Page 91 of Wicked Prince of Frost

If I live, they live. If I die, they die.

I stop before the mirror, nearly complete. Save for the single, empty space above and left of the center. A piece that isbarely the length of my thumbnail and half as wide. It is all that stands in the way. Every day that passes without sensing the final piece is another day wasted.

The cracks that spiderweb over the glass distort my reflection. I stare at the long, pale line that cuts through the center of one brow, through my eye, to the middle of my cheek.

I am so close, yet I might as well be back at the beginning with nothing more than the first shard, covered in my own blood. If I close my eyes, I can still feel the echo of pain as I pulled it from my flesh. I shake off the sensation, but it continues to intensify.

Agony pierces my scarred eye. Sharp and hot, a needle heated to the point of glowing. Ringing fills my ears, muffling the natural sounds of the air moving as if they are stuffed with cotton. My vision vibrates until the world is distant and indiscernible.

When it fades, it leaves behind a phantom ache and a tug in my chest. Stronger than any shard has ever called to me before.

“Is it the last?” Imugi asks.

“Yes.” The word claws up my throat, raw and rasping.

Time to end this, once and for all.

The Western Court is a hive of activity. Servants walk in line to and from the Southern Court, carrying loads to Violet’s new quarters.

Iseul turns from the woman holding a stack of books beside her to look ahead, jolting when she sees me. She scrambles to wait on the side of the path, pulling the otherwoman with her, murmuring orders. The woman bows to me before hurrying away.

“Tell my wife to be ready within the quarter hour,” I tell Iseul, but I don’t slow or shorten my long stride.

“Wh-what does that mean, Your Highness?” Iseul takes a few steps toward me. The question dies in the air, unanswered.

Mingi emerges from my foyer, running at full speed. The feather on his hat, showing his rank, flutters behind him like the wing of a bird trying to take flight.

He skids to a halt before me. Dust clouds kick up at his feet as he bows. “Your Highness,” he grits out, speaking low even though no one is close enough to overhear. “I must speak with you at once.”

“Later.” I wave him off without pause. “Ready my horse and have her waiting at the same place as last time.”

Once the shard is in my possession, none of this will matter anymore.

Mingi whirls, trailing by a single step. “That is what I need to speak with you about.”

He follows me into the privacy of my rooms. I can practically feel the frustration rolling off him as I gather a change of clothes and other items that Violet and I may need.

There is nothing in this world that he can say that is more important than ending this curse.

“You’ve sensed another,” Mingi states, at once understanding. He knows the look in my eye, the fear behind the outward impatience, better than anyone.

I pause for a heartbeat, then focus again on the tug. The pull is stronger now. Which means it must be in the vicinity of the palace—perhaps an hour’s ride at most. Still, there is no time to waste. The shards can only call out for so long before they go dormant, slowly building up their power before theysignal to me once more. But each time, the draw is weaker than the last.

“I will ready the horses.”

“You will stay here,” I say before he takes more than a few steps.

He jerks to a halt, then his boots fall heavy on the wood floor as he draws closer. “Not again.” He groans in frustration. “I cannot do my duty to protect you if you continue to leave me behind.”

I step behind the folding screen to change.

“You must be careful, Your Highness. There are whispers that the Crown Prince attacked people in the capital unprovoked. I thought the rumors would die down within a few days as usual, but they’ve only spread.” Worry and concern lace his voice. “Let me go with you.”

I slip into my riding boots and step out into the open. Mingi stands firm and resolute, with more than a hint of defiance in the set of his jaw.

“I am lucky to have the loyalty of you and your sister,” I say.

Mingi frowns at the compliment. Not at all appeased.