Page 17 of Wicked Prince of Frost

“I’ll do it. I’ll bind myself to you—I will be your wife and obligate myself into your service if you promise to break the dragon’s curse.” Then, for good measure, I add, “And keep me alive until the end of it—no sacrificing me to your dragon.” I am as clear as possible so that later, he cannot claim that I didn’t ask for what I wanted.

One corner of his mouth ticks up, but there is no triumph or glee in it. Once more, he approaches.

“I will do all you have asked. In exchange, you will freely bind and obligate yourself to me until my task is complete.” Taking my hand, he rests it over his forearm. “In three days, I will come for a bride. Do whatever you must to ensure you are in a position to become that bride.”

I nod. I don’t know precisely what marriage to him will entail. I doubt it will include anything typical.

“Will…” I hesitate, “will we be truly married?”

“Why?” His long, elegant fingers wrap around my wrist. “Is the thought of being my wife repulsive enough to give you second thoughts?”

I shake my head. “No… I just…” I feel my cheeks warm slightly.

“It is a formality to provide a reason to keep you close. The moment we succeed, our bargain will come to an end, and sotoo will our marriage. You will not have to endure being tied to me eternally.” His upper lip curls in a sneer.

A hum of energy races through me as his fingertips glide over my skin. Where he touches, a shimmering thread forms. It lengthens as he guides it around his. Each end snakes out as if it were alive, and knots around the base of our middle fingers. The thread catches the light as it moves, alternating between silver, black, deep blue, and then red.

He releases me, and as the space between us grows, so does the thread, keeping us connected before fading from sight.

The bargain is sealed.

“Keep in mind, you will not be able to speak of this bargain to anyone. I do not suggest testing it. You may find the effects unpleasant.” He turns to leave, pausing with his hand hovering over the doorknob. “Remember—three days.”

I blink, eyes tired from sleep eluding me all night, just as it had the two before. Smiles are not enough to hide the dark circles under my eyes or the pallor of my skin.

If Talya notices my weariness in my work, she doesn’t say anything. She never does.

I’ve never known if it’s because she doesn’t want to remind me of my impending death looming ever closer, or if she cannot bear to acknowledge the unpleasant reality of my condition, or if she’s determined to be the one person who doesn’t look at me with pity.

The weight of the fae text bumping against my hip with every step has my nerves on edge. I feel as though anyone who looks at me will instantly know it’s there. Once more, I’ve smuggled it out of the archives.

There was only a small window of time to grab it before Sebastian and Talya glued themselves to my side for the festivities before the Choosing. I didn’t dare risk anyone catching me breaking the Old Laws again by taking it sooner.

I thought I should return it to the prince as a gesture of good faith. And perhaps a little leniency, if I’m being honest.

Like every other business in town, with the exception of the shops at the heart of the square, the archives are closed today. The three of us met bright and early, taking two hours to reshelve yesterday’s books and prepare everything for the next day.

A few years after my episodes, I woke in the middle of the night from a bad dream. My parents’ voices floated up from downstairs. They didn’t shout, but there was tension in their words I wasn’t used to hearing. I tiptoed to the top of the stairs to listen. Mother was crying, and they were talking about me as though I were already dead.

That was the moment I realized I’d let fear and misery take over my life, and I’d been blind to the hurt it caused everyone who cares about me.

As I sat at the top of the stairs, I vowed to do everything I could to find a cure and to live my life as if I were promised the same number of years as anyone else.

My nerves have been tangled into a tightly wound ball since the moment I sealed the bargain with the prince. In the past few nights, I have been seeing the inevitable in the same way I used to view my impending death. In the final hour before dawn, I finally stopped tossing and turning.

I stick my hands in my skirt pockets and press the folded letter against the fae text. It took me the last three evenings to draft it. I didn’t want to say goodbye—that would feel too final.

The prince promised to spare my life if we weresuccessful. I didn’t want to give that possibility strength, because the reality is that I might not live through it. Instead, I settled on asking her and her family to watch over my parents and home in my absence.

“You look terrible, Vi,” Sebastian says. It earns him a sharp elbow to the ribs. “What in the Otherworld, Talya?” he groans, rubbing his side.

She gives him a look that would send demons running. Sebastian straightens and clears his throat, obviously understanding her meaning.

Talya and her family have known of my condition since the beginning, but she has always been my fiercest protector.

I laugh. “I couldn’t sleep last night. I was thinking about the food I want to eat today. I want to stop for three—no,five—of the candied fruits before we do anything else.”

Sebastian rolls his eyes. “With that sweet tooth of yours, I’m surprised you have any left in your head at all.”