41. Family

Chapter 41

Family

LORI

M ajestic ice wolves run in tandem in front of the royal sleigh, hauling us toward the lake. Moonlight reflects off their thick white fur, and warm exhales frost in front of their onyx-black snouts. Contrary to the wolves summoned by the Gray Man, these fantastical beasts are flesh and bone, and a keen intelligence shines in their yellow gazes.

Halfway to the solstice's shrine, the place where the winter solstice ritual takes place, Elio flattens his hand on my belly and presses me to him. His hold is desperate as though he expects me to crumble to ashes at a moment's notice.

"If they're planning an attack, it's going to take place on the lake, when we're at our most vulnerable," he says.

The rhythmic beat of the wolves' paws hitting snow, along with the glide of the runners, drown out our whispers and protect us from the cameras' nosy microphones. Our televised wedding didn't allow for the mention of the attack Ayaan warned me about, and there wasn't time to dawdle if I didn't want to alert our enemies. But I haven't stopped talking since we mounted the sleigh, trying to fill in the blanks as quickly as possible.

I lean into his embrace. "Sara must have strategized with Damian and the hunters by now. I'm sure they'll find a way to get near the shrine without being seen."

"It's risky. The other royals will wonder why they weren't involved. They don't like to be left out of the loop, especially when darklings form alliances."

I shrug, unperturbed by what the royals think of us at the moment, as long as we can prevent the Tidecallers from murdering Elio and stealing the souls. "We can deal with them after. They can hardly expect me not to involve my family in all of this."

I'm underdressed for a winter expedition, but the cold can't touch me here, in Elio's arms. Fae weddings are meant to link two individuals and their magic forever, the ritual completed upon consummation. I suspect that, even though we haven't gotten to that part yet, the new magic running through my veins has already started affecting how my skin processes ice.

Elio's breath rushes down the slope of my neck. "Do you really think of Damian as family?"

"His wife, Nell, is the sister I never had. You have her to thank for this wedding, you know."

He buries his nose in the crook of my neck and kisses the sensitive spot below my ear. "I'm sure she's lovely, but I'm surprised to hear he's married. That's not something he made public."

"They wed in secret, but if we can capture Morrigan tonight, they might not have to hide anymore."

The pressure of his lips near my pulse point blows away any strategic thought from my mind. "Careful. I need to focus."

"Focus on me ," he teases, and the hunger simmering beneath the words melts my insides.

"Morrigan can morph into a spider. That's how she got away last time."

His brows furrow. "That's incredibly advanced blood magic."

"Yes. She leveled up since you last saw her."

The lake of souls—the frozen lake I caught a glimpse of from the castle's parapet on my first day—spans for miles in the center of the Frozen Hills. Elio and I hold hands as we walk from our sleigh to the open-air gazebo standing near the shore.

White, curved spires radiate out of the gazebo structure, round columns holding up the roof. A solid block of platinum-streaked marble hovers a few inches up from the surface of the ice, and the elevated platform allows for an unobstructed view of the lake.

Contrary to normal ice, the pristine coat of frozen water covering the lake is completely transparent, the turquoise lake beneath our feet even brighter in the dark. Thousands and thousands of lights swirl and move under the ice, one for each soul that has been carefully collected during the year.

Winter Fae lean into their craving for voyeuristic entertainment without scruples, so this wedding's consummation isn't expected to take place in a honeymoon suite or a tent in the middle of the gardens, but here, witnessed by the immensity of the lake—and one of Paul's cameras.

"Don't worry, the entire thing is not broadcasted live. I instructed Paul to record just enough to titillate the viewers before the camera pans to the sky to show everyone that the souls are safe, and that we've done our duty."

"Is that what we've been doing the last few days? Our duty?" I joke.

His eyes dance, their color mirroring the beauty of the torrent of souls below the ice. "That was only for fun."

"And tonight is not going to be fun?"

"Should be interesting." He kisses the root of my ear. "Can you see them, yet?"

I nick his earlobe with my teeth and sharpen my senses, trying to detect the enemies lying in wait among the peaceful scenery.

A dark spot behind the nearest column sends tingles up my spine. "See that shadow over there by the nine o'clock column?" I whisper. "That's her."

Morrigan's bite of power is faint, but I would recognize it among thousands.

"Sneaky." Elio's eyes narrow, fixated on the birth marks peppered across my collarbone as he bends down to taste them one by one. "They couldn't have brought their wolves or spiders here. There'd be no way to conceal them."

I pull his jacket from his shoulders, playing the role of a newlywed eager to get her husband naked, but secretly scanning the gazebo and lake. "I count only two."

"Two assassins of the Gray Man's caliber would be enough to kill or incapacitate me, considering you're supposed to be a defenseless Spring seed." He spins me around in his arms and guides me forward in the guise of showing me the lake. "This is the well of tears, where the ritual will take place."

I peer over the edge to the staircase leading to the ice. A circular hole the size of a large plate has formed, the water directly accessible at the center of the well. The roof above it is interrupted by a giant magnifying glass that condenses the moon rays in the exact spot where the ice is melted.

"It's the section of the lake that allows us to reach the water, but only when the moon is highest in the sky at the solstice. We have less than an hour to complete the ritual."

The icy crust around the small hole is probably thin enough for us to break through if we were ready to go down for a swim, and goosebumps rise on my arms. "An hour is enough."

"I've never seen you so…wound up. You truly hate her, don't you?"

I give a sharp incline of the head, quietly keeping track of the two shadows, and my heart shrivels as Morrigan slips out of the darkness in her huntress uniform and purple boots, her long black hair hidden below her hood.

My enemy chuckles, and her obvious joy makes my pulse swirl. "My, my. The world is a small place, Lorisha. Looks like it's my turn to interrupt your wedding night."