Page 95 of Wings of Snow
Anger fired hotly through my veins. My mate. Myqueenhad grown up in near poverty due to that despicable male of a fae. Staying in the dungeons wasn’t nearly enough punishment for him. I’d see to that when we returned to Solisarium, because while I’d had succulent meats on my plate each night, Ilara had gone to bed hungry more times than I could probably bear knowing.
“He’ll pay for that.”
She sighed. “I’m just thankful he’s no longer in charge of our village.”
“He never will be again, and you’ll never go to bed hungry anymore.”
She brought her fingers to my lips, and I nipped them as a stirring of longing pulsed through my chest. Blessed Mother, I couldn’t get enough of this female.
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep. If the spell we found doesn’t stop the dark magic that’s poisoned our land, we’ll all be going to bed hungry.”
I frowned as she closed her eyes and nestled beside me, because as much as I didn’t want to accept her words, I also knew that she was right.
* * *
Since we hada week until we’d meet the Fire Wolf and attempt to stop what the warlock had done in Isalee, we all agreed that the time would be best spent searching for a connection between my father and the warlock he hired or having Ilara continue to imbue life into our continent’s dead fields.
So after buying Ilara new clothes the next morning, we settled on that plan.
“Let’s do both,” Ilara said as she placed her hands on her hips. A new turquoise cape with wing slits swirled down her back, and the black pant suit she wore hugged her curves in all the right places.Damn. “I’ll keep working on the fields, trying to heal what I can, while you search the castle for something that links the warlock to your father.”
I finally dragged my gaze from her enticing waist. “That would require splitting up,” I growled.
“True.” Ilara inclined her head as my guards stood around us. “But you have to remember the bargain we made. It’s been weeks since I’ve tried to fulfill my side of it.”
My gaze shot to her wrist, alarm skating through me. “Are you feeling the effects of avoiding your side of our deal?”
She made a sheepish face. “I think I’m beginning to. I woke up a few times during the night when painful shocks began to emit from the mark.” She ran a finger along her inner wrist, to where that leaf had glowed briefly before disappearing after we’d sealed our bargain. “It happened again this morning when we were shopping, but it was stronger.”
“Mother Below,” I muttered. “The gods aren’t giving you much of a break.”
She shrugged. “No, they’re not, which means I have to go.”
I scowled, and she inched closer to me until her scent began to cloud my thoughts.
“I’ll be fine. It’s winter. All of the Isalee fields are dead, and none of the laborers work in them anymore. Nobody will know I’m there. Besides, we’re fully mated now so you’ll be able to feel where I am. Surely, you’ll derive some comfort from that?”
While I knew she was right, I still grumbled. I didn’t want to be parted from her, not for one moment while my father’s fae were hunting her, even if our bargain demanded it and even if I could feel her now and know her whereabouts.
“We’ll keep her safe, Nori,” Haxil said.
“Trust me,” she added gently. “I’ll be fine. Nobody will know I’m there, and if someone does happen to see me or suspect something, I can mistphase out immediately.”
Haxil crossed his arms. “I’ll accompany her.”
“As will I,” Sandus added.
“No, youallwill,” I growled. “If I go back to Solisarium, it’s best if I’m alone. I’ll stay hidden under one of my illusions so no one will know I’m there.”
Ryder nodded. “Agreed.”
Nish turned to my mate. “So, when do we go, Princess?”
* * *
After Ilaraand my guards left, I mistphased back to the castle to see if I could find a connection between my father and the warlock. I knew that unless I did, nobody would believe me when I accused my father of starving and plotting against his own fae, and the council would never side with us to have him removed from the throne.
But finding a connection proved just as hard as I thought it would be.