He paused, his eyebrows drawing together as his huge wings flexed.
“Come,” he said tersely before stalking toward other areas of the field, areas I hadn’t even concentrated on prior.
I followed, keeping my distance, but I couldn’t stop my gasp when he revealed what grew beneath the snow. Small signs of life dotted the land everywhere we went.
“How far has it spread?” I asked in amazement. Had I done this? Actually done this?
“The entire field.”
“All of it?”
“Yes, all of it. I think your work here is done.”
Heart pounding, I concentrated on keeping my excitement at bay. “But I didn’t really do anything, and there’s no way I created orem. Only the gods can do that.”
He grunted. “Then, like you said, perhaps your affinity creates life. Whatever it does when you’re tending to fields is what our continent needs to thrive again.”
“So what do I do now?”
“Now, I’ll begin taking you throughout the continent each morning, to—”
“You?” I interrupted. “Must it be you?”
His jaw snapped together when he scowled. “Yes, it must be me.” Grinding his teeth, he continued, “I know it’s vast, but if you spend your mornings doing this, the orem will be fixed, and you’ll still have your afternoons free to train for the Trial.”
I rolled my eyes. “Right. The Trial in which I’ll be forced to marry you or some other male I despise. Don’t remind me.”
The prince’s eyes narrowed. “Marry another? What are you talking about?”
I crossed my arms. “Are you telling me that you didn’t know Sir Edmund Featherton paid me a visit this morning, courtesy of your father? He wanted to inform me of the upcoming Trial and the rebirth of the Olirum Accords. Apparently, your father is resurrecting the ancient tradition of arranged marriages among powerful fae to expand the strength of our race, and I’m now one of the females he has his eyes on. If I don’t marry you, I’m to marry another noble of the king’s choosing.”
The prince’s gaze darkened. “You’re not to marry another.”
My heart thundered. For a moment, I couldn’t reply. The prince looked downright vengeful.
Working a swallow, I finally got out, “I’m sure you would be fine with one of the other females. They’re all beautiful and extraordinarily strong. I also hear you’re to court them.”
His nostrils flared. “A requirement of the Trial.”
“And the other male suitors are to court me.”
“What?” A flurry of his power rocked the ground beneath us as his irises blazed. “I shall speak with my father. Having others court you and possibly marry you is preposterous.”
“Exactly.” I sighed in relief. Perhaps the prince could stop my arranged marriage, and then Cailis and I wouldn’t have to run away. Instead, I could finish the stupid Trial, lose so I didn’t have to marry him or anyone else, and then concentrate on understanding my affinities and healing our land.
But once again, the prince’s visceral response made me pause.
I eyed him suspiciously. “Why are you like this with me? Why are you so . . . protective?” I wanted to say possessive, but I couldn’t bring myself to say that word again, even though I had last night.
The prince shifted closer, his inherent scent of cedar and snow wafting around him. “If I’m protective, it’s because you need to be protected.” His nostrils flared, and he looked at the sky, toward the sun. “It’s midday. We need to head back to the castle. Your first lesson with Matron Olsander begins at noon.”
CHAPTER 3
The prince mistphased us back to the castle, and we landed in a corridor bustling with servants.
The unfamiliar wing was an area of the castle I’d never visited before. A large stone walkway, at least fifteen feet wide, cut a path through the castle in a straight line. A tall ceiling, rimmed with frosted glass windows, soared above. Servants carrying baskets of linens and cleaning charms gave us a wide berth when they passed, and the scents in the air let me know that wherever we were, it was near the kitchens.
“This way,” the prince said, striding forward.
“Where are we?”
“The south wing. It’s where most of the servants’ quarters are, along with the kitchens and laundry facilities. It’s also where the training rooms were built. When our affinities began to manifest, Nuwin and I did our schooling here.”
“You did?” I followed after him, having to pick up a jog since his strides were so long. “I just assumed you went to the Academy of Solisarium. Isn’t that where all rich fae go?”
“We did go there after our initial training ended here.”
The prince led me into a room through a set of massive double doors. The second my feet crossed the threshold, a thickly layered ward washed over my skin. On the other side, my eyes popped wide open.
I gaped. “This is where you learned to control your affinities?”
The room before me, if it could even be called a room, reminded me of a cavern with its hundred-foot-tall ceiling. The training quarters were made of gray stone, the rock thick and dense. Near the ceiling, huge windows let sunlight stream in, and I had a feeling they were made of unbreakable glass if the iron-infused wards I’d just stepped through were any indication of how impenetrable this room was.
On the far wall, rows of weapons waited. I gaped at the broadswords, shields, spears, knives, throwing stars, blades of every size, axes, crossbows . . . The list went on. Beside the rows of weapons lay numerous bookshelves with hundreds of texts that I could only assume contained knowledge of affinities and learning.
The prince clasped his hands beneath his great wings. “All of those weapons are either enchanted or ancient enough to contain magic of their own. Do not touch them unless you’re instructed to.”
“Weapons?” I made a face. “Why in the realm would I need to learn how to use those?”
The prince’s eyes darkened. “Some fae feel threatened when they encounter a fairy of greater magic-holding. Learning to use weapons is imperative, as is learning how to defend yourself.”
I swallowed. “You’re saying that my affinities alone can put me at risk? But once I learn to control my magic, isn’t that enough? Surely having fire and wind elements mean that I could protect myself.”
“Yes, you would likely be able to, unless your affinities were suppressed.” His eyes shuttered. “If that were to happen, you’d be left with nothing but your skills to protect yourself. Weapons are a must.”
My heartbeat picked up when I recalled how the prince had battled the fairy blessed with an ice bear affinity in High Liss. Initially, he hadn’t used magic, only his hands and swords.
I was about to ask another question when a bang came from a corner door, then the shuffle of feet.