Throne of Winter Read online

  Throne of Winter

  (Dark Court #1)

  Throne of Winter

  Sophie Davis

  Copyright © 2019 by Sophie Davis Enterprises

  Amazon Edition

  Throne of Winter

  (Dark Court #1)

  Talented (Talented Saga #1)

  Caged (Talented Saga #2)

  Hunted (Talented Saga #3)

  Created (Talented Saga #4)

  Exiled: Kenly’s Story (Talented Saga #5)

  Marked (Talented Saga #6)

  Privileged (Talented Saga #7)

  Fated (Talented Saga #8)

  Fragile Façade (Blind Barriers Trilogy #1)

  Platinum Prey (Blind Barriers Trilogy #2)

  Vacant Voices (Blind Barriers Trilogy #3)

  Shadow Fate Series

  Pawn (Shadow Fate #1)

  Sacrifice (Shadow Fate #2)

  Checkmate (Shadow Fate #3)

  Endgame (Shadow Fate #4)

  The Syndicate (Timewaves Series #1)

  Atlic (Timewaves Series #2)

  Legends Untold (Timewaves Series #3)

  Dust Into Gold (Timewaves #4)

  DARK COURT SERIES

  Throne of Winter (Dark Court #1)

  PROJECT SCION WORLD

  Alice Anonymous

  Blind Barriers Boxed Set

  Prologue

  Five Years Ago

  Fae Canyon, Freelands of the Americas

  Once in a fae’s lifetime, she might be lucky enough to see a night where four different elemental moons shine in the sky simultaneously. Or unlucky enough, as the elders claim, to witness a quartet of fire orbs among the stars on Night of Four Moons….

  Silly superstition, I thought, staring out my bedroom window at the collection of glowing orange moons. How can anyone believe something so pretty is such a bad omen?

  Where others saw misfortune, I saw hope. Life. Color. The moons transformed our frozen world from a desolate landscape sketched in shades of gray to one painted in rich crimson, magenta, and violet. In my fifteen years on this earth, I had never seen something so breathtakingly beautiful, so purely magical.

  Come morning, the dull sun would rise and wash away the color with pale, white light. Only the Goddess knew when the next Night of Four Moons would occur. Chances were high that night wouldn’t include a single fire moon, let alone four. At least, that was how I justified defying my father’s order to remain inside our house, tucked safely behind the wards until morning.

  “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” I whispered aloud, stealing a glance at my brother Illion asleep in the bed on the other side of the small room. “I can’t miss it.”

  With the dying embers of a fire smoldering in the hearth, I folded back the quilt and swung my legs over the side of the bed. Illion’s head poked out from beneath a woolen blanket, his small thumb stuck between his lips. Careful not to wake him, I smoothed his dark-blond locks back from his forehead and kissed my brother softly on the cheek. He smelled like the cinnamon tonic my father insisted we all drink before bed.

  “I’ll be back soon,” I promised Illion.

  My running clothes were stacked neatly in the cupboard beneath the bathroom sink, sneakers on top. I layered two pairs of pants and three shirts under a heavy down jacket. Woolen gloves and a matching hat, handcrafted by our next-door neighbor, came next. I checked the time—just before midnight. Sienna and Gregory were probably already waiting for me at the bottom of Fae Canyon.

  The front door squeaked a little when I pushed it open. Freezing, I listened with bated breath. Neither Dad nor Illion stirred. I slipped out into the frigid night.

  Wards weren’t visible to the naked eye, but there was a palpable change in the atmosphere when I crossed outside the ring of protection. A lump formed in my throat.

  Is this a stupid idea?

  It was. My father would ground me until I turned eighteen if he found out.

  If he finds out. Don’t get caught, and he will never find out.

  I started down the canyon at a light jog to warm up my stiff muscles. The moons illuminated the road, but shadows moved among the trees. No patrols tonight, I reminded myself. Though, if anything, that fact made my ears more sensitive, my eyes keener. The nights when the guards weren’t on duty made sneaking out too tempting, but also very dangerous.

  Nothing ever happens in Fae Canyon, I told the pixies fluttering about in my stomach.

  That was true enough. The canyon was secluded, isolated even. The next closest community was hundreds of miles away. Dark creatures didn’t bother with us, not when they could hunt in densely populated cities or pick off lone fae families without a powerful council of elders to protect them. Hell, even the shifter colonies were easier targets than Fae Canyon.

  Still, I picked up the pace. My nerves would calm once I met up with Sienna and Gregory. They always did.

  The air tasted crisp and fresh as I jogged down the winding road. Frozen earth crunched beneath my soles, and my breath came out in little clouds tinged orange by the moons. Wind whipped the hair sticking out from beneath my hat and stung my eyes. I wasn’t bothered, though. Having grown up in a frozen world, the cold was a constant companion.

  I reached the bottom of the canyon.

  “Brie! Over here!” Sienna called softly.

  Adrenaline erased lingering doubts. Confidence in my decision to sneak out grew by leaps and bounds. I squinted in the direction of her voice and found her huddled together with Gregory in the shadows behind the sign for Fae Canyon. He waved one mitten-clad hand. I returned the gesture and hurried over to join them. Both my friends were red-faced and shivering, eyes sparkling bright with excitement.

  “Am I super late? How long have you guys been waiting?” I asked, jogging in place to keep my blood pumping.

  Gregory shrugged. “Nah, you’re good. I got here early, and Sienna just showed up.” He blew into his covered hands to warm them. “So, where to, ladies?”

  Sienna and I exchanged glances. “The beach?” we replied in unison.

  He grinned with noticeable effort, facial muscles likely frozen. “Like you were reading my mind.”

  The three of us set off across the deserted stretch of road that separated the canyon from the beach.

  “Did anyone see you guys?” I asked.

  “Not me.” Sienna shot a look at Gregory.

  He sighed. “My sister got up to use the bathroom right as I opened the window to climb out.” Gregory’s sister was the same age as Illion. They were in the same year at school and friendly with one another. “It’s fine,” he added hurriedly. “She won’t tell on us.”

  “You sure?” I arched an eyebrow in his direction. “You know my father. He’s a stickler for the rules. And he forbade me to leave the house tonight.”

  “Elder Hawkins makes the rules,” Sienna laughed.

  “Exactly. Which is why he gets so pissed when his daughter breaks one,” I reminded her.

  The air smelled of salt water as we approached the ocean. I longed for the days before the Freeze, when living at the beach meant surfing and sunbathing, picnics and barbeques, waterskiing and sailing. Not that I had firsthand knowledge—the world turned to a frozen wasteland long before I was born. Those were just the types of activities the people in my favorite books always did.

  “She won’t say anything,” Gregory promised.

  We stopped at the water’s edge and admired the view. Frozen sand glistened like an endless sea of diamonds. The moons’ orange glow mixed with the blue ocean water beneath a layer of ice to create a vast expanse of magenta.

  “Wow. It’s so pretty,” Sienna breathed.

  Gregory wrapped one of his long arms around her waist and the other around my shoulders. Pulli
ng us both into his sides, we made a small huddle for warmth. Even with all my layers of clothes, the additional body heat was welcome.

  The three of us had been a trio practically since birth. Over the years, Sienna and I had both had a crush on Gregory at some point. She’d been his first kiss, and he’d been mine. But now, we were just three best friends and partners in crime.

  “Why do the elders say fire moons are bad luck?” Gregory wondered.

  “Fire moons aren’t bad luck,” I corrected as we started walking along the shoreline. “It’s only bad luck when there are four of them at once.”

  “Like tonight,” Sienna added.

  “Okay. But why?” Gregory pressed.

  “Fire’s destructive,” I said. “And since Night of Four Moons signals the start of a new crop season, the elders believe all the crops will die if the harvest season begins with only fire moons.”

  “Has that ever actually happened?” Sienna asked.

  “Don’t you guys pay attention in history class?” I teased.

  “No,” they chorused.

  “Right. Stupid question.” I rolled my eyes and shook my head. “Once. Sort of. Way back in the day. Right after the Freeze. But back then a lot of the crops died every season. They hadn’t evolved yet to withstand the cold. It had nothing to do with the fire moons, though they were still blamed for it, and the superstition was born.”

  Gregory kicked a patch of seagrass. The frozen spikes shattered into hundreds of tiny green ice chunks and scattered like marbles on the beach ahead of us.

  “Sooooo,” he began, drawing out the single syllable.

  There was no point pretending like I didn’t know where the conversation was headed.

  “I don’t know, guys,” I hedged, eyes trained straight ahead.

  “Come on, Brie. Please?” Sienna broke apart from our huddle, turned to face me, and began walking backward. “This will be our last chance for months.” Batting her long lashes, she added, “Pretty please?”

  I smiled despite my growing unease. I’d known they would ask. More often than not, it was the sole reason we snuck out.

  “Months? That’s a slight exaggeration, don’t you think, Sienna?” I countered, buying myself a few extra seconds to decide.

  “Sugar fruit is a night harvest crop,” Gregory pointed out. “Pickers will be all over the canyon once harvest season begins. No way we’ll be able to sneak away without being seen.” He gave me an encouraging squeeze and shot that smile that made so many fae putty in his hands. “We’re over halfway there already. And you know you want to.”

  “Peer pressure much?” I grumbled.

  Sienna clapped her hands in delight. “Is that a yes?” she squealed.

  I sighed. “Yes. Okay. Let’s go.”

  With a graceless little jump and twirl, Sienna whooped excitedly and took off at a dead sprint up the beach. Laughing at her silliness, Gregory and I raced after her.

  Approximately three miles from the base of Fae Canyon, bluffs jutted out into the sea. Between two rock faces was a narrow passage only accessible from the water. Gregory went first. Holding his arms parallel to the ground for balance, he stepped gingerly onto the icy ocean surface. Salt water didn’t freeze completely, so there was always a risk of falling through the ice. But Gregory was a water fae, capable of solidifying a path to minimize the danger.

  “Follow directly in my footsteps,” he called over his shoulder.

  Rolling my eyes at the instruction—this wasn’t my first rodeo—I stepped onto the ice. Sienna waited until I was several feet from the shore before following behind me. Up ahead, Gregory reached the opening and turned sideways to shimmy through. My jacket caught on something when I did the same. I didn’t want to rip the fabric—Dad would definitely ask questions if he noticed a tear—but the gloves made my fingers too thick to be nimble.

  “Damn it,” I swore, removing my gloves with my teeth. There wasn’t much light or room in the passage. I felt around for whatever had snagged my jacket.

  “Need help?” Sienna asked, sidling up beside me.

  “I think I’ve got.… Shit!” The pointy rock that had caught my jacket sliced across my palm.

  “You okay?” Gregory called. He was through the passage and waiting for us in the cavern on the other side.

  The cut smarted, but there didn’t appear to be too much blood. “Yeah, just a scratch,” I called back, slipping on my gloves.

  I started moving again and managed to make it through without further incident, Sienna only a few steps behind. I blew out a long breath. The temperature inside the cavern was noticeably lower than outside. But there was no wind, so that was a bonus. Not that it would matter soon.

  “We still have wood. Good,” Gregory remarked, gesturing to a pile of sticks and tree limbs in the corner.

  “And snacks,” Sienna added, grinning broadly. She bent and began untying her boots.

  “Wait. Let me start a fire first,” I told her.

  There was still a ring of stones with charred wood in the center from our last late-night outing. Gregory piled fresh sticks inside the ring. Once again, I removed my gloves, this time summoning my magic. Two baseball-sized fireballs appeared, one in each of my palms. I tossed them both onto the wood pile and stepped back, watching as bright-orange flames cast dancing shadows on the rounded cavern walls. The air temperature increased instantly.

  “So much better,” Sienna said. She finished removing her boots and placed them against one wall, away from both the fire and the frozen pool in the center of the cavern.

  I knelt beside the pool, placing both palms flat against the ice. Even with the fire, it was dark enough to see the faint orange glow on my hands as the skin heated. It took several minutes, but eventually I melted two holes in the top layer of ice.

  “How much longer?” Sienna asked, teeth chattering.

  I scowled at her over my shoulder. Sienna had stripped down to her underwear already, her clothes piled on her jacket at her feet. Beside her, Gregory was still partially dressed in socks, long underwear, and a thermal undershirt. He leaned over and rubbed his hands up and down her bare arms to create friction. I shrugged out of my jacket and rolled up my sleeves.

  “I’m going as fast as I can,” I said, plunging my arms, up to the elbows, into the holes I’d made.

  Closing my eyes, I tilted my head back and felt the power build in my belly. One of the reasons we preferred this cavern, over the several others we’d found, was the small opening directly above the center of the pool, like a skylight. Some nights, the moon was just barely visible through the crevice. Tonight was one of those nights. I imagined the fire moons giving me strength, intensifying my natural abilities.

  Steam warmed my face and arms as the water heated and thawed the rest of the ice from below. I opened my eyes and smiled. Mist hung in the air over the pool. I pulled my arms out of the water and sat back on my haunches as Gregory’s undershirt landed on my head. Water splashed over the side of the pool and soaked through the knees of my pants when he and Sienna leapt in.

  “Jerks,” I teased, laughing as I undressed hurriedly.

  By the time I slid into the steaming pool with my friends, the water was gurgling and bubbling like a hot tub. But this wasn’t due to jets or natural hot springs, only an air fae—Sienna. The warm water felt amazing swirling around my tired muscles. I stretched my arms out along the edge of the pool and sighed contentedly.

  “Glad we came?” Sienna asked, splashing water playfully toward my face.

  “You know I am,” I replied grudgingly.

  “This is the life,” Gregory mused.

  The pool wasn’t big enough to swim laps, but it was plenty big for the three of us to move around without knocking into one another. An interior rock ledge circled the perimeter at waist height, providing seats. They were needed since the pool was too deep for Sienna and me to stand. Gregory could manage on his tiptoes except in the very center.

  After a while, we busted out the s
nacks and made smores over the fire. We drank spiced avocado wine from ice goblets that Gregory made. Every time one of us grew cold, I summoned my magic and reheated the water.

  “There’s no way that’s true!” Sienna exclaimed, smacking the water and splashing Gregory.

  He’d just finished telling us about the fae girl his older brother had supposedly met at the last Freelands Fair—an annual bazaar where people came from all over the Americas to sell and exchange goods. Each year, the elders selected an envoy to go on behalf of the canyon. I’d always hoped to go, but my father thought it was too dangerous.

  “I swear.” Gregory made an ‘X’ over his heart. “George told me that she told him that the fighters in the capital are treated like royalty. So are the palace fae, the ones who serve—or should I say, service—Queen Lilli.” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. “Living under a dome doesn’t sound so bad to me. You get to live in the sunshine, eat fresh meat and vegetables, and hang with a royal family? Sign me up.”

  Sienna laughed. “Me, too. Except I’d want to be Prince Kai’s personal fae.”

  I shook my head. “Not me. I’d much rather have freedom than fresh salmon or whatever.”

  “It’s different than serving just any caster family, Brie,” Gregory countered. “There’s a big difference between being just any old fae under the dome and being one of the fae who gets to entertain or serve the royal family.”

  I arched an eyebrow. “Is it? Just because palace fae live in a castle and get pretty clothes and fancy food, that doesn’t make it any better. They aren’t free to leave. Witches and warlocks need us—our magic anyway—to live. That’s why the monarchs of the Americas created the Fae Fidelity Act. They had to force fae into service as magic feeders. No one wants to be a Caster power source, that’s gross.”

  Sienna’s eyes went wide. “Wait, what? That’s what the Fae Fidelity Act is?”

  “You really need to start paying attention in school,” I said dryly.