As the magic born snapped her fingers, I was lifted magically into the air, and I saw that man again, the one I had sort of recognized earlier. He was in a crowd of fae onlookers, his face etched with lines of worry as he watched Kade and me.
Holy … what the hell? It hit me hard then, the reason his face had been bothering me. He looked like Kade and Annette, Kade’s mother. So either they had some very close fae relatives that none of us knew about or that was his brother. Living in the Winter Court … with a child.
A guard hoisted me up and my head smashed into his hard shoulder. That blow was enough for me to lose the last of my consciousness, and before I could cry out or fight, the world went dark.
Chapter Eight
Daddy dearest.
Clanking noises roused me, the metallic sharpness reverberating through my aching head. I was face down with a musty bedding of straw beneath me – pretty much the only thing keeping me from lying against icy stone. Remembering that I had been taken by the winter queen, I tried to get my eyes open and head up, but the moment I moved, my stomach lurched and I let myself slump forward again as I fought to control my gag reflex.
My wolf stirred lazily within me, which was my first indication that there was something wrong with her. Normally she would be fighting to change, to heal whatever was ailing me, but it was almost like she was barely conscious. And my mecca was the same.
A strange energy caught my attention. It was the only thing within my center of energy that didn’t seem to be under the influence of the queen’s magic right now. I’m fae. Whatever had been in the glass jar, whatever essence had been stolen from me as a child, was strong. And the winter queen wanted it.
I needed to shift. I tried to coax my wolf forward, but she only whined at me, which hurt my heart in ways I couldn’t understand. What had the queen done to us? As if she felt my desperation and sorrow, my wolf spirit started clawing toward me. I could almost see her in my mind’s eye. I needed to touch her. The fae energy inside me burst to life then – it was warm and yet somehow icy at the same time – as if it were reacting to my thoughts. Barrels of energy smashed into my beast, freeing her. The shift washed over me and in a flash I was a wolf. No pain. No messy breaking of bones or minutes of panting. Just the simple thought and I could change.
Shaking off the last of my aches and fatigue with ease, I was up on all fours, my white coat reflecting the dim prison lighting. For the first time since waking I was warm all the way through, and my energy was slowly returning. The pit of fae power deep inside of me flooded across my body. It was like it had been contained until now, but the moment I used it, freed it, an icy fire had spread across my chest and through my limbs, morphing me, changing the essence of who I was.
Winter magic.
Clanking sounded again, and a figure appeared in front of the barred door of my cell. It was the queen, accompanied by two guards, forming a massive wall of muscle on either side of her.
“Nice to see you’re awake, Granddaughter.”
She sneered on that last word, and it was very clear she did not welcome our familial bonds. That makes two of us, bitch. My wolf dropped lower, snarls ripping free, fangs bared. The queen waved her hand at me, then ice seeped through the bars and my body was frozen again. Well, sort of. It wasn’t as all-encompassing as last time. It almost felt like if I used enough energy I could break free from it, but I wouldn’t waste my juice until a good opportunity to escape presented itself. I needed to be smart about this. Best to let her think I had no defenses against her.
Kade! I had been trying not to think about my mate. The moment my mind flittered toward him, I started to lose control of my calm. If I lost it too badly, I would have no chance of getting out of here. Still, even knowing this, a part of me couldn’t help but call out for him. Kade! I tried again, but there was no answer.
A small portion of the panic I had been keeping contained seeped out. My limbs were trembling and I had to remind myself how strong and capable Kade was. He would be okay. I had to believe that or my mind would be shattered and that would help no one.
“We need to talk. Shift back now.”
The queen’s words were commanding, each laced with mecca. But I was a queen too, and I took orders from no one. Time to show her who she was dealing with. Shaking off her icy spell, I lunged at the bars, my muzzle able to fit through as I snapped at her. One of the guards went to pull her back, but she gave him a look and he refrained from stepping any closer.
“I do not fear this rabid beast,” the queen murmured. “But she will learn to fear me.”
With that she turned and walked away, only pausing to call over her shoulder. “I need her willing to talk, which means you need to show her our methods of enticing prisoners to cooperate.”
I knew what that meant. The Red Queen had been my aunt after all. I didn’t care though. I was strong enough to withstand whatever torture they threw at me. She obviously wanted me alive, so I could fight as long as I needed to. Plus, I was too busy being grateful that she didn’t seem to know about the bond between Kade and me. My mate was the only thing she could use against me right now.
The two guards followed her out, and many moments passed in silence. I was just beginning to think the winter queen was all talk when I heard boots clomping on the stone floor. An unfamiliar male fae carrying a wooden case approached my cell, flanked by two others. One was a tall and gangly female magic born with a crooked nose; she had the white coloring, unlike the last I’d encountered. The other was a short, stocky man. He had dark, angry eyes, and just a quick glance gave me shivers down my spine and had my wolf pelt standing on end. There was evil in his eyes, pure evil. The three opened the cell door and approached me. With a growl I backed my wolf up to the wall and bent low, ready to attack.
The magic born raised her hands and before I could move, she shouted, “Shift!” She then threw some type of purple powder at my wolf.
With a sneeze, my body contorted and I was suddenly being forced through the change, into my human form. The pain was almost unbearable as my body and wolf fought the magic. I wanted to howl and cry, but I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction. How was this even possible? I had never seen anyone force a shifter to change before. What the heck was in that purple dust? Scattered around me was its glittery remains, shimmering across the floor.
The color was familiar, and the shine also reminded me of my crown.