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A jolt ran through me. I gasped and nearly pulled my hand back, but something wouldn’t allow it. The Drassil wouldn’t allow it.

Warmth from the tree flowed into me, and in my heart, a stirring began. I swallowed, wondering if this had been a huge mistake. Was the tree trying to harm me? I waited. My skin prickled, and my heart thrummed faster. I squirmed, uncomfortable with the sensation.

Then, phantom whispers filled my ears.

I jerked back, hand still on the bark because I couldn’t move it, all I could do was listen, but make out nothing. The sound of whispers was a roar in my ears, and I knew they had to be the Faetia. A din of those long passed. It was the only thing that made sense, and yet, I swallowed, unease growing inside me.

Before I called out for help, however, the whispers stopped, the heat left me, and a faint violet light glowed under my hand where it touched the bark.

What in the stars?

I pulled my hand away and glanced down at my palm. There was no light, and I remained unharmed. I blinked, unable to believe what I’d just seen.

Had the same thing happened to Roar? I hadn’t seen it, but I’d been a distance away, and he probably wouldn’t mention it because he’d know what to expect.

Or maybe I’d just imagined it?

Yes, that had to be it. Perhaps I really had felt the tree’s power, and my imagination had run away with it. After all, I desperately wanted to feel something, wanted to experience magic.

“Are you alright?” Roar called out from behind me.

I turned and tried to appear natural. “Yes. I’m done.”

“Wonderful. We should return to the sleighs. We’ve spent enough time here.”

We walked away from the square, but before we left, I stole another glance back at the Drassil, and I swore its branches waved goodbye.

Chapter 19

“We’re slowing,” I said excitedly as I leaned closer to my frosted window.

For the first time in eight days of traveling, Clemencia had been nodding off in the carriage. Of course, I hadn’t tried to keep her awake, instead I took full advantage of the moments when I could just relax and sew, but my announcement woke her right up. She started and pulled aside her curtain, squinting into the blinding white snow. “You’re right. But why? We’re still in the middle of nowhere.”

My fingers stopped working on the silk dress, and carefully, I stuffed it into the lined basket that kept it safe. “I don’t really care where we are, as long as we stop. I’m dying to get out of here.”

Even with my new project and a million things to learn, I was starting to go mad sitting in the sleigh. In all my life, I’d never been so sedentary. It didn’t suit me, though, I did not complain about it to anyone other than Clemencia.

As anxious as sitting around made me, I was also one of the lucky ones. The soldiers and the majority of servants riding with us had it much harder. They traveled against the wicked wind and heavy snows that let up for only brief periods. Even the few servants riding the other sleighs were less fortunate as their conveyances were smaller and more cramped.

Still, lucky or not, I wanted to stretch my legs and my aching wings.

It had been five days since Warden Roar first gave me a flying lesson, and we’d continued with lessons—one a night at the various inns we stayed at. As a result, I felt quite sore but also more capable with my wings. The way they twisted and stretched was far more fluid than before, giving me heart. Soon, I hoped I’d truly fly for the first time.

Once the sleigh came to a complete stop, I pulled my heavy cloak over my shoulders and the fur along the edges tickled my face. I’d barely tied the laces when the door opened.

Roar poked his head inside. “The horses need water and another rest.” He pushed his red locks back as the wind blew them about. “Trudging through the snow is tiring them more than we’d planned.”

“The poor things.” Clemencia pursed her lips and shook her head. “They’ll need a basket of apples apiece once we reach Frostveil Castle.”

“They will,” Roar agreed. “Since we have some time, how about another flying lesson, Neve?”

“Sure!” I scrambled out of the sleigh.

“Shall I come for moral support?” My lady-in-waiting kept her tone level, not wanting to intrude, but I detected the hope there. Clearly, she wished for something novel to do too.

“Of course,” I replied, and Clemencia smiled as she fell in line behind us.

Roar told a soldier where we were going and that we did not wish for an escort. He knew it helped me concentrate if I wasn’t in view of the dozens of fae. He and Clemencia were fine but more fae than them, and I became nervous.