Fae Frost Read online

  A gentle rap knocked on the open door. “May I come in?” Helios asked.

  Aine’s mother dropped into a graceful curtsy. “Of course, your Highness.”

  My heart squeezed tight at the sight of him, sunlight backlighting his hair like a flame. “Look!” I hurried over to him and held up the tonic with both hands. “It’s done.”

  “Very good.” Helios picked it up and stepped back out of the doorway. He held it up to the sun, watching the coppery liquid swirl in the glass. “It’s a good quality. I can feel the desire of it.”

  “Desire?” I followed him out, surprised to see that the other Fae had gone from the garden.

  “Yes.” He took my hand and put the tonic softly into my palm. “The maker’s will or emotions can be absorbed into the tonics. The more you wish them to do good, the more good they will do. The opposite is also true.” Helios paused, his hands warm on mine. “That especially applies to you, Fae Eyes.”

  I shook my head. “I don’t know how much that would affect my tonics. I’m only a human.” My hand curled around the bottle, holding onto the only thing I could do that was special.

  Helios reached into the breast pocket of his vest and pulled something out. Gold flashed in the sun as he widened his hands, revealing a delicate bracelet. The band was braided white Fae silk, and a small golden sun hung from the middle.

  I gasped, enchanted by the way it sparkled in the light. But it wasn’t just yellow that reflected. All the colors of the rainbow seemed to shine from the sun charm. “It’s beautiful.”

  Helios took my left hand and fastened it on my wrist. “It’s protection. To ward off any evil intentions.” His eyes held mine, so deep and bright. “Because you are more than just a human, Fae Eyes.”

  My eyes widened and a blush scorched my cheeks. My heart was pounding in my ears, I could barely hear what he was saying.

  Helios swallowed. “To me, Fae Eyes—”

  Something small and white drifted down between our faces.

  Helios blinked in surprised and looked up.

  I gaped as more white puffs fell like crystals drifting in the air. “Snow? In the middle of summer?”

  Chapter 2

  Aine ran out of the building, open mouthed. “What is this?” she gasped and held out her hands. The snow evaporated inches from her skin. “Is this really snow?” She waved her hands in the air with the wonder of small child.

  Helios’s hands tightened on mine. “They’re early.” His eyes narrowed as his face set to stone. He looked over his shoulder towards the castle.

  “Helios?” I asked, concerned. “Who came? Why is it snowing?” I’d never seen snow or even frost within a mile of Lasair. I thought it couldn’t snow here because of the Sun Fae. A flake landed on my eyelash and clung.

  He looked back at me and paused. Emotions played on his face, too fast for me to catch. “Stay here, Fae Eyes.” He gently brushed the snow from my lashes, then turned away. With a flurry of wind, he flew to the front of castle.

  “Maira, what’s going on?” Aine asked.

  I shook my head. “I don’t know.”

  There must have been a reason for Helios to tell me to stay here, but I wasn’t going to let him handle it alone. He always felt he had to do everything alone. He was the king, the only living Sun Fae royal left, so it was all his responsibility. But that wasn’t true. As long as I was here, he had me to lean on.

  I ran forward, shoes pounding on the uneven gravel. Aine appeared behind me, wings fluttering. She took my hand, almost lifting me off the ground as she helped me run faster.

  Behind us, Aine’s mother yelled, “Come back!” Her voice disappeared as we rounded the corner of the wall and along the tree-lined path to the front of the castle.

  We rounded the corner and stopped. The usually loud market in front of the castle was still. All the bantering and bartering voices were hushed as the Sun Fae watched the snow fall in awe. The snow drifted through the air, a stark contrast to the golds, reds, and greens that the Sun Fae favored.

  Helios stood before the open gate that led to the castle. His chin was tipped back as he looked to the sky. His face was set like stone, a determined gleam in his eyes.

  I darted from under the trees to stand just behind his left elbow.

  He blinked and looked at me, shock cracking his royal mask. “Fae Eyes, what—”

  The flakes of snow stopped mid-fall then slowly began to rise, drifting back up into the blue sky. A low cloud came from the forest, moving like a stream over stones, and settled just above Lasair. Its gray bulk blocked out the sun, and a sudden cool draft chilled the air.

  I stepped closer to Helios, seeking the warmth that radiated from his wings.

  He glanced at me, and the heat intensified until I could barely feel the cold.

  Like a dandelion puff in the wind, the cloud exploded into countless snowflakes that drifted down in a dazzling display of beauty. Mine wasn’t the only gasp that echoed in the air. Fae children threw their arms out and danced in the snow. Others let out exclamations of shock as the snow landed on blankets and trees then turned to water.

  “Wow,” I whispered, completely dry in the cocoon of warmth that Helios used to evaporate any snow that fell on us.

  Helios continued to stare where the cloud had been.

  As the snow thinned, I could finally make out the bodies of ten Fae, hovering in the air. Slowly they lowered to the ground, the woman in the front descending slightly faster to land first.

  My mouth dropped open as I got a good look at her.

  She was the most gorgeous person I’d ever seen. A tall as a human, she exuded a confidence that I would never have. Her skin was as pale as the first snow and smooth as milk. Her frosty blue hair was half tied up on top of her head, with a silver crown nestled in the locks. The rest of her hair drifted around her in the air, over stardust wings that sparkled like crystals in the sun. She wore a white dress of exquisite Fae silk with deep blue stitching and gems garnishing the hems.

  She landed lightly on the ground and smiled at Helios, charming as a white lily. She spread her flowing skirt wide and bobbed her head in a respectful curtsy. “Greetings, King Helios. I am Queen Aysla of the Frost nation. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

  All I could do was stare. A Frost Fae. I’d heard about them, but I’d never met one of the northern Fae until now.

  Helios stepped forward and bowed. “Welcome to the Sun nation, Queen Aysla. You are more radiant than rumors let on. I hope that you will find your stay pleasant.”

  I glanced at Helios. I couldn’t see his face from this angle, but I could hear the warmth in his tone. My heart pricked a little at the word he used to compliment her. Radiant. Such a perfect word for her. I looked back at the Frost Fae, finally noticing the other two Fae that flanked her. They were tall and intimidating with their blue coloring and dark clothing, but they were almost invisible beside this woman.

  This queen. Helios was the only royalty I’d ever interacted with, and honestly, I’d already thought of him as almost a friend before I knew he was a king. How should I treat her? According to rumor, Frost Fae had even less interaction with humans than Sun Fae did. It was possible I was the first human they had ever seen.

  Queen Aysla looked over Helios’s shoulder and froze, eyes wide. “A human?”

  I swallowed back the anxiety that threatened to flood my mind and forced a smile. One thing I’d learned in the last year was that a friendly smile softened a Fae—sometimes. I gripped my skirt and tried to curtsy gracefully. “Hello, I’m Maira—”

  “What is a human doing in the middle of Lasair?” Her pale blue eyes turned to frigid blocks of ice. “You are human, aren’t you? Your eyes are almost Fae-like and ... there’s magic in you.” She glanced from Helios to me, eyes narrowing as she took in the short distance between us.

  Magic? In me? My eyes widened, but I forced my smile back into place. I was human, that wasn’t possible. But it wasn’t the first time I’d heard
my eyes were different for a human. Not only did they tip up on the outside corners, but their color was as green as spring leaves.

  Helios shifted until he was standing between us, blocking me from her view. “Yes, Maira is welcome in Lasair.”

  The air chilled even more as the Frost Fae stared at me and Helios in uncertainty.

  Queen Aysla broke the silence, with an air of forced casualness in her voice. “I’d heard the mighty Sun king had started to keep a human around him, but I’d thought it nothing but pixie gossip. It seems it wasn’t gossip at all.” I couldn’t see her because of Helios, but the ground at her feet paled as ice spread from where she stood.

  Helios lifted his hand and motioned with his fingers.

  A flash of fiery light fell from above and a Sun Fae landed gracefully beside me. He stood tall, tucking his wings down into his deep red cloak. His pale orange hair was cut short, and there were hard lines around his eyes and mouth despite his youth. His golden armor reflected the sunlight that broke through the branches above.

  I blinked at him, surprised at his sudden appearance. “Luzzu?” Helios’s best friend and captain of the royal guard.

  He never went out of his way to make me feel welcome, usually becoming a silent statue when I was around. We were certainly not close enough that he would help me in a pinch. Or so I thought.

  Helios placed a hand on his heart and bobbed his head. “It seems that Maira’s presence troubles you. I hope that won’t be the case in the future.” He turned to me, revealing a blank, royal expression. At the sight of me, his eyes softened and a slight smile touched his thin mouth. “Till we meet again,” he said softly before looking to Luzzu. “Get her home safely.”

  Without looking at me, Luzzu placed a hand on his torso and bent slightly forward, bowing to Helios. Then he twisted and bowed to the Queen and her escorts. “Queen Aysla, I humbly apologize for the lack of proper greetings.” Without waiting for a reply, he turned, took off his cloak, and threw it over me, barely keeping my face uncovered enough to breath.

  “Huh?” I gasped and tried to lift my arms to make the material more comfortable, but he had already scooped me up in his arms, effectively tying me in place. What was going on? He’d never treated me like this before.

  Through the material, I could hear Queen Aysla muffled words. “How quick you are to remove her to safety.”

  “Your comfort while here is our goal, which we strive to obtain with our utmost zeal, Queen Aysla,” Helios’s muffled voice replied.

  I wiggled more, trying to get loose. “Wait, Luzzu, I—”

  He leapt into the air. My stomach twisted hard, just like it always did when Luzzu flew me home. I just couldn’t forget the memory of a terrifying fall the first time I flew with him. Then I felt the lift and fall as his wings took us up past the tree line.

  “Wait, Luzzu! What’s going on?” I demanded over the rushing wind. This wasn’t a lazy flight like with Helios. Luzzu was determined to go as fast as possible.

  He said nothing back. The entire flight.

  I was left with my own thoughts and nowhere closer to knowing what was happening. Who was that woman? I get that she was a queen, but why was she in Lasair? She must have been the guest that Helios said was coming, the one he was preparing the castle for. What business did she have with Helios?

  These questions buzzed around my brain like busy bees.

  Eventually, we dropped in altitude and Luzzu staggered to a stop, seemingly unaccustomed to landing with someone in his arms. He set my feet on the ground and pulled his cape off me, leaving my hair a tangled mess.

  My hands jumped up, smoothed down my hair as I took a deep breath of the fresh air, and looked around. We were at the edge of my farmland. I turned back to him and opened my mouth, but he spoke first.

  “Because I owe you a debt and I love my king, I’m going to warn you, do not come back to Lasair.” Luzzu’s voice was as hard and grave as his copper eyes.

  Any complaint disappeared like smoke in the breeze. “Don’t go back?” I whispered. “Do you mean—ever?”

  I loved Lasair. The beauty of the city, the cautious people and the ones who had become my friends. Aine rarely left Lasair—I would never see her. And Helios. I already saw him so little. If I could never return to the city ... the thought tightened my chest painfully. My hand clamped over the bracelet on my wrist.

  “Why?” I demanded, my voice shakier than I wanted. Was she the reason?

  Luzzu took a deep breath and shoved a rough hand through his short orange hair. He muttered something harsh in Fae, probably a curse, and faced me again, mouth slanted to the side. “The disdain Frost Fae have for humans is almost legendary. Even King Helios can’t forsake his people for the life of a human.” He turned and flew away, leaving me standing there with only my aching heart.

  Chapter 3

  Supper was becoming a quiet event. Growing up with seven older brothers, it used to be loud with lots of shouting and even the occasional wrestling match before Papa threw the offending boys outside. Now that all my brothers were married in their own houses, it was just Papa, Mama, and me. Even so, this dinner was quieter than normal. Papa, newly back from the summer market and normally full of gossip about the surrounding farms, communicated his words in barely more than grunts, his movement quick and short. Mama kept glancing at Papa, then to me.

  But I was too caught up in my thoughts to think to ask what was wrong. The tonic I’d made with Aine was warm against my thigh, still tucked in the pocket of my apron. While I chewed my food, I couldn’t help but look at the bushels of plants I’d hung around the living room, above the wash basin and between the shelves holding the dishes, around the hearth where their scents became stronger when Mama cooked, and along the wall that separated my parents’ room. There were even flowers hanging on the wall of the narrow set of stairs that led to my room. So much work, and I was still learning how to use them. Ever my excuse to visit Helios. But would I still be able to use that reason?

  When supper was over, I stood up with Mama to start on the dishes. Papa reached over the table and caught my hand.

  “Maira, sit down for a minute,” he said gruffly. His face was tight, mouth set in a hard line. The same face he’d worn all evening.

  Mama glanced at him in surprise then nodded slowly. She was still pretty, but her many children and hard-working life had added lines around her forehead and hazel eyes. Her pale hair was getting grayer every day, just like Papa’s. She set the dishes into the wash basin then hurried and collected the rest of the table.

  I looked between the two of them, worry building inside. It was no secret that Papa didn’t like all my interactions with Fae, but he’d never told me to stop. Yet. Mama was a little more indifferent on the matter. As long as I didn’t get hurt again, she was content to let me see Helios.

  I sank back into my chair as Mama slid into hers.

  Papa interlaced his fingers and squeezed until his knuckles were white.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked, finally breaking the silence.

  Mama took a breath. “Your papa and I…” She trailed off and looked at Papa for help.

  Papa blew air out of his nose. “Maira, last week old Cormick Deaglan’s son, Seamus, approached me and asked for your hand in marriage. Today, I accepted.”

  My mouth dropped open. My lungs seized up, and I couldn’t seem to catch my breath. Marriage? Papa accepted a marriage proposal for me?

  Papa thumped his fist on the wood planks of the table, as if thinking. “Before you object, I—we,” he motioned to Mama, “have our reasons.”

  “Marriage?” I finally gasped. “What do you mean, marriage?”

  Mama smiled gently and rested a hand on mine. “It can’t be that much of a surprise to you, lovey. All of your brothers have moved on and started their lives. You should, too.”

  Once married, how could I look at Helios, knowing that I was joined to another man? Everything we had, our private meetings and our special bond, it
would have to stop. I turned to Mama with pleading eyes. “Me? Married? Who could even look at me that way?”

  She shook her head, still smiling. “Why wouldn’t they? You are lovely.”

  I shook my head, not accepting her words as truth. And something else came to mind. “But what about my garden? I can’t get those herbs at just any market. And all the tonics I’ve made have helped the family so much, why would you send me away now that I’m helping?” I jumped to my feet, my chair scraping hard against the wooden floor.

  Papa’s face tightened. “It’s because of that I think you’re ready for your next stage of life. It’s not fair of me to keep you tucked away from the world. You have proven that you’re too good for that, and other people need to see it too. I told young Seamus you have a special garden that we’ll have to talk more about. If you’re worried about physical labor on the ranch, I’ve been assured you won’t be asked to do more than you can.”

  I slammed my hands on the table. “But—”

  “You are not a Fae!” Papa yelled, thumping his fist on the table. “You are a human and you need to be with humans. It’s time you stop flitting about in the forest.”

  I jumped, all my objections dying in my throat. I stared at Papa with wide eyes, my breath shallow.

  I knew that. I knew I wasn’t a Fae. Nothing made that more apparent than every time I looked at Helios with his handsome sharp features and beautiful wings or walked through the streets of Lasair. I might be welcome there and able to intermingle with the Fae because Helios said so, but I wasn’t one of them. That couldn’t be any more apparent than now, after being sent away simply because of the blood in my veins. No, I wasn’t a Fae.

  Only I wish … I was.

  That realization crashed through me like a rock in a still pond. Slowly, I sank back into my chair.

  I loved my family. I really did. I was proud to be Papa’s daughter, and I had worked so hard to make him proud of me. Only now that I’d proved my worth, it was time for me to move from this phase of life. A year ago, that would have been such an accomplishment for me. Now, I felt lost, like a leaf caught between two eddies.