8. The Princess
The remainder of our journey was stilted and strained. Mauro was panting from exertion, his flanks slick with sweat. I wasn’t sure how much longer he would last. Frisk and I shared an uncomfortable silence. Though his white fur blended in with the snowy surroundings, I knew he was there. I often felt his gaze on me, but if he was looking for comfort or reassurance, I would give him none. I may have accepted their apology, but that didn’t mean I was ready to talk just yet.
Not all unseelie are the same,I had to remind myself.
And yet the terrifying appearance of the one dark fae I’d encountered was hard to shake. Every unseelie had a bestial form. What if Mauro and Frisk were hiding something equally terrifying?
Just before sunset, we reached the base of the Athawood Peaks, the treacherous mountain range that lined the eastern border of the Winter Court. Just south of those mountains lay Taerin. Not many crossed the peaks because it was too dangerous.
But we needed to. It would cut our journey in half, and the hunter needed healing. Fast. He was fully slumped against me now, and it required all my strength to keep him upright. His skin was burning and covered in sweat, despite the flurries of snow swirling around us. The wind was sharper here by the mountains, the cold air stinging my cheeks. I had my scarf wrapped around my face, but the chill still bled through, undeterred.
“We need to go on foot from here,” Frisk said. “It’s too slippery for Mauro, and he needs rest.”
“No complaints here,” Mauro huffed, already sinking to his knees and resting his head against the snow.
“Make sure he stays alive.” I jabbed a finger at the unconscious hunter’s prone form still draped over Mauro’s back.
“No promises,” Mauro grunted, but he angled his head to fix one eye on Theron.
“Come on, Snow.” Frisk set off along the narrow, winding path that led uphill. Wrapping my scarf more tightly around my face, I hurried after him.
It was slow work. The ground was icy, and the wind threatened to knock me over. I had to pause frequently to adjust my footing. Though my boots were equipped for snow and ice, I’d never worn them in such hazardous conditions before.
When we reached a small plateau at the top of the first hill, I paused to catch my breath and snack on a sparkwood apple from my pack, squinting against the darkness descending around us. Frisks’ eyesight was better than mine in the dark, so I had to trust he knew where he was going.
“Tell me something,” Frisk said, his tail swishing as he paced in front of me.
“What?” I asked between bites, enjoying the way the sweet juice trickled down my throat. It distracted me from the bitter cold.
“You say it was always your plan to go back to Taerin and take back the crown,” he said slowly, “so, why haven’t you gone yet?”
I scowled. “You know why. We didn’t have the funds for mercenaries. We still don’t.”
“You can turn invisible, Snow. And you know that castle better than anyone. Getting inside wouldn’t have been an issue for you.”
I clenched my teeth, prepared for the automatic response I usually gave people when they assumed my invisibility was fool-proof. Before I could, Frisk jumped in.
“And don’t bother telling me that a soldier would notice you. You’re more clever than that.”
My nostrils flared, my anger rising. “What are you getting at, Frisk?”
“I just think Mauro and I aren’t the only ones who feel like you belong in the forest.”
“I want my father’s crown,” I said sharply. “This court isn’t safe in Calista’s hands.”
“I know that. But I think if you really wanted this, you would have found a way by now. It’s been five years, Snow. And you haven’t gone back once, not even to scope out the area.”
I stilled, clenching my free hand into a tight fist and exhaling through my teeth. I knew Frisk’s secret. Perhaps it was time I shared mine.
At least… part of it.
Stalling, I took another bite of my apple. When Frisk only stared at me expectantly, I heaved a sigh and said, “Just before I left Taerin, I encountered a dark fae. I barely escaped with my life. I’m worried it will hunt me if I return.”
Frisk was silent for a long moment. “Ah,” he finally said.
I waited for him to go on, but he didn’t. “What?”
“That explains why you were so crazed when you found out about me and Mauro.”
“I was not crazed.”
“And it explains your reluctance to return, but Snow, you never back down from a fight. What about this dark fae has you so spooked?”
“You know what they are!” I argued. “You know what they can do. I wouldn’t have survived that attack without Theron there distracting it.”
“No, you wouldn’t have survived without your invisibility. That’s what saved you. The dark fae can’t see through your magic.”
I shook my head, refusing to delve deeper into my confession. “I’m shaken from that experience, Frisk. I was young. And I know the unseelie have an impeccable sense of smell. It’ll scent me the second I return.”
“Maybe.” Frisk sounded doubtful.
“Weren’t you just chiding me about diving into dangerous missions?” I snapped. “Where’s that worry for my safety? Or are you no longer concerned?”
Frisk barked a laugh. “Don’t try to turn this on me, Snow. I know there’s more to your story, but if you aren’t ready to share it, I’ll respect that. I know what it’s like to keep things to yourself—whether for your own protection or for others’.”
His considerate response startled me. Normally, Frisk was relentless; if he wanted information, he would get it.
Perhaps this was a gesture of trust. One that I would need to return if I wanted to heal our friendship.
“Thank you,” I said uncertainly. “I appreciate that.”
“I hope that, one day, you’ll trust me with the full truth,” Frisk went on. “Even if it’s painful.”
I winced. Because yes, it was painful. Just skirting around the full truth had me quivering down to my bones. Those red eyes… the sharpened claws… the savage grin…
I shuddered and finished off my apple before tossing the core. I rubbed my arms. “How much farther?”
“Just one more peak to climb,” Frisk said.
“You’ve been here before, haven’t you?”
“What if I told you I simply have excellent tracking skills?”
I laughed. “I’d say that’s bullshit and you know it.”
He huffed another laugh. “This way, Snow.”
We continued our climb, my eyes burning from the harsh wind, the billowing flurries intensifying the higher we went. I was grateful for the setting sun because it reduced the painful brightness of the snow, but it also lowered the temperature by several degrees. Despite my many layers, my insides rattled with my shivering.
“F-F-Frisk?” I mumbled, teeth chattering.
“Shh,” Frisk said. I could no longer see him beside me.
I halted, my skin tingling with awareness. On instinct, I draped my invisibility over me like a cloak, raising one hand in front of me to ensure I was completely obscured. I saw nothing but the snowflakes in front of me.
With Frisk camouflaged, I could no longer follow his steps. But as I stood there, holding my breath, I realized I didn’t need to. A shimmering glow glinted in the distance, a mixture of pink and purple hues. I swallowed, my throat dry as I made my way closer to the light. With each step, warmth crept through my layers of clothing, thawing my icy bones. I nearly sighed with relief, but I was too enamored with the brightening lights of the pixies’ magic. Gold and crimson bursts joined the pink and purple, creating a kaleidoscope of colors.
It was absolutely breathtaking. Like the Aurora borealis, but with more vibrant colors.
“Let me approach first,” came Frisk’s soft voice. I stilled again and waited, placing a hand on the snowy rock wall next to me for support.
After a moment, hushed murmurs met my ears. No doubt they’d sensed Frisk’s presence. I held my breath again. If they could spot Frisk in this blizzard, then I had no hope of blending in, even with my invisibility.
“I’m here to speak with Nyra,” Frisk said, his voice loud and clear. I’d never heard him speak with such authority before. I was accustomed to his sarcastic drawl, but this voice spoke of power. It made me wonder what his life had been like before he’d come to Knockspur.
“There is no Nyra here,” said a harsh male voice.
“Don’t make me speak her true name,” Frisk warned. “Because I will. And she knows it.”
More hushed murmurs. I resisted the urge to fidget, my heart racing. Was Frisk in danger? Would the pixies harm him?
And how in the hell did he know a pixie’s true name?
At long last, a light, female voice said, “I’m here.”
“We request an audience with you, my queen.”
I stiffened. Queen? Frisk didn’t say anything about meeting a pixie queen.
“Since you’ve threatened me with my true name, I hardly have a choice, do I?”
“Give me your word you won’t harm me or my companion, and I’ll give you my word I will never utter your true name ever again.”
The murmurs silenced completely, and my eyes widened. That was a hefty bargain. To know someone’s true name was an enormous amount of power, and Frisk was offering to give that up.
“I give you my word,” Nyra said at last.
“Then our bargain is struck.” Frisk’s voice was loud as he called out, “You can join us, Snow!”
Steeling myself with a deep breath, I trudged through the snow, rounding a corner and squinting against the burning brightness of the pixies’ magic. It glowed as brilliantly as the sun, igniting the crowd of pixies clustered along the mountain ledge. A fire crackled in the center, but it wasn’t amber—it sparked with dozens of different colors that shimmered in the air.
As my gaze took in each pixie standing around the fire, my heart lurched in my throat. I’d pictured tiny sprites with wings, but these were very different. Tall and elegant, the pixies resembled fae with great translucent wings stretched behind them like butterflies. Their skin glowed, ranging in color from bronze to violet to crimson. One pixie had fuchsia-colored skin, and another was forest green.
Every single one of them had all-black eyes that stared emptily at me. I suppressed a shudder at the endless depths of those animal eyes. As I strode to the center where Frisk stood, one pixie flashed a grin at me, revealing sharpened fangs.
“This is my companion, Snow,” Frisk said, and I said a silent prayer of gratitude that he didn’t give them my name. “One of our traveling companions is in urgent need of your medical assistance.”
The pixie closest to us uttered a harsh laugh, and my eyes snapped to her. The pixie queen—Nyra—had rose-gold skin that glimmered like stardust and pearly white hair that flowed in long tresses down her back. A long, emerald dress covered the front of her body in two long swaths of fabric, but the entirety of her backside was left exposed.
“That would be two favors you’ve asked of me today, Frisk,” Nyra said, her sharpened teeth flashing. “And we do not share our magic with strangers.”
“We are embarking on a mission that will forever change the future of this court,” Frisk said. “If we succeed, it means a better life for everyone who is not a full-blooded seelie fae.”
My mouth fell open in surprise as I gazed around the crowd of pixies with dawning realization. Of course. The pixies were fae. They were likely dark fae just like Frisk, and these were their bestial forms.
It would explain why they were bound to bargains, just like us.
The vastness of my ignorance brought shame creeping up my cheeks. How much did I not know about my own kind? I had been so focused on defending humans that I had completely neglected the fae side of my lineage. The world was far bigger than the dark fae we had encountered in the forest. There were many different species of unseelie creatures, like Frisk and Mauro and these pixies.
How many more creatures lived out there, being painted as monsters by stories and folklore?
“Do not speak to me of fae bloodlines,” Nyra growled, her face darkening with rage. “You do not know half of what my people have suffered for our heritage.”
“We can change that,” Frisk promised. “But if our companion dies, our mission is doomed to fail.”
Nyra considered this, then angled her head toward me. “And what role do you play in all this, Snow?” She emphasized my name as if she knew full well I was hiding my true identity.
“She’s not—” Frisk began.
“It’s all right, Frisk,” I said, relieved that my voice came out steady and even. “If we are asking them to share their magic with us, the least we can do is be upfront with them.”
“Snow,” Frisk warned.
I lowered my hood and scarf. My heart drummed an erratic beat in my chest, but I forced myself to remain calm. This was a gamble… and I prayed it would pay off.
“My name is Eira Calliope Midelia. I am the rightful queen of this court.”