Page 24 of Crowns of Ice
“She’ll remove it unless she wants to meet Lucifer.” Menace rolled off him in waves, and I knew it was only because we’d been so busy that both of us had pushed our concerns about the necklace to the side. But thatvery pendant was why Drachu had ventured all of the way to the Solis continent. It was why he and Tylen had stayed in King Novakin’s castle, waiting for our return.
“We’ll figure this out.” Norivun drew me closer, extending a wing around my shoulders.
“I hope so.”
We carried on, climbing the golden walkway as we headed toward the palace.
Every fairy and supernatural creature we passed gave us a wide berth. Most didn’t even try to conceal their stares. My angel wings were out, and given that I strode with four Solis warriors and the crown prince down the cobblestone pavement, we did make quite a sight.
When we reached the castle door, the sentries called for Bavar Fieldstone, but when a servant reappeared and shook her head, a sentry stated, “He’s not in residence at this time. You’ll need to return another day.”
“Of all our luck...” Nish glowered and placed his hands on his hips. “Now what?”
“Do you know when he’ll return?” Norivun asked the golden-skinned sentry.
The sentry stared down at us from his imposing height. I had to tilt my head all the way back since my line of sight put me right at his breastbone.
The sentry’s expression didn’t change when he replied in a monotone voice, “We do not share the royals’ schedules.”
“Of course, you don’t,” Ryder said under his breath.
“Are you able to reach him?” I asked. “Could you send word to Sir Fieldstone that it’s important for us to see him, and perhaps we could meet him wherever he’s currently residing?”
The sentry inclined his head as though thinking for a moment.
I was still unsure if the Nolus sentries were actual beings with beating hearts and thought-filled minds or merely complex puppets blessed with animation magic. I’d certainly never seen a species like them before.
“Wait here.” The sentry retreated inside.
Minutes passed, and Sandus tapped his foot.
“’Tis always so warm here.” Nish sneered at the sky. It was another clear, cloudless day.
Haxil laughed and patted Nish’s shoulder. “Are you angry at the weather now?”
“I don’t see why not,” Nish replied. “There’s not even fierce wind or angry clouds. Just sun and warmth and endless blooming—” He fingered a vine near the castle’s main door, and from his look, I had a feeling even the flower offended him.
A red petal curled around his fingers as it moved and writhed on the vine. Nish scoffed. “Even their plants are happy.”
My lips curved. I trailed my fingers along the small buds that turned toward the sun. “Hello, my friends. What a beautiful day for you to enjoy. A shining sun and endless warmth.” I caressed as many as I could reach, whispering to all of them.
A push of contentment came from Norivun along the bond, and I raised my eyebrows.
“Our first night in High Liss, you also spoke with the plants.” His eyes sparkled in the sunlight, and his white teeth flashed in a smile. “You spent all of your time floating in that pool conversing with them.”
My cheeks flushed. That night, I hadn’t known he’d been watching. I’d been entirely uninhibited in those bathing pools, swimming, floating, and stroking every plant and vine on the water’s edge. “I’ve always spoken with plants.”
He nodded, his eyes hooded. “’Twas probably your affinity that created your desire to speak with them. You’ve connected with life since you were young. It’s not unusual in powerful fae to see signs of what they’re to become.”
“Does that mean you connected with”—I swallowed, not sure how to politely word my question—“death?”
Norivun snorted as Nish snickered.
“He was never that morbid, love,” Sandus replied. “But I’ll never forget what Queen Lissandra told me when I first came to work at the castle. When the prince here was a lad, if fae angered him, they’d often fall ill in the following days, some even needing to be in the infirmary for days at a time until they mended. The healers were always baffled about why their illnesses appeared so suddenly.”
My eyebrows shot to my hairline. “That was your affinity doing that without your knowledge?”
Norivun shrugged. “None of us knew at the time exactly why those fae fell ill, but my mother had seen what I was to become. She had a fairly good idea that traces of the magic that were inevitably going to manifest in me were seeping out. It was her that taught me to better control my emotions.”