AllFreeNovel
Share Us
After that it’s a lot of waiting. I sit with Rys, feeling a lot better than I have been when he lays his arm over my shoulder, holding me close. I don’t bother with my shadow cloak since it would only hurt him, and with all of us keeping an eye on Morgan’s cottage, I don’t really have to hide. Why? With three fae, a halfling, and a stubborn human, even the most mischievous faerie folk won’t bother us.
At Morgan’s urging, Rys dusts Jim. Honestly, I don’t blame either one of them. In the time that we’ve been staying at her cottage, she’s become very fond of Jim. It’s pretty clear that he’s head over heels for her. But Jim… he’s still so new to Faerie. He was out of it when Rys took care of Dusk. If this ends like I think it will… being unconscious inside of Morgan’s cottage is a much better place for him.
Rys tried to convince me to wait inside with Jim but, yeah, no. I don’t care how long we have to wait for Nyx to show up. I’m tired of being a pawn. Even if Morgan wants to face her cousin on her own, I plan on being as much back-up as I can.
Morgan doesn’t mind me hiding out in the shadows. But when it comes to Rys and Nine...
“I don’t need guards at my back,” she tells Nine.
“I’m sure you don’t, but I’m not going to let you plunge Faerie into war while my mate and I are still here.”
“You can leave any time,” Morgan reminds him. “There are enough pockets in the Shadow Realm to bring you right to the Iron.”
“And let Oberon think we failed? He’s not as cruel as you imagine, but I know better than to test his patience. I gave him my word that I would do what I could to arrange a truce between the Courts. That’s what I’m going to do.”
“You bargained with the Summer King? Did the Shadow Academy teach you nothing?”
Next to her mate, Riley scowls. But she doesn’t say anything.
Nine sniffs. “It taught me that a monarch never goes anywhere without at least two swords at their side.”
“But I’m not a monarch.”
“So you say, Morrigan.”
Rys rolls his eyes. I get it. I’m beginning to think Nine just gets a
kick out of arguing. If it’s not Rys he’s sniping at, it’s Morgan. I’m over it. It was so peaceful while Nine and Riley were in Scáth, and I’m hoping that after Morgan deals with Nyx, he’ll give it a rest.
Doubt it since all Nine’s doing is trying to convince Morgan that she really is the Winter Queen, but here’s hoping.
Rys opens his mouth, as if he’s about to say something, and then he goes still. Instantly alert.
“Rys?”
“Someone’s coming.”
Finally.
As we already planned, the four of us crouch low, hiding in the trees so that it seems as if Morgan is all on her own. Right before the male Unseelie appears in the space in front of her, I watch as she pulls off her glove.
Yeah. This isn’t going to end well for Nyx, is it?
Like Riley, Morgan has a reason for wearing her gloves. The first time I saw her wear them, I thought it was because she was trying to be careful when it came to the touch. We were traveling in close contact. I didn’t want her to touch me, and she didn’t want to risk a burn. It made sense.
I was partly right. And then I saw the way she can form snow crystals in the palm of her hand, just like Rys can conjure faerie fire. When she was sitting on the ground, anywhere her bare skin touched turned to ice. In her way, she was protecting me from more than just a fae’s touch.
Looking back on it, I probably should’ve realized there was something up with that. None of the other Unseelie I’ve met before or since could do that. But since she’s supposed to be the Winter Queen… yeah, I’m a moron.
The fae steps into the clearing, appearing from a patch of shadow that Morgan and Riley set up for just that purpose. Really, Nyx might be a bit of a moron ‘cause it stinks like a trap, even to me.
No. Not a moron.
Just a cocky, arrogant bastard.
“Ah, Morrigan. When I heard the rumors that you finally left your shadows, I almost couldn’t believe them.” His voice is as deep as in the memory, though in person it’s also oily. Ugh. “I had to come see for myself.”
“You forced my hand, Nyx. I was happy to be left alone.”
