Page 43 of A Sword of Ice
Iona had gathered as many as she could. Women. Children. Elderly. They boarded, saying goodbye to the only home they’d ever known. She could still feel the ash coating her tongue, the tears sticky on her cheeks, hear the cries of others in the air as loudly as she could hear the dying.
“It was storming that day,” Prince Valerio said. “The humans had catapults. They sent iron balls flying to those boats.” His tone was haunted.
Iona felt her fingers tap against her thighs as she was ripped back to that time. When the first ball landed against their ship and wood splintered. When the raging sea dragged them under, which may have been a slower death than to be crushed by iron, but still preferable. She remembered crying out for her family, thinking her soul would be taken with Mana at long last.
“We’d presumed you all dead,” Prince Valerio continued, stepping closer.
“Yes, well, so did I. Looks like we were both wrong.” To avoid giving in to the burning sensation behind her eyelids, she swept her gaze across the others. “And you have a new Resistance. How… quaint.”
Prince Valerio chuckled. “Introductions are in order, I suppose.”
She gave a firm nod. “My name is Iona Wylde, Elemental Fae; ice is what I wield.”
Valerio gestured to the white-haired man next to him. “This is Uric Adriel Nova. You’ve met Julius Dara and Shula Azzarh…”
She smirked. “In a manner of speaking.”
If he wondered at her tone, he didn’t show it, though she could feel the curiosity of the others heavy in their scents. “That is my cousin, High Lord Clay Valentino of the Sapphire Court.” He gestured to the prettiest Fae, who sent her a charming, seductive smile that made Julius growl from behind her.
Lord Clay sent Julius a smirk, his bright green eyes dancing as if he knew. It made Iona wonder if mates gave off a certain smell or something that would make their connection that much more obvious. So far, she couldn’t sense a difference in herself, except for the eager buzzing of his presence.
“That’s Ryker Valda,” Valerio continued. Ryker was the scarred one standing next to Shula, the cat on his shoulder. “And that’s Weylyn Xanth.” That was the predatory Fae with his smirking grin.
“Small group,” she observed. “Too small to call yourselves a Resistance.”
Uric scoffed unkindly. She glared at him, knowing he was going to be either a handful or a raging dick. Maybe both. “There are many more than what you see here, Elemental.”
He said the word ‘Elemental’ the same way someone would say ‘the plague’ or ‘venereal disease’.
Julius caught on to the tone as well.
“Watch it,” he growled, stepping close to Iona. Everything about it was possessive and annoying.
Uric’s whole body was taut in the type of way that seemed so natural on him. Iona doubted he’d ever relaxed a day in his life, as he looked prepared to jump on Julius and slice at his throat with the ease of a murderer.
That cold, black gaze darted back and forth between Julius and Iona, sensing what everyone had no doubt only guessed by now.
Julius then confirmed it. “Careful how you speak to my mate.”
The collective silence was a painful drumming in her ears.
She shoved her elbow into Julius’ side. “Fuck off, dick face,” she mumbled. “I don’t need you fighting my battles.”
Shula chuckled.
“So, what do you all want from me?” She pushed forward before Julius could say anything else or before they could ask questions about what he’d just declared. They didn’t need to touch that topic just quite yet. Not that she felt embarrassed about it, but she wanted to discuss that with him in private and not with an audience of curious onlookers.
“We need your help,” Valerio began. He didn’t even look ruffled, showing just how true of a royal he was by keeping his composure in the face of surprising news.
“Long story short, the Emperor of Illyk wants to eradicate the Fae, and he’s looking for us Elementals to do it,” Shula interrupted, her voice tinged with a hint of impatience and urgency. “We need to find them before he does and—”
“Stop right there.” Iona held up her hand, cutting Shula off from speaking entirely. She noticed how everyone shifted nervously. “Do you have more Fae at your disposal than just this right here?”
“Yes,” Valerio answered slowly.
“And you want us to go on a journey and find Fae?”
“Yes.”
