Chapter 4

"Dawn," Cassian repeated, his voice cutting through the murmurs in the courtyard. "Lock down the perimeter. Raise the heavy wards."

I leaned against the icy wall. My ribs throbbed, and the silver fire under my skin flickered.

The corridors of Wintercrest were carved from raw ice and dark iron. A military fortress, not a castle.

The Great Hall was freezing. At the far end sat the Blood King.

He was massive, his face crossed with battle scars. He didn't look like a grieving grandfather. He looked like a warlord who'd survived a hundred winters.

Cassian stepped forward, holding out my…