Wild Magic by Emma L. Adams

Author:Emma L. Adams [Adams, Emma L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-03-15T22:00:00+00:00

13

Winter’s beauty was sharp as knife blades frozen in ice, and the memories of its winding paths cut equally deep. My route took me past sprawling estates blanketed in snow and through patches of trees covered in jewelled snowflakes. My gaze lingered on the clearing where I’d accepted the vow which bound me to take part in the Gatekeeper’s Trials to become Winter Gatekeeper, the place where I’d faced an illusion of my mother’s wraith and had been officially ranked as equal to a Sidhe.

Now? Faerie’s denizens refused to even look me in the eyes. Even Lord Lyle, who’d overseen my training, wanted nothing whatsoever to do with me. I found myself breathing hard as I walked, anger churning inside me, until I reached a familiar road lined with sharp-leafed plants which resembled giant holly leaves, adorned with blood-red berries.

My mother had told me she’d picked out my name the day she’d come here to tell the Unseelie Queen she was pregnant with me, when she’d been speared by one of those plants deeply enough to scar. And I wonder how I turned out the way I did.

I took care to avoid the spear-sharp leaves as I walked towards a large mound coated in pure-white snow which never melted. The mound contained the Unseelie Queen’s home as well as the beating heart of the Court, and two large ogres guarded the entryway while groups of pointy-hatted redcaps and scaly hobgoblins traipsed in and out, carrying orders back and forth among the gentry. There didn’t seem to be a major event like a revel on, but the Unseelie Queen liked to show off her presence to other Sidhe, in contrast to the Erlking of the Seelie Court, who was notoriously reclusive. Or he had been before his death. I didn’t know if his replacement was the same.

I halted outside and addressed the ogres. “I have a letter from the Morrigan to deliver to the Unseelie Queen.”

Both of the ogres looked down at me, while the nearest group of redcaps removed their pointed hats with eager expressions as though prepared for the inevitable bloodshed when a human had wandered into their midst. My free hand rested on my iron knife when the ogres didn’t move to allow me to enter. I was well aware I wasn’t dressed for an audience with the nobility, but short of pilfering an outfit from a noble or begging someone to throw a glamour on me, I didn’t have any choice but to walk in there wearing my jeans and jacket and hope that it wouldn’t get me turned into an ice statue.

“The Morrigan requested I deliver the letter to your queen in person,” I told the security ogres. “I’d advise you not to disappoint her.”

The ogres exchanged glances then shuffled to either side to allow me to enter the tunnel beyond them. The redcaps donned their hats again, scowling as though I’d personally let them down by not getting murdered in front of them. At least

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