Kiss of Snow

11

“I’ll keep her safe. Both of them,” said Keane’s unexpected voice.

He never made himself known while he was on duty. He was staring straight ahead rather than looking at any of my sisters in particular, but comfort eased through me at his words. I didn’t doubt Dahlia, and I didn’t doubt Keane either.

L

ater that day, Iris and I stood by the carriage. I pulled Iris’s hood over her red hair, hoping to conceal her a little from anyone who might be watching. I didn’t know who was out there or what they could see.

Keane opened the door to the carriage, and not for the first time, I wished I had the same magical talent as Rose and could transport myself places. Even utilizing the Shadow Lands for travel seemed less risky than journeying by road today.

“It’s time to go.” Keane’s hand tightened on the hilt of his sword, a familiar gesture, and I instantly felt more protected. “We need to do this with as little fuss or ceremony as possible. That way, if anyone is watching you and Iris leave, they might just believe you have an errand to run.”

I pressed a kiss to the cheeks of Jasmine, Violet, and Camellia. “I’ll see you all soon,” I said. “Please don’t worry. You have Dahlia and Garon here to keep you safe.”

Jasmine nodded. “We’ll be fine.”

I touched her fingers and smiled as I turned away to hide my sudden sadness. It all felt like too much responsibility all of a sudden. If my sisters got hurt, it would be my fault if I was the target.

After we said quick goodbyes, Iris sat on the velvet cushioned seat of the carriage and the door shut us inside. I draped a fur over her knees. “It can get cold in the carriage, and it’s going to be a long journey. You might want to try to sleep.”

“I won’t.” Iris contradicted me immediately as the last word left my mouth “I don’t want to miss a minute of this journey.”

As I continued to settle Iris, guards loaded our luggage into the carriage, concealing it as best they could. We were travelling without a maid, because the fewer staff aware of our destination, the better. Keane only trusted his guards.

The carriage started to move with a gentle jolt, and Iris pressed her face to the back window, looking out at our sisters and Winton Castle we moved away from our usual lives. Anxiety gnawed in my stomach, and I glanced out of the window to my left as guards filed past to take up their usual formation around the royal carriage.

Keane rode up alongside me and smiled. “Is everything all right, Your Majesty?”

I nodded. I didn’t know how to answer his question. Nothing was all right, but it wasn’t anything anyone could fix for me today. I had to trust Garon would find something out and that Keane and his guards would be able to protect us at the summer palace, while keeping the rest of my family safe at home.

I heaved in a sigh. Suddenly, it all seemed like a lot to ask.

Eight

Lily

W

e’d been travelling for about half a day, and true to her word, Iris’s eyes were wide open every time I looked at her. She’d exclaimed as we’d passed through the snow-covered forest outside the castle, almost like she hadn’t seen it every day of her life. Maybe something about our current situation being a little more perilous than usual added to Iris’s sense of excitement. I smiled and closed my eyes. She’d tire herself out sooner or later. She’d better, anyway—the journey would take several days.

We wove our way along the mountain roads, over rutted tracks, with sheer drops to one side or the other. I looked steadfastly ahead as Iris called out her enthusiasm for the scenery and how far she could see.

“I swear I can see clear across to Ilidan,” Iris said. “I bet if I had a telescope, I could see Rose wave to us from one of the windows in that black castle I’ve heard so much about.”

I nodded and smiled, although the smile felt thin-lipped as I waited for us to traverse this area of road safely. It was the place I felt least safe. Keane couldn’t ride alongside us here, and I couldn’t see him.

As the snow fell more heavily outside, I tucked Iris’s fur around her legs, and she turned toward me. “Aren’t you cold?” she asked.

“No, I’m fine.” The cold rarely bothered me. I supposed I was used to it after growing up in Talador, but Iris was still young.

“Do you think I’ll see my mother?” she asked, surprising me with the sudden change in topic.

I took a breath before I answered. “I don’t know.”

I didn’t know which I hoped for. It seemed wrong to actively hope Iris would never again see her mother, but fear flickered through me at what Riala was capable of and what she might teach Iris to become if she was allowed to influence her.

“What do you know about my mother?”

I hesitated again because we’d always protected Iris from the worst of the stories. “Well, you look very like her,” I started. “Your hair and eyes are the same color.”

“Will I get magic like her?” Iris’s voice was quieter this time, and I couldn’t tell if the idea excited or scared her. “Illusion magic?”

I slowly shook my head. “No one knows the answer to that. I don’t think magic is always as predictable as we might like.”

“But you have magic.” Iris’s eyes were excited and curious, not accusatory.

“I do, yes…”