Page 3 of Autumn Queens & Shadows

We faced one another, waiting for the priest to say the final vows before we would be joined as one.

All so quickly, the settled snow on the ground rose in the air.

Then the wind broke.

Screams erupted.

And an arrow protruded my betrothed’s chest and another between his eyes. Those sea blue eyes blew wide before going entirely dead as he sputtered and gushed blood all over me, drenching my white veil and dress in crimson.

My limbs had frozen still.

All I could see was blood.

All I could see was blood staining me.

The faint heartbeat resounded in the air. Not my own. I could already feel and hear my own beat furiously against my ribcage. Then it just disappeared. And everything else returned full force, all the noise struck me awake from the reverie.

“Thora,” Eren shouted, pushing through running bodies to reach me.

Elias was quicker, his body shielding over mine while Kilian’s magic roared, searching around for whoever had made the shot.

My ears rang.

But my heartbeat calmed way too soon, my pulse steady.

Yet again, I felt nothing when I saw the man who was one vow away from becoming my forever, bleed into the white snowy floor, eyes aghast and pale blond hair stained red with blood.

Shit.

A sigh left me before I could control my expression.

“Take your sister to safety,” Snow said to her son, shedding her white cloak and gathering her pale blue skirts, her face marked full of rage.

Sam did as told, grabbing Rain and fading away. Then my sister followed shortly, bolting, surely to follow after whoever had been brave enough to pull this—Iskyla.

Pulling my veil off, I followed after my soldiers, only to be held back by Eren.

I hadn’t seen him in so long. And so long I’d forgotten what the sight of him did to me—all that it revoked. So much betrayal. From so many of those I loved, he was the last person I’d expected to do what he did. To leave me. When he knew being left was my biggest fear.

I no longer felt that fear.

I no longer felt much.

“They are trying to lure you out,” he said calmly. “Let your soldiers and everyone else chase this.” He looked into the distance at where lightning was blistering skies and earth alike, probably Snow giving a show to the Isline barbarians who already feared her more than their god—just not enough to leave me alone, apparently. But they knew she would not interfere. They knew if she interfered, another war would commence. If there had been too much to lose ten years ago, there was nothing to spare today. And Iskyla was betting on that. She was betting on a war that would spare nothing and no one. Her belief was set in that war setting history back. Making Isjord what Isjord had once been. A hub of hatred, greed and conflict mongering.

Pulling my arm from his hold, I took a step away. “I’m sure no one in a while has taken such a jab at my pride.”

His brows furrowed, and I knew very well the look of disappointment he flashed me. “Your betrothed just died.”

“It is not yet the funeral. I’ll make sure to cry then.” The wind roared, obeying my command and conjoining with the falling snow to shape a dragon of frost. The earth and sky vibrated with the shrill the ice creature let as it landed to the ground, bowing so I could climb its back. No one knew Iskyla better than I did. For five years, she and I had gotten to know each other well—very well. Instead of following the direction of lightning where Snow was dealing with the men who’d carried out the attack, I headed towards where I knew the barbarian queen was intending to strike next.

Considering my dead betrothed owed half of the coastline in Casmere, and that Iskyla had gone to great lengths to try and cast her influence and grasp access to hospitable seas, she’d gone straight to where my father in law’s fleet rested. My father-in-law who she’d just made a mortal enemy out of today. Emil will want a piece in the cake I was going to make out of her, so she was planning on taking him out just like she took out his son.

Smart.

I liked smart people.

Seeing smart people stress their smart little brains with useless plans brought me joy nothing else did because despite their wit, they could never realise you couldn’t beat something much greater than you.