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“I do,” I said, not at all surprised that he knew.

Riis’s eldest son, Luccan, was part of my cabal. As was the scholar the high lord was hinting about.

“I’ll figure it out,” I said.

“And keep her safe,” he added.

I sensed that he wished to say more, but Lord Riis merely bowed and left me alone, standing in the snow and waiting for my new wife.

Chapter 4

NEVE

As we approached the palace, Prince Vale leaned forward, pressing his chest into my back. Tingles erupted along my arms, but as I wore Saga’s borrowed cloak, he didn’t notice.

Thank the stars he didn’t. It was confusing being married to someone I was attracted to but possessed no true claim to. Better to keep my reactions to myself.

“Pull that hood down as far as it will go to cover your face,” he said, his deep voice barely above a whisper. “Face down too.”

I pulled the large hood over my brow to obscure my face. Frost had formed on the white fur, but it melted as it touched my forehead and cheeks. I wiped the moisture away and made sure each strand of my hair remained tucked inside the hood.

Upon leaving the Tower of the Living and the Dead, we’d discussed how we’d enter the palace. The prince, thanks to a youth spent with the mischievous Sir Caelo,knew of at least two weaknesses in the castle’s defenses. Weaknesses the pair had used to sneak out at night and indulge at seedy taverns. One had to be strong and stealthy to access them, which we both were, but in the end, we decided on another route.

We would not sneak onto Frostveil’s grounds. No, we’d simply ride right in.

Guards had seen Prince Vale leaving the castle, so there was no point in him hiding who he was, and I would pose as a high-end whore. Apparently, it wasn’t unheard of for the fae of the night to visit the castle. And though my new husband claimed he’d never brought one home, we supposed that there was a first time for everything. Even when others believed I was waiting in his bed, little more than a strumpet moving between the Warden of the West and the Prince of Winter’s Realm like the shifting tides in the harbor.

Not that I cared what others thought. What mattered was that with the prince escorting me, the guards wouldn’t question our entry. The Warrior Bear was trusted, and it was unlikely that word of the evening’s events had already reached the ears of the gate guards. And certainly not those who mattered most in the palace. We hoped that we had a few hours before the king heard of our marriage.

“Lo!” one of two guards at the gate yelled as we approached the portcullis. Not only could he not see my face, but a thick blanket of snow spun around us now. Since I’d killed the vampire prince, it had only fallen thicker and faster. The winds off the Shivering Sea had only grown more biting too.

“Who’s that?” the guard called out.

“Prince Vale and a friend,” the prince replied, voice booming.

The guards didn’t reply, not until we stood close enough to smell the tea they kept on hand to warm their bones and keep them awake through the night watch. I imagined them peering through the snow, wishing they were inside. Even the heartiest fae of winter could catch a chill in gales such as these.

“Ah, so it is you, my prince.” The guard who had spoken raised his brows and exchanged an impressed look with the other. No doubt they would while away the hours until the sun rose, gossiping about the lucky prince, feasting on two females in one night. “Let me lift the gate.”

The gate rose and ice cracked off and fell to the ground. Once we passed through, the prince behind me urged the horse forward. “Try to stay warm tonight.”

“We’re doing our best. Havefuntonight, my prince.” There was a definite suggestion to his tone, and the other guard sniggered.

Prince Vale said nothing as we rode to the stables and stopped. “Stay on Carpus’s back. Head down.”

He dismounted, then disappeared inside.

I leaned closer to the horse and patted his neck. The creature was the largest I’d ever ridden, and from what I could tell, perfectly trained. The way Vale said the horse’s name hinted that it might be his personal steed.

“Carpus, huh?” I whispered, my hand running down his velvet mane. “I’m Neve. Thanks for the lift.”

Vale reappeared suddenly, making me jump and straighten. His eyebrow arched in amusement. “Having a nice chat?”

“Making sure he knows his service is appreciated.”

“It always is. This destrier has gotten me out of more scraps than I can count.” Vale held out a hand to help me dismount. “No one is there.”

“Not a surprise, really. It has to be the hour of the aura owl,” I muttered, suddenly aware of the exhaustion seeping into my bones. I hadn’t allowed myself to feel it earlier, but now it roared forth, unwilling to be dismissed for a moment longer.