Unfortunately, right now, the Winter Court was the last place I could be.
Kai came up behind me; his anger was palpable.
“What the hell were you thinking?” I snapped before he could say anything. I jerked my body around, facing him head-on. “You shouldn’t have done that. Now everything is going to be a million times worse.”
Kai’s body trembled with rage. “I wanted to see you. And it didn’t help that I had to watch that fucker kiss you.” He stormed toward me. “Were you really going to bond with him?”
“I had thought about it,” I answered honestly. “But then, things changed. That’s why I was calling it off.”
His eyes softened, but only slightly; his anger was still potent. “Why? Why did you call it off?”
“That should be pretty obvious.”
Confusion swept across his face. “You hate me, Ella, especially after what my brother did.”
Looking right into his stormy gray eyes, I reached for his hands. “I did, but I also watched you confront him. I know you had nothing to do with killing Alette.”
“How? I should’ve been able to feel you.”
I shook my head. “I can’t disclose all my secrets. You are my enemy, after all.”
Kai let go of one of my hands and brought his to my face, cupping my cheek. His touch was gentle, and my body trembled at the feel of him.
“What do we do now?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. In what world can we be together?”
Kai peered around at the desolate snowy landscape. “I don’t know. However, I do know that I don’t want to be anywhere without you. Right here and now is where I want to be. We can figure the rest of the shit out later.”
There were no cabins or places to rent for hundreds of miles.
“Where do you want to stay?” I asked him.
A devilish smirk spread across his face. “Right here.” He stepped back and I could see a dark haze of magic swirl around his body. “Kai, stop,” I commanded. “I know what the magic does to you.”
Kai squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. “But we need this.” His magic felt like a mixture of light and dark. I watched it race through the air, and it only took a few seconds for a small cabin to materialize right by the lake. It was my aunt Calista’s power he was using. With her being able to control all four natural elements, it gave her the ability to construct things with just a simple thought. She was the one who magically constructed all the new castles in the Land of the Fae, including the ice palace where I grew up. It was still strange to think that Kai possessed all that power within him.
When Kai opened his eyes, I waited to see what the price of his magic would be. He winced as if in pain but grabbed my hand and led me to the cabin.
“I’m okay, Ella,” he assured me. “No one will be able to find us here. We’re the only ones who can see the cabin.”
We walked up to the door and he opened it, but I couldn’t go in yet. “There’s something I need to do first,” I said, resisting his pull.
His brows furrowed. “What is it?”
“I have to see my mother. She has to know I’m okay. If not, the whole Winter Court and the elves will be coming for you.”
He shook his head. “I don’t like this. What if you get stuck there? You know I won’t be able to stop myself from coming after you.”
“It’ll be okay,” I promised. “I’ll be back in just a few minutes. My mother’s smart and she knows me well. She’ll be somewhere where I can go to her in private. I have no doubt she’s waiting for me right now.”
Kai was reluctant, but he gave in with a nod. “Okay.” We stared at each other for a few seconds, then he dropped his lips to mine. “Come back to me.”
“I will.”
Chapter20
Ella