Page 28 of Gifted to the Frost King

“You may go, Klause. I’m rather busy at the moment.”

The Frost King tosses his goblet, allowing the fine crystal to shatter on the floor and paint the walls in red wine. He falls atop the shivering mass of bodies, and they lavish him with touchesand kisses. Moaning ensues, and I have to look away from the wanton display.

The other male—Klause—pauses at the door.

“You do not know what you’ve done. Your father would be ashamed.”

The door slams shut, and I am thrust back into my body.

The cold, dark room I left before comes into view. Glimmer is there, buzzing before me with wide eyes. Her little hands go to my cheeks and nose, pinching as she examines me. My head is swimming.

“What happened? One minute, you were here, but then your eyes went distant.”

“Did you see the vision?” I ask instead of answering her.

Glimmer shakes her head. “When I touched it, nothing happened. What did you see?”

“A lot.”

Reaching down, I gently lift the egg before setting it in my pocket.

“A good a lot or a bad a lot?”

I inhale through my nose, trying to rid my mind of those images—of the male I saw. How can he treat me with such kindness, yet that is who he is deep down? Is that the male he wishes to show me because I have no desire to meet him? That male deserves to be cursed for what he did.

My heart urges me not to be too rash and to give Frosty the chance to explain himself. What could he possibly say to justify what I just witnessed? A male filled with such cruelty like that should be punished.

“Dove?” Glimmer’s soft voice is laced with worry.

“Sorry,” I say, refocusing. After witnessing that memory, I know with certainty the first thing that needs to be done.

“We have to return this. Do you know where it goes?”

The snow fairy nods her head.

“The White Woods to the north. Inside the heart of the snow fairy fortress.” Glimmer’s color dims. “You cannot go there alone, Dove. The journey is treacherous.”

I let out a humorless laugh.

“Oh, I won’t be going alone. I’ll be with the one who stole the egg in the first place.”

Glimmer’s mouth pops open.

“Who?”

Picking up my glowing stone, I hold my palm up for Glimmer to settle in.

“The Frost King.”

15

THE FROST KING

He is caged within his own body.

The beast is loose, its senses much more heightened than his. It’s why he can still smell her—her skin's rich, sweet scent lingers on his fingers. He wants to rip the clothes from his body and inhale every last drop of her from the fabric.

He wants to prowl the desolate halls of the castle until he can find the source. To consume her lovely scent until there is no way to remove it from his system.

---