We walked on through the icy forest, and the thick trees started to thin. Sunlit, snowy fields showed through gaps in the trees until we reached the final mile of the race, a clear, frozen path that ran back to the castle. As we approached the wooden stands, I noticed that a few people were already sitting in them.
“Torin,” I said, “I think there are already people out here.”
He glanced at the newly built tournament stands. “Damn. What are they doing up at this hour?” He sighed. “Well, it can’t be helped now.”
He started towards the grandstands at a fast clip. As we neared the bleachers, my stomach sank. Moria and Cleena sat right at the front, dressed in tight animal skins. I tried to avoid eye contact, but the two women glided into my path.
Moria’s stunning burgundy hair hung around her shoulders, and she studied me with obvious hostility. “Out for a walk with the king?” Her tone dripped with venom.
“We ran into each other,” I said quickly. “Seems we’re both early risers.”
We were out of Torin’s earshot, and Moria went for the jugular. “What are you wearing under that cloak?” She turned to Cleena. “You know, Princess, most females will do anything to get the attention of males. Showing off their thighs like Ava, trying to catch the king’s attention. Trying to distract from the fact that under the surface, she’s an empty shell.” Her gaze snapped back to me. “But women like Cleena and me don’t need to engage in those kinds of tactics. Not when we have the keen, sharp minds of men to keep a king engaged. And the appetite of a king, as well, for food and war. A tumble in the woods might provide a momentary diversion for him, but quick-witted conversation with a woman who is his peer won’t be so quickly forgotten.”
My eyebrows rose. “Please do let me know if you’re ever going to display this wit of yours. Sounds very unique. For a woman, I mean.”
Moria’s eyes narrowed. “It seems you found an unfair advantage for yourself this morning. If you think he’ll choose you just because you rutted with him, I’m afraid you’re mistaken. He can find plenty of common fae to mate with every Beltane, but he’d never remember a single one of their names.”
When I glanced at Cleena, I saw that she looked more bored than out for blood. I wondered if I should bother trying to explain that zero rutting had occurred—but I was pretty sure the princess’s mind was already made up.
I composed my features. “I got lost in the woods, and the king helped me find my way out. That’s it.”
Snowflakes had crystalized on her long, black lashes. “Just like he happened to give you a ride last night?”
“Life’s full of coincidences,” I said.
I began to walk away, but Cleena touched my arm. “What’s your name, common fae? And who are your parents?”
“Ava.” I let the silence hang in the air. I wasn’t going to bother answering about my parents.
“Well, Ava,” said Moria, “playing with fire will get your fingers burned.”
“Oh.” I widened my eyes. “Like this one?” I flipped her off, which seemed to be my new, very mature habit.
And with that, I hurried off around her, hoping to head back into the castle before I got into any more arguments.
But before I got to the castle door, a hand reached out from under the shadows of the grandstand, and Torin pulled me into the darkness beneath the seats.
He did not look amused. “I told you not to speak to the princesses.”
“They were impossible to avoid.”
His eyes flashed. “If they see you as a threat, they’ll work together to eliminate you. I’m afraid you could be in danger now.”
“They saw us together. I’m already in danger.”
He stood close to me, one hand on my elbow, the other close to my waist. His blue eyes roved over my face, inspecting every inch of me, my forehead, eyebrows, nose, lips, and chin.
“What are you doing?” I whispered.
“Trying to decide how to glamour you.”
“So they don’t beat the shit out of me?”
“You won’t last ten minutes otherwise.”
Before I could ask exactly what the glamour would look like, he began to whisper in that same fae language Madam Sioba had used to create my ballgown. A delicious warmth spread over my skin, and the hairs on my arms tingled as the sensation moved to my shoulders.
King Torin’s eyes were closed tightly with concentration, but I found myself unable to look away. I studied the dark sweep of his lashes, his thick black eyebrows, and his furrowed brow. It must have been the magic, but it felt like a powerful bond connected us. For just a moment, my gaze drifted down to his lips.
The warmth of his magic spread to my stomach and hips.
An unexpected scent filled the air, and it took me a moment to recognize it—strawberry ice cream.
His magic hummed up my neck, brushed my eyelids, and swirled about my lips until at last, he opened his bright blue eyes. “There,” he said in a low voice, “that should do it.”
Torin reached out and pulled a lock of my hair before my eyes, and I gasped. My hair had faded from brunette to a pale violet at the ends. “Now you look fae.”
I took a deep breath, trying to be positive. “It’s…pretty.”
“Glad you like it, because you’re stuck with it for a while.”
“You can’t un-glamour it?” I asked.
“No, but it’ll fade in a few weeks, and you’ll be back to normal.” Torin pulled a small dagger from a leather sheath at his side and held up the blade, showing me my reflection in the bright surface. In addition to the violet hair, Torin had darkened my eyebrows and painted my lips a deep red. My eyes were now the same violet color as my hair.
I stared at myself in his blade. “Will the lipstick and eyebrows last for weeks?”
He shook his head. “Just the hair. But Ava, keep yourself out of sight until the race starts. Once they’ve got you in their sights again, it’ll all be over.”
