Winter Queen E-Book

Skye MacKinnon

• Herausgeber: Peryton Press
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Beschreibung

War is coming… and Wyn can't wait to fight.
The Morrigan needs to die, no question about that. But first, Wyn and her Guardians need to find her.
While the Realm prepares for war, allies arrive from unexpected places. But there are enemies hiding in plain sight that could stop the war before it's even begun.
Can Wyn destroy the Morrigan without sacrificing the lives of her loved ones?
The third book in the Daughter of Winter series, a reverse harem romance full of yummy protective men, a strong heroine, Celtic mythology, kilts, Scottish accents, very steamy scenes and even a unicorn.
Also available as audiobook.

This series needs to be read in order, so start with Winter Princess if you're new to Daughter of Winter.

Leseprobe

© 2018 Skye MacKinnon

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Basically, please don’t pirate this book.

Cover by MiblArt.

Formatting by Gina Wynn.

Illustration of Blaze the unicorn by Warlocklord.

Published by Peryton Press.

skyemackinnon.com

Contents

What Happened Before

The People of the Realm

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Epilogue

About the Author

Also By

To the Flock – this book wouldn’t exist without you

What Happened Before

Wyn, heiress to the Winter throne, slayer of demons, etc, was slowly getting used to life in her mother’s Palace. Except for the dresses, she’s never going to get used to those.

She met Blaze, a unicorn, learned to fly and went on some dates with her Guardians (finally!). But of course, something had to happen to destroy all of that. She got poisoned, almost died, ended up in the Library of Lives where she had to prove that she was worthy of becoming Immortal.

Back in the Realm, she had to deal with the dragon shifter who’d tried to kill her, but he refused to say anything, not even when the Guardian Ada questioned him. He’d taken poison which turned out to be made from a plant only found in the Demon Realms, which led the Council to wonder whether their main suspect, the Summer God Angus, might be working with the demons.

Wyn finally confronted Crispin about his past, and he showed her some of his memories of how he was created by the Morrigan and turned into her assassin and torturer.

Wyn had been worried about her adoptive parents for a long time, so she managed to persuade Arc to find a way to check on them. With the help of a demon, they created a mental link and were able to speak through the demon as he visited Wyn’s parents. Well, never trust a demon. He kidnapped her parents, telling them that he was doing it for the Morrigan.

At a Council meeting to discuss the situation, a messenger suddenly brought in a box. Inside it was the hand of Wyn’s adoptive mum, and when Wyn touched it, she saw that her mother was dead and her father still prisoner of the Morrigan.

In a bit of a mental breakdown, she decided to become like Beira, an ice queen without emotion.

In the epilogue, the demoness Chesca appears at one of the Realm’s Gates, asking to speak to Wyn. She gets killed by one of the guards, but manages to give them her final message: that the Morrigan is behind it all and that she controls the demons.

The People of the Realm

Family

Wyn, demi-goddess and heroine of this series

Her Guardians: Storm, Frost, Arc and Crispin

Beira, the Queen of Winter and Wyn’s mother

James, Wyn’s adoptive father

Rose, Wyn’s adoptive mother

The Council

Gwain, Master of Arms

Ada, Gwain’s second-in-command

Tamara, Mistress of the Household (and spy mistress)

Algonquin, Librarian

Zephyr, Master of the Wings

Theodore, Healer

Magnus, Treasurer

Friends

Blaze, unicorn extraordinaire

Chesca, demoness (deceased)

Aodh, Chesca’s lover (deceased)

Enemies

Angus, Summer King

Bridget, his wife

Morrigan, Goddess of Death

Demons… well, they’re evil

ChapterOne

They say grief passes. They say the pain gets less.

Well, I don’t want it to go. I don’t want it to stop hurting.

The pain helps me function and get through the day. And it helps me focus on one thing: revenge.

Mum. Chesca. And we don’t know if my dad is still alive.

I wish I could say that I'd feel it if he was dead, but I'm so empty inside that I don't think I would. I don't feel much, anymore. It's all shards and fragments inside my heart, nothing but a broken mess.

The only thing that can make me feel even a tiny bit alive is Blaze's unicorn dust. Sparklies, as he calls it. I touch his horn and feel better. For a while, at least. My Guardians have been trying to stop me from going to him, but I just push them away or evade them. I need to forget, at least once a day. What else is there otherwise but death and despair?

It's been a week now since that dreadful day. There's nothing for me to do. My mother is talking to her allies, her fellow Gods and Goddesses, while the Master of Arms is readying his troops. My men are busy doing the same, preparing for the coming battle.

But there won't be a battle if we don't find the Morrigan first. She's still in the shadows, still hiding. How can we fight a phantom?

As there's nothing for me to do, I have too much time to think. Too much time to remember.

Blaze is the only one who seems to be listening to me. Who doesn't ask stupid questions, like 'how are you'. Want to know how I am? Fucking dreadful. I'm a hollow shell propelled by revenge. That's all that's keeping me going. Otherwise I'd lie curled up in my bed.

Not that I haven't done that as well. I've spent a lot of time in my bedroom, staring at the ceiling, ignoring the servants trying to come in and bring me food. I use magic to lock the doors so that nobody can disturb me. Not even my men.

I no longer care about food. If someone gives me something, I eat it, but I no longer feel hungry.

My mum, my beautiful mum. I can't get her pain out of my head. How the Morrigan sliced off her arm. How she put a knife in my mother's heart. That all-encompassing pain that killed her. It replays over and over in my head. Not images; it was too dark in that dungeon to see much. Just the emotions, my mum's fear, her pain, my father's anguish. It never stops, it's running constantly like a loop, driving me crazy.

And the image of her severed hand... only one thing gets that out of my head.

I step into the hole that leads to Blaze's home and wait for the magic elevator to transport me to the bottom. My head is aching a little, but I know that the pain will disappear once I have my sparklies. It always does. And at least the physical pain in my skull is easier to bear than the mental pain assaulting me every minute of every day.

"Welcome back," Blaze greets me. He's spread out on a large purple cushion, his front legs folded underneath his body. His white fur looks as pristine as always and his horn is glittering slightly. My mouth waters at the thought of the sparklies that are awaiting me. Not that they're something to eat, but sparklies still feel like nourishment.

I don't waste time on small talk. Blaze knows why I'm here. I don't care about how he is or what he's been up to since I last saw him yesterday afternoon. I approach him and touch his horn without further ado.

Bliss fills me. Happiness is next. I sink to the ground, smiling widely as the familiar warm feeling spreads in my chest, drowning out the darkness in there. My thoughts turn fuzzy and I sigh in relief. I'm almost there. That moment when everything disappears and all my memories fade. That moment when I can live in the present, unaffected by what happened in the past. That moment when I can simply be, without sadness, without the cold that is surrounding my heart, without the guilt I carry deep within me.

The sparklies are flowing through my body, gently warming me all over. They're soft and lovely. I want to feel them all the time. I don't want it to stop. Everything is so pretty now. Blaze is twinkling all over, his cave is shimmering and even my hands are full of rainbow glitter. Life is so beautiful when reality slips away.

As always, it's over far too soon. The happiness ends without warning and darkness returns, clinging onto my heart. The room turns cold and unfriendly.

No, I need more. I don't want this emptiness. I need colour in my life.

"Give me more," I beg Blaze and reach for his horn, but he turns away before I can touch it. I stumble to my feet and stagger towards him, but he’s moving away from me, looking at me strangely.

“Princess…” he mutters, but he continues to retreat.

No. I want more. He’s one of my subjects, he has to do what I want him to.

“Come here,” I order and his eyes widen.

He looks tempted to step forward, but then he shakes his head. “No, you’re not my Queen. I won’t give you any more, this has been going on long enough.”

I growl in frustration and stumble towards him, but for every step I take, he manages to take two back. This isn’t going to work, I’m too unsteady on my feet.

With a groan, I reach for my magic. I don’t care about what kind of power I draw from it, I just fling it at Blaze, willing him to stand still for me.

He whinnies in fear as a circle of flames bursts into existence around him. Usually, this would make me stop, but my heart is ice and even the scared look in his eyes doesn’t reach it. The flames are reflecting in his dark, wide pupils.

This time, he doesn’t move when I approach him. He’s frozen in shock, or maybe because he’ll get burnt if he even takes a single step in any direction. Finally, I get to reach for his horn and touch it – at the same time as the flames take hold of my sleeve and begin to eat it up.

Bliss and happiness fill the emptiness inside of me, mixed with a pain that I can’t quite place. Usually there’s no pain when I go into the beautiful world of sparklies. Maybe this will be a new, good experience? Sometimes there’s pleasure in pain.

I sink to the ground, my mind slowly retreating and becoming slow. Calm. Non-existent.

The pain is still there though and it’s preventing me from letting go completely. It’s getting stronger.

I curl up into a ball, thinking that might make the pain go away. Sometimes hiding from the world works. Not this time, though.

The bliss is pushed away and more pain crashes into me. I scream in agony.

I could open my eyes to see what’s causing it, but the sparklies won’t let me. They’re still inside of me, but while they usually make me happy, today they seem to increase the pain.

It’s getting worse and worse and I can’t stop screaming.

There’s another scream, an echo perhaps, maybe someone else. I dimly remember Blaze being there. Maybe he’s screaming to make fun of me?

“What the fuck is going on here – oh no, Wyn!”

Voices, curses, shouting.

I’m thrown into a pool of water. No, water is thrown on me. Or both? It’s hard to tell. At least it makes my mind a little clearer. Enough to know that the voice talking rapidly in the background is Frost.

A moment later, I wish my head wasn’t clearing. Red hot pain flares up in my right arm, all the way up to my shoulder and neck. It hurts so much, please, make it stop. I whimper and someone grips my left hand and squeezes it reassuringly.

“Shush, Crispin will be here soon,” Frost whispers and more water runs over me, cooling my hot skin a little. “What did you do to yourself, Wyn? No, don’t try to move. Blaze is getting Crispin, they won’t be long.”

I’m having trouble keeping up with what he’s saying. Crispin? Why do I need Crispin? Oh, the pain, maybe because of that? Crispin heals, maybe he can heal me. The pain in my body and in my mind. And then I can get some more sparklies from Blaze to make me forget about it all.

The water that’s been running over my skin disappears and immediately, the pain gets worse.

“Don’t stop,” I whimper hoarsely.

“Okay, but let me know if you get cold.”

The water returns and cools my burning skin. It doesn’t make the pain go away, but it softens it slightly. It gives me another sensation to focus on, one that’s cooler and nicer than the aches.

“Frost,” I whisper.

“Yes, Wyn?”

“It hurts.”

I think about what I just said for a moment, then I add, “I don’t want to whine.”

He chuckles sadly. “Whine as much as you want. It’s better than keeping up that façade you’ve been showing us. Let it all out.”

“What?” I’m confused. My mind is still muddled with both the pain and the sparklies.

“You’re grieving. You need to let us in, Wyn, or it’s going to eat you up from the inside.”

“The pain is outside,” I mutter, noticing how it seems to be getting worse. The water is no longer taking the edge off like it did before.

“Now, yes, but that’s not what I’m talking about.” He gently strokes my face but I’m not sure I like the feeling. It’s too close, too intense.

“Let’s have this conversation when you’re better. Crispin will be here soon, and he’ll make you feel better. Then we can go back to the Palace and you can rest.”

“Sleep sounds good,” I croak, “but without the pain.”

There’s a rumbling far away, then footsteps, fast and getting closer.

“What happened?”

“Let me through!”

“I’m going to kill that unicorn.”

Someone kneels by my side, but I whimper when they touch my side.

“It’s okay, it’s me, Crispin.” His voice is soothing, gentle, and I want to sink into it, drifting away. But the pain isn’t letting me.

“Those burns are bad. I’ll make you fall asleep so I can work on them, is that okay?”

I shake my head and groan at the pain of it. “No. No sleep.”

Sleep brings nightmares. Memories. Feelings.

I hate sleeping.

“Arc, come here! Can you put her into one of your trances? Healing her will hurt, I don’t want her to be awake for that.”

A hand lowers onto my forehead, cool and warm at the same time. “Of course. Wyn, relax. It’ll all be over soon. Let me in, lower your barriers. There won’t be any dreams, I promise. No nightmares. Just rest.”

With all the sparklies in my blood, my barriers are already down, but before I can tell him, I slip away, out of my body, into something peaceful.

No more pain.

ChapterTwo

A double rainbow is beckoning on the horizon. Two perfect arcs, parallel to each other, touching the earth on both ends.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

I turn around and face Arc. He’s smiling widely as he turns his gaze away from the rainbow and looks straight at me.

“Welcome ta my safe place.”

“Where are we?” I ask, looking down at ourselves. Arc is wearing a grey kilt and a white shirt, but besides that, he’s barefoot. We’re standing on bright green grass, far too colourful to be real. It’s soft under my naked feet and I curl my toes into the warm earth. I’m wearing a simple blue dress, one I’ve never seen before. Even though I don’t usually like dresses, this one is surprisingly comfortable.

“In my mind. This is where I come when I need some peace and quiet.”

“You let me into your mind?”

He shrugs. “Ye already have my heart, why not my mind? Ye needed a place ta recover, ta escape while Crispin does his healing. This seemed as good a space as any.”

I remember now. The pain, the fire, the sparklies.

“What happened exactly?”

He grimaces. “I’m not quite sure, but it looked like ye set yerself on fire. Yer shirt caught fire as well, and yer hair… I’m sorry.”

“What about my hair?”

He looks uncomfortable. “Ehm, there wasn’t much left on one side.”

I gingerly touch my head, but my hair feels as it always does, falling just below my shoulders on both sides.

"This isn't real," Arc explains. "Ye're seeing yerself like ye want to, not like ye look right now in reality."

"So when I wake up, I'll be bald?" I ask, not quite sure what to think of that. My mind is still processing it all.

"Only on one side, I think." He gives me a little grin. "Ye could turn it into a mohawk, shock the Court a wee bit."

I smile at the thought of Algonquin or Theodore seeing me like that. Maybe a punk style would be a clear sign for them all to leave me alone. Ignoring them or giving them glares didn't work.

"Finally!" Arc explains, looking at me joyfully.

"What?"

"Ye smiled. That's the first time in eight days that ye've smiled."

Immediately, I put my mask back into place, erasing that traitorous smile.

Arc's expression darkens. "Ye're allowed ta smile, Princess. Please dinnae lock yerself away again."

I shake my head, trying to ignore his sad look. "I can't. How can I smile when my mother is dead, her body dismembered somewhere? How can I smile when I don't know where my father is, if he's alive, even?"

Arc puts his hands on my shoulders and even though I can barely stand the touch, I stay where I am, looking down at the ground, willing my tears to disappear.

"Neither of them would want ye to be all cold like that," Arc says softly. "Just because that's how Queen Beira rules, doesn't mean that ye should be the same. Come back to us, Wyn. Dinnae stay in that darkness. Let us in."

If I was my normal self, I'd hug him and tell him that everything was going to be alright. But I'm not. The Wyn he knows is locked away inside of me and I have no intention of letting her out. She's not strong enough for this new world. I have to be cold and unfeeling to survive. I can't break down, I need to keep going. Why can't they understand that? Why do they try and make me let down my barriers?

No, I can't.

I shrug off his hands and step back, before slamming up my walls. The rainbows disappear, then everything else goes black and I'm thrown back into my body.

Bye, Arc. I'm sorry.

Pain welcomes me with open arms. I don't fight it. I deserve it.

I let myself enjoy the warmth of the Guardian holding me for just a moment before opening my eyes. Crispin is bent over my body, his hands running close over my skin without actually touching me. He's not noticed yet that I'm awake.

The pain is almost more than when I was burning. Whatever he's doing isn't gentle. But that's good. I let my parents down, I brought the demon into their house. My mum is dead because of me. This pain isn't punishment enough.

"Wyn," Arc groans, holding his head. He's sitting on the floor next to me, his back against the wall. His face is pale beneath his red hair.

"What happened?" Storm asks worriedly and kneels beside his fellow Guardian.

"She pushed me away," Arc sighs, pointing at me.

Crispin looks up from his work and his eyes widen when he sees that I'm awake.

"Shit, you weren't supposed to be conscious while I'm doing this. That's it. You're going to sleep."

"No," I whisper, my voice rough from pain and smoke.

"You had your chance," Storm growls angrily. "Crisp, put her to sleep. Then once you've healed her, we're going home. No more sparklies."

"But I need them..."

Sleep rushes at me and I'm gone before I can fight it.

"What are we going to do now?" Frost whispers. His voice is almost too far to hear but he's in the same room.

"From now on, one of us stays with her at all times." That's Storm, not my lover Storm, but the leader, the serious one. “When she tries to go to Blaze, stop her. Not that the unicorn will give her any more, he's learned his lesson. I don't think he expected her to get addicted as quickly as she did."

"He should be grateful I healed him," Crispin growls. "He'd be dead if Frost hadn't been shadowing them."

"What if she tries ta leave? We cannae stop her, she's the Princess."

"We've sworn to protect her," Storm says gravely. "Even if that means protecting her from herself. I'm sure Her Majesty agrees, but if she doesn't, I'll take it on me to deal with the consequences."

"She pushed me away," Arc mutters, his voice full of sadness. "She's never done that before."

Storm sighs. "She's not herself at the moment. She's grieving, she's in an unfamiliar place and she wants revenge. It's not a good place for anyone to be in. She needs time, but I'm not sure how much we can give her. The war is coming and we need to be prepared."

I don't need time. I'm ready for war. Ready to crush the Morrigan. I've secured my heart, protecting it from further injuries. I don't know if my father is still alive. If he isn't... I can't crash. I need to continue fighting. I can't let feelings hold me back. That was the old Wyn, but she was weak. To defeat the Goddess of Death, I will need my mind, not my heart.

"I'm worried we're losing her," Arc whispers. "I've never seen her barriers so strong. She's keeping us oot, what if she never lets us in again?"

He sounds so forlorn, so sad that I want to give him a hug - no, that's the old Wyn. Stop it. Hugging doesn't help anyone. It's just a waste of time and energy.

"Remember, we're bound to her," Crispin says soothingly, but even he sounds a little unsure. "Eventually, she won't be able to fight the bond any longer. She needs us just as much as we need her."

I can't take it any longer and move my arms and legs, stretching as if I'm only just waking up.

"Good morning, Princess."

A smiling Frost is the first I see when I open my eyes.

"How are you feeling?"

"Fine. What time is it?"

His smiles wavers a little. "Almost noon. The healing took a lot of your own energy so we let you sleep..."

I jump out of bed, not letting him finish. So much time wasted. I need to consult with my mother, then a quick trip to Blaze, then there's likely a Council meeting, then...

Wait, Blaze.

"Is he alright?"

"Who? The unicorn?" Storm sneers in disapproval.

"Yes, who else," I reply impatiently. "Did he get hurt?"

"He's fine," Frost says, walking around me until he's standing in my way. His eyes are soft and warm, but there's a question in there, a plea for me to respond to him. Not to his words, to his feelings.