Page 146 of My Monster’s Keeper

I drop to Frost, helping him up, spending a moment to just lean into him. He’s alive. He’s alive. I don’t care about anything else, we can fix it all later. I’m just so relieved.

He peers up at me, those white eyes hitting my soul.

I’m not crying, not even a little bit.

“Becky, are you okay? Look at you, you’ve lost weight,” he reaches out and cups my cheeks.

“Look at me? Look at you! Frost!” I burst into sobs and bury my face in his neck. “Oh, god, I didn’t know if I’d see you again, but I knew I wasn’t going to give up. I didn’t, I can’t-” I cry out, a stabbing pain from the heat rendering me useless. All I can do is hold on to him and ride it out.

“What’s wrong?” Frost whispers.

“Heat. They induced my heat.”

Frost blanches. “Did they-?”

“No, I killed them,” I hiss with the remnants of my rage. Tears fill my eyes. “I ripped them apart. The shadows listen to me now. They wouldn’t stop coming into the room. I had to stop them.”

He holds me tighter. “My Becky. I’m sorry. So sorry.” He rocks us while I cry in his arms.

After a couple of minutes, I pull away and wipe my tears.

“Wilder,” I say softly. “I have to get him back.”

“You can’t just walk into the Unseelie Court, Becky.”

I shrug. “What choice do I have?”

“We need to get Stix-”

“He’s in Ableth. We need to get Wilder out first. We’re going to need him when we go to Shadows.”

Frost gets to his feet. He’s lost weight, but he still looks like my dangerous lover.

I reach up, patting the cat on my shoulder. Song leans against my leg.

“Pitch, we need to get Wilder.”

The cat sits up, sliding her paws down my shoulder to sit her weight on my collarbone.

I reach a hand down, my fingertips grazing Song’s head. I take a deep breath and step through the portal.

The court is so much more than I thought it was. The glistening light blue, black, and gold facade has the most elaborate windows with huge gardens just beyond. Fae stand and talk or dance under chandeliers of glistening ice. They are all wearing ballgowns and the males in suits with cloaks and masks. Fireflies dance in the air, and music reaches out, starting my heart into racing.

But it’s to one end where, on a dais, is a Fae that is more severe and beautiful than the rest. She lifts her chin as she regards me. But I don’t care because tied to her chair is achain, and at the other end of that chain is my Fae. His face is all bruised, and he’s barely dressed.

Fury beats at me. The shadows flock to me, growing into a huge cape behind me. Fae draw back in fear, watching with wide, wary eyes.

I step deeper into the world and smile widely as my hair lifts and begins to float. Clothes materialize and a backless gown of pure white falls around me.

I hear a noise and pause, lifting my left hand. Frost, who I had thought I’d left in the human world, steps up to my left. Song is on my right. Frost lifts his arm, moving into position beside me. I turn my head and smile at him. Fuck, he looks perfect. Snow white antlers with pale skin and floating hair. His silver and white armor is pristine. I fall in love a little bit more with how dangerous and feral he looks.

Together, we walk the black marble hall of the court, our footsteps are the only sound made. Our appearance silences the creatures that linger.

“You have something that belongs to me,” I say arrogantly.

Song barks and growls. But Pitch sits taller and walks from my shoulder to Frosts.

The stunning woman sitting on the throne opens her eyes and tilts her head to the side.