Page 150

We plunged into the city, walking quickly down the streets, as one would if they were desperate to get out of the cold. Perhaps in such weather, running would not look too odd, but I would not risk it. Not unless we saw a threat.

As we wound through the streets, we were met with only snow and wind. On a night such as this, no one had even kept their horses outside.

We’d reached the square where Ragnor’s Pies and many other food stalls waited with the doors closed and windows shuttered and rattling against the gales. As the square was wide open, I could see that no one was around.

“Across,” I said, and we strode into the square.

We were halfway to the other side when I sensed that I’d been wrong. We were not alone. Someone was watching us.

“Eyes open,” I murmured. “I feel?—”

“Oh my stars!” Neve pointed to a table pushed up against a stall and tied down with rope.

I swallowed. Someone appeared to have fallen asleepat the table. In a cold such as this, I doubted anyone could survive sleeping outside.

“We have to check on them,” Neve whispered.

“We have to get to Luccan’s,” I corrected, hating myself. Whoever that person was, he was one of my people. A fae of Winter’s Realm.

But so was Neve. I’d made a promise to keep her safe, and more than that, I loved her.

My heart gave a hard thud, as it did each time I thought of how desperately and quickly I’d fallen for my wife and how she seemed to have changed her mind about me.

“It will only take a moment,” Neve said. “I don’t have a good feeling about him or her.”

“I don’t either.”

“Dead or not, we stillhave tocheck, Vale.”

I sighed, and the air streamed white from my lips. “Hurry.”

“Sir? Miss?” Neve strode up to the fae and shook them. “Can you hear me?”

No response came, and though before she’d put on a practical front, anticipating that we might be met with death, my wife’s face fell.

“Let me check their breathing,” she said. “Then we can go.”

She placed both hands on the person’s shoulders and lifted. The moment we caught sight of his face, I knew it was a lost cause. Not only was the fae dead, but blood dripped down the front of his torn-out neck.

“The vampires did this,” I growled. “They attacked a fae of Winter’s Realm.”

“They did,” Neve said, setting the male down with trembling fingers. “He’s dead. Let’s go?—”

“What?!No burning boat? No prayer to the stars to honor him?” a female voice sounded from somewhere unseen, silky and powerful.

I spun and located her by the gleaming of her daggers in the moonlight. She crouched on top of Ragnor’s stall, a slice of a smile cutting across her face.

“If you’re going to leave him there, he wasn’t worth much at all, then, was he?” she purred. She leapt off the stall and landed as light as a snow leopard into fresh powder. The thorn-choked rose on her breast jumped out at me. She belonged to the Red Assassins’ guild. “Good thing we used his blood for something useful then.”

“Behind me,” I murmured.

“Oh, if I want a drink from that pretty neck, it won’t matter where she stands,” the vampire sang. “That is, unless you are more than what you seem.”

She paused and studied my attire. “Lovely clothing, though outdated. And you’re quite muscular and seem to be ready to fight off an enemy.” Her eyes traveled to Neve.

“Stakes.” The vampire’s sharp fangs lengthened. “Now, why in the world would anyone in this kingdom be carrying stakes unless theyexpectedto come across a vampire?”

“You can never be too safe,” Neve growled. “You’re about to find that out for yourself.”