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“Stop!” one of the guards called out before he could no longer use his lips. “Please!”

“Will you open it?” I bore down on my power.

“Yes, just s-s-stop!”

A wave of my hand and the magic ceased. They were still frozen, but I didn’t need them to open the door. I’d only wanted to hear the words. Two strides forward and I stood before the one who’d begged. I ripped the keys from where they were latched to his hip and opened the gate.

“Thanks for that.” I dropped the keys on the ice and strode onto Roar’s property.

Servants and other soldiers strolled the grounds, but though they all looked twice when they recognized me—or Vale—no one stopped us. Just like in the city. Apparently, Roar had only seen fit to warn the gatekeepers that we were not permitted on site. His mistake.

Walking in a line of four, we marched up to the front door of the castle, and when we arrived, a faerie was already coming outside to meet us. One I recognized.

“High Staret Celi.” I took in the older male fae. Like last time, he wore a robe that glittered like the night sky. “Are you here to welcome us?”

“I’m afraid not, Lady Neve. I?—”

“Princess Neve,” I corrected him.

The old male’s wrinkled face tightened, and his blue eyes widened for a moment before he recovered. “Ah, yes, so I’ve heard. Apologies, Princess Neve.” The staret lookedat the others, and upon recognizing Vale, bowed. “It is good to see you, my prince.”

“You don’tseemtoo excited,” Vale replied, surprising the staret again.

“I’m assuming that is because Lord Roar did not expect to see me?” My arms crossed over my chest.

The staret’s mouth opened, then closed, and opened again before he answered. “No. I believe he didn’t expect to see you, though, of course, he took precautions for that—precautions which you seem to have sidestepped. And I assume you are here to see him?”

“I am. Show us to him.”

“I’m afraid I cannot.”

Stars give me strength.

I exhaled. “Why not, Staret Celi? Because if you’re about to tell me that Lord Roar ordered you not to, that is not good enough. By title, I outrank your lord. As does my husband. It isourdemands that you will follow.”

Much of the blood leached from Staret Celi’s face.

“Princess Neve, I cannot take you to him because he is not here.”

“The guards told us he has returned to Guldtown,” Vale said, his tone low and threatening.

“He did. And he left again. So you see, I cannot take you to him. I?—”

“Where did he go?” I demanded.

Staret Celi swallowed, prompting me to exchange glances with Vale. Where in all the nine kingdoms would Roar have gone? Guldtown was the safest place in Winter’s Realm for him to hide. Here he held everyadvantage, and while the king could still threaten to have him hauled back to Avaldenn to face punishment, Roar could ignore it. In this city, Roar commanded an entire army, one rivaling that of the royals, which lived in the far east. It would be impossible for a few of the king’s soldiers to face off with an army.

“You would do well to remember, High Staret,” Vale spoke when Celi remained quiet, “that it is within our power todetainyou. Should you fail to answer my wife, I will make that detainment . . . uncomfortable.”

“This ismyhome.”

“For now.”

Staret Celi reared back. “You’d let him do that, Princess Neve?”

“I believe that you, out of anyone in this castle, might have heard about what happened between Lord Roar and me,” I replied, eyes narrowed. “He owes me an explanation, so yes, I would keep you detained until you told me what I needed to know.” I paused for dramatic effect. “Oryou can tell us where Lord Roar is, and we’ll be on our way. You won’t have to suffer.”

The old fae stared at us, as if unable to believe that his word and his title weren’t good enough, and when I thought he’d deny us again, he exhaled. “He’s at one of his mines. He only returned to the castle long enough to set his affairs in order and then he rode for the mountains.”