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CHAPTER ONE
The Winter Court
The Iron King stood beforeabout like an unruly waterfall His long black coat billowed behind hiular face and translucent skin, the blue-green veins glowing beneath the surface Lightning flickered in the depths of his jet-black eyes, and the steel tentacles running the length of his spine and shoulders coiled around hiing angel, he floated toward me, hand outstretched, a sad, tender smile on his lips I stepped forward toa hand throughmy hands at my sides as the tentacles caressed my skin “You have come What is it you want?”
I frowned What did I want? What had I co “You kidnapped my brother, Ethan, to draw me here I want him back”
“No” Machina shook his head, han Chase Nor did you come for the Unseelie prince you clai only Power”
My head throbbed and I tried backing away, but the cables held me fast
“No,” IThis isn’t hoent”
“Show me, then” Machina opened his aro? What did you cohan Chase”
“No!”
“Show me!”
So pulse of the Witchwood arrow With a yell, I raised h Machina’s chest, sinking the arrow into his heart
Machina staggered back, giving me a look of shocked horror Only it wasn’t Machina anyht silver eyes Lean and dangerous, silhouetted all in black, his hand went to the sword at his belt before he realized it was too late He swayed, fighting to stay on his feet, and I bit down a scream
“Meghan,” Ash whispered, a thin line of red trickling from his mouth His hands clutched at the arrow in his chest as he fell to his knees, pale gaze beseeching mine
“Why?”
Shaking, I raisedcriround Below the slick coating, things wiggled beneath h the surface, like leeches in blood Somewhere in the back of rossed out I wasn’t I felt powerful, powerful and strong, as if electricity surged beneathI wanted and no one could stop me
I looked down at the Unseelie prince and sneered at the pathetic figure Could I really have loved such a weakling once upon a time?
“Meghan” Ash knelt there, the life fading froled to hold on For a brief moment, I admired his stubborn tenacity, but it wouldn’t save him in the end “What about your brother?” he pleaded “And your fa for you to come home”
Iron cables unfurled fro wings Gazing down at the Unseelie prince, helpless before ave him a patient smile
“I am home”
The cables slashed down in a silver blur, slaround Ash jerked, hissilently, before his head lolled back and he shattered like crystal on concrete
Surrounded by the glittering rehed, and it turned into a ragged screahan Chase
I’ve been in the palace of the Winter fey for a while no long exactly?
I don’t know Tiht in this place While I’ve been stuck in the Nevernever, the outside world, the et out of here, if I ever ht find a hundred years have passed while I was gone, like Rip van Winkle, and alldead