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The king waved a golden-ringed hand as Knox took his stance.

And I believed for a moment that Father had no idea that neither of his children would ever be the heir to his title as a rope of light whipped out.

The king tilted on the edge of his seat as if that neval streak in his hair would display a forbidden quell.

Daylight turned into an outpour of calm vibrations soothing the air.

An unnatural emotion breached our bodies, slowing our racing hearts.

The king flinched forward, enthralled in my brother’s mental quell.

And I wondered why Damien never mentioned his mind reading.

Perhaps that quell was dangerous for the wielder in a room that held the most powerful humans on the Continent.

Father clutched his chest, his face paled. I knew he couldn’t handle it anymore. Was it despair I saw in his wide, golden eyes?

Before Knox could suck the daylight back inside his palm, it was seized and consumed by shadows. Antonia waved her eyes over every lantern in the room. She gave a subtle wink to Archer, who nodded. Then, Jace opened his palm, and starlight struck each candlewick in a shimmer.

And I hadn’t realized how strong Night was. They were light, dark, and heat in their own ways. The king clapped three times. “Powerful quells, students.” He rubbed his hands together. “Picking only one will be difficult… now, I release the Serpents.”

Father was the first to rise but the last to take a step toward us. Damien gripped my elbow. “You survived, good job,” he whispered.

Lasar crept toward me with his white cloak dragging along the stone, snow crusting his fingers as he carried two goblets of wine.

“Severyn Blanche,” he began, flaring his crooked nose as hollowed cheeks swallowed a gulp of red wine. I flinched as his bony hand rested on my shoulder. “I was sure you’d be a Winter.” He passed me the wine glass, and I took a steady sip, rolling red legs dripping down the rim.

Father joined a few beats later, eyes wild, lashes frosted in snow. I couldn’t handle disappointing him.

I met Lasar once at half the age I was, but I hid behind Charles the entire time. Now, I had nowhere to hide.

I smiled at Lasar. “I was placed in Winter, but it seems my mother, Fallon’s Summer blood, called to me first.” I made sure Father heard every word.

Father reached for me with a shaking hand. “Severyn, you remind me so much of your mother. The dress, your quell…”

He didn’t look well. I shifted out of Lasar’s grip and held my father upright. “Father, are you okay?”

Anger struck through those golden eyes. He never admitted his shields were shattering, and not once had he willingly allowed me to see his weakness, but as my false winter cloak shed, so would my father’s and whatever he kept from me.

“Yes, Severyn. It’s difficult keeping my wards up this far from home. ”

I was—exposed enough to the outside world to hear the truth. “What are you shielding from?”

Father began to speak, but Lasar interrupted. “Tell me, Andri, did you ever recover from that barter with Victor from the bid all those years ago?” He shot a cold, cunning grin toward Father. “We all expected another barren land.”

“What barter?” I asked. And Lasar sipped from his goblet, awaiting my father’s response. And so, I asked it again. “What did you barter with Victor?”

“That is enough, Lasar,” my father mumbled. “The barter is done.”

“It appears Summer doesn’t take well to other Serpents not holding up to their end of the bargain.” Lasar’s eyes went toward my father’s shaking hands before he turned on his heel and walked away from us .

I gripped my father’s shoulder. “Father, tell me. Is—is it why you’re sick?”

Golden eyes bore into me, pleading and confused. My father seldom displayed emotions other than a curt grin. “You. I bartered you, Severyn,” he said in one defeated breath. “I could never fall through with it, not when it meant your life would never be your own.”

Any sense of shield crumbled at that moment, molten barriers collapsing in my humming mind. I shook my head, scorching the edges of my shield. “ How did you barter me?” I gripped the goblet between my fist, the glass heated, crackling near the stem.

“Those years where the coldness nearly took everything from us. I had to barter with Victor. He didn’t want anything on my land, and I offered him everything .

Diamonds, jewels, oil, but he only had one demand.

” Father flexed his hands, a whirl of ice falling on his boots.

“He wanted revenge on Fallon. He told me he would warm our valley three months of the year. He placed the sun we know as a barter so our land would not starve. He wanted to marry you off to his heir. And yet… I still owe him something I cannot give him, Severyn.” My father nearly collapsed as his mouth parted, uttering low sobs from his lungs.

“Victor wanted me to marry a Lynch. He wanted me to marry Archer Lynch.” My entire body froze as if Father had stunned me with his frozen quell.

“I never told you because I would rather die knowing my realm was saved than have you marry someone you didn’t love.

I assumed another heir would claim, and they’d be stronger to hold the wards up.

” A tear clung to his wrinkled lower lid.

“There is nothing Victor will take as a replacement. You were the impossible bargain. And… if his son does claim—he will force you to marry him.”

There was still a son in line to claim his heir. Damien, but I couldn’t dare wonder about that. Couldn’t dare wonder if he knew, and that was his real reason for wanting to become close with me.

I felt nauseous.

Love. This stemmed down to love. Father loved me enough and his realm to die for it.

He couldn’t live knowing I’d be married off, and now, Archer and I’s lives were tied.

I could not tell Father the truth. He’d made that barter, knowing he’d never fulfill it.

But I wondered if Victor knew about Fallon’s blood—if he could not tie his bloodline to the Herrings, he would force it upon his children.

But I couldn’t stop the anger I felt.

“There must be something we can do.” My voice broke. I broke. I reached for my father’s chilled fingers.

“Severyn, there is nothing you can do. Please, I never wanted you to suffer. Our realm has only gotten colder. It’s only a matter of time before my shields break and Winter’s vengeance is unleashed.”

“How long?”

“Before Winter comes in a few months. I came for you and Knox, Sev. I came to see you win. I know you will become a great Serpent, Severyn. The Summer title called to you for a reason. Serpents run through your bloodline on all sides.”

“What if I win? And I become Serpent of Ravensla? I can… undo it. I can gift you the sun.” I’d crawl on my hands and knees to the warm North Colindale if I could—

His eyes told me all I needed to know. “Time is my enemy, Severyn. Winter will always be in your blood—don’t cry, my child.

” A shaking hand brushed the dampness of my cheek, crystallizing the droplet.

“You are not a caged bird, so I never clipped your wings. I made that barter, knowing I would never give you away. I stole time…”

“Your title will die. ”

“And so, it shall.” No sadness hid within his voice—only genuine care. Care for my well-being, care for me to prosper and bloom.

I couldn’t save his title. I couldn’t save my father. I could bleed my boiling veins dry along the snowy peaks and cry out to any god that would listen to make me a Winter, but the frozen ground would never call back to me. My blood would only burn, and even burning would not save him.

If Bridger became a Serpent, he might save the land. I had to let go of the North and relinquish it to the hands of a man who’d hurt me, who’d forced me to fail. And so, I laid my life down for Winter—laid that boiled hatred for Bridger to rest because it would happen anyway.

“I’ll make you proud, Father. I promise on my life,” I whispered into his sleeve. I closed my eyes. “You should bid on Bridger Thorne. He’s from North Colindale.”

Father raised his chin as a shadow approached from behind. I turned to see Monty’s tight grin as he extended a hand toward me. “Come on, Andri, we would not want to take all of Severyn’s time up.”

Monty’s eyes motioned for me to take his hand, so I did. Not because I wanted to, but I wasn’t about to piss off Monty with all that he knew. I gave one last subtle nod to my father before I was dragged through the crowd of Serpents.

“Monty, what do you want with me?” I hissed as his grip tightened around my wrist, leaving the imprint of his fingers.

“Let’s see what you are, Severyn, without the protection of your Serpent. We both know about your Gemini bond. A dead dragon has risen. One way or another, I will rip the truth from you.” His pale eyes pierced through me as if daylight could sear. “Don’t fight it.”

Flame against sunlight. But his power was stronger, nearly blinding as my eyes burned with every vein illuminated beneath my skin. He clutched my waist, and lashing ropes invaded my mind. I thought he’d stolen the light from my thoughts as he ripped back.

His lips were on my ear. “You are a hothead, Severyn, aren’t you? Flame needs release, and I know what you need.”

“Get away from me,” I muttered as he held me in place. I felt a pierce in my shield, a hole he’d punctured with light.

He gripped my jaw. “The blood of a Herring will spill. Shall I spill your blood, Severyn?” He licked his lips, sloshing the remainder of the red wine down. “Gods, I love secrets.”

I gasped for air as I healed that hole before his Serpent hooks could claw into me further and reveal my quell.

I looked back to see Archer’s eyes locked on mine, shifting through the crowd.

And it wasn’t flame keeping me together, but a steel shadow shielding me.

Darkness bound the holes, refracting the light out.

Archer went to grab me. “Monty, release her.”