Page 12 of Wings of Snow
CHAPTER 5 - NORIVUN
Early morning clouds swirled above me as I paced in the courtyard outside of the front gates of the castle. Dawn had arrived, the sun cresting the horizon, and cold air blew around me. I’d barely slept. Last night, I’d found my guards, sparred with them, and done my best to work off the heightened energy that had been spiraling through me following the encounter with my father and Georgyanna, but it hadn’t been enough.
Tension still radiated along my wings. I couldn’t stop thinking about my father’s undue interest in Ilara. It quite simply didn’t make sense.
The castle’s commander had his guards practicing drills nearby. Every now and then, the commander glanced my way, but the darkness gathering around my shoulders seemed to deter him from conversing.
Good. I didn’t want anyone’s company right now. I needed to find a way to protect my mate. And I hadn’t the slightest idea how to do that since I knew tracking her wasn’t an option, thanks to the potion my mother had given her.
Turning, I strode back toward the far wall when a shuffle of feet came from behind me.
“Pacing a path into the snow, my prince? Is your morning already off to that bad of a start?”
My lip curled when Michas Crimsonale’s comment flowed through the breeze. Wheeling around, I smirked. “Nothing better to do with your free time than bother me? Why am I not surprised?”
Michas leaned against the outer stone wall and crossed his arms. Thick, wide wings were tucked into his back, and his round eyes practically alighted with glee. “Am I bothering you, my prince? I do apologize.”
I growled. “Fuck off, Michas.” I swiveled on my heel and paced the other way.
“Does your disagreeable mood have anything to do with Ilara’s disappearance?”
My dragon snarled inside me, and it took all of my control not to let his smoke puff through my nose. Facing the despicable fairy, I said quietly, “What did you say?”
Michas pushed away from the wall and sauntered toward me. “I hear that Lady Seary left you.” He buffed his fingernails on his tunic. “Such a pity. I did enjoy her company.”
In a blink, I was standing right before him. “Mind your tongue, Michas. That’s my mate you’re speaking of.”
He arched an eyebrow. “Yet you’re to marry Lady Endalaver.”
I fisted my hands, and a dark curl of pleasure rolled through me when I imagined punching his straight nose right down his throat.
Michas sighed. “Such lack of control. What’s happened to you? You were never this easy to rile before.”
For the briefest moment, the young lord’s tone changed, as though he was contemplating my reaction versus reveling in it and was actually disappointed that I wasn’t harder to provoke.
I sighed. “What do you want, Michas?” I turned away, having no intention of waiting for his response.
“I had an interesting conversation with your mate on our last Trial date,” he called.
Something in his tone made me pause. Stiffening, I didn’t face him, but I cocked my head to listen.
“She said something that was quite surprising.” His tone lowered, his words barely a whisper. “She hinted that perhaps neither of you is loyal to the king. I thought she’d been playing a game, but after seeing what the king is planning to do to you and her by marrying you to others, I’m starting to wonder if perhaps it wasn’t.”
My attention pricked to the castle commander and guards, but they were practicing aerial maneuvers, too high in the sky to hear our conversation even if one of them had a sound sensory affinity. Still, not taking any chances, I called upon my air element and formed a silencing Shield around us. Turning, I faced Michas squarely again.
“Ilara told me about your conversation,” I replied.
Michas studied me, his expression guarded. “What did she say?”
Frowning, I searched his expression, looking for a hint of deceit or possibly malicious intent, yet I found none, and I remembered what Ilara had said, that even though Michas was a prick, she thought in this aspect, he wasn’t being a trickster. Inhaling, I scented his emotions.
Wariness, nervousness, and...hope.
Interesting.
I took a deep breath and said quietly, “Ilara told me that she was hoping you would open up to her and share what you know of the crops and the future of our kingdom.”
I waited on bated breath. To think I’d just revealed that to Michas Crimsonale of all fae was appalling, but Ilara had been insistent that Michas seemed genuine in this aspect—something I’d never been inclined to believe.