Page 77 of Wicked Prince of Frost

I hurry in that direction. The chill in the air continues to increase with every step, and I soon realize why.

Joon has left the door leading to the outer garden propped open with a sturdy marble figure about knee-high and thick enough to withstand the weight of the door pressing against it. The light snowfall has already stopped.

Making sure the prop is firmly in place before inching out a little way, I open my mouth to call to the prince when I hear his voice again from further out.

The path continues from the inner garden, lit solely by moonlight. After a few steps, I hesitate, looking back. The door is as I left it, and despite the demon at my window, the howl of any others is entirely absent.

Warm light flickers through a crystal topiary just ahead, and I smile. The prince, more than anyone, will probably appreciate the solitude and privacy of such a place. Especially given the nature of his situation.

I step on a patch of half-melted snow that has refrozen. The crunch feels obtrusive in the quiet. Joon stirs from where he waits.

The snow crunches again. Except, I haven’t moved. Slowly, I turn to look over my shoulder. There are no shadows or movements of anyone nearby. There’s nothing out of the ordinary.

My imagination is getting the better of me.

No amount of wards is enough to undo a lifetime of avoiding the night when the closest thing humans have are the gas streetlamps we light every evening.

Right as I take the first step around the topiary, a hulking figure lunges out from behind it. I flinch away and fall hard on my ass.

I drag my gaze up, finding myself face to face with a demon half my height and the bulk of a horse prowling closer. Burning, molten eyes that pierce the dark, and rows of razor-sharp teeth jutting out at all angles are all I can focus on. Long, taloned fingers clack over the stone path, emphasizing their deadly points.

Survival instinct, honed over the years, kicks in. I scramble to my feet and race back the way I came. Adrenaline dulls the ache rooted in my chest.

Before I’m halfway back to the door, it slams shut. The prop is on the ground inside, rocking back and forth, too far away to have naturally fallen on its own.

Still, I keep running in the hopes that one of the guards heard and will come check.

I lurch to the side as another demon leaps from the shadows at my right, then another to my left. The tapping of their sharp talons joins that of the first demon to create an unsettling death march.

I try to scream and call for help, but I can’t take a breath deep enough.

I don’t stop until I slam into the door. I tug with every bitch of strength I can muster. It doesn’t budge. Locked.

Demon shit.

My heart contracts painfully as I pound my fists against the door, desperately hoping that someone… anyone, will hear.

A low, rumbling growl has every muscle along my spine tensing from its nearness. I whirl, pressing my back against the door.

Knowing they have their prey cornered, the demons converge slowly, drawing out their hunt. They pause several yards away, shifting their powerful muscles.

I glance around, searching desperately for anything I can use to defend myself or create light, but the grounds are kept immaculate.

The pain of yet another episode comes on faster this time. Tears of anger and frustration burn my eyes. Loathing washes over me stronger than anything I have ever experienced. An emotion I’ve never felt but understand at once.

Demon shit.After all this time—aftereverythingI’ve been through, everything I’ve endured, this is what will kill me—demons.

Useless.

If it weren’t for my weak body and broken heart, I would like to believe I stood a chance at getting away. Or, at the very least, I could die fighting instead of helpless and gasping, unable to draw a full breath.

I’ve spent so many years pretending as if my broken heart only shortened my life. That I wasn’t trapped in a weak body, and if I tried hard enough, I could do anything.

No matter what I did, I could not make myself strong.

I curse this body of mine for betraying me.

Clenching my fists at my side until my nails dig into my palms, I straighten and face the demons.