A Dark Faerie Tale Series Omnibus Edition (54 page)

Chapter Thirteen

ICE RIPPLED ON
shiny, polished surfaces, which gleamed with white and blue. It made Shade think she was still unconscious or dreaming, for walls so smooth yet wavy and blue-white couldn’t be real. Blinking, she reached up to rub her eyes and let them adjust further to the brilliant illumination surrounding her.

Sitting up, she felt the slow pulsation of a fading headache as she examined her surroundings. Warm silken sheets were under her, the same icy blue as the walls. It was some sort of bedroom, complete with a mirrored dresser, a carved ice wardrobe and a small loveseat set to the side of the bed with enormous, fluffy blue pillows to sit on. She glanced above, feeling snowflakes landing softly on her nose. The room was open to the outside through the roof, and the white sky blended into the sharp spires of ice that made up the castle’s exterior.

The snowflakes felt good on her nose; it wasn’t freezing cold as she would’ve expected. In fact, the lack of cold from the obviously frozen surroundings jolted her into full awareness. Glancing down, she saw that the jewel-encrusted dress she wore was way too thin to offer any protection from the frigid temperature. What was this? Where was she?

She dangled her legs over the side of the bed and stepped onto the smooth ice flooring. A dusting of fresh snow littered the ground but it felt of nothing, not cold, not hot. It just was
there
. She walked over to the dresser and sat on the small cushioned chair that stood before it. Glancing up toward the mirror, she sucked in her breath as she studied a stranger’s reflection.

Her skin was a pale blue, like the frozen walls around her. But her lips remained pink and lush. Her brown eyes stared back at her through ringlets of curls, for her hair was piled up on her head and clasped with a diamond barrette. She looked ethereal, unnatural. Even her fingernails were pure white, like snow.

She stood up, spinning around the room to see if anyone else was there. “Hello?”

The shifting ice groaned in response, but nothing alive answered back. She couldn’t see a doorway, and she feared she was trapped. But was this not her home now? Her confusion made her mind spin, and she sank back down onto the edge of the bed, afraid to realize she couldn’t remember anything or anyone. She only remembered her name.

“Shade?” A calm voice with a familiar ring to it echoed in the room. A rounded doorway appeared in one of the solid walls, sending her to her feet, searching for some kind of weapon. Grabbing the lone candelabra sitting atop a side table next to the bed, she readied herself to pummel the intruder.

Instead, Dylan walked through the door. Or a very changed Dylan. His skin was the same ice blue as hers, but his lips were a welcoming shade of pink. His black locks lay carelessly across his shoulders, laced with wisps of ice.  Shade wondered why it was that she knew his name but nothing else. Smiling, she dropped the candelabra, letting it clatter to the ice below, and ran toward him, nearly tumbling him to the floor as she embraced him.

“Whoa there, are you alright, My Queen?” He squeezed her back before holding her out with his arms to take in her face. “Is something amiss?”

“No, no. I’m fine. I was just confused for moment. I’ve forgotten where I am. What is this place? I can’t remember for some strange reason.”

“I know, I feel the same. It all seems so familiar, but the details evade me when I try to remember. But….” He stroked her hair back, his sweet smile making her relax and feel a flutter of warmth inside. “I remember you very well. I remember your name, your face, your voice, your scent….”

Shade’s heart hammered in her chest. She closed her eyes as his lips hovered near hers. There was nowhere else she wanted to be. Nowhere that Dylan wasn’t.

“Yet you look different. I’m changed as well.” She flicked her eyes open at his statement. He seemed as confused as she was, but relieved to find her in this frozen place. His skin felt slightly warmer than hers, but the blue skin with a touch of a frosty sheen seemed an unnatural tone for him. Only his eyes and dark hair were the same, and she ran her fingers through the hint of ice which clung to his locks, tracing them to the ends until her fingers caressed his skin. His hair was now just past his shoulders, growing so fast he’d have his previously long mane back soon. He’d cut it to mourn his life at the Teleen Caverns. He’d had to give up his prestigious position as Captain of the Guard to save his brother Darren and be bound to Shade by blood to protect her. He had been reluctant at first, but now, being at Shade’s side was the only place he desired to be. But how did she know this? What did it mean to her?

She shook her head, confused. “I want to see more of this place. I only wish I knew what it was.”

“I have a very strong feeling that it’s The Great Divide—the Ancient Ice King’s castle. Not too many castles are made of ice in Faerie. Funny, I don’t remember much, but small things do come to me.” He glanced at her in his periphery, throwing her a sweet smile. She flushed and kept close to him as they walked slowly down the hall of ice, gripping his hand in hers.

“I’m glad you’re here,” she whispered.

“I’ll never leave you. Never willingly, at least. You know that, right?”

“Yes.”

They crept on slowly, trying to stay aware of their surroundings. The place seemed abandoned—neither a servant nor the Ice King made an appearance. Coming to a huge palatial room, they stood in awe of the vast spread of food waiting before them on a long table. Two places were set up at one end, and they glanced at each other before they proceeded and sat down. Silver cups stood before them, and their plates waited to be filled. Shade reached over to touch the cup, and it spontaneously filled with rich red fluid. Dylan did the same with his, bringing the filled cup to his lips to taste it.

“Wait, you don’t know what that is.” Shade shook her head at him, her eyes widening with fear as he took a sip.

He put the cup down and shrugged. “I feel fine. Hey, we have to eat. I’m thinking this is for us. Two settings? How much of a coincidence would that be?” He grabbed his plate and started loading it up with the plethora of fruits, chicken, vegetables and more. Shade threw him a dirty look for his gluttony and sighed. He was right, her stomach was rolling in complaint from hunger. She reached out and plucked a few grapes, chicken and something that looked like mashed potatoes slathered in gravy. Salivating from the aroma, she shoved some of the food into her mouth.

We haven’t keeled over so far, thank goodness,
Shade thought. Relieved, she continued to eat until she felt fat as a tick and settled back in her chair, sipping the fruity red drink that kept refilling itself. She watched Dylan polish off three plates and down at least four cups of drink. Studying the room, she felt as though she was being watched. The walls could have eyes for all she knew. She shuddered, not from the cold, but from the dread that crept along her skin like a nightcrawler. How could she feel safe and yet so frightened all at once?

“How do we get out of here, Dylan?”

He wiped his mouth as he did his own scan of the room. “Good question. I’m not sure, but there has to be a way out of here, right? Somehow, we got in.”

She nodded, reassured that he was with her, no matter where here was. “What should we do then? I don’t know about you, but the cold doesn’t seem to be bothering me much. I thought I was human, so I should be a popsicle by now.” Bringing her pale hands up, she studied the off coloring of her skin. Touching her fingers to her face, they felt warm to her, not frozen like they appeared.
So strange.

“I feel fine. I feel great, actually.” He grinned and stood up, offering his hand to her, and they made their way through another hall. The place was a labyrinth. How anyone managed to not get lost here was a wonder. The ice sculptures, halls and doors were so intricately carved, she wondered if they ever melted. Probably not. Wherever this place was, it was cold enough to build a castle made of ice, so it probably never got warm.

“Shade, do you remember anything—anything whatsoever—about life outside these walls?” Dylan kept on, his tunic shifting with every step. It clung snugly to his broad chest and his pants were just the same. She blushed, realizing her admiration of his body was getting to be quite absurd. She couldn’t keep her eyes off him. Maybe that was a good thing. They obviously liked each other. Why fight it?

“No, I don’t remember anything or anyone besides you and the Ice King, Corb. Why is that? And why do I not feel like it matters much? Bits come to me like a foggy dream, but they don’t mean much, or I can’t figure out what I’m supposed to know from them. I’m just happy to be here with you.” She squeezed his hand and felt his reciprocate. Somehow, with his small gesture, he made everything okay.

“Me, too. It’s quite odd, isn’t it?”

“Yes. Quite.”

Chapter Fourteen

“I EXPECT YOU
found the castle to your liking?”

Both Shade and Dylan jumped at the frosty voice that emanated from the doorway. They were back in her room, the one she had initially awoken in, and had been chatting quietly as they sat on the bed. Dylan had also woken in his own room but found hers more comforting. Maybe because she was in it.

“Corb.” Shade stated. Her eyes widened at the Ice King and she jumped to her feet. Dylan had moved around the bed to stand by her, ready for a fight if need be. “What’s going on? Why are we here?”

His flat expression gave them no clue of his mood. Mother of pearl irises made him seem more like a ghost than anything else. He was handsome, with his sharp nose and carved jawline. The long mane of white and black hair was tied tightly into a lone ponytail which trailed down his back. He looked different somehow. He was no longer wearing the white attire he’d worn when they’d arrived. He was now dressed in his black riding attire, the lieutenant’s uniform he’d worn when he’d led Aveta’s army. He looked somewhat tired, as if he’d been riding for many hours. Dirt clung to his boots in small clumps, trailing bits all over the snowy floor.

“It doesn’t matter anymore why, it matters that you are here now, both of you. Forever. I’m glad you’ve found it cozy enough and have each other’s company, as I am away a lot, dealing with Aveta and the Unseelie army. I still lead them for now, and there have been some changes going on that I personally have to take care of.” He slowly pulled off his black leather gloves and rubbed his eyes, looking more and more exhausted. “I’ll take my leave now. Continue to enjoy the grounds, but I warn you: don’t try to go past the gates of my castle. You will not be able to pass, and it will alert me immediately.”

“Wait, how do we find you if, you know, if we need to ask you something?” Shade attempted to stall him before he disappeared to who knew where for who knew how long. “And why can’t we remember anything at all?”

Corb sighed, partially turning away from them, obviously annoyed. “I will explain a lot of this later. There is nothing to fear, for this is your home now. That’s all you need to know.” With that, he disappeared behind the closing doorway as if he’d never been there. Only the small specks of dirt left in his wake told otherwise.

“Well, that wasn’t very helpful.” Shade groaned and plopped back onto the bed, staring up into the open sky above. The snowfall had stopped, and only white clouds shifted above like billowing puffs of cotton. “That Aveta he speaks of, do you know who that is?”

Dylan slumped onto the bed, leaning on his arms as he turned toward her. “Not a clue. It does sound oddly familiar, doesn’t it?”

“Yes.” She slipped in between the sheets, more out of habit than from the cold, and bunched the pillow under her dark locks. She felt homesick, but where was home? She had no memories of home and couldn’t remember, try as she might, if she had any family. It was an odd and sad feeling, like a lost photograph which should have been the most precious of treasures.

“I guess it’s just you and me, then.” Dylan traced his fingers over her cheek, sending sparks of electricity along her skin. “Are you tired?”

“Yes, but I’m not sure why, I’ve been sleeping forever, it seems.”

“Me, too. I’ll let you rest. I’ll be down the hall, three doors to the right, if you need me.” He sat up to leave, but she curled her fingers around his wrist before he got away. Turning to see the fear in her eyes made him stop cold, unable to leave her in such a state.

“Please stay. Don’t leave me alone in this place,” she begged.

He nodded, crawling back up to the pillow next to hers. He shifted until he was comfortable but remained above the sheets. He knew they were close, but he couldn’t remember how close they really were. In the meantime, going slow seemed to be the right thing to do.

A flash from her necklace caught his attention, and he reached out to stroke the two ampules hanging from the silver chain. Another charm, a familiar-looking acorn-like seed also hung there, held in place by a metal loop. Something about it made his mind tingle, like a forgotten memory, and he stared at it a good while.

“They’re beautiful. What are the vials for?”

Shade tilted her head down to peer at the necklace. The charms sat on his fingers as he softly caressed them. The blood-red fluid inside sloshed and glinted in the harsh white illumination of the room. She shrugged, unable to recall what the necklace was for.

“I don’t know. I can’t seem to remember. It is beautiful though, isn’t it? I feel like it must mean a lot to me.”

Dylan let the charms slip back onto her skin and nodded. “They must, yet here we are. We can’t remember any of it. Do you think anyone misses us? Would anyone know where we are?”

“I’m not sure. Maybe.”

He reached out and continued to caress her hair gently, spiraling her locks around his fingers and staring into the infinity of her eyes. Shade smiled as she watched him get comfortable next to her. This way, she would be able to rest without her nerves waking her every two seconds. Just being near Dylan could keep her fear at bay. She continued to study the lines of his face as he watched her right back. Slowly, her eyelids dropped, and sleep lulled her away to a sweet dream.