Reign of Ice (Forever Fae series) (8 page)

“I know,” I assured him. “We can talk to them tomorrow. And yes, you can stay in here with me. I know how you are in a crowd, so sending you out there would be like torture. However, I am kind of tired. We both have a busy day tomorrow.”

I was a little nervous to see myself in the mirror, but I grabbed a nightgown and robe to sleep in before going into the bathroom and shutting the door behind me. Taking a deep breath, I blew it out slowly and lifted my eyes to the reflection in the mirror. I gasped at the sight before me. My hair was still the same platinum blonde, almost white, and my eyes were still the same color of blue ice. My skin, however, was completely different. The once golden hue signifying my birth as a Summer princess was now gone and replaced with the paleness of the Winter.

Brayden’s
blood made me change, the guardian bond made me change … we were both connected. It made me wonder if it had changed my magic. I guess it was time to find out. Concentrating on myself in the mirror, I willed my body to change, to make me look like someone else. I thought about Calista and her golden blonde hair and bright green eyes with the subtle golden skin of the Fall Fae. The magic swirled inside my body and I could actually feel the change happening as I was thinking about it. Calista’s form slowly morphed into being as I watched it progress in front of the mirror.

I still have it,
I thought excitedly.

Briskly, I changed into my short, silky red nightgown and put on my robe, leaving it open in the front. Before I left the bathroom, I made sure to shift back into myself. The second I saw Brayden my mouth dropped open. He was lounging in one of my chairs with a book in his hands, his shirt completely off, exposing every hard plane of his abs and chest. All I wanted was to feel his bare body on mine, to taste every square inch of him with my tongue.

He slowly closed the book and lifted those hooded chocolate brown eyes up my body until he met my gaze with a devilish smirk on his face. “You were saying, angel?”

My mouth gaped open.
Shit, I forgot to shield my thoughts!
I could feel my cheeks flush with all the blood rushing to them, and if there was any way a Winter Fae could turn bright red I was sure I was flaming. And what’s worse was that hearing him call me angel in that deep husky voice of his made the spot between my legs clench and tighten. I could imagine him calling me that while we made love.

Stop it, Ariella!
I screamed at myself.

I was beginning to think bonding with him was a mistake. I was definitely going to be in some deep shit.

Standing up straight, I sauntered over to the bed and buried myself underneath the covers, feigning indifference. “I have no clue what you’re talking about,” I lied, hoping I could play it off.

Brayden stood and approached the bed, his stride graceful yet determined. “Ariella,” he whispered gruffly. “You need to let me in. The tension between us will only get worse if you don’t.”

Softly, I sighed and said, “I know, but I’m not ready.”

He narrowed his eyes and climbed up on the bed. “You lie. I know you’re ready, but you’re scared of something. What is it?”

I stared at him for a long while, wondering if I should just come right out and tell him the truth. In the end, I balked and turned away, putting my back to him as I lay on my side. He huffed and I could feel his annoyance as he also lay down on the bed.

“I’m sorry, Brayden. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, angel.”

Without moving a muscle, I tried desperately to fall asleep. However, it wasn’t until
Brayden’s arm snaked around my waist that I was finally able to relax. His warm breath on my neck and the protective hold he had, trapping me against his body, made me shiver … and it wasn’t because I was cold.

THE SECOND I entered into my dream I could tell I wasn’t going to be alone. I knew that because I was standing on the beach in Sorcha and Drake’s Summer Court, still in my nightgown, peering out at the setting sun on the horizon of the crystal blue sea.

“So how did it go with you and my brother? You didn’t kill him, did you?”
Sorcha teased, her voice coming from behind me.

When I turned around to face her with my arms crossed, she gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. She was dressed in a simple blue gown that billowed out in the wind as she walked toward me as if she floated on the sand. However, there was nothing gentle about her. She was a dragon just like my brother and one of the smartest and fiercest females in all the land. She approached me and slowly took in my newly changed skin and smiled.

“You and Brayden completed the bond already? I thought you hated him?”

I gasped and quickly shook my head, laughing. “Oh no, we didn’t complete it in the way you think. We did bond, but only the guardian bond. When our blood mixed this happened to me. I don’t even feel like a Summer
Fae anymore.”

“Well you definitely don’t look it. Where is Brayden now?” She walked up to me and touched my skin. “Oh yeah, you’re definitely
Winter.”

I rolled my eyes. “He’s with me in my room. I didn’t want to complete the Blood Ritual in my father’s study and then have to face everyone like this.”

Studying me, she narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips. “You don’t seem surprised that this happened. Did you know fulfilling the guardian bond would change you?”

“
Elvena told me it was a possibility,” I confided honestly. “And that it could be the key to getting my blood bonded to form the weapon we need to defeat the dark sorcerer.”

Sorcha’s
eyes immediately filled with worry and concern. “I thought there would be more time. We were all hoping that you and Brayden would come to your senses and one day form your own court. He’s stubborn and can be a complete pain in the ass, but I was just like him until I met your brother. I know you hate him now, but he’ll come around. I know he cares for you.”

I smiled and waved my hand for her to stop. “I know he does,
Sorcha. I could feel it through the guardian bond.”

“Do you still hate him then?” she asked curiously.

Warily, I responded, “No, I don’t hate him. After seeing myself through his eyes and how he truly is on the inside there’s no way I can hate him. He’s so different than what I thought he would be.”

Surprised,
Sorcha’s mouth flew open and she snickered. “Don’t let him hear you say that to anyone.”

“I don’t plan on it,” I remarked in all seriousness. “And neither will you. This is as far as it goes.” She lost her smile and watched me intently as I paced up and down the shore.

“You are going to complete the bond with my brother, aren’t you?”

I stopped mid-stride and glanced sheepishly at her before turning away and saying, “No, I’m not.”

“Why not?” she snapped incredulously, pulling on my arm and whirling me around to face her. “Has he not proven himself worthy of you yet? What more do you want from him? I thought this was what you wanted.”

“It is.” I sighed. “But unfortunately, a happy ending is not in my future.”

“And why would you say that …” Her voice trailed off, but when I pierced her with a firm, hard glare she balked and bit her lip, looking unsure of what to say.

“I know everything,
Sorcha. I was there when you and the others were discussing the scroll,” I told her. “And that I’m most likely not going to live through it.”

Her lip trembled slightly and she closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath. “We’ve been trying to figure out other ways to get through this without putting you in harm’s way. I’m sorry it was kept from you. Now that your blood is
Winter we can get Durin to make the weapon and then we can all discuss our plans of attack.”

“No,” I shouted. “You’re not going to tell anyone I know. If you do then they will keep me back from doing what I’m supposed to do, especially Brayden. You know this,
Sorcha.”

Sorcha
scoffed and threw her hands in the air, exasperated. “Well, then what are you going to do? Did your new powers magically enhance you to become invincible?”

“No, not exactly, but I do have a way I can defeat him. I need you to trust me on this. Think of all the lives that could be saved if I get in
there undetected and put an end to this. You would do the same thing, wouldn’t you … take the risk for everyone you love?”

She groaned. “Yes, but we’re going to come up with a plan. I’ll keep your secret for now. However, if you do something stupid I’m not going to have a choice but to tell everyone. It’s up to you, Ariella. I know how you are and I know what you’re capable of as far as running head first into trouble. This isn’t one of those times. Be smart about this and let us help you.”

“Thank you,” I muttered, grateful. “I know I can do this. No one knows the true outcome of what will happen. I could still have a chance.” I said it, but I didn’t believe it. Going into the Black Forest alone was a death wish in itself.

The dream world started to fade, but
Sorcha grabbed onto my hands and held them tight. Quickly, she asked, “If things weren’t the way they are right now, would you be happy about completing the final bond with Brayden?”

As everything around me started to disappear, I looked into her emerald green eyes and smiled. “Yes,
Sorcha, I would be happy. He’s a pain in the ass, but I would be happy. I can’t see how it would be fair to him to get attached when I know I’m not going to survive the ending.”

Sorcha’s
grip on my hands lessened and we both began to disappear. Before my eyes opened to the new dawn I heard a final whisper escape Sorcha’s lips … it was a promise.

“You will live, Ariella. I promise you that.”

WHEN I AWOKE, I was alone in my bed, with the low sun trickling in through the window with the coming dawn. My first thought was that everything had just been a dream, but it all became clear again when I looked down at my pale, creamy skin.
Nope, it all happened.

“Brayden?”
I sent out through our bond.

“Yes, angel.”

“Where are you?”

“Why, do you miss me already?”

I rolled my eyes.
“I swear I never would’ve thought you could joke around. In a way, I think I miss the brooding and silent Brayden.”
He was easier to hate and stay away from when he was like that. I could hear his chuckle through my mind, and as much as I didn’t want it to it made a smile spread across my face.

Getting out of bed, I removed my robe and my nightgown, and fetched a towel from my closet.
“Seriously, Brayden, where are you? I want to know if you’ve seen anyone yet.”

Padding across the room on my bare feet with my towel in hand, I opened up the bathroom door and immediately froze, dropping the towel on the floor. “Holy hell,” I gasped, unable to take my eyes away from the man in front of me. Brayden stepped out of the shower as if nothing was amiss, gloriously naked and covered in droplets of water, with steam swirling around his
Winter skin. He smiled at me, but not before raking an appreciative gaze down my own naked form.

“Good morning, angel. I see you found me, and to answer your question, no I haven’t seen anyone yet. I’ve been with you all morning, which is going to get everyone asking questions the moment they look at you.”

Picking up my towel, I wrapped it around my body and held it tight while Brayden chose to stand there with his draped over his shoulder. I tried my best to keep my eyes focused on his face, but my traitorous gaze kept lowering until it found the one thing my body desired to feel between my legs.
Oh my.

I tried to open my mouth to speak, but all I could do was stutter, “I’ll … I’ll go wait out in the bedroom until you get done in here.” When I turned to walk out, Brayden gently grabbed my arm and pulled me back into the bathroom.

Grinning, he turned on the shower water and put the towel around his waist. “Take your shower and meet me downstairs. I’ll get everyone together so we can tell them you’re coming home with me this evening. That is what you still want, right?”

Biting my lip, I nodded quickly. “Yes,” I replied, my heart sputtering in my chest. “I don’t belong here anymore. I’ll be down there as soon as I can.”

He released my arm, slowly sliding his fingers down my skin before turning his back and closing the door as he left. I showered hastily because I wanted to be down there when he told my family what had happened. As I laced up my brown warrior leathers, I realized how out of place it looked on my pale skin. I would soon have to trade out my brown and gold armor of the Summer Court and replace them with the black and silver of the Winter.

I pulled my hair back in a tight braid, just like
Meliantha always did, and started for the door. However, a feeling in my gut made me freeze where I stood. A loud knock echoed through my room, and before I could open the door, Kamden took the liberty of opening it himself and strolled in like it was his right.
What the hell?

“Just come on in,
Kam,” I muttered sarcastically. “I know we’re friends, but you can’t just walk in like that. If Brayden was in here you’d probably have your ass kicked.”

His stance was rigid, his eyes dark and menacing, and so unlike the sweet
Kamden I grew to care for. Chuckling, he prowled toward me and said, “I’d like to see him try. You know, I heard that your precious prince is your guardian now. I honestly didn’t think you would complete the bond with him after he left you standing in the middle of the dance floor looking all pathetic and alone in the Spring Court. I must say that it was a shame I wasn’t there to see it.”

Something was wrong and I knew it from the dread building up in the pit of my stomach. All I could sense around me was darkness. My insides screamed at me to run, to fight, but I had nowhere else to go.
Kamden had me cornered against the wall, trapped. Unfortunately, my instincts told me it wasn’t Kamden gazing back at me through those evil, malicious eyes. It was someone else, someone I was going to have to face and destroy all on my own.

“Alasdair,” I growled. His lip quirked into a smile, but then disappeared with my next words. “The only pathetic one here is you. You have to hide behind a disguise to get to me. I would say that makes you a spineless coward and definitely not what I expected from an all mighty sorcerer.”

Taking my chin in his strong grasp, he slammed my head against the wall and held me firm so I couldn’t turn away. He looked straight into my eyes and hissed, “Is this better?”

I could feel his dark magic spreading its evil tentacles across my skin as the form of one of my best friends slowly disappeared and was replaced with someone else. Instead of the short, black hair and hazel eyes of my friend it was interchanged with shoulder-length brown hair and the evil looking gray eyes of the sorcerer.

I could feel the power in his strength and in his body as he pressed it against mine, leaning close to breathe me in. I knew there was no way I could fight him off without a weapon. It angered me to know that I was caught off guard by his intrusion and that I was defenseless.

Groaning in my ear and still holding my face in his firm grasp, he used his other hand to glide his fingers down my body. First, he trailed a finger down my neck to my breasts, and then down my stomach to my waist where he squeezed tightly, digging his fingers in sharply. I hissed with the pain as his fingertips cut into my skin, drawing blood.

“Brayden! The dark sorcerer is in my room!”
I screamed in his mind. I felt his panic almost immediately.

“What! No!”
he yelled in reply.
“Dammit, I’ll be right there. Stay calm, angel.”

Through gritted teeth, I spat angrily, “You better be glad I don’t have a weapon right now or I would’ve already chopped off your hands. And possibly other protruding parts if you don’t back off.”

He laughed, a loud noise that grated my already raw nerves. “Ah, there is still hope for you yet, Princess,” he chided with a smirk on his face. “You may be bonded to the Winter prince, but your body still doesn’t belong to him. From what I’ve heard he discards more women than me on a daily basis. That’s pretty impressive. He’ll get tired of you like he does everyone else.” He tilted his head to the side and bit his lip. “I think I may need to get pointers from him on how to fuck women since he obviously has so many. Then again, you will see that for yourself soon.”

“Screw you,” I sneered. “Your words mean nothing to me.”

“Ah … that’s where you’re wrong, Princess. You can’t lie to me. I can see the doubt in your eyes.”

Footsteps thundered from beneath us and I knew it would only be a matter of seconds before Brayden stormed through the door. Alasdair clucked his tongue and scolded me like a child, narrowing those evil gray eyes of his, “Now, now, Ariella that wasn’t nice using your bond to get your prince in here. I see we will have to delay this visit for another time.” He released my chin and flashed to the door in a matter of seconds, morphing back into
Kamden in the process.

“There’s not going to be another time,” I growled, rubbing my aching chin.

He glanced over his shoulder at me and smiled. “Yes there will be, Your Highness. I can promise you that. It’s not going to matter where you are or what you’re doing. I will always have a way to get to you.”

And I will soon have a way to get to you
, I thought to myself, and with that last thought, he disappeared.

When Brayden stormed through the door to my room, his body shook with pent up rage and worry as he scooped me up into his arms. Ryder and
Kalen burst through the door behind him, swords drawn and ready for battle, but when they saw Brayden holding me their mouths flew open in surprise and they lowered their blades.

“Are you okay? There were so many things going through my head on the way up here. I didn’t know if he was going to take you, or try to kill you. All I knew was that if he did take you I would hunt him down until the end of time to find you. I would’ve failed you not only as your guardian, but as—”

“Brayden, I’m all right,”
I interrupted him, pulling out of his arms to get some distance.

His closeness confused me because I wanted it; I wanted him near. However, I couldn’t stop the ping of jealousy in my gut after what the dark sorcerer said about the many women Brayden had occupied his time with. It was basically the same thing
Kamden told me before about him as well. Was I going to have to deal with other women falling at his feet, wanting him to have sex with them?

Deep down I knew Alasdair wanted to plant the seed of doubt, but it still didn’t change the fact that
Kamden said the same thing. He wouldn’t lie to me. My sisters’ never had to worry about other women with their men, well … except Meliantha when Kalen was about to bond with Breena when he thought she didn’t want him. From what I heard he had his fair share of women also, but I saw the way he looked at my sister at the Winter Solstice Ball. It was the same way Ryder would watch Calista. Why did I have to get the one who screwed around all the time and liked to keep his emotions hidden? Granted he was getting better at it, but still …

“I can feel your tension and anger, angel. As much as you try to shield that I can still feel it, which means it’s of copious proportions. Talk to me,”
he pleaded.

“We can talk later,” I remarked verbally, heading out my bedroom door. “Right now I need to talk to the others. This needs to end.” Brayden followed quickly on my heels, along with his brothers and several of his
Winter warriors. Their armor made clanking sounds as we briskly walked down the golden halls toward the Great Room where I knew everyone would be.

I could hear Ryder whispering to Brayden behind me. “Don’t worry, brother. She’s exactly like
Calista. When she’s pissed or worried just leave her be. The more you provoke her, the angrier she gets.”

Brayden grunted in reply while Ryder and
Kalen chuckled. I sent them both a quick glance over my shoulder and said, “I guess you learned pretty quickly, huh, Ryder?”