a river of solid ice, its surface frozen into sharpened crags that would impale any creature unlucky enough to plunge toward it.
From a distance, the castle looked grand. Up close, it was anything but. The neglect was obvious. A stark contrast to the polished warmth of the Summer Court of the Sylvan Vale.
All three of them kept their hands on the weapons concealed in their cloaks as they crossed the drawbridge.
Celine stifled a scream when they strode into the courtyard. To the right was a pack of ice jackals feasting on the carcass of a black horse with wings like those of a giant bat. Her scream was not merely because of the sight of blood and carnage or the smell of salt and iron and shredded entrails.
It was clear the horse was still alive. Its red eyes blinked slowly, the breath wheezing from its throat.
For an instant, Arjun’s thoughts drifted to Jae, who’d been locked in a silver cage on Nicodemus’ orders two nights ago. True to form, Nicodemus had been quick to pronounce his sentence: the final death. Jae’s siblings had protested, Hortense most vehemently. As a result, Nicodemus had agreed to stay Jae’s execution for a few days to give them time.
Though Arjun did not delude himself to think that mercy was in the cards for the Court of the Lions’ erstwhile assassin.
Without a word, Celine glided forward and offered the dark horse much-needed mercy, using the short dirk in her hand. The ice jackals reared back and began yipping at her in fury. Their eyes glowed white, their maws covered in bright red blood.
Bastien pulled her close as Arjun brandished the silver blade in his hand. “Easy, now. No one wants to wind up a puddle in the castle courtyard.” He took a step back, directing Bastien and Celine to move in his shadow. His foot nudged something as he moved. Arjun reached for a discarded bone and threw it over the horse’s carcass. The jackals leapt for it and were soon distracted by the ensuing frenzy.
“Don’t do that again,” Arjun said under his breath to Celine. “Even if you are a princess of the Vale, don’t interfere with anything you see happening here. Your mother holds no sway in the Sylvan Wyld. Anything in this place will kill you with the same effort it takes to look at you. And chollima like that one”—he gestured toward the dead horse—“love to feast on mortal flesh. Don’t be deceived by their beauty.”
She winced. “I’m sorry. I just—I couldn’t let it suffer.”
“I know,” Arjun said. “We’ll say a prayer for it later. After we escape in one piece.” He looked over his shoulder and saw Bastien standing to one side, his lips pressed together, his expression troubled.
“No,” Arjun said. “We don’t have time for one of your crises of conscience.”
Celine pulled her cloak around her. “And I still don’t know why we’re here in the first place.”
Arjun canted his head like his father always did when Arjun said something ridiculous. “Because you failed to ask.”
“We’re here because I wanted to meet Sunan of the Wyld,” Bastien said in a subdued tone.
“Why?” Celine pressed.
“Because he thinks this Sunan character can cure him of his vampiric ailment,” Arjun finished. Then he clapped Bastien on the back. “Couldn’t wait all night for you to spit it out, old chap.”
Celine blinked. “Is that possible?”
Only a fool could ignore the hope in her words. Poor little princess, Arjun mused. She had the rest of her overlong life to learn of disappointment in this world. Arjun was still learning, and he’d been disappointed from childhood.
“Is Sunan here?” Celine asked, her head tilting back to gaze up at the palace of ice that had once been home to the Sylvan Wyld’s gentry. A castle built to house the wealthiest blood drinkers.
Arjun raised a shoulder. “Those who dwell in this place would be the ones most likely to know where he is.” He crossed toward the largest alcove, searching for the entrance to the main hall. “Let’s find someone and get out of here before any other misfortune befalls us. Come rain or shine, I intend to return Celine to Lady Silla hale and hearty. Because even if I can’t stand many creatures in the Vale, it’s my home, for better or for worse. I don’t intend to forfeit it or my life for failing to honor a promise.”
Bastien nodded.
“Yes,” Celine agreed. “Tell us what to do, and we will do it.”
Arjun rolled his eyes. “If