Thin Ice Read online

  I turned away, shielding my face. When I looked back, a glowing blue portal stood in the center of the clearing, with ice rimming the edge. The center was an endless black hole.

  Ronan removed the ring from his finger and shook it. “I hate doing that.” He dropped the ring into his pocket before bending over to pick up his bag, which he slung over his shoulder. “Well, let’s get this over with.”

  “Wait.”

  He paused and turned around, his head tilted slightly to one side as if to ask a question.

  “You’ve got no idea what’s waiting on the other side of that thing.” I gestured to the portal. “I should go through first.”

  “I think in this case, it would be better if you didn’t,” Ronan said with a frown. “Fae aren’t trusting types. Aside from Mab and me, no one knows who you are. With tensions on the rise, the guards might err on the side of caution. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

  I cringed. “You’re telling me they might kill me just for walking through?”

  “Not if we go through together.” Ronan held out his hand.

  I picked up my suitcase and took Ronan’s hand. He closed his fingers around mine and offered a reassuring smile as we approached the portal. The air around it smelled like cinnamon, an odd smell to pick up out in the woods. Although I knew it was silly, I held my breath and closed my eyes as we stepped through.

  It felt like walking through liquid plastic. The strange black goo stuck everywhere. When I tried to pull away, it clung to me, dragging me farther in. For a moment, I panicked and tried harder to pull away. I tugged on Ronan’s hand, but he held firm. I opened my mouth to shout a warning that something was wrong, but the black goop raced into my mouth, speeding down my throat to coat my lungs like water.

  Ronan’s fingers slipped from mine.

  I tumbled through the other side, gasping, and fell to my knees. To my surprise, the strange goo didn’t drip from my hair or clothes. I was dry, despite the way the portal had felt. One thing I wasn’t was warm. The other side of that portal was freezing, practically subzero. I’d dressed for cold, but not that cold.

  Ronan helped me to my feet, mumbling an apology. “Sorry. I forgot how scary it was the first time. You’ll get used to it.”

  “Get used to it?” I jerked my hand away from him. “I don’t think I want to! That was…”

  My voice trailed off as I got a look at the winter wonderland around us. A thin layer of ice coated everything. Although the air was freezing, the sun shone brightly in the clear sky above. Icy blocks formed three walls around us as well as the floor, but the room we’d stepped into had only a partial ceiling that rose toward the center in sharp spikes.

  I paced forward a few steps to the center of the room. “Are we in some sort of prison cell?”

  “This is the old palace,” Ronan explained. “I didn’t want to just drop into the throne room and make a big deal.”

  Metal clanked, and heavy footsteps closed on our location. A moment later, a whole company of guards in shining silver plate armor marched into the room and drew their swords, pointing them at me.

  Ronan stepped in front of me and shoved one of the swords away. “What’s the meaning of this? She’s my guest, here under my protection!”

  No one moved.

  Ronan dared to step closer, seizing the sword out of one of the guards’ hands. “I asked you a question!”

  “Uh, Ronan?” I pointed to the doorway.

  A new creature had entered the room, this one tall, lanky, and dressed in deep blue armor. He didn’t walk so much as spring out of the ice, reforming closer with every step, eternally connected to the frozen world. His face was hidden behind an eyeless mask. The sword he carried on his back was easily large enough to take several heads at once.

  Ronan stepped away from the guards and stood in the creature’s way. “Sir Knight, you have no business here. We are Her Majesty’s guests.”

  The knight’s answer was a whisper I couldn’t make out.

  Ronan gave me an apologetic look. “Go with them, Callie. Don’t fight them.”

  One of the guards grabbed my arm. “What the hell’s going on?” When a second guard took hold of my other arm, I reached for the magic that had let me freeze the vampire solid, but it didn’t respond. “Ronan! What’s happening?”

  He lowered his head and stepped back as they dragged me toward the exit. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I’ll fix this, Callie. I swear.”

  The knight didn’t turn, but somehow his body flipped and he led the guards out of the room, dragging me with them.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  I thought they’d haul me off to a freezing dungeon somewhere or drop me on a chopping block. For all I knew, I’d broken some fae law I didn’t know existed. The dark figure Ronan had addressed as “Sir Knight” never spoke. He never even looked at me as they half-dragged, half-escorted me through endless icy hallways.

  The farther we went, the wider the hallways became. Tables, also made of ice, lined the walls, bearing vases full of frost-covered roses. More guards stood on either side of a huge set of double doors. The doors creaked as they pulled them open. I’d given up trying to walk. Might as well let them carry me and save my energy. I certainly wasn’t getting away.

  The room beyond was twice as big as any room I’d ever seen, with a domed ceiling depicting a great battle between soldiers made of ice on one side and a burning forest on the other. At the head of the ice army rode Mab on an armored white horse, while a dark-haired queen on a winged horse led the charge on the other side. Icy white columns stretched from floor to ceiling.

  When I saw Mab waiting at the other end of the room, perched in her throne, I renewed my fight, pulling away from the guards who held me. “I should’ve known it was you.”

  “Quiet, prisoner.” Someone pulled my feet out from under me.

  I hit the ice floor face-first. Pain spread through my chest and shoulders, but I pushed through it to lift myself to my knees. I would’ve stood back up, but the guards held me down.

  “You should count yourself lucky I’ve only had you brought before me,” Mab said, raising her sharp chin. “You attacked me in my son’s home, and then you were foolish enough to come into my domain? You, an undecided? A rogue?”

  “First of all, you attacked me. You don’t get to be pissy because I defended myself. I was just doing my job, which your son hired me to do. If you don’t want to have your magic thrown back at you, don’t break into people’s houses and attack their bodyguards in the dark!”

  Mab shifted in her throne. “Yes, well…” She cleared her throat. “That is another matter and not why you’ve been brought before me today. Undecided fae are not permitted to wander freely through the kingdom as they see fit.” She waved a hand.

  “Are you serious?” I raised my eyebrows and regarded the queen doubtfully. “You want me to pick a side right now? I don’t have time for this.”

  The queen started to say something else, but a commotion at the doors made her pause. I turned around.

  Ronan shoved one of the guards out of the way and stormed to the middle of the throne room, fists clenched. “Release her immediately!”

  Mab’s face sprouted a vicious smile. “Welcome back, son.”

  He ignored her and pointed emphatically to the floor. “Let her go, Mother. Now.”

  “Unfortunately, you’re not in a position to make demands, Ronan. You know the law.” She gestured to me. “Miss Hart cannot be allowed to wander aimlessly as an undeclared fae. However, if she were to pledge herself to our court…”

  “You couldn’t have picked a worse time to pull this stunt.” I took a step forward but stopped when I felt the faceless knight’s gaze. I couldn’t see his eyes, but I could swear he was staring straight at me. I swallowed and continued, addressing Queen Mab. “Look, I understand there are laws and rules, but I didn’t even know I was part-fae until yesterday. You can’t expect me to just pick a side. I don’t know anything about th
e other court. I have the right to do a little research, at least.”

  “Out of the question.” Mab sliced her hand decisively through the air. “I will not allow you to work for my son if you even consider my sister’s court!”

  “It’s not up to you!” Ronan growled. “You’ve overstepped.”

  Mab pushed herself up from her throne, her eyes darkening. Her voice boomed like thunder through the throne room. “I am the queen! You are my subject, and you will obey!”

  “You’re a tyrant,” Ronan snapped back. “And I wouldn’t blame her for joining Titania.”

  The queen puffed her cheeks out, gathered her skirt, and stormed down from the platform where the throne sat. “Why, you ungrateful brat! I’ve given you everything! Everything! And this is how you repay me?” She stopped in front of Ronan and drew herself up so she was a head taller. “I’m beginning to wish I’d never had a son!”

  “The feeling is mutual.”

  “Enough!” I shouted.

  They stopped arguing long enough to face me.

  I massaged my throbbing temples. “Can you two just shut up and get along for a few seconds so we can focus on what’s important? There’s a bad guy out there who wants to kill Ronan. Your Majesty, surely you can see this is a bad time to force my hand. We came here because you called Ronan. I didn’t come to invade your court. I came because it’s my job to protect your son. You care about his well-being, don’t you?”

  She bristled. “Of course I do. Why do you think I called him back here? Why do you think I’m gathering my armies for war?”

  “War?” Ronan gave her a shocked look.

  “They’re trying to kill you,” said Mab, cupping Ronan’s cheek. “This has gone on long enough. It’s time they felt the full force of my court. We will wipe them from the Earth, and then you’ll be safe.”

  I glanced at the knight and stepped away from my captors. No one chased me. “That’s a little extreme, considering you don’t even know if the assassin is acting on their orders or if he’s on his own.”

  Mab regarded me coldly and turned away from Ronan. “I don’t need to know that. I know the assassin is a vampire. You confirmed it, according to Ronan. Even if the others aren’t involved, they’ve done nothing to stop it.”

  “What about Vaughn’s investigation?”

  “If you call that an investigation.” She rolled her eyes. “He’s produced nothing, and he’s had a whole team working on the case. You’ve collected more evidence and gotten farther than anyone else. Based on your conclusions and their inaction, it would appear the vampires want war. And if war is what they want, we shall give it to them.” Mab paced back to her throne.

  “I don’t believe all the vampires are involved.” It was true, but only by splitting hairs. I didn’t know every single vampire in the world, and it was possible there were some out there who didn’t want a war with the fae. I was convinced Vaughn was involved somehow, even if I couldn’t prove it, but what if I could prove Jax’s mission wasn’t sanctioned, or at least cast reasonable doubt on it? That might be enough to deter the queen from going to war.

  “It doesn’t matter if they’re all involved.” Mab lowered herself onto the throne. “I have to put a stop to this, or I’ll be seen as weak.”

  “What if I can prove it?” I took a step toward the throne but stopped when the knight’s hand went to the hilt of his sword.

  Mab leaned on her fist. “Go on.”

  “Jax has had a hard time. He’s a traumatized soldier who hasn’t readjusted to civilian life. I knew him in the Army. We served together. It’s possible he’s targeting Ronan because of his proximity to me.”

  Ronan frowned. “Why would he do that?”

  “I don’t know, some protective instinct? He’s sick, Ronan. There’s no reason to go to war because one vampire is acting erratically. If the vampires really wanted Ronan dead—all the vampires—they would’ve launched a larger offensive by now. Instead, there’s one person making all the moves. Where’s his backup? Why haven’t they used someone else when he failed if they were so hell-bent on starting a war?”

  “You raise good questions, girl.” Mab tapped her chin.

  I chanced another step closer to the throne. “If I can prove Jax is acting on his own, will you call off your armies?”

  The queen turned her attention to Ronan. “You know her better than I do. Tell me, son, do you trust this woman?”

  Ronan met my eyes and nodded. “Callie wouldn’t lie. She’s saved my life three times, nearly at the cost of her own. Her loyalty isn’t in question. Her cooking skills, however…”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Seriously? I’m trying to stop a war here, and you’re going to complain about my cooking? Which you’ve never had, by the way. Since when was that part of my job description?”

  “Since you decided you’re going to start tasting all my food.”

  “First thing I’m going to make you is a knuckle sandwich,” I grumbled. “What year is this, 1950?”

  Mab put a hand to her ear. “What’s that?”

  “Nothing.”

  She narrowed her eyes but chose not to pursue it and focused on the more important problem. “If you can prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that your friend is working alone with no support from the vampire aristocracy, and if the attempts on my son’s life cease, I will not launch an attack. There will be no war against the vampires.”

  “Yes! Score one for the home team.” I pumped my arm in celebration.

  “But,” continued the queen.

  Great. There was always a but, wasn’t there?

  She steepled her fingers and tapped them together. “You only have twenty-four hours.”

  My jaw dropped. “Twenty-four hours? That’s not nearly enough time!”

  Mab smiled. “I’m afraid that’s all the time I have to give. If you can’t do the job in the allotted amount of time, I will have no choice but to proceed as planned.”

  “But—”

  She cut me off with a wave of her hand. “In addition, if you succeed, I will give you thirty days to decide to join my court. You may use that thirty days however you choose. However, bear in mind that I will not allow you to continue to work for my son if you choose to join my sister’s court. That might not sound fair, but you must acknowledge that such a choice would create a conflict of interest. I simply cannot allow it.”

  Stopping Jax inside twenty-four hours seemed impossible, but it was the only option I had. If I failed, not only would the fae and the vampires go to war, but I would also lose my chance to make an informed decision about which fae court to join. Accepting Mab’s offer was the only real option, especially if I wanted one more chance to try to talk some sense into Jax.

  “Agreed,” I said, stepping forward. “But I have to return to Earth, and I need Ronan to come with me.”

  The queen let out an exasperated gasp. “Whatever for? You must acknowledge that he is safer here than he is there, even with you by his side. You can’t protect him from everyone all the time.”

  I exchanged glances with Ronan. “No, but if I want Jax to show himself, I will need Ronan there. He’s not going to come out to talk to me.” I already ruined that chance.

  Mab wrinkled her nose. “You need to use my son as bait?”

  “I promised you no harm will come to him. If it looks like the situation is getting out of control at any time, he can open a portal and come straight back here.” I bit my lip, waiting for Mab’s response. If she turned me down, I didn’t know what I would do. After the fight at the bar, Jax had probably gone to ground. The only way to get him to come out now would be to give him a target he couldn’t resist.

  “She’s right,” Ronan said, stepping forward. “And I trust Callie with my life. If you want to catch the assassin, this is the best way.”

  The queen gave a loud sigh and waved her hand dismissively. “Very well, have it your way. But if something happens to Ronan in your care, know that I will hunt you to the ends of th
e earth and beyond. And when I catch you, and I will, our interactions will redefine the word agony. Have I made myself clear, Miss Hart?”

  I nodded. “Crystal.”

  “Then go. You have twenty-four hours, beginning now.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  I stood in front of the glowing portal that would take me back to Earth, waiting for Ronan to wrap things up. I tapped my foot impatiently on the ice, and I glanced at my watch twice before I realized it wasn’t working. Come on, Ronan. Where the hell are you? I only had twenty-four hours to catch Jax and prove to the queen that the vampire aristocracy hadn’t been in on hiring him, and he’d stopped to chat?

  “There you are,” I said as Ronan came jogging up to me. “Where’ve you been?”

  He held a manila folder out to me. “I thought you should have this.”

  I took the folder and opened it. Inside was my entire service record, redacted interview and all. “I thought the last copy of this had been destroyed. Where’d you get this?”

  Ronan rubbed the back of his head. “Vaughn Meyer. He does all my background checks for me. He pulled some strings high up at the Pentagon. I didn’t realize he’d gone through all the trouble until recently. The file he gave me was incomplete. A lot was blacked out, but I got my mother to give me the full file. I didn’t know the full extent of what happened to you in Iraq until I read that.”

  “But you read parts of my file to me during—”

  “Just the parts Vaughn had given me,” he clarified. “When you asked if I had a security clearance, I wasn’t honest with you. I meant that I had clearance here, in my mother’s court. Vaughn is my connection to getting classified information when I want it.”

  “Which means Vaughn has access to classified information whenever he wants it.” I flipped the folder closed and tucked it into my coat. “Why would he have those connections? I know Meyer Securities has government contracts, but they wouldn’t usually get access to this kind of information just because they requested it. There are laws in place to keep that from happening.”