Army Of The Winter Court (Skeleton Key) (2 page)

“Oh, Auri, you stand just as much of a chance as he does.”

“I’m not worried about him. I have no doubt that I will reign as the next King.”

Her mouth formed a small “o” as she inched closer.
 

“Then what’s wrong?” she asked conspiratorially.

“It is the thought of the possibility that he will create his chimera army. If he does, he will never be able to control it. We seek this particular halfling, but it would be foolish to think she is the only one to exist. If he gets his hands on one, no doubt he will create his army whether he has the crown or not. That is where the real danger lies. If the chimera get bored, he will give them a new goal, and what do you think will happen when his army has destroyed all other realms and we are the only ones left?”

Lilith let her hands fall to her side as she straightened her spine.

“Then, brother, you must ensure you win.”

“I intend to.” The words came out low, but his determination could be felt in each individual utterance. He lifted his hand and slowly uncurled his fingers, revealing the skeleton key.

“How did you know I would suggest this contest?” she asked awed.

“I didn’t, but I wasn’t about to take any chances.” Aurelian shoved the key back into his pocket.
 

He’d hoped that he would have had more time before Nolan attempted to claim the throne. It wouldn’t be enough to gain power by a small fraction; he needed to show the entire realm that his strength was above the others and needed to make sure it would never become a point of contention once it was decided. It needed to be undeniable that he alone was meant to rule the Unseelie court.

“Do you know where the halfling is?” Lilith broke through his thoughts.

He faced her, studying her as she fluttered her thick lashes at him. He could tell her, or…
 

“That, Lil, I won’t say. You’ll have to wait and see.”

“I wouldn’t say anything. Besides, you already have the key. Nolan will be looking for days before he realizes,” she tittered.

“It doesn’t matter. I prefer to have the advantage—even over you.”

“Me?” She leaned back, her fingers splayed across her chest in mock surprise.

“Yes, you might not be as strong or as powerful as us, but I don’t believe for a moment that you would give up all that power so easily.”

Lilith crossed her arms and narrowed her violet eyes.
 

“What makes you say something like that?”

“Let’s not play games. You and Nolan can pretend with each other if you like, but you and I will always be honest with each other. What you lack in strength and power, you make up for in intelligence.” He could see her mulling over his words, the corner of her mouth lifting just a fraction as she tried to hide the knowing smile.

“Honesty it is. Intelligence will not win me the crown; we both know that power in strength is what matters most here. I intend to side with whoever wins.” She raised an eyebrow. “Nothing personal, you understand.”

“Nothing personal,” he agreed.

Even with their agreement, he didn’t trust her any more than he trusted Nolan. Winning the crown was worth every risk he had to take. Even if it meant putting a partial claim on the halfling and ensuring she would be drawn toward him.
 

Aurelian shuddered at the thought.

CHAPTER TWO

Evvie

Evvie Hewett lowered herself onto the wooden bench encircling a massive tree in the far corner of the open quad on campus, leaning back against the trunk. Closing her eyes as she inhaled the scent of wet earth, and listened to the rhythmic pitter patter of the gentle rain hitting the leaves, the sound surrounded her and created a peaceful calm.
 

Tilting her head up, she watched the clouds envelop the last of the blue sky. Gold, orange and red leaves offered her shelter as she waited under the canopy of branches.

Students ran from their cars and into buildings, trying to dodge the raindrops. Pulling her legs up onto the bench, Evvie crossed them under her and pulled her jacket tighter against the late autumn chill.

“Evvie!” a familiar voice called out.

She lifted her hand, waved at the blonde running toward her and stifled a laugh as the red umbrella she carried caught in the wind.

“Hey, Silvia,” Evvie greeted her roommate as the woman plopped down on the bench next to her.

“What are you doing here? I didn’t think you had class this early.” Silvia folded her umbrella and ran her fingers through her curly, shoulder length hair.

“There’s a study group before class today,” she explained.

“Oh, I could have given you a ride,” she frowned, looking guilty.

“It’s okay, Silv, I wanted to walk,” Evvie said reassuringly.

Shaking her head, Silvia smiled.
 

“I don’t know why you like the rain so much. It’s nice to listen to, but I would rather it be from my nice warm couch and not outside getting soaked.”

“That’s because you’re from the desert. I grew up here. I’m used to it.”

“Mmm yes, I can see that,” she said eyeing Evvie up and down. “The drowned rat look is
tres chic
on you.”

Evvie let her mouth drop open.
 

“I do not look that bad!” She playfully swatted at her friend’s arm as she ducked out of reach.

“That depends on who you ask,” Silvia sing-songed.

Both girls broke out into laughter before settling into comfortable silence. The rain thinned as the clouds began to dissipate, allowing blinding beams of light to shine down, reflecting off the water puddles on sidewalks.

“Well, I gotta run, I have class in fifteen and it’s on the other side of campus. Oh, and next time, ask for a ride,” she said, standing to open her umbrella. “See ya tonight!”

“See you later,” Evvie called after her as she watched her friend rush off into the distance. Leaning backward, she stretched her arms over her head, relaxing against the tree. Birds chirped, announcing their return along with the sun as the clouds parted.

“Are you waiting for someone?” a husky, masculine voice asked, as a large figure stepped in front of her, the light of the sun blinding her to his features.

“No,” she said, her mouth pulling into a frown.

“May I sit next to you?” He asked moving sideways, revealing his face.

Her mouth dropped open for a second before she caught herself and snapped her jaw closed. Too late, he’d seen, and from the expression on his face, it was a reaction he got a lot.

He wore an all-black suit in a way that made it come across as casual. He had a strong jaw and prominent cheekbones. Nothing about him stood out as being extraordinary, but all his features together made him hands down the most attractive man she’d ever seen.

Or, it’s been way too long since you’ve talked to a man.
She thought, annoyed that she found herself so drawn to him.

He cleared his throat and raised an eyebrow as his sparkling blue eyes darted to the bench, then back at her face. A blush crept up her neck as she realized she still hadn’t answered him and choked out a, “Sure.”
 

Smooth, Evvie…

Picking up her bag, he moved it under the bench and sat next to her, so close she would bump him if she moved her arm. Too close… not close enough?

Stop it, stop fawning over some hot guy just because he asked to sit on a bench.
She chastised herself. It really had been too long.

“My name’s Ian,” he said, breaking the silence.

“Evvie.”

“Your name means life, am I right?”

“Yeah, I think so. I’m not really into that kind of thing.” She reached up and pushed a strand of dark brown hair behind her ear, trying to find something to do with her hands.

“You’re not into life?” Ian asked winking.

“What? No, I meant name meanings, that stuff,” she said hurriedly, letting her words tail off as his grin widened.

“I’ve always believed that a name can tell you a lot about a person.”

“I’ve never given it much thought,” she said shrugging.

“It’s fitting,” he added to himself.

Fitting?
She tilted her head to the side,
 

“What do you mean?”

“It’s nice to meet you, Evvie,” he said, ignoring her question.

“Nice to meet you too.” She held out her hand, dropping it after a moment when he didn’t take it. An awkward smile formed on her lips as she attempted to get past the weirdness of the situation. It was probably all in her head anyway—she’d spent so much time over the last three and a half years locked away in the library or her room, studying. It wouldn’t be a surprise that she was completely out of touch with socializing.
 

“So, uh… Are you a professor here?” she asked, taking in his perfectly tailored suit. He certainly wasn’t a student.

“No,” he said, but didn’t elaborate.

“Oh… Are you waiting for someone?”

“Something like that.” The corners of his eyes crinkled as if he’d found her amusing. His mannerisms struck her as odd.

The faint scent of roses floated past her as a light breeze picked up. It was late in the season for roses to be in bloom, but she pulled it into her lungs, enjoying the sweet fragrance.

Letting her mind wander, she tried to figure this strange man out. He was talkative but didn’t give straight forward responses. What was his motivation? He seemed to be hiding something, but it wasn’t clear if he wanted anything more than a casual conversation.

“Your eyes are a stunning shade of green,” he said as he leaned inward, his face only inches away from hers. Her breath caught in her throat as she leaned back.

“Thank you?” For some reason, her words came out as a question. Turning from his intense gaze, she inched away, trying to put a little space between them. Evvie’s fingers fidgeted nervously with the zipper on her jacket. The longer he sat next to her, the more her mannerisms seemed awkward.
 

She shivered and rubbed her arms up and down.
 

Breathe, he’s just some random guy.

Her attempt at relaxing didn’t work as well as she’d hoped.

“You’re cold,” Ian said frowning. “Let me buy you a coffee—or tea if you prefer.”

“That’s okay, I wouldn’t want to trouble you.” She braced her hands at her sides on the bench to hide the fact he realized she was cold before she did.

“It’s no trouble,” he said, placing his hand over hers. His skin lacked the warmth she would have expected, sending a chill up her arm and down her spine.

“I have to get to class soon.”

Ian raised an eyebrow, looking doubtful before saying, “If you don’t want to, you are free to say no. I won’t hold it against you, though, I hope you’ll say yes.”

Who is this guy?
 

Evvie contemplated him as he waited patiently with his brilliant, unwavering smile. The chill was starting to get under her skin, so the warmth would be nice. She looked at her watch and checked the time. There was still an hour until she had to meet with her group. A cup of tea couldn’t hurt.
 

“Okay,” she agreed. “Thank you.”

.:
。
·*
இ
*·.:
。
·*
இ
*·
。
:.·*
இ
*·
。
:.

Evvie played with the material of her sleeves as Ian browsed the glass case of pastries, waiting for his turn to order their drinks. He said he’d surprise her with a drink he knew she would love, and since it was his treat, she’d agreed.

The dark wooden walls made the space of the cafe feel warm and cozy. Padded booths lined the inside wall, but she’d chosen one of the smaller two person tables in the corner next to the window.

She watched him walk toward her, gracefully stepping around the throngs of students rushing about.
 

Setting Evvie’s drink in front of her, he sat down across from her at the table. His legs were so long that his knee brushed against hers.

“Mmm, thank you.” She brought the mug to her face and breathed in––rose tea. She preferred sweet coffee drinks, but this smelled so good that it might inspire her to occasionally try something different. Opening her eyes, she discovered him watching her as a faint smile played on his lips.

“So, what do you study?” Ian asked leaning back in his chair.

“Photojournalism,” she answered, her fingers playing with the paper tag on the end of the tea bag.

“And why photojournalism?”

Evvie looked him in the eye. He asked a lot of questions, but hardly gave any answers. It was unusual to talk to anyone who didn’t expect her to listen to them talk about themselves. Conversations with classmates usually consisted of them telling her about themselves and checking their phone while she spoke. She considered herself lucky if she got more than a mere “Mmhm” in return. Ian was different—refreshing.

“I love finding the beauty, and emotion in everyday scenes, bringing it out for people who might walk past and never notice.” She took a sip of her tea, the scent of roses overtaking her senses. “When I graduate I want to work for World Wide magazine. I’d love the chance to travel to thousands of places.”

“You want to travel?” His eyes lit up and he leaned forward.

“Yeah,” she said wistfully. “There are so many places I’ve always wanted to see and more I haven’t had the chance to consider even going to yet.”

“I think you will travel to places you’ve never imagined existed before.”

She raised an eyebrow.
 

“You think so?”

“I have no doubt about it.”

The smile on his face was contagious and she couldn’t help the one that formed on her lips in return. Soon, they fell into a relaxed rhythm of conversation and, for the first time in her recent memories, she felt herself connect with another person.

After a while Evvie looked up and around the room, the clusters of students that had been there what felt like seconds ago were gone, and now only a small handful lingered. Pulling back her sleeve, she checked her watch. It was ten after.