“That’s an order, Glitch.”
He looked reluctant, but the Iron fey had always bowed to rank, and finally he nodded. “All right. Just…be careful, Ash.
Meghan will kill me if anything happens to you.” He meant well, but the resentment inside only grew stronger. Gripping my cane, I turned my back on the First Lieutenant and walked into the icy, frozen halls of the winter palace alone.
320/387
I really should have known better, but pride had always been my downfall, even before I became human. Save for a few brutish ogre guards, the frigid halls of the winter palace were mostly deserted, meaning everyone was already at the gathering in the ball room.
But as I turned a corner, a snicker crept from an open doorway, and a motley of redcaps spilled into the hall, blocking my path.
I stumbled to a halt, observing the situation. Like most redcaps, these were short, stocky and savage looking, their wool hats soaked in the blood of their victims and their eyes a vicious yellow. All of them wore jagged grins that showed off their razorlike fangs, and most had crude weapons tucked into
their belts. Redcaps were stupid and violent, and their dangerous reputations stemmed from the fact that they viewed everything in terms of predator and prey. Any concept of rank, title, and hierarchy was lost on them. It didn’t matter if you were a king or a prince or a noble; if you were weak, if they thought they could take you apart, they would, regardless of the consequences.
I cursed my stubbornness and faced the redcaps with a calm, blank expression. Any sign of weakness on my part would trigger an attack. Redcaps might be crass and stupid, but there 321/387
was a reason they were feared throughout the Nevernever. Ash the Winter prince had nothing to fear from a redcap motley, but I hadn’t been him for a long time.
“Well, well.” The leader grinned, cracking his thick knuckles. “Look who it is, boys. Fancy meeting you here, prince. Especially without the queen’s skirt to hide behind.” The other redcaps snickered and eased forward, closing the circle like hungry wolves. “Did the queen finally get tired of her little human pet and turn you out into the cold?” I took one careful step forward, meeting the leader’s eyes.
“If you think this will be easy,” I said in a soft, low voice,
“you’re sadly mistaken. I might not be your prince any longer, but there’s still enough of him left to turn the lot of you into a few smears on the f loor.”
The leader’s grin faltered. The other redcaps eyed each other and shifted nervously, but didn’t back down. For just a moment, I wished Ash the Winter prince were here; just the chil he could produce when angry or threatened was enough to send most would-be challengers running.
322/387
The redcap leader shook himself then, and his leer came creeping back. “Pretty bold words, little man.” He sneered.
“But your scent says otherwise. You smell completely, utterly human. There’s nothing left of the Winter prince, not anymore.” He bared his fangs, running a black tongue over sharp yellow teeth. “And I’m betting you taste exactly like humans, too.”
The redcaps tensed, ready to f ling themselves at me, their eyes glowing with eager bloodshed. I reached beneath my cloak and gripped the sword hilt, ignoring the chil that burned my fingers. I might not survive this, but I’d take as many of the bloodthirsty creatures with me as I could. And hope that my son or my queen would avenge my death. “Father!” The shout echoed down the corridor, loud and clear, making the icicles tremble on the ceiling. The redcaps snarled and whirled around, brandishing weapons at the intruder who would ruin their fun.
Kierran stood at the end of the hallway, tall and imposing in a uniform of black-and-gray, his eyes f lashing like angry 323/387
stars in the shadows. His pale hair was tied behind him, making him look older, more severe then I’d seen before. Sharp cheekbones led up to his long, pointed ears, which were usually hidden by his hair, mask-ing his true nature. But tonight, standing motionless and proud at the edge of the light, he
looked inhuman, beautiful and completely fey.
The redcap leader blinked at the sudden arrival of the Iron prince. “Prince Kierran,” he growled, sounding nervous.
“What a surprise to see you here. We were just…ah…” “I know what you were doing.” Kierran’s voice was cold, making me blink at how much he sounded like a certain Winter prince, long ago. “Threatening the consort of the Iron Queen is a crime punishable by death. Do you think, just because he is human, that I will spare any of your lives?” His words stung. Just a human.
Just a mortal, weak and