Cold Queen - K Webster Page 0,6

of The Damned was when that happened. Ahh, that’s right, he was killed by lowly nomads.” I don’t mention how my father was killed.

She presses her plump lips together but otherwise remains emotionless.

Is your heart frozen, cruel one?

“As you know, beyond Norta Layke in the Hidden Lands, are unchartered territories. I want to explore those territories. I want to own that land. If there’s a Moral War, I want to fight in it. And I want this union of our kingdoms,” I finish with a sinister smile. “That is why I propose that a Whitestone marry a Bloodsun.”

“I am a queen. A vicious ruler. You think I would bow to you, Volc?” she scorns. “You’ve made your obnoxious proposal and now it is time for you to leave.” Her blue eyes glint with evil amusement.

“Actually,” I growl, stepping closer and running my fingertip along her cold collarbone. “I had a better idea, Punisher.”

I can hear her teeth grinding together in fury. Laughing at her would infuriate her. I can hold in my mirth, but a smirk sneaks out.

“I will marry young Yanna now that she is of age,” I tell the queen simply. Yanna is twelve years my junior, but I don’t mind the age difference. A younger wife means she will be easier to break.

Queen Whitestone’s lips curl into a wide smile. And then she laughs. What a beautiful sound from such a wicked woman. Her almost sweet giggles echo through the dining room. Then, as though all humor fades in an instant, she steps closer, bringing her sharp, pointy nail to my throat.

She smells decadent. Too good in fact. My cock does an inappropriate jolt in my trousers. I’m thankful for my cape hiding the movement.

“Listen, Volc,” she breathes, her breath cold against my face. “You’ve wasted both my time and yours. Leave.”

When I open my mouth to speak, she slashes her hand down so quickly I’m thrown off. Pain sears down my neck. I press a gloved hand to my throat.

This cruel cunt cut me!

Yanna smirks at me as Queen Whitestone glowers my way.

“Oh, snowflake, you’ve chosen incorrectly,” I seethe, catching Danser’s eye hidden in the corner. With a crack of my whip at the floor at our feet, I signal my advisor to do what it is he does best.

Time to add some color to this kingdom.

Red’s always been a favorite of mine.

Elzira

He’s positively wretched. Just as Yanna presumed. A terrible man with a face that could make even the coldest of hearts catch fire. One look and I’d been spellbound.

From the rumors, King Bloodsun was old. Awful. Ugly. But with one look at his angular jaw, scruffy cheeks, and blazing amber eyes, those theories were proved wrong. His sharp, iron crown sits proudly on top of his messy black hair. His skin is a warm tanned hue, not unlike that of my sister. It’s the crooked, evil smile that had my heart stuttering in my chest.

For all of two seconds.

Somewhere, deep inside me, that girl from before still lives. She’d hoped he’d come to choose her as a bride. I would have still turned down his advances, but I would’ve been flattered nonetheless.

But no.

The Volc with fire in his veins didn’t want a queen. He wanted a young princess. My sister. An innocent. This evil king drips with malevolence and cruelty. I would never in a thousand years allow her to wed such a monster.

He holds his neck with his gloved left hand as he raises his other hand that holds the whip. I’ve heard stories of this whip of his. How he can cut one of The Damned in two with one hard strike. I shove Yanna behind me.

His amber eyes meet mine, hateful and calculating. With a hard sling of his arm, he cracks the whip at my feet, forcing Yanna and me back. Behind him, one of his men slinks forward, withdrawing two swords.

The Eyes of the White will kill him.

And then we’ll put King Bloodsun’s head on a platter to send back with his worthless army. The Volcs can mourn the loss of their king, but I will not feel guilty. No one comes into my land and threatens to take my sister from me.

Crack!

Yanna shrieks behind me as we’re forced farther back toward the far wall. King Bloodsun’s eyes narrow as he herds us into a corner.

Crack!

The whip hits the bottom of my dress, sending diamonds scattering across the floor. His smile is sinister. The monster clearly is enjoying this.

Reaching