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Ash laughed. “Sorry. I’ll wait.”
When we stepped out of the Midsith, we came face to face with all the Folk who had gathered outside to witness the changing of the seasons. They were mostly solitary fae, but there were plenty of seelie and unseelie too. Out of habit, I scanned my gaze over them, but then a strong arm was banding around my waist before Ash pulled me flush against him and crushed his lips to mine.
Some of the Folk gasped, others chuckled, but we ignored them as I cupped Ash’s jaw and smiled into the kiss. When he pulled back, his eyes were opaque, and he licked his lips before grinning at me.
“Enjoy the Bitter Months, Holly King.” He pressed another kiss to my cheek before stepping back and smoothing down his tunic. When he saw Idony shaking her head, he protested, “I waited until we were outside!”
“Such admirable restraint, Luad,” Belial said in his flat voice, but the corner of his mouth twitched up.
“We really should get going if we don’t want to be late.” Nua was untying their horses from a nearby tree. “I’m sure Idony has plenty of last-minute preparations to sort out before Lonan’s coronation.”
“Gods, yes.” Idony rolled her eyes as she made her way over to our own horses, waiting patiently. “I’m just grateful you asked to keep it simple. If it was a bigger affair, I would’ve lost my marbles by now.”
“I did offer to bring in others to help,” I pointed out dryly, patting the neck of my black steed.
“I’m perfectly capable.” She sniffed as she carefully tucked her hellhound into his saddlebag. “And Sloga has been helping. He just moves like he has all the time in the world.”
“Well, he does,” Belial said flatly, hands hovering over Idony as she hoisted herself up onto her horse. “Be careful.”
She flushed with pleasure, smoothing back the loose strands of her hair as she beamed down at him.
Settling on my own horse, I gripped the reins and looked over at Ash. “See you there, Oak King.”
“See you there.” He grinned, watching as I turned my horse in a tight circle to start heading back to unseelie. “Don’t make it too cold for us,” he called, his tone teasing.
I laughed, then shot him a smirk over my shoulder before urging my horse forwards to begin our journey back. The air already felt cooler, ruffling the black feathers adorning the collar of my coat as our pace picked up. Our horses’ hooves thudded over the well-worn path back to unseelie, and in my mind’s eye, I could already see frost glittering on leaves and a blanket of white covering the ground.
Dark evenings and warm fires and snow glittering under the winter sun. The smell of bonfires in the air, the taste of hot mulled wine spiced with cloves and citrus, and the peace that settled over the land as it went dormant, sleeping until the frost melted and life began to reawaken after its rest.
“Thank the gods that’s over,” I muttered to Ash as I reached him, painfully aware of the hundreds of eyes still fixed on my back. “I didn’t seem too uncomfortable, did I?”
He chuckled, reaching up to adjust the crown now resting on my head—silver holly leaves and berries twisting together to form a circlet.
“Not at all. Very calm and controlled.” He grinned at me, leaning in to murmur, “Congratulations, Dunn.” After a brief kiss, he asked, “Did you hear Ogma?”
I huffed in amusement. “Yes. She told me Cethlen is still sulking.”
“Oh, poor Cethlen,” he said in a voice dripping with sarcasm as he rolled his eyes, before grinning brightly as Nua and Gillie made their way over to join us.
“Congratulations, lad.” Gillie slapped me on the back. “Bet you’re glad that’s over, eh?”
“Very,” I admitted, smiling at Nua as he gave my shoulder a gentle squeeze.
“Time for a drink now, I think,” Gillie said eagerly, blowing into his hands before rubbing them together. “Something warm to fend off the chill, eh?”
“Not yet.” Idony marched over and tutted. “Just a few more minutes, you lout. The pyre-burning first, so the Folk can begin their party while we eat.”
“Oh yes.” Gillie chuckled, turning to look up at the enormous effigy towering over us. “Don’t want to miss that.”
“They did a good job,” Ash said, slipping his arm around my waist. “It looks just like her.”
“It does,” I agreed, staring up at the Carlin’s one-eyed face made from woven twigs and branches. The Folk who’d made it had captured the familiar iciness of her expression perfectly, and soon, we would see it consumed by unseelie fire.
“Are you ready, Lonan?” Sloga asked as he approached, a lit torch already in his hand.
I smiled at him with a nod. “Yes. Light the pyre, Sloga.”
A hush fell over the unseelie Folk as he made his way over to the base of the effigy. Ash slipped his arm under my coat to grip my waist, pressing tightly to my side as we watched in silence.
