Chapter The Hunter
The sun beat down on me like the brutal lashings of a whip. The heat was a relentless force that seemed to melt my very skin from its bones, making me yearn for the chilled wintry air of my home. The silent stillness of an icy forest. The whisper of frosty wind.
But no. I was bound to the Winter Queen, and, unfortunately for me, my current prey lived in the Sun Court.
Sweat beaded along my brow, stinging the corners of my eyes. My fae body was built for endurance, but I’d been crouching in the green foliage for hours. Not even my fae blood could endure this damned heat.
He should arrive at any moment, I told myself. Soon, you’ll trap him and be done with this assignment.
I tried not to let my thoughts roam to the forested landscape where my cabin was tucked away in the mountains of the Winter Court, isolated and undisturbed.
The queen had promised I would be granted a lengthy holiday after this mission was fulfilled.
And fae bargains were binding. She would have no choice but to let me take my leave.
Later, I thought. You can daydream later. For now, focus on the task at hand.
I clutched my crossbow, my hands slick with sweat.
It was already loaded, the sharpened point of the iron-studded arrow ready to burrow into my target’s neck.
Once he appeared, I didn’t want to waste time loading my weapon and potentially alerting him to my presence.
My head throbbed from the strain of maintaining my glamour for this long.
I was currently masked, the color of my skin a vibrant green that blended in perfectly with the leafy surroundings.
But the energy required to keep myself camouflaged was wearing on me.
If the bastard didn’t show up soon, I would have to leave and recharge my magic.
A twig snapped nearby, and my skin prickled with awareness. Someone—or something—was approaching. It was too big to be an animal, unless it was a large predator. As bored as I was, I almost would have welcomed the distraction of wrestling one of the dreaded fae beasts.
Almost.
I held perfectly still, waiting for the visitor to reveal itself.
There he was. My mark.
Sir Ethan Bloodwright of the Sun Court, heir apparent and next in line to the throne as soon as his uncle, the king, passed away.
He’d made his disdain for the Winter Court quite clear in all his political dealings.
The queen had no doubts that he would declare war on our court the instant he was crowned.
I believed it, too, though I was never one to follow politics. I only followed orders. Nothing more. The bitterness of my situation swept through me, and I felt myself scowling.
But now was not the time to grumble about my circumstances. I had work to do.
Ethan drew nearer, his steps slow and careful. He glanced over his shoulder as if nervous he would be spied upon. I smirked. Little did he know…
My blood chilled as a second figure appeared—a woman.
Oh, shit.
“I told you we had to stop meeting like this,” the woman whispered. She had long, curly brown hair that fell to her waist and doe-like caramel eyes that gazed pleadingly at Ethan.
But my attention was fixed on her ears. They were curved, not pointed.
She was human.
Well, son of a bitch, I thought. Not only was Ethan cavorting with a woman in secret, but a human woman, no less.
The one thing most courts agreed on was that humans were the lesser species.
Though fae allegedly lived peacefully with humans, there was still a clear division between the two, especially in the Winter Court.
I didn’t know much about it. Aside from my isolated cottage in the woods, my dealings were only with courtiers and those who worked within the palace—all fae. I’d only encountered humans in my travels.
“This is the only spot where Uncle Moorland won’t find me,” Ethan murmured, clutching the woman’s hands in his own and pressing soft kisses to her knuckles.
“These woods frighten me,” the woman whimpered. “What if a fae beast comes along?”
Ethan laughed. “Don’t believe all the stories they tell you about fae creatures.”
My eyebrows lifted. What a fool. The girl should believe in the stories, and fear them, too. I’d encountered my fair share of fae beasts, and they were just as horrifying as the stories made them seem. They had Demon Fae blood, which meant they were wild, feral, and unpredictable.
“Besides,” the woman said, lifting her chin, “I thought you said you would announce our engagement to your uncle this week.”
“Ah. Right.” Ethan rubbed the back of his neck, looking chagrined. “Uncle is overwhelmed with court dealings this week. It’s too chaotic. I would rather approach him with this when his mind isn’t as preoccupied.”
The woman frowned, now resembling a pouting toddler. “Ethan…”
“I swear, I will do it soon. I love you, Ryla.”
Ryla’s expression softened as Ethan leaned in to brush her lips with his.
I raised my crossbow. Now would be the perfect time to strike.
But the woman wrapped her arms fully around him, drawing him closer so their bodies pressed together.
I hesitated. Ryla wasn’t my target. If I shot now, I would risk hitting her instead. Not only would that alert Ethan to the threat, but it would leave her blood on my hands as well.
Not that they weren’t bloody enough already.
But I tried my damnedest to only kill my assignments. I was still a cold-blooded killer, but at least that much decency I could manage. Even if the woman was a lowly human, I still didn’t want to kill her if I could help it.
“Ethan,” Ryla moaned as his mouth trailed down her throat.
Shivering bones, if I didn’t make my move soon, I would have to witness their lovemaking. Gritting my teeth, I took aim just as Ryla wrapped her legs around him. Ethan turned to grasp her ass more fully, and I had a perfect shot between his shoulder blades.
I would have to be quick. No time to ensure I hit my mark, because Ryla’s scream would no doubt alert anyone nearby of the murder.
But no matter. I never missed.
This time was no exception.
The bolt struck true, straight between his shoulder blades. Ethan stiffened as blood bubbled from the wound. For a moment, Ryla didn’t notice, still writhing against him and moaning with pleasure.
Then, his body slumped, taking her with it.
“Ethan, what—”
By the time she realized he was dead and her scream cut through the forest, I was already gone.
“Tell me,” Queen Calista commanded.
The man’s screams reverberated against the massive throne room walls.
I stood, shoulders squared and spine straight, watching impassively as the Queen of the Winter Court tortured the mayor of the Quinton Province.
He was a small, portly man with graying hair and a short brown beard.
His rounded ears marked him as human. Sweat beaded along his brow, and blood trickled from his nose.
“Please,” he rasped. “Your Majesty, please.”
“Answer my question, and the pain stops,” Calista said calmly.
She sat atop her pale stone throne, which blended in with the silver carpet stretched across the white marble floors.
Enormous glass panes illuminated the room from the ceiling.
Light danced from the chandelier, giving the throne room the appearance of a sparkling, crystalline field of snow.
“I—I can’t,” the man whispered.
“Very well.” Calista lifted a small vial and poured a drop of crimson liquid onto her finger.
The man’s eyes widened as Calista pressed her finger to her mouth. “No. No, please—” His words cut off with another piercing scream. His back arched, his arms jutting at odd angles as Calista’s magic tormented him. I shuddered as I watched, knowing firsthand how painful her blood magic could be.
The man collapsed to the ground, writhing on the floor as he tried to escape the pain that would not end.
Calista’s red lips spread into a thin smile as she watched the man’s eyes bulge, more blood leaking from his nose.
His shouts became unintelligible, his words mangled. But Calista clearly heard something important. She sat up straighter, and the man’s cries abruptly ceased.
“What was that?” she prompted.
With a shuddering sob, the man went limp on the floor, his eyes closed as tears ran down his face. “C-Courthouse. There is… a chest hidden… in the floorboards… of the courthouse.”
Calista looked at one of the soldiers stationed against the wall and nodded once. In an instant, the guard exited the throne room, no doubt to travel to Quinton and take the chest of coins the mayor had hidden in his courthouse.
“Well done, Hector,” Calista said, her smile serpentine. “I assure you I will put your city’s funds to good use.”
“Please, Your Majesty,” Hector wheezed, his body still convulsing. “My people… need those coins. We must… eat. The children… are starving.”
I swallowed down bile, my nostrils flaring. I had traveled through enough of the Winter Court to know Hector spoke the truth. Many villages, especially the smaller ones, were suffering because of the queen’s taxes.
But Hector’s village consisted mostly of humans, which meant Calista cared little for them.
Calista waved a hand, her expression bored. “Enough of your blathering. I am finished with you. Berrick?”
I inwardly flinched as another soldier peeled off the wall and drew his sword. I held my breath as Berrick sliced off the man’s head, the squelching sound echoing in the throne room. I didn’t care much for humans, but that didn’t mean I enjoyed watching them get beheaded.
When it was finished, I stared numbly at the man’s corpse. His head rolled along the floor, leaving a trail of blood.
“Clean this up,” Calista ordered the servants to her left.
Attendants scurried forward with buckets and cloths at the ready, as if they had been standing there waiting for a man to lose his head.
The people in this court were accustomed to blood staining the floors.