Page 119 of Beneath a Shattered Sky
Jaro hesitates midway through setting up the fire pit.
Bree shudders. “I’ve heard the stories.”
“What a shock.” Caed rolls his eyes, dragging the first scout’s corpse away from the base of the statue, towards the woods. “Yet another stupidly deadly court. And this one comes with the added joy of getting our balls frozen off before we even step foot in Calimnel.”
“No one has to worry about freezing,” I grind out, although I’m seriously debating leaving him to fend for himself.
No one else seems to find it suspicious that he justhappenedto escape and destroy an entire camp full of his own people, returning Rose’s brother to her in the process. Not one person has mentioned how he dodged all of my questions, either. It’s a little too convenient. Rose asked me to drop the matter, so I’m holding my tongue until I have more proof, but when I do…
He’ll make his move soon. He’ll have to. Beltaine is two scant months away, and self-preservation will spur him to do something.
It’s frustrating that I have to prioritise keeping my eye on Rose. Right now, she needs me more. She’s playing with spiritsthat the others can’t even see, but if I could follow Caed more closely…
A wave of my hand makes fire leap up in the middle of the glen, and I tether the horses swiftly before taking a seat on a leaf-covered patch of earth. Rose crosses the space to join me, and I frown in confusion. Usually she sits in Jaro’s lap, or beside Bree, where his wings can shelter her from the cold breeze.
She stares at me wordlessly, and I stare back.
She can’t mean to… Well, I suppose there’s only one way to test the theory.
Slowly, I lean back, offering my lap, and the smile she offers as she takes it makes the pale shadow of her aura jump a little. Remembering Bree’s instructions from Siabetha, I close my arms around her, watching as the others finish assembling camp.
“I made a bargain with Ashton,” I murmur, keeping my voice low despite the fact that it will do nothing to stop the sensitive ears around us hearing me. “If he took my hand, I promised to tell you everything about Cedwyn’s court. I’d… appreciate it, if you didn’t interrupt, or react, though I’m sure your mortal predisposition will make that difficult.”
She stiffens, reaffirming my belief that I am terrible at hugging, but doesn’t pull away.
“I’ll try.”
“Has anyone mentioned the Purge of House Iceblyd during your studies?” I ask hopefully.
Perhaps Kitarni might’ve brought it up in her lessons, and I can skip the background.
That hope is dashed when she shakes her head.
“I’ve heard of it,” Jaro mutters, but his tone makes it clear he knows little more than Rose does.
Bree, however, gives me a single, solemn nod. “The Lord of the Wild Hunt tried to murder the Froshtyn family, didn’t he? That was six hundred years ago.”
Rose stiffens, and I know she’s putting this together with what she learned on Samhain.
I nod. “His name was Archibald Iceblyd. He led a small revolutionary coup alongside other members of the Hunt and a few nobles from the court. They believed that the reigning King and Queen of Winter were unfit to rule, because the Queen had been born a princess of the Spring Court, and her mate was softening the laws of Winter to accommodate her.”
My finger hooks beneath the chain of Rose’s necklace, stroking it as I speak. “Archie managed to kill them but failed to murder their three sons before their knights managed to stop him. Cedwyn took the throne after that.”
Back and forth, back and forth. The links of the chain are warm where they’ve been in contact with her skin. Or perhaps that’s my magic.
“He was my grandfather, and the last dullahan before me. His actions led Cedwyn to purge every single member of House Iceblyd, along with every fae who was known to be a member of the Hunt.”
Archie’s spirit has haunted the king ever since, driving Cedwyn deeper and deeper into paranoia. As Lord of the Wild Hunt, I should’ve forced him to move on long ago… but I haven’t.
“If that’s true, how are you alive?” Jaro demands.
“My mother, Hawkith, was a year old at the time of the purge, and some part of Cedwyn’s black heart refused to harm Archibald’s child.”
To this day, most of the court has no idea why. It’s not like the Winter King has ever stayed his blade from anyone else, no matter their age. And those who know, keep their mouths shut.
“He forbade her from continuing her line. Hawkith was raised knowing she was the ward of the male who killed her entire family… As you can guess, it didn’t lend itself to warm fuzzy feelings.”
“But she had a child.” Rose frowns. “She had you. But your name isn’t Iceblyd.”
