Page 4 of Cold Hearted
Oh, sun, moon, and stars, my mother was going to kill me! Even gentle Master Duncan would skin my hide for this one.
I stood, brushing the straw and dirt from my backside, and glared at the pig.
“Eh, what ye doin’ in ’er?” a young female voice said, and I spun. According to my studies, she had the accent that was associated with the poorer class that lived in the northern part of the Ethereum realm. She was a portly woman with bright red hair and dirt smudges on her face.
“Got lost. Fell down.” I spoke as little as possible, trying to make my words plain and easy to understand. Royal seelie such as myself were known to have a posh accent, but I’d taken lessons to correct that just for such a moment.
The woman grabbed her shovel and shook it at me. “Well shoo, I don’t have any work for ye!”
I didn’t want to be told twice, so I ran out of the barn and onto a bustling street. Freezing air slapped me in the face, and I gasped. Yes, I wasdefinitelyin the frigid Northern Kingdom. The last place in the world a Summer fae wanted to be.Oh why couldn’t I have been dropped on the warm sandy shores of Soleum?
I turned in a quick circle to take in my surroundings, my heart hammering in my chest as I processed the fact that I had royally screwed this up already. The fae who passed only gave me a cursory look before going on their way. In all the simulations I’d run with my tutors, only once did we speak of an incident where the portal would not spit me out at the feet of an Ethereum lord.
Master Duncan’s words came back to me now:If that happens, you get to the nearest capital city. Find a royal guard or someone of the lord’s court and tell them you have an urgent message for the Ethereum lord.
Okay… I’d messed up.Big time. But I could still turn this around. No big deal. If I was in the Northern Kingdom of Ethereum, I would need to go to Noreum, the capital, to find one of the black-hearted lords. I could still save my people.
No big deal. This was fixable.
Sucking in a deep, calming breath, I reached into my bag and pulled on some gloves to stave off the chill. Then I reached into the pocket of my cloak and pulled out my Ethereum coin purse. Previous champions had brought back coins to use, and I now intended to buy myself a ride to the city.
As I pushed through the busy street, my gaze raked over the men and women and a stone sank in my gut. All of the women were wearing dresses. Not high fashion like I was used to, but pretty pastel-colored wool with fur trim. And their hair was down and loose.
Reaching up, I pulled the milk braid from my hair with quick fingers and loosened it until it fell around my shoulders.Clearly my intel was out of date. A hundred years to be exact. I should have known styles would change.
I didn’t have a dress, so that would have to do. There were some market stalls up ahead, and next to them a tavern.
Yes.
Taverns, even in my world, were where you went when you needed something. Someone there would be able to give me a ride to Noreum.
I rushed that way, weaving in and out of the throngs of people, popped up on the step of the tavern, then a man darted in front of me, and I slammed into his chest.
His head was down, and he wore a thick, hooded cloak, but my eyes bore into the insignia on the breastplate of his armor.
It was the snake eating a skull. The symbol of the Northern Army.
My luck had returned. Northern Army men in Ethereum were known for their high moral standing and duty to their lord, that very same lord I intended to kill. This fae would know how to get me where I needed to go.
“Good sir.” I opted for a well-to-do accent from the north without the seelie lilt I usually used in my homeland.
His head lifted, giving me a glimpse of his face, and I suddenly felt like I’d been punched in the gut.
His blue eyes were the color of the Summer Court sky on a clear day; his hair was a rich dark brown only a few shades lighter than black. He had high cheekbones, a straight nose, full lips, and was looking down on me with a bemused expression on his face. I’d heard about the captivating men of Ethereum,but now I was witnessing it up close, and there was little doubt he was the most alluring male I’d ever encountered.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
His voice was deep and melodic, and as I stared into his cerulean eyes the world felt like it tilted on its axis. My mind fuzzed over, and I swayed toward him, but the moment his hands connected with my arms to steady me, the world snapped back into focus and the dizziness passed.
I quickly stepped back, putting an appropriate distance between us, and his hands fell away.
“Good sir,” I repeated, and then cleared my throat, careful to keep my gaze fastened on the insignia on his chest rather than his face for fear my brain might muddle again. “I need assistance in getting to the castle in Noreum. Could you take me? I can pay you.”
When my request was met only with silence I chanced another look at the stranger’s face. It was just as gorgeous as before, but my mind didn’t go fuzzy on me this time, which was a relief.
“I’m not familiar with the terrain and I don’t have a horse, but I have urgent business there that cannot wait,” I clarified when he continued to just stare at me.
“I’m not a coach for hire, my lady. Noreum Castle is several days’ ride away,” he finally said, cocking his head as he regarded me. “And I only have one horse.” His gaze raked slowly over my body then, and I felt my cheeks heat.
