Carved in Ice and Glass: A Snow White Fairy Tale Romance

3. The Hunter

It didn’t take me long to discover the princess was holed up in Knockspur. All I had to do was travel to the various outlying provinces, those closest to the latest disturbances from the Snow Princess and her band of rebels, and make my presence known. It was strange to not use stealth as I traveled. I was so accustomed to maintaining a strong glamour, traveling only at night and avoiding the main roads.

It unsettled me, to be so out in the open like this.

But it was the only way to flush her out. I had spies and informants in all the provinces, and I paid them handsomely for their information. I lingered a few days in each area, then checked with my sources for any whispers among the humans.

It wasn’t until I heard rumors of a robbed carriage and a flurry of speculation of Snow’s human allies that I knew I’d found her.

Still, I was at a disadvantage. I didn’t know what the princess looked like. But I knew she was half fae; if there was one thing I was good at, it was detecting fae creatures and their magic.

I would have to rely on that to complete my assignment.

Day after day, I ventured casually around the area, ignoring the hostile sneers and glares at my pointed fae ears. Let them talk. It was exactly what I wanted.

And yet, staying in an almost entirely human land was a new experience for me. Ordinarily, Calista would assign me to murder her foes and competition, perhaps a wealthy nobleman who was stirring up trouble in the court, or a high-ranking official from another kingdom.

She never sullied herself with the likes of humans. And for good reason. They were a feral, savage species who lived in the wild. They didn’t belong with our kind. That much was evident in this small, filthy town. The humans didn’t even clean up after themselves.

I resisted the urge to wrinkle my nose as I strode into the dank pub I had been frequenting over the past three days. As usual, I placed my coin on the bar and asked for a mug of ale. The owner obliged, his lip curling as he did so. But as much as he despised me, he still took my coin every day. He likely barely had enough funds to keep his business running.

Another reason to despise the humans. They had no concept of integrity or moral fiber. This man should have thrown me out on the spot because I was his enemy.

But no. He accepted my money out of greed, even though my presence made the other patrons uncomfortable. I didn’t care if throwing me out on my ass would inconvenience my plans—at least I would respect him for it.

“I haven’t seen you here before, stranger,” said a smooth, sultry voice.

I turned and found a woman leaning against the bar, her pale blue eyes appraising me with interest. Long, inky black curls framed her heart-shaped face. She was quite attractive. For a human.

I raised my eyebrows. “Excellent observation.” Dismissing her, I turned back to my mug of ale.

“What brings you to the human lands?” Undeterred by my flippant tone, she sidled closer to me, bringing a pleasant whiff of snow and pine. The scent reminded me of my cottage tucked away in the mountains.

“Business,” I replied shortly, refusing to glance at her. My plan involved making my presence known, but I didn’t have to be polite about it.

The woman crossed her arms and snorted. The sound was so unladylike that I swiveled to face her in surprise. She was watching me with a smirk curving her full, red lips. “You’re a charmer, aren’t you? I’m sure all the ladies swoon over your gruff demeanor.”

I blinked. Was she… teasing me?

“Yes, and that vacant expression makes me go weak in the knees.” She pretended to fan herself. “Be still my beating heart.”

My mouth opened and closed. No one had ever spoken to me like this. “Are you mocking me?”

The woman laughed, the sound vibrant and full. “Blood and ice, what’s the matter with you? Have you never been around other people before?”

My jaw clenched. “My work generally keeps me isolated. So, no.”

She leaned closer, her dark hair falling forward like a curtain. A faint, rosy musk mingled with the snow and pine scent. “Let me give you a clue. When someone teases you, the proper reaction is to either laugh or tease them back.” She cocked her head. “So, which will it be, stranger?”

I scowled at her. “Teasing is for children. I would never bother with such improper behavior.”

The woman immediately sobered, but her eyes still glinted with mischief. “Oh, of course, of course. Far too serious for that, aren’t you?” She took a sip from her mug, her eyes flicking to the space between my legs. “It helps if your trousers are properly fastened, though.”

I stiffened, then glanced down, only to find my trousers were just as they should be, concealing everything. When my scowl deepened, the woman only laughed again.

“Made you look.” She took another sip of ale, her eyes sparkling.

I rolled my eyes. “What do you want, woman? If your goal is to bother me, you have indeed succeeded.”

“I want to know what you’re doing in my town,” she said. “You haven’t answered.”

“Yes, I have. I’m here on business.”

“And what business is that?” She leaned closer, and I shifted on my stool to put more space between us. Her eyes once again dropped to my trousers, and I felt my face go hot. I’d never had a woman act so forward with me before. It was unnerving.

She suddenly froze, her face going pale. “I—What is that?”

I followed her gaze and realized she’d discovered I was armed. Her frightened stare was fixed on the array of daggers along my belt.

“Weapons,” I said shortly.

She swallowed hard, her throat bobbing. “Why do you need so many?”

“I’m a hunter.” Not a lie. I just conveniently left out the bit about how I hunted people.

She was shaking her head as she slowly backed away from me, visibly shaking with terror. “No… No, please.”

Alarmed, I stared at her. “Please what?”

“Please don’t hurt me. Blood and ice, I swear, we don’t want any trouble here.” Her voice quivered.

In spite of how much she annoyed me, I couldn’t stand her sniveling like this. Shivering bones, even her eyes were glistening with tears. Was she really that afraid of a few knives?

“Look, I’m not going to hurt you,” I said.

“I don’t believe you.” She continued to back away from me. “Why would you be so heavily armed if you don’t mean to hurt someone?”

“It’s not you I’m after. I swear it. I won’t do you any harm.”

She narrowed her eyes at me. “You won’t?”

“I won’t,” I repeated. My quarrel wasn’t with the humans anyway—the Snow Princess was half fae, and this woman had rounded ears. “No harm will come to you. Not when you’re around me.”

The woman suddenly flashed a wide grin, her tears drying almost instantly. “Excellent. That’s a binding bargain right there.”

I went rigid in my seat. “What are you talking about?”

“You can’t hurt me.” She winked at me.

A chill skittered along my bones. Something wasn’t right. “But you’re human.”

The woman snorted. “Many people make that mistake. I am part human. But I am still bound by fae laws. Just like you.” Her eyes took on that mischievous gleam again.

My chest seemed to be caving inward as the pieces slowly clicked into place. Fae bargains… Part human…

I was sitting next to the Snow Princess. And she had just tricked me into swearing not to harm her.