Chapter The Princess
Five Years Later
The cool, wintry air swirled around me, capturing stray strands of my black hair and coiling them around my cheeks. But it didn’t matter. My magic cloaked me completely, so no matter how my hair billowed around me, no one would notice.
I waited at the edge of the forest, watching patrons enter and exit the pub, searching for one man in particular.
The icy air nipped at my arms, but it wasn’t unpleasant.
Sometimes, when I focused hard enough, I could pretend I was impervious to the cold.
That my magic provided a shield for me, even if it didn’t.
It made me feel as if I truly were invisible. As if I didn’t exist at all.
An aching hollowness filled my chest, threatening to cave inward as I was reminded of being invisible in the palace of the Winter Court. Once my father married Calista, it was as if I no longer existed. I was an outsider. Unwanted. Unloved.
Even after the Snow Princess mysteriously disappeared, no one at court seemed to care.
No one except Calista, of course. She had been hunting me nonstop.
Everyone else in the kingdom had been perfectly content to let my stepmother rule, oblivious to the monstrous secret she was hiding.
A renewed sense of focus and determination had me straightening my spine. This was why I was here: to take back my kingdom and rid the people of Calista’s tyranny for good.
A tall, wiry fellow with bright red hair entered the pub, his swagger and smug expression telling me everything I needed to know. He was a fae lord. A wealthy one. Exactly who we were looking for.
“I see him,” I whispered. The wind washed away my words, but I knew Frisk would hear me. His keen fox hearing never failed.
A small chitter sounded next to me, followed by a low chuckle as Frisk’s furry ears twitched. “The fool won’t know what hit him.”
I couldn’t suppress my grin. Frisk always loved these missions. It was part of the reason I always brought him.
That, and his knack for stealth.
A burst of icy wind tickled my arm as Kendra twined her long white tail around me. Her all-blue eyes blinked balefully up at me. “Can I blast this one?” she asked.
I frowned at the tiny dragon wrapped around my arm like a cuff. With my invisibility, she looked like she was floating in the air. “And what happens when he grabs you?”
“I blast him again.”
I snorted. “Not a chance, Kendra. You’re with me.”
She huffed, exhaling another cold blast. “But I—”
“You are too valuable,” I insisted. “Besides, I need your help. Stay with me, please?”
She blinked at me again, and I offered her my sweetest smile. Her brilliant eyes could always see right through my invisibility, thanks to her dragon blood. All Crystal Icebolts had otherworldly all-blue eyes that could see through glamours.
Which made her a valuable asset that scumbags like the red-haired fae lord might want to exploit.
But her pride wouldn’t let her stay behind, so I had to remind her how much I needed her.
“Fine,” she said with a heavy sigh. “Go on then, Frisk.”
“With pleasure,” Frisk said.
A blur of motion shot forward. If I hadn’t been looking for it, I wouldn’t have noticed the ripple in the snow.
Frisk was an arctic fox, and he blended into the surroundings almost as well as I did.
It didn’t take long for his form to vanish entirely, leaving me squinting through the flurries, awaiting his signal.
A few moments later, a high-pitched chitter rang out.
With Kendra on my arm, I sprang forward, circling the pub to find the lord’s carriage, his driver flat on his back with Frisk sitting calmly atop him.
I scoffed and put my hands on my hips, even knowing Frisk couldn’t see me. “Is that really necessary?”
“What?” Frisk blinked his wide, dark eyes—the picture of innocence.
Stifling a laugh, I muttered, “Keep watch, will you?” and flung open the carriage doors.
It appeared empty at first glance, but I knew better. The queen had gotten crafty with her methods. No doubt my thievery had her growing more and more paranoid. A smile formed on my lips at the thought of mighty Calista wringing her hands in frustration and anxiety.
But no. That wasn’t my stepmother. She was much more likely to kill someone instead of fret.
All life is precious, my father had once said. We must protect our own. Especially those who cannot protect themselves.
That was why I was here: for the humans. For the people of this court who suffered under Calista’s rule.
“There,” came Kendra’s soft voice. She pointed her elongated snout toward the cushioned seat. “It’s glamoured.”
I pressed down on the seat. A low creak echoed, and I pushed harder, feeling around the outer edges of the seat until I found a small lever. I pulled it, and the mechanism released a tiny compartment underneath.
“Wow,” I murmured. “Fae glamour and a hidden mechanism? The false queen must be worried about bandits or something.”
Kendra snorted. “Rightfully so.”
I peered into the compartment and gasped. Piles and piles of gold, some in pouches and some simply spilled over as if the lord had been in a hurry. He likely wanted to down a few more drinks before he had to report back to court. What a gluttonous goat.
“See anything good?” Frisk called out.
“Hush!” I hissed. “You’re just an ordinary fox, remember?”
An innocent chitter followed my words, and I laughed.
Not many fae folk knew of the faerie creatures that roamed the woods of the Winter Court.
Most dismissed them as children’s tales, but I knew better.
I lived in these woods, and the faerie creatures were my closest friends.
Some were ordinary animals, but others were sentient.
Some even had magic, just like the fae folk.
I opened my sack and started scooping coins into it, wincing as they jingled loudly.
But there was nothing but the quiet, frigid air behind me.
Even so, I didn’t want to push my luck. My movements were quick as I shoveled more and more coins into my sack.
I was almost finished when Frisk gave a low bark. I went rigid.
Damn. Out of time.
I bit my lip and gazed at the pile of coins that still remained, knowing it could help fund the rebel cause. How could I just leave this gold sitting here?
“Eira,” Kendra hissed in warning.
Ignoring her, I swiped one last handful just as someone grabbed my cloak from behind.
“Who’s this, eh?”
Kendra skittered up my arm, burrowing herself in my hood to stay out of sight.
I wriggled, struggling to free myself. Too late, I realized I’d let my invisible glamour fall in my haste to grab more coins.
I couldn’t risk using it now; very few people knew the extent of my magic, and I wanted to keep it that way.
Someone yanked me out of the carriage and spun me around. It was the red-haired lord. He raised an eyebrow, his lips curling into a cruel smile. “Ah. You’re a looker, aren’t ye?” His bloodshot eyes drifted to my rounded ears, and his eyebrows lifted. “And human.”
People often mistook me for a full-blooded human, even though I was half fae. My ears were both a gift and a curse in that sense.
I knew how to get myself out of this situation. But I hated playing the damsel.
I pretended to gasp. “Oh please, good fae lord, please let me go! I didn’t mean any harm!” As part fae, I couldn’t lie, but I had plenty of practice skirting the truth. In all honesty, I didn’t mean any harm; generally, we tried to steal without hurting anyone.
“Save it, lass, I can see the gold gleaming in your pack,” the lord spat. “I think the queen will be pleased I’ve finally caught one of the Snow Princess’s thieves.”
So he didn’t know it was me, then. Relief swelled inside me.
One of the benefits to being an invisible and unloved princess was that no one recognized my face.
I released an anguished wail and covered my face with my hands.
“Please. Please! There must be something I can do to make it right. Name your price.”
The man’s hold on my cloak loosened slightly. “Any price, eh?” The dark hunger stirring in his eyes told me all I needed to know.
Blood and ice, this man was foul. I would enjoy beating him senseless.
“Yes, yes,” I urged, layering my voice with more desperation and sobs. “Anything you want.” I widened my eyes so he would understand my meaning.
His foul grin widened, his arm dropping and releasing me completely. He leaned forward, and I did, too, holding my breath so I wouldn’t have to smell the nasty stench of his inebriation. In a flash, I unsheathed my dagger and raised it to his throat.
“Step away from me,” I said, dropping all pretenses. “Now.”
The man’s face slackened in shock, then turned a deep red, anger boiling in his eyes. “You little bitch.”
I cocked my head and smiled. “Go ahead and test me. I haven’t gotten this knife dirty in a while, and I miss the feeling.”
His eyes darted to the gleaming silver blade, and his expression faltered. It wasn’t made of iron, but it would still do some damage. “You wouldn’t. A fine lass like you—”
I sliced hard, nicking the sleeve of his tunic. He swore loudly, cradling his arm as a drop of blood fell on the ground, leaving a large, crimson stain in the snow.
Frisk let out another loud bark.
I groaned and slammed the hilt of my dagger into the man’s skull. With a grunt, he collapsed, and I easily stepped over him, my boots crunching in the snow. I secured my glamour back in place before stepping away from the carriage and the unconscious scumbag still lying on the ground.
“You all right?” I asked Kendra.
“Yes, I’m fine!” Kendra’s voice was a bit higher pitched than normal. She was still buried in the hood of my cloak, and I could feel her trembling.
Despite her bravado, most altercations terrified her. And I couldn’t blame her. That fae lord had been a downright bastard.
From the pub emerged several other men, their shouts loud and echoing as they drew closer.
“Let’s dash, shall we?” Frisk asked.
Together, we darted off toward the woods. “I didn’t even get to toy with him,” I lamented.
Frisk chuckled as he scampered alongside me. “Next time, Princess, I’ll let you torment all the queen’s lackeys to your heart’s content.”
Once we reached the cover of the trees, we slowed our pace, veering west toward the rendezvous point. A soft nicker told me Stella was already waiting with the horses.
“We should have brought Mauro,” Frisk said with a sniff. “He’s faster.”
“He can’t carry all of us,” I argued. “Besides, he gets grumpy if we ask for too many favors.” Mauro was a stag—a fae creature, like Frisk. The fox was right; Mauro was faster, but he had a grouchy disposition. We had to tread carefully around him.
We edged around a particularly large pine tree, and then I caught sight of my friend, who stood next to two chestnut horses.
Stella’s pale blonde hair almost blended in with the snowy forest. She was biting her lip in worry, her blue eyes scanning the woods until they locked onto me. Relief filled her face.
I grinned and held up my sack, shaking it so she could hear the jingle of coins. “Good haul this time.”
Stella laughed. “Excellent. No trouble, I presume?” She glanced over me as if to search for injuries.
I pressed a hand to my chest. “You wound me, Stella. Of course there wasn’t trouble.”
“Well, the fae lord did nearly catch her,” Frisk said slyly.
Stella’s grin fell. “Eira…”
“I said no trouble, and I can’t lie,” I said, shooting a glare at Frisk. “I had it handled, and I barely spilled any blood.”
Stella massaged her temples. “You stabbed him?”
“I nicked him.”
Stella’s brows knitted together. “Eira, if you’re going to continue to be reckless like this, the others will insist you stay behind. You are too valuable to risk getting captured or killed. Our entire rebellion depends on you.”
A hard lump formed in my throat, but I swallowed around it, forcing a smile. “I know that. Like I said, I knew what I was doing.”
Stella looked up at me and squeezed my shoulder, her face softening. Though she stood shorter than me, I often looked at her as an older, protective sister. She was stern when I was playful, and her concern was often warranted.
“I have no problem with you going on missions,” Stella said quietly. “I’m just saying, the others will. You need to be careful.”
I thought of Huck, the strictest member of our little band of rebels. He was the most vocal about his objection to these missions, especially when I was the one heading them.
Not to mention Denton… He often had his reservations where I was concerned, but that was for a whole different reason.
I shook my head, trying to clear it. “It’ll be fine. We got a good stash of coin this time. Hopefully, this will be enough.”
Stella smiled again, and a dimple appeared in her right cheek. She looked me over once more. “Where’s Kendra?”
“She’s hiding.”
“I am not hiding,” Kendra objected, though she did not emerge from within my hood.
Stella and I exchanged knowing looks. Fae creatures couldn’t lie, but for some reason, dragons could.
And everyone here knew Kendra was lying.
“Aren’t you excited to see Rogun again?” I asked.
Kendra’s quivering stopped for a moment, and her snout came out as she sniffed. “Is he here?” Kendra had a soft spot for the big dragon that often slept in the woods near my cottage.
“No, but I’m sure he’s waiting for you.”
Her head popped out, her blue eyes gleaming. “Yes, I suppose I am eager to see him.”
“Then, you’d better stop not-hiding; otherwise, he won’t know where you are. You don’t want to worry him, do you?”
Kendra’s wings unfurled as they slid out of my cloak. She shook her head, her tail curling outward as she stretched. “I am not hiding,” she said again, more vehemently.
Stella handed me the reins of one of the horses, shaking her head as she chuckled silently. She climbed atop her mount, and I followed suit. Together, we urged the horses into a trot, weaving our way through the woods as we journeyed back home.