Bite of Winter (Fae's Captive #3) - Lily Archer Page 0,17

not ice, not unmoving.

Striding to the table, I sit down, though my attempts to put the council at ease don’t seem to have any effect. Half of them still look ready to bolt.

I lean back and graze the hilt of my sword with one hand. “Before we engage in any hostilities—which is exactly what will happen if you continue with your foolhardy plan of kidnapping my mate—let’s discuss possibilities for peace and cooperation between our peoples. Gareth, you have the floor.”

He clears his throat. “As you know, the winter realm does not have the bounty of the farmlands to the west that supply a great deal of the summer realm. However, we are not without means to assist a neighbor in need, especially one that is … let’s say, underappreciated by Byrn Varyndr, as are the Vundi. Now …”

As Gareth launches into our plan for diplomacy, I monitor my subconscious link to Taylor. For the councilors’ sakes, I hope they don’t intend to double-cross me. Because if I get so much as a hint of fear from Taylor, I will turn this room as red as the plains above.

8

Taylor

“That mate of yours is a real bruiser, isn’t he?” Delantis and I walk slowly down a stone passageway.

“He can be sort of aggressive, I guess you’d say.” I glance at the gryphon. “But I guess most fae have some fight in them.”

She laughs, the sound brittle like fall leaves. “You are correct about that, young one.”

I want to rattle off so many questions, because if anyone here has answers, it’s Delantis. Even Leander seemed taken aback by her age and power.

I clear my throat as we turn a corner. “Can you tell me more about the soulstone I wear?”

“It was mined right here under the Red Plains.” She pauses and turns, eyeing the necklace with affection. “I remember when I birthed it from the same gift of stone that my own jewel was created from.”

“Wow, so you recognize it. How long ago was that?”

She cuts her eyes to the side, the silver flashing in the dim hallway. “Is that a classy way of asking my age?”

“No.” Yes.

“Let’s just say it was quite an age ago.” She smiles and pats my hand. “But I can’t forget the stones. And yours has a peculiar history.”

Answers. She is offering answers, and I’m surprised my mouth isn’t watering at the prospect. I try to play it cool. “Oh, it does?” The words come out in a whoosh, not cool at all.

A few Vundi pass by, their eyes glued to the smoky gryphon that stalks along behind us.

She doesn’t seem to fault me for my eagerness. “Your stone was a gift.”

“To whom?” I feel like I would have remembered a glowing old lady with pointy ears handing me a magical necklace at a birthday party.

“Queen Aurentia.”

I stop, confusion gumming up my works. “What?”

“Given to her upon her ascension to the throne. Yes. A gift of the Vundi, one that should have cemented good relations between us. And I suppose it did for a while.” She nods and pulls me with surprising strength. “Keep up.”

I force myself into motion. “If you gave it to her, how the hell did I wind up with it?”

“That’s a good question.” She laughs again, and her gryphon caws lightly behind us.

Here I was thinking I’d finally get answers. Turns out, I just have more questions. Did Queen Aurentia see the necklace when I was there? Why didn’t she say anything about me wearing one of her jewels?

“Do you know what I am?”

“What are any of us?”

I pinch the bridge of my nose.

“Don’t do that. Wrinkles.” She smiles again, and despite her age, she’s still beautiful. Also, mischievous.

“So you aren’t going to tell me?”

“I have suspicions. One such as you was foretold, but how can anyone know the object of a prophecy until the prophecy comes true, eh? No one, that’s who.”

“You remind me of a witch I met.”

Her white brows furrow as we turn again, the underground corridors a maze. “Is that an insult?”

“Not at all. I rather liked her. And she helped me out.”

The air becomes heavier, humid and with an earthy scent. We must be getting close.

“I saw Cenet with an Obsidian blade. Was it the witch who gave it to you?”

“Yes. She also gave me a pea that dimmed my sparkle.”

“Hmmm. I did notice your aura is muffled, like someone threw a black blanket over you.” She sucks on her teeth. “She’s the one you should’ve asked all