Page 5 of Winter Queen
"From now on, one of us stays with her at all times." That's Storm, not my lover Storm, but the leader, the serious one. “When she tries to go to Blaze, stop her. Not that the unicorn will give her any more, he's learned his lesson. I don't think he expected her to get addicted as quickly as she did."
"He should be grateful I healed him," Crispin growls. "He'd be dead if Frost hadn't been shadowing them."
"What if she tries ta leave? We cannae stop her, she's the Princess."
"We've sworn to protect her," Storm says gravely. "Even if that means protecting her from herself. I'm sure Her Majesty agrees, but if she doesn't, I'll take it on me to deal with the consequences."
"She pushed me away," Arc mutters, his voice full of sadness. "She's never done that before."
Storm sighs. "She's not herself at the moment. She's grieving, she's in an unfamiliar place and she wants revenge. It's not a good place for anyone to be in. She needs time, but I'm not sure how much we can give her. The war is coming and we need to be prepared."
I don't need time. I'm ready for war. Ready to crush the Morrigan. I've secured my heart, protecting it from further injuries. I don't know if my father is still alive. If he isn't... I can't crash. I need to continue fighting. I can't let feelings hold me back. That was the old Wyn, but she was weak. To defeat the Goddess of Death, I will need my mind, not my heart.
"I'm worried we're losing her," Arc whispers. "I've never seen her barriers so strong. She's keeping us oot, what if she never lets us in again?"
He sounds so forlorn, so sad that I want to give him a hug - no, that's the old Wyn. Stop it. Hugging doesn't help anyone. It's just a waste of time and energy.
"Remember, we're bound to her," Crispin says soothingly, but even he sounds a little unsure. "Eventually, she won't be able to fight the bond any longer. She needs us just as much as we need her."
I can't take it any longer and move my arms and legs, stretching as if I'm only just waking up.
"Good morning, Princess."
A smiling Frost is the first I see when I open my eyes.
"How are you feeling?"
"Fine. What time is it?"
His smiles wavers a little. "Almost noon. The healing took a lot of your own energy so we let you sleep..."
I jump out of bed, not letting him finish. So much time wasted. I need to consult with my mother, then a quick trip to Blaze, then there's likely a Council meeting, then...
Wait, Blaze.
"Is he alright?"
"Who? The unicorn?" Storm sneers in disapproval.
"Yes, who else," I reply impatiently. "Did he get hurt?"
"He's fine," Frost says, walking around me until he's standing in my way. His eyes are soft and warm, but there's a question in there, a plea for me to respond to him. Not to his words, to his feelings.
I turn my head, unable to look at the want in his eyes. I can't give him what he needs.
"Crispin healed him after he was done with you," Frost explains, hurt swinging in his voice. "But he's left for a little while, until-"
I swirl around and grab Frost by the shoulders, almost shaking him.
"Why would he leave? Where did he go?"
Frost looks down, evading my eyes.
"He had something to do..."
I squeeze his arms tighter.
"But I need him." My voice isn't as strong as I'd like it to be, in fact, it's almost a whimper. No more sparklies. I need them. I can't go on without them. Blaze is the only one who can make me forget, who takes the edge off the pain. Without him, I'll have to live in the cold and the dark, the way the world has been feeling ever since the day the box arrived. My mother's...
