Page 1 of A Dagger of Ice and Intrigue
Chapter
One
ALLIE
Iknew my long-lost cousin’s wedding would be a historic disaster, but I hadn’t imagined I’d go from being maid-of-honor to waking up in a coffin, covered in blood.
I groaned as I jolted awake, muscles still tensed as if ready to either strike or desper
ately reach for something.
Or someone.
My arms flew to my sides, only to hit metal walls barely three inches away from my body.
What in the bleeding stars have you gotten yourself into this time, Vegheara?
I hadn’t–someone else had stuffed me inside this…this…
What in Lunara’s name was this?
Heart racing and my breaths already coming out short, I splayed my fingers around me, feeling my way through total darkness.
Definitely metal, veiled in velvet.
An exhausted rune barely flickered near my head, providing no light, only questions. I’d never seen jagged runes like that. Felt magic ooze out of them, either.
Either someone had stuffed me in a box and wanted to make my death luxurious, or I was in a coffin.
Anexpensivecoffin.
As the future leader of the Protectorate Clan, Grandpa Constantine had done his very best to train me to survive any danger an heir might find themselves in.
Kidnappings and assassination attempts topped the list.
But no amount of training could have prepared me for the shock of beingburied alive.
Whoever had dared yank me from the wedding and put me in this velvet prison should have just killed me then and there.
Now I had to claw my way out of here and chase them down. I didn’t have time for revenge–but I’d make an exception this time.
No Clan heir worth their title could stand for such an offense.
“Bring me light and guide me,” I muttered as I flexed my fingers, calling to my Protectorate power. It had become my closest confidant and constant companion, especially these past few years.
But no heat rose within me and no blue spark pierced the darkness.
I froze–then tried again. Perhaps the incantation hadn’t been the right one, that could happen when my mind was this frazzled.
I rolled my aching wrists, attempting to blink through the haze which had taken over my mind.
“Light this coffin and run the darkness away,” I whispered, flicking my fingers to the point of pain.
Nothing.
I tried seeping power from the rune, but it only kept flickering, mocking me.
I couldn’t even feel my power searing through me like it should have.
