Page 11 of Wicked Prince of Frost

“Oh, thank—,” I reach for the glove, but the man’s fingers wrap around my wrist. My words are cut off by the abruptness of the gesture.

The man lifts his jaw and peers at me with brilliant, electric-blue eyes, burning with anger. A long pale scar runsfrom his brow to his cheek over one, changing the iris to a slightly different shade. Yet it does nothing to distract from his devastatingly handsome face. If anything, it adds to it.

I can only gape.

He releases me, breaking the spell. Then he’s gone, leaving me alone, with glove in hand, wondering what in the Otherworld just happened.

CHAPTER FOUR

VIOLET

I lookaround at the other pedestrians milling about. No one has noticed the strange encounter.

I’ve never seen that man before in my life. I would remember if I had. So, what could I have possibly done to earn his ire?

Attempting to shake it off, I turn and head home as fast as I can without drawing unnecessary attention. I can’t get the image of the man’s eyes and the way they flashed out of my head.

Clouds glide across the sky, moving on a high wind to dim the early evening sun.

Those eyes…

Such an inhuman shade of blue. The ring of molten-red around the iris was so intense, it was almost…

Almost as if…

As if…

They belong to someone bonded to a demon.

No. It wasn’t my imagination. The color was too bright from under the shadow of his hat—the only way it couldpossibly be that vibrant is if the rings glowed with demon-gifted power.

No…I shake my head.I am overreacting.If it were something to worry over, surely someone would have reacted.

Paranoia digs its claws into my back, making me imagine things that couldn’t possibly be real.

The realization slams into me, and suddenly, the few blocks to the safety of home have turned into miles.

Goosebumps cover my arms. I have never seen anyone with demon-gifted power, but it is something we all learn as children.

Never go out at night unless it is unavoidable and the streets are well-lit. Avoid the shadows. And never—ever—venture into the wild after sunset. To do so is to court death by wild demons.

Footsteps clack along the sidewalk behind me. I glance back. A man is walking on the other side of the street, too far to tell if it is the man from earlier or another.

Facing forward again, I gradually pick up speed until I’m running. My heart pounds heavily.

Fear seizes my throat in its icy grip.

The weather turns, a wind kicking up as more dark clouds gather to swallow the sky.

A dark shape, little more than a dog-sized blur, shoots across the street, cutting across my path.

Wind howls as it cuts through the narrow alley. The bitter cold it brings promises a storm. But it is too late in the year for natural storms.

It can only mean one thing: the prince has summoned his dragon.

Panic rises, twisting my insides. I ignore the blooming ache in my chest and force my feet to move.

I pass through the iron gate at the edge of our propertyand continue up the short path toward the front door of my home.