Drae flew us past the Winter palace and up and over Ice Mountain, where Vincent was currently drinking his life away. Finally, he lowered us into an open field, and the second he did I knew something was wrong. People were shouting orders and running around screaming. I looked out onto the battlefield, hoping to see the ice and snow wall that Lucien had built to fend off the Nightfall queen and her men, but all I saw was blood and death.
Peering over to a group of tents where women were tending to a fire and boiling water, I motioned to it. “Go over there and stay safe,” I told Piper.
She reached out and gave me a hug and then leapt out of the basket. I followed her. I wanted to pet the scales of the dragon king’s neck like I would a dog and thank him for his help, but I knew that was probably inappropriate. There was no time for thank yous, because a man ran past me screaming at the top of his lungs. He was missing an arm and bleeding out as he bolted for the healers’ tent. How were we losing? Why wasn’t it very cold? Or snowing?
A stone sank in my gut. Was Lucien hurt?
I stood there in shock, trying to process what was happening, when Queen Kailani suddenly swam into view. She held a dagger, had soot on her fingers, and smelled oddly of… moonshine.
“What’s happening?” I asked.
She gave me a grim expression. “Lucien’s powers… barely work. The blood transfer weakened him considerably. We didn’t know that before you left.”
The world around me tilted then, causing dizziness to wash over me. Lucien saved my life, and in return I took his power? He’d never forgive me. Panic surged inside of me as I thought of our people out there getting slaughtered while Lucien couldn’t protect them.
A group of Nightfall soldiers advanced towards us then and Kailani reached down into a bag she had laid at her feet. Coming up with a moonshine bottle, she lit the little strip of cloth hanging out of the opening. It flared to life with fire and she chucked it at the oncoming men. When it crashed to the ground at their feet, it exploded, causing me to jump backwards with a yelp. The men retreated, some of them on fire, and Kailani readied another moonshine bomb.
Holy fae. This was war.
I peered out into the chaos looking for Lucien and found him. He was out in the battlefield with his men, throwing small little bursts of snow and ice at an advancing group of Nightfall warriors.
I didn’t think, I just ran. Guilt swirled inside of me as I thought about how he must be feeling. When Marcelle had cuffed me and I’d been without my power, I’d felt dead inside. I imagined he was going through the same thing. To be drained of power right before a war… it was a death sentence.
It was as if he sensed me. He turned, and when his gaze fell on me he dropped the sword he held and I leapt into his arms. A whimper ripped from his chest as his hands came up to grasp the sides of my face. “You’re alive,” he breathed.
Tears fell on my cheeks as war raged around us. I didn’t even know what to say.
I was about to start trying to form some kind of apology for stealing his power when someone yanked me from behind. I spun, preparing to fight, and came face to face with a beautiful white-haired queen wearing the Embergate crest on her breastplate. She was covered in blood and held a large hunting blade and a wild expression.
I knew who this was… Arwen Valdren, the dragon king’s wife.
“Are you the one who has the winter king’s magic now?” she asked, looking from Lucien to me.
I swallowed hard and gave her a nod.
“Thank the Maker you are finally here!” she said and began to pull me backwards, towards where her husband was still in dragon form. Lucien followed, leaving the frontlines and jogging after us.
I was so lost in this moment I just let her pull me around because with every second I was starting to feel like everyone here was going to die and Lucien was never going to forgive me.
I took his power.
When we got to the dragon king, Arwen looked me deep in the eyes. “I would kill for my little sister. How about you?”
I swallowed hard, sobered by her serious question. I gave her a curt nod and she looked at the saddle on her husband’s back. “Those bastards tried to take your kin and they’ve been killing our men all day. Remember that now and make them hurt.”
I was so shocked by what she said that I just allowed her to shove me into the saddle. Lucien suddenly jumped in next to me and then Drae took off to the skies with a violent jerk.
“What’s happening?” I asked him, peering down at the ground as Arwen grew smaller. “Why are we flying again?” I didn’t want to leave, I wanted to help. I’d never met the dragon queen before, but it looked like she’d been fighting alongside our people all day and I respected the Hades out of her for it.
Lucien looked battle worn and weary. His was covered in snow and blood. Hopefully not his own. “You have to build the ice wall. We need time to regroup,” he said quickly. “Are the other courts coming?”
I was still in shock at this turn of events, but I nodded. “They are.”
Lucien grasped my hands and took them in his. “Madelynn, look at me.”
I turned and met his gaze. “You have to save our people. I need you to call on the winter power you hold and build an ice wall as tall as a building.”
Panic spiraled inside of my chest. “Lucien, I don’t know how. I have made just a single ice shard—”
His hands dropped mine and then gripped the side of my face. “You can do this. I will help you. We have to try. They’re slaughtering us.”
Seeing into his swimming gray eyes, I was wracked with guilt. If his people died because I stole his power, I would never forgive myself.
“Okay, tell me what to do.” I shook out my hands as he let go of my face, then I peered over the side of the dragon king. There was a line of bodies all along the border between Nightfall and Thorngate. Snow flurried everywhere as his men fought, but bursts of flames melted their hard work. The queen’s men had Summer Court power, among others, as I saw a small wind tunnel blow over one man.
Lucien leaned into me, pressing his mouth against my ear. “The trick with winter is that it’s unforgiving, brutal, and cares little for life.”
Okay, a dark start, but I was trying to take inspiration from that.
“The single emotion that controls winter magic… is anger,” he said.
I looked over at him, surprised to hear him admit such a thing, and he nodded.
It made sense then, why he was so powerful. Every time his father struck him or verbally cut him down, Lucien just stored up more fuel for his power. It also made sense with what I’d felt so far from this winter magic I held. It was volatile, like anger.
His breath was warm across my neck. “Think of the single most infuriating thing that’s ever happened to you and channel it through the winter power.” He pointed to the demarcation line between the two realms, a small dotting of rocks and melting snow. “Then aim it there,” he added.
The dragon king was hovering over the spot I needed to concentrate my power, so I took a deep breath in, afraid to go into what my most infuriating memory even was. I thought of my father selling me to Marcelle after promising me to Lucien, but deep down I loved my father and so it didn’t hold enough anger. I then went to Marcelle forcing me to marry him in the carriage, and that fueled the fire inside of me, but not enough.
It was in the memory of Marcelle taking my purity that ignited a bomb. I hadn’t truly allowed myself to process that trauma and all it meant to me. I’d been living in survival mode since the moment Marcelle kidnapped me from my father’s study.
I allowed everything he’d done to me to come to the forefront of my mind and the anger exploded in my chest. A scream ripped from my throat and tears slid down my cheeks as I remembered the violent way in which Marcelle took what I’d saved for Lucien.
Flinging my hands over the basket, I threw a torrent of wind, ice, and snow onto the battlefield.
Lucien’s hand slipped over my thigh and squeezed as if he knew all too well what it was like to hold this anger.
The temperature in the air around us plunged to frigid depths and my teeth chattered, but I kept on. I pushed on the power and fused it with my anger, creating a storm of epic proportions. Slowly but surely, a wall of ice built on the ground. I could see it, like a barrier of growing glass, and I could feel it in the tips of my fingers. It was hard to explain. The troops had to break up and run back to their respective sides as the wall got higher and higher. At the same time, the snow and wind blew at the Nightfall army, pushing them to retreat to the safety of their realm.
“That’s it, keep feeding the power,” Lucien coaxed.
His father flashed into my mind. A man I barely knew, and yet it angered me that he’d refused to get help for his condition. That he’d chosen a bottle over his own son.
With a growl of frustration, I threw as much magic as possible and Lucien gasped as the wall of ice suddenly shot forty feet into the air.
Drae flew backwards to avoid being hit by it and I finally let go of the anger I’d held onto.
“You did it,” Lucien breathed.
Cheers sounded from the battlefield below and the dragon king started his descent. Lucien pulled my hand into his lap and stroked small circles into it.
I grinned, peering down at the giant ice wall, and then over at Lucien. I wasn’t prepared for his frown and downcast gaze. “What’s wrong?” I asked over the sound of the wind.
“I am of no use to you or my people now that I don’t have my power.” His admission filled the entire space, saying everything unsaid.
No longer caring for propriety, I took his face in my hands and pressed my lips to his. I ached for him to know how much he meant to me, how fond of him I’d grown in such a short time. How everything he perceived as a flaw was what I loved most about him.
Pulling back from his mouth, I looked him in the eyes. “Lucien Thorne, you will never be useless to me.”
There was a fire in his eyes, one lit by passion, one that I knew could only be quenched by more kisses.
When we landed, a messenger rode our way. “The Nightfall army retreats!” he shouted, and everyone cheered, hoisting their fists into the air.
“She’ll be back tomorrow with more men and more anger,” Lucien said to me.
“Then let’s make the most of tonight.” I kissed his neck, feeling his quickening pulse beneath my lips. “Marry me before this war gets too big.”
“Yes, sugar plum.” He leaned forward and kissed my nose.
WITHIN HOURS, we were ready for a wedding. I had no white dress, there was not enough fancy food, we had no band, and neither the cathedral nor the ballroom could hold all of the fae and elves and dragon-folk present, but it was perfect. Spring, Summer, and Fall had all arrived moments ago, ready to fight for King Thorne and I. The elves and dragon-folk had heard of the war brewing at the ice wall and made their way too, and that’s how we had over six thousand warriors at our wedding.
We’d long ago ditched the ballroom idea. The garden was out too because of the size. The beautiful cathedral his mother had built wouldn’t cut it either. Instead we opted for the town square. It was filled to the brim with warriors and families. Tents were erected to smoke meat and make beans with rice to feed everyone. It was not the wedding that I had envisioned as a little girl, and yet somehow it was more than I imagined. After all of the pain that the separation caused, our people had finally come together. United.
The priest handed me the single candlestick, fire flickering as I touched it to Lucien’s, igniting his flame. Together we touched them both to the larger candle, and when it was lit, we blew ours out.
“Two lives become one today,” the priest said to everyone gathered as Lucien and I stood on a makeshift stage in the center of town. “Two leaders with a shared love of our people.” He then looked to me.
All fae weddings were sealed with the same poem. It was written so long ago no one knew who penned the words, but it encompassed all of us so beautifully that we recited it each wedding to declare our intentions. I memorized it when I was five.
“For as surely as snow melts into water, and as wind moves a flickering flame, my love for you is true and will never fade,” I said to Lucien.
Lucien held my gaze, never wavering. “For as surely as snow melts into water, and as wind moves a flickering flame, my love for you is true and will never fade,” he repeated.
The crowd erupted into applause and Lucien looked to the priest, who nodded. One second Lucien was a foot away from me, and the next our bodies were crushed together, his lips on mine as the gathered people went wild.
I grinned against his mouth as his tongue teased at my lips. I opened them and stroked my tongue against his.
This kiss was so inappropriate, my mother was probably having heart failure. But I didn’t care. Only when the priest cleared his throat did we both pull away, beaming.
Lucien then stepped up to the edge of the stage and slipped his hand into mine, raising it above our heads.
Everyone quieted and then Lucien dropped our hands to a more relaxed gesture at his side.
“On the brink of war, Madelynn and I would like to give our people a future to look forward to!” he announced, and people cheered.
Lucien gazed at me and I knew he was wrestling with a heavy topic.
“I never publicly apologized for the Great Freeze that affected so many lives all those years ago and I would like to do so now. That night, my father had too much to drink and was… unkind to me.” Our people gasped, reaching up to cover their mouths, but Lucien went on. “I lost control of my powers. The grief and rage of losing my mother, along with my father’s abuse, was too much for me to bear that night and I snapped.”
The crowd gasped again and I squeezed Lucien’s hand tightly in support. I’d never been prouder of him in this moment, as a man, a husband, and a king. Being vulnerable and taking responsibility for his actions was not easy, but he had done it, and his people would love him for it.
“I used to think speaking of such things would be seen as a weakness, but I no longer care. I want you all to know that from the bottom of my heart, I made a mistake and I am sorry.” He dipped his head in shame then and I looked out at the gathered crowd. There wasn’t a dry eye to be seen. Even the dragon-folk and elves looked misty-eyed.
People began to rush the stage then and I panicked for a moment, wondering what was happening. Lucien’s guards sprinted forward but it was too late, I was yanked from where I stood and Lucien went with me.
“Long live the king and queen!” Cheers rang out as we were hoisted into the air by our people.
I gazed at Lucien in wonder and he reached for my hand, raising it into the air with a grin. We were on our backs, looking up into the sky as our people supported our weight and carried us over the crowd of thousands.
This went on for almost half an hour. We were carried around the entire town square by Spring, Fall, Summer, and Winter Court fae. I’d never seen our people this intermingled and together. It was in this moment that I realized that our wedding was exactly what was needed during this time of strife.
After that, we sat humbly on some shop steps with our people eating a basic meal of beans and rice and some steamed meat. People laughed and danced to the sounds of fiddles and told stories of times long past.
Piper came to find us when the moon was high in the sky. “I’m sorry, I need the newly married couple,” she told the group of courtiers we were chatting with.
They nodded and wished us farewell, and we followed her through the crowd. My mother blew me a kiss as I passed and I caught it in the air. Libby was asleep on a blanket at her feet.
When we reached the edge of the main town square, Piper stopped in front of a horse and turned to me. “Go have some time alone. Tomorrow the war really begins,” she told us.
She’d guarded my purity her whole life, and now she was pushing me to bed my husband. I totally approved.
Lucien clasped his hands together in gratitude. “You are perfection,” he told Piper, causing her to grin.
We both practically leapt onto the horse and rode it back to Winter Castle. When we reached there, one of his attendants was waiting to take the stallion from him.
Lucien casually guided me inside and back to his side of the castle. I’d never been to his room, and with each step we took I was reminded that the purity I had intended to save for him… was gone.
When we reached the large oak door, Lucien opened it and we stepped inside. I was taken by how light and bright everything was. I’d expected black and grays but it was all cream and white.
Snow. It reminded me of snow. His couch, bed, drapes, wall color, it was all white or varying shades of cream, which brightened the entire space.
Turning, Lucien grasped my face in his hands. “We have the rest of our lives together. If you’re not ready—”
My lips crashed into his and I was rewarded with a moan.
I thought after my traumatic situation with Marcelle, I might never want to bed anyone again. But it was the opposite. I craved this moment with Lucien so that it could replace the awful one Marcelle had stolen. I wanted to show my body that it was safe to love this man and he would not betray us. I wanted to imprint a new memory in my body, filled with love and tenderness.
All of our past kisses had been somewhat public or out in the open, but this kiss, sequestered in the privacy of our now shared bedroom, was carefree, raw and carnal in nature. Lucien tangled his fingers in my hair, pulling it lightly as I clawed at his chest. Our tongues stroked against each other softly as I pressed my hips into him. Pulling back from me, Lucien gave me a wild look, and there was something animalistic in his gaze.
“Last chance to back out,” he breathed, and I could see the pulse pounding in his neck.
“I’m all in,” I assured him, panting.
It was as if I’d let a wild animal out of a cage. His hands came up behind me and tore at the laces of my dress, ripping them to expose my breasts. I gasped and then did the same to him, yanking at his tunic until he pulled it over his head. Within seconds we were both naked and staring at each other.
His eyes drank in every inch of my bare skin, and I didn’t cross my arms over my chest to hide, or push my thighs together. I stood there boldly, displaying my body as I took him in as well.
Lucien Thorne was a masterpiece. If I were a sculptor, I would carve his body from rock, paying careful attention to the knotted abdominal muscles and the V-shape at his pelvis.
“You own me,” Lucien breathed, stepping closer to me until our bodies were touching. “Every part of my body and soul is yours, Madelynn Windstrong,” he whispered as he picked me up and set me on the bed. I gasped at the way his declaration rolled around my heart, and then I moaned when his lips made contact with my breast.
My back arched as pleasure and heat bloomed between my legs, and then Lucien was there, his hand making circles at my most sensitive spot.
My entire life I was taught to be perfect, to hold back any sexual thoughts or actions, act proper, keep pure. And in this moment, in the safety of my marital bed, with the man I loved, I let loose.
Grinding into his hand, I panted as Lucien dragged his tongue across my neck.
“I need you,” I moaned.
A second later he was there, lying next to me, grabbing my hips and pulling me on top of him.
I was worried I wouldn’t know what to do, that I should have probably asked a few married friends how to make this work and feel good for both of us. But, to my relief, Lucien and my lovemaking was as easy and carefree as when we did magic together.
My wind, his snow.
We fit perfectly, dancing together with the flow of our bodies, chasing pleasure and riding waves of bliss until we both collapsed on the bed panting.
When Lucien turned to look at me, he shook his head.
“What?” I grew concerned.
“I can’t believe you threatened to only bed me for making children,” he scoffed. “I would die under such conditions.”
I tipped my head back and laughed deep in my belly as he popped up on one elbow and gazed at my naked form.
“War and death and seriousness comes tomorrow,” he said somberly.
I nodded, pulling his hand over to cup my breast. “But we will always have tonight.”
And we did. We lay together three times and built a night of memories and lovemaking to last deep into the depression of war that would surely come for us as we banded together to take on the Nightfall queen.
