Page 204 of Winter Gods & Serpents

Snow laid back in her chair, grinning ear to ear. “That one was for Thora’s broken ribs, you insufferable mellow bitch,” she said, toasting a goblet in the air to her half-sister. Revenge, she was out for it. But this didn’t feel like the empty of her tipping point, her cup had just filled.

“Everyone out, except you,” her father said calmly to her before turning to the panicking three. “Take Fren to a healer, now.”

Snow’s amusement grew. Just as they were about to head out, Reuben fell to the floor and their mother screamed harder. Screeches of devastation and panic.

“And that one was for continuously breaking Eren’s spirit, you insufferable wimp,” Snow said, toasting again.

Silas stood, vibrating in rage. “What have you done?” his words echoed loudly, rolling further down the corridor making even the door rattle.

“The promised joy ride!” she exclaimed, standing to face him.

My body tensioned ready to pounce in front of her at the notice of Silas’s murderous shadows of malice.

He moved to strike her, but she quickly grabbed onto his wrist before he could.

I flinched, barely holding myself still. The witch had dressed the castle in her craft, but I could still yield parts of magic. Widening my shadows till they reached under Silas, I held the trap ready in case he thought of any other trick. Snow had this and I had her.

He was panting, everyone had left besides us and the soldiers. Ice began forming along the walls in their direction and my heart grew in fear for her.

“You fed me violence, swallow when I feed you repercussion. Don’t choke on crumbs of consequence, I’ve got a whole feast prepared for you.”

“How dare you!”

“You see, father, I have come to realize I am after all just the same as you.” she spat, and the ice halted as if by command. “Did your little soft head think you could mess with me? Whatever you have done to me is what I have allowed, this one was out of my calculations. Rest assured, you will receive the same coin for it. I know you care more for your underwear than those half breeds, but I do enjoy seeing you like this, it fills me with such pleasure.”

“I am going to send you to Adriata in ribbons, alive enough to marry their king, I do not care if you die the next second.”

She laughed and tightened her grip in his wrist, hard enough her black gloves had tightened white around her knuckles. “Then I will do just what I aimed, let dear Fren and Reuben die. One that is your heir and the other you intend to use to keep Ivar Venzor in your clutches. Everyone knows just how much he likes your little dais.” she stopped, and got closer to him. “He would be a good king don’t you think, father?”

“Do not threaten me, child!” he shouted.

“Oh no threat, I don't do threats, but do you know of the little delicious poison I just used?” she provoked, raising a brow. “Well, you couldn’t have known, I paid the dark crafter enough to feed a city. Blood craft poison, it's actually very easy to find the antidote, you just have to figure whose blood it was. A little hint of kindness, it was not mine or anyone you know, which I of course will give you once I have married into Adriata, away from you. The little red-haired witch you’ve sent to Seraphim might help to prove the theory, so be my guest.”

I had never seen Silas' shadows like now, they filled the entire room black in fury deeper than the colour of nothing. She did not deserve them, he had done enough on his part to deserve what she served to him. The ice coating thickly the walls cracked and blasted in small shards.

Satisfied in her victory she let him go to exit the dinning chambers, her steps halting at the crackling dark laugh echoing from Silas in flagitious gales of ire.

“You will bend, Snowlin Krigborn, one day you will bend. Wherever you are, I will make sure to break every last bit of you, to melt and forge you into steel that I will wield to my desire. You will do my bidding till the day you leave this realm. I will be your end.” A vile promise made to his own daughter, whose features had turned the shape of hurt before sternness took place once again.

“You cannot bend what has been forged in the fire of courage, wrath and inhumanity fed by you. You made me unwieldable with your own hands, sharpened my edges thin to become this. So I dare you, father, to try and do so. I want to see your hands bleed deep trying to wield me. I want to watch you bleed every time you hold me, and use me, because I am no simple weapon, I am double edged.” Snow challenged.

His hand lift toward her. “I will, if I get to see you subdued.”

Swiftly I faded between them, freezing his shadows in place along with him. “You touch her one more time, Adriata will send their part of the deal in shreds and I will tear you to ribbons right here, right in front of her,” I threatened.

Guards behind me unsheathed their swords and Verglasers took position to protect their king.

Lifting a wall of shadows around, I trapped us together inside. My limbs trembled at the feel of life feeding my magic. The craft veil around the castle had cut the flow of spiritual mana. I had rarely relied on my life mana before, expect from training, never to this degree.

“Do you understand what you have just done, Adriatian? A foreign guard, holding me under magic and threatening me? How do you dare?” Silas shouted wide eyed at my actions.

“Just like that. Play nice, King Silas, don’t make me test your might.”

He laughed roughly before a sneer lifted in his face. “I will have you hung, your ashes spread over hers.”

His daughter was right, he did rely on threats to hide shame. “Brave words for a king who signed a treaty of peace with two guards, who he allowed himself onto this kingdom. No harm shall come to them while they protect the princess from whatever harm comes her way. Your words, not mine. Break it, let’s see if you will have that agreement after all.” I knew he was very persistent on this deal, he had tried for years and insisted on all sorts of arrangements, his words were empty.

Lowering my shadows I moved back, and he signalled his guards to lower their weapons. Snow had frozen still, staring blankly at me.