the snow, I let myself believe in the beauty of it all. I hadn’t enjoyed Winter Solstice since I’d met the goddess and damned my own brother. But only a fool could deny the vision of perfection painted across the world. Hues of lilac never left the sky, though it mixed with tones of gray from smoky chimneys. Giant flakes of snow fell, their descent slow, dancing along the breeze that carried them over the silent world.
“We just need to make one quick stop before we go,” Atlas said, pulling the reins that seemed to float through the magical glass he’d conjured.
I said nothing, tugging the hat on my head a little further down. Atlas reached below the seat, lifting a giant bear fur, not unlike the one he’d made his father. Dropping it across our laps, he shouted at the horses, and they turned on command. Pine trees came and went as we covered ground, headed straight for a gleaming white castle that could have easily been lost in the blanket of snow.
My ears rang as we neared the Dark King’s castle. No longer the small child from Atlas’ past, but a man with a history as violent and threatening as any witch that had ever been born.
I grabbed Atlas’ hand beneath the fur. “Why are we going there?”
“You’ll see,” he said, excitement lighting his eyes.
When we approached the gate, they opened with a groan, and the sleigh soared right through, stopping in front of the largest set of doors I’d ever laid eyes on.
“Do you want to come in?” Atlas asked softly.
“I’ll wait here, if it’s all the same to you. I’m sure they’re lovely. But I’ll pass.”
