Silver Frost (Bitter Frost #3 of The Frost Series) Page 4

  “Only just the two of us,” said Logan.

  How could I not love him? He was the strongest, truest, bravest friend any girl could ask for. But he was more than that, even now. As I stared into his eyes, feeling his dark gaze wash over me, I knew that any human girl – or fey, for that matter – would be drawn to him.

  “Two,” said Logan, “but it was a start. That's how things get started, Breena. Brave things. It takes something...It takes someone brave to do what everyone else is afraid to do first. It takes somebody really special.” He took another step closer to me and I could smell that familiar woodland musk on the back of his neck. “You've always been that person, Breena. The one brave enough to be the first.” He enveloped my hand in his, warming it with his touch. “I came back not only for my own selfish reasons – because I missed you – but because I believe in you, Breena.” He smiled softly and cast his gaze down to the lake banks beneath us. “You are a true queen now, but you were always a queen to me. Back in school, when we had no friends but each other. When it came to protecting the nature preserve behind the school. Always. I won't abandon you now on this quest, not when you need me the most.” He took a deep breath. “As your friend,” he added.

  As my friend. I felt a slow warmth developing in my heart. Logan was a true friend, I knew that much. Whatever feelings we'd had for each other in the past, whatever had transpired between us over the past few months when, overcome with relief, I'd been so glad to learn that he was alive that I'd let my attraction to him get the better of me, I would always have him as a friend – there would always be that bond between us.

  “Oh, Logan,” I said. I gave him a tight hug. He closed his eyes. “Oh, Logan! I can't tell you how happy I am to see you.” I laughed. “What am I going to do with you?” I leaned in close and whispered in his ear, even now afraid of the old Queen's spies in the woods. “Nothing at the Summer Court is as it seems. The Queen – she wasn't behind the war, after all. It's her advisers – my advisers now. And they're a scary bunch!”

  I could see Logan's eyes widen in surprise. “But the Queen, everyone thought...”

  “No, it wasn't her! I don't think she was the nicest woman in the world, but I don't think she was as mad as it seemed. I think...I think Wort was controlling her. Her mind. Wort's her chief adviser – a fairy from the Autumn Court. Only I don't think he's a fairy. There's something about him. Strange. Scary. It's not fairy magic. It doesn't feel like fairy magic. He was from the Old Queen's Autumn Court, and you know, I don't think he's too happy about Autumn being part of Summer.” I turned away from him, trying to gather my thoughts together. “I don't know what it is, Logan, but I think Wort's trying to poison me.”

  Logan put a protective arm on my shoulder. “What? Why?”

  “He kept insisting that I drink this soup he made me. Kelpie soup. He said it would help clear my thoughts, that it was something that all royal fairies drank.”

  Logan made a face. “Kelpie soup? Like that creature we just fought?”

  I couldn't help laughing at his disgusted expression. “Yes! And let me tell you it tasted every bit as nasty as it looked.”

  “I don't know anything about Kelpies,” said Logan. “Other than what I told you. I don't know if that's normal – but it doesn't sound right...somehow.”

  “The soup made me sick. And it gave me bad dreams.” I didn't tell Logan what kinds of dreams they were.

  “Well, you're safe now,” said Logan. “No more kelpies, in soup form or otherwise. We've got to keep you safe here – and keep Kian safe too. That's our mission.”

  “Thank you!” My gratitude came pouring out of me. “I know how you feel about Kian – I know you didn't want to, didn't have to...”

  “I am your Knight,” said Logan. “And Kian is important to you. He has saved my life before.” He sighed. “But I'll be honest – that's not why. I don't care for him one bit, you know that. I wish you'd never met him. But if I let him die – it will kill you, Breena. It will. If he dies under the orders of your own Court – I can't let you suffer like that. I can't let you suffer that guilt. I can see it in your face.”

  “Logan...”

  “Not to mention – you think the war's bad now? What happens when the Winter Queen hears that your court killed her son? When Shasta hears that you let her brother die – when she trusted you to save him somehow! You think Summer will be safe? Look – their forces are stronger. Their might is greater.”

  I stopped short. I hadn't even thought of that. I'd been so worried about the threat from my own court that I hadn't been able to process the threat from my enemies. I'd always liked and trusted the Winter Queen and Shasta. But until I had the power to stop the fighting – and convince my people that the war needed to be over – they were technically my enemies. Was this Wort's plan all along? To set me up to further the war, further the fighting? He didn't need to hurt me. He had the Winter Court to do that.

  Logan looked at me, his gaze growing serious. “It's a good thing you sneaked out of your own court when you could. Somehow I get the sense that this Wort person wouldn't have taken “I'm not hungry” for an answer. And speaking of answers, until we get one, I'd advise you go on a diet that avoids kelpie soup.”

  “You don't have to convince me!” I said. “That stuff is disgusting.”

  “I'll do some research.”

  “Wort was very insistent I drink it,” I said. “And that makes me all the more worried.”

  Logan nodded. “First things first, Breena. Let's get Kian out of there. If, as you say, this prison is all the way at the end of the Summer Kingdom, near the Autumn border, we'll need to get there fast. I don't know much about Autumn – I've never been there – but I do know you should probably stay away from the Summer Court as long as possible – at least until you get Kian out of prison. The way things are now – I think it's more dangerous for you at the Summer Court right now than maybe everywhere else in this kingdom.”

  I sighed, shooting Logan a wry smile. “And to think,” I said softly. “I'm supposed to be in charge.”

  Chapter 6

  I hadn't been able to communicate with Kian since that last, horrible night, when he had been taken from me and forced into the prisons of Autumn. I had called him many times, sometimes even murmuring out to him telepathically in my sleep, but always I had received no answer. I imagined that the magic in the Autumn prison was strong enough to prevent Kian from sending me messages. As Logan and I prepared to depart for the border, I thought back to the hazy memories I had of our earlier connections, the images that Kian had sent me through our connection of the prison – what he could see, what was around him. I racked my brain, but the images, as uncertain as they were, were entirely unhelpful. I couldn't remember ever having seen a clearing like that – a tree like that – a river like that. I sighed. Even if I managed to elude the guards of my own Court and the soldiers of Winter, I still had no idea where Kian was, only that the prison was in Autumn.

  “How big is Autumn, anyway?” I asked Logan.

  He shrugged. “Pretty big. Bigger than Summer.”

  I didn't know how much time Kian had left. Would we finally find the tower – only for it to be late? I sighed and tried to push the image out of my mind.

  Suddenly, I heard a familiar voice reverberating in my brain.

  Breena?

  It was Kian! My heart leaped as I heard his voice – faint but still so strong – whispering at the very depths of my soul.

  Breena, where are you?

  I'm coming for you, Kian. I promise. I'm coming to find you. You need to tell me where you are.

  I've been trying to get through to you every day...

  Where are you? I wanted to know as badly as he did how we had managed to communicate, longed to speak to him and whisper words of love, but now I had time only to implore him to tell me where he was. The connection could be cut off at any moment, and I couldn't risk losing his location.

  I'm not sure, Breena.


  Is there a window? Look out – tell me what you see. “Logan!” my human voice sounded strange to me now. “Listen – I've got his location. There – Kian's telling me...”

  Logan stiffened, but he stood close to me, nodded.

  There are three mountains – three next to each other.

  “Three mountains...” I said aloud.

  And between the left mountain and the middle one there's this river – or stream – something...I don't know...I hear the sound of rushing water.

  “There's a river nearby – running through two of the mountains.”

  I think I'm facing east – I've seen the dawn before.

  “Facing east.”

  Can you see any other towers around you?

  A village – at the top of the mountain. I don't know what it's called. I don't know where it is.

  “There's a village – a village at the top of the mountain! Logan!”

  “I got it!” Logan grimaced.

  There looking for you, Breena. I heard the guards, heard them talking. Wort and his advisers have started the search for you – your whole Court is looking.

  I'll have to hurry. I tried to concentrate harder, sending all my thoughts, my desire, my love straight into Kian's mind. We have to hurry before they find me. My love was strong, filled with the overflowing passion I had tried so hard to put out of my mind. I could see Kian receiving my love reeling back from the force of my desires, as if he had just been struck. He put a hand against the cold stone wall to steady himself, and I could feel the damp against my own palms. I love you, Kian. I imagined kissing him – imagined out lips touching.

  I could feel that he felt it.

  I love you, Breena. War or no war, you will and always will be my Queen.

  I felt the emotions overtake me, turning my limbs into water. I felt as if Kian had wrapped his whole being around me, so tightly, hugging me tightly with the ends of his soul. I could feel my heart beating quicker, my breath growing shorter as I sighed.

  “Breena!”

  My eyes shot open. Logan was preparing my horse, fixing the saddle into place.

  “You okay, Breena? You kind of spaced out there for a moment.”

  My face, hot with embarrassment, gave it away. “Uh, sorry,” I muttered, looking down. Logan could see right through me – and the knowledge of this filled my cheeks with fire.

  “Listen,” said Logan, not looking at me. “If you want to rescue your lover, then we have to get going now. I think I know the village he's talking about – there's a village called Birds Pass up by the Sandstone Mountains, with a river. I think it might be the one. It' about a day's ride away – but I've heard this horse here is the fastest breed in Feyland. Maybe we can do it in half the time.” His face softened as he extended a hand to me to help me up.

  I took his hand, and before I was aware of what was happening I found myself in Logan's arms, lifted up into the air. His grip tightened around me, warm and soft and strong, as he helped me into place, settling me down on the horse. As he sat before me, his legs straddling the horse's back, he did not move his arms away. He remained there, with his arms tight around my waist. Even now I couldn't resist breathing in his scent, lowering my gaze at the pure, heated intensity of his eyes. For a moment, I thought – with something between fear and anticipation – that he was going to try to kiss me – his lips were only centimeters away from mine. Before I could protest, Logan turned away, his gaze lingering a moment longer on my lips.

  I breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness Logan hadn't tried, I thought to myself – the last thing I needed was another awkward situation. I needed to focus on Kian right now. And yet I couldn't deny that my heart was beating faster still, and it took me a few moments of riding before I caught my breath.

  “Put your hands around my waist,” Logan said hoarsely. “Hold on.”

  I did so, feeling his muscles taut beneath my grip.

  I was glad he hadn't tried to kiss me. It made things easier. And yet somewhere, in a deep, dark part of myself between knowledge and desire, I felt disappointed that he hadn't. Get yourself together, Breena. I shook myself out of it. I had to keep Logan as a friend, and that meant not leading him on.

  Logan jerked at the reins and gave a swift kick, and soon we were riding into the verdant brightness of the forest. The scenery was beautiful, here – breathtakingly colorful vines and fruit trees, scented with apples and oranges and all the fruits of the forest that have no name in the mortal world, but are known in the fairy language only. I gasped as we continued onwards. I had seen the beauty of Feyland many times, but somehow it never had seemed as beautiful to me as it did right that second.

  Logan heard my sharp intake of breath. “It's gorgeous, isn't it?” He laughed. “I always used to miss it so much – going back and forth between the two worlds. Mortal and fairy. It was this world I always so longed to see...”

  His voice trailed off.

  “But you were always worth coming back for,” he added.

  I couldn't help but blush. The canter of the horse forced me against Logan's back repeatedly, causing me to grip more tightly around his waist. The movement of the horse had caused us both to become tired, short of breath – but the redness in both our faces wasn't just exhaustion. I tried to ignore the fluttering feeling inside me as we sat so physically close together. We were both fully aware of each other. But as Logan's dark hair blew out behind him, and I could smell the woodland musk upon him, I felt that every creature in all of Feyland could see my attraction plain on my face. Involuntarily, I tightened my hold on his waist, feeling the taut muscles of his abs beneath my hands. I’ve always thought Logan was so handsome. Whenever we would touch, it felt warm and safe. But ever since my sixteenth birthday when we almost kissed, every single touch, every single look meant much more. As I looked into his face, my arms encircled around his waist, smelling his wonderfully masculine scent, I wonder how I can deny that what we had was more than friendship?

  Chapter 7

  It was dark, now. The suns of Feyland, which had hung so pendulously in the sky, had vanished, leaving in their place twinned silver moons. One was white and whispering – as cold and still as the Winter Kingdom. The other, closer and bigger, was a vague yellow, giving off a faintly golden glow. We had traveled for miles through the kingdom, following Kian's directions as best we could. We ascended up the tall mountains and found the stream of which Kian had spoken of, near a village where we were able to pick up some much-needed food and water. Logan and I had fallen into a pattern of silence. Our exhaustion mingled with our awkwardness, and we didn't even speak to each other over our bowls of hastily sipped fairy fruit juice. For my part, it was a relief to eat something other than kelpie soup – it felt that my dormant taste buds had at last begun to spring to life.

  Logan and I continued on in silence, until at last – when the twinned moons hung directly above us – we came across a jagged, tall tower – like a desiccated branch – dotting the horizon.

  “That's it!” I whispered. “That's Kian's tower – I can feel it!” And indeed my heart began seizing as I experienced a pang of longing at once instantaneous and overwhelming. “Keep close!”

  We kept as close to the branches and bushes as we could, not wanting to be seen. The shadows of the foliage cast a cloak of darkness over us. Coral stopped short, rearing up upon her hooves.

  “What is it!” Logan whispered.

  Then we saw it – the unmistakable emerald shimmer of a snake glistening in the grass. Coral reared up in terror – just enough to distract us from the two assailants coming in from behind.

  We responded instantly, our adrenaline pumping through us. Fists came at us from all sides – the great blows of a large figure and the light, agile kicks and sword-thrusts of a smaller one. Logan and I went back-to-back, coordinating our blows as if we were able to look into each other's minds. They had not expected us to respond so quickly or so well, and before long I was able to seize the smaller attacker, grabbi
ng his torso so tightly that the sword clattered out of his hand and into the ground. Logan, for his part, was squaring away with the larger figure, baring his teeth with wolf-like intensity. I grabbed the smaller figure and put my hands squarely on his neck.

  “Stop!” I shouted. “Or he dies.” My voice only faltered a little – I hoped the larger assailant wouldn't call me on my bluff.

  The larger figure stopped and hesitated as my fingers trembled and tightened on my hostage's pulse, where I could hear the heartbeat rapidly fluttering against my fingers.

  “What you will!” The larger man's voice was warm, soft, and unmistakably familiar. “Only let her go!” He thrust down his sword.

  I knew that voice. And I knew that the figure with him was the one he would do anything for.

  Shasta?

  I whirled around my own captive to face me. Glamour could disguise a face, but it couldn't trick away those tiny, bird-like bones. No wonder she was so small.

  “Take off your glamour right now, Shasta” I cried. “I know it's you!”

  Shasta's glamour fell down like a curtain, revealing the Winter Princess herself in all her cold, haughty beauty. Once she had been a friend of mine – and I had admired her easy, regal confidence, but now her eyes were filled with rage against me. What had I done?

  “Rodney?” Logan's voice broke the silence as Rodney too revealed himself – his mop of curly red hair appearing from the shadowy disguise. Rodney too looked angry, stern – his handsome features distorted by the absence of a smile. Once a knight of my court, Rodney had defected due to his love for Shasta.

  What was going on?

  “What are you doing?” I asked, as soon as I got my voice back.

  “Saving my brother,” said Shasta simply. Her tone was harsh and strong. Her piercing eyes stared out at me from beneath her head of unruly dark hair. “The new Summer Queen, apparently, cares more for her crown than she does for her friends.”

  “What?” I said.