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.“I couldn’t bear losing you a second time.”Releasing him, I turned to Glitch, who was watching us with a bemused, uncomfortable expression on his face.“Didn’t you say something about helping us?”“Sure, princess.Whatever you say.” Glitch looked more resigned than convinced, but turned to his rebels andraised his voice.“Evacuate the camp!” he cal ed, his voice carrying over the field.“Pack up and take only whatis necessary! Healers, gather our wounded and take care of them as best as you can! Anyone who can stilfight needs to be ready to travel by morning! The rest of you, suit up and be ready to march! Tomorrow, we goto join forces with Oberon and the oldbloods! Anyone who has a problem with that, or who is too weak or hurtto fight, should leave right now! Get going!”The camp exploded into action.Glitch watched the rebels scurry about for a moment, then turned to me with a weary look.“Well, it’s done.I hope you know what you’re doing, your highness.We leave before dawn.” Then, someonecalled to him, and he left, vanishing into the dispersing crowd and leaving me alone with Puck and Ash.I was suddenly aware of Ash, standing a few yards away, regarding me and Puck with the expression of agranite wal.I hadn’t forgotten him, but that cold, silvery glare, blank as a mirror’s surface, brought a rush of emotions flooding back.Before I could say anything, Ash turned to me and gave a stiff, formal bow.“My lady,”he said in a calm, flat voice, meeting my gaze.“I must tend to my injuries before the night is out.Will youplease excuse me?”That same cool, formal tone.Not mocking or vicious, just overly polite, without emotion.My stomach clenched,and words froze to the back of my mouth.I wanted to talk to him, but the coldness in his eyes sliced into me,making me pause.Instead, I simply nodded, and watched my knight turn on his heel and stride toward thetower without looking back.Puck gave a very exaggerated shiver and rubbed his arms.“Whew, is it cold in here, or is it just me? Trouble in paradise, princess?” I felt my face heat, and Puck shookhis head.“Wel , don’t drag me into it.I learned long ago that you don’t get in the middle of a lover’s spat.Nothing ever goes as planned—people fal in love with the wrong person, someone ends up with a donkeyhead, and then it’s a whole big mess.” He glanced at me and sighed.“Let me guess,” he muttered, leadingme back toward the tower.“You did something mildly crazy during the last battle, and ice-boy freaked out.”I nodded, a lump rising to my throat.“He was angry that I went off without him,” I said.“But then I got madbecause he didn’t trust me to handle things myself.I mean, I can’t always have him watching over my shoulder,right?” Puck raised his eyebrows, and I sighed.“Okay, it was reckless and stupid.I could’ve been kil ed, and alot of people are counting on me to stop the false king.Ash knew that.”“And…?” Puck prodded.“And…I might have…told him that I didn’t need him anymore.”Puck winced.“Ouch.Well, you know what they say—you always hurt the one you love.Or is that the one youhate? I can never remember.” I sniffled, and he put an arm around me as we ducked into the ruins.“Wel , don’tworry about it too much, princess.Let ice-boy cool off for the night and then try to talk to him tomorrow.Hewon’t stay angry with you too long, I bet.Ash isn’t one to hold a grudge.”I pul ed back and frowned at him.“What are you talking about? He’s held a grudge against you for centuries!”“Oh.Right.” Puck half grimaced as I slapped his chest.“But it’s different with you, princess.Ash is just afraid you don’t need him.That whole ice-prince song and dance?” He snorted.“It’s just a device he uses to protecthimself, so he doesn’t get hurt when someone stabs him in the back.That happens a lot at the Winter Court,as I’m sure you know.”I did know.I’d seen the cold, cal ous nature of the Unseelie Court, and the royal family was the worst, with Mab pitting her own sons against each other to earn her favor.Ash had grown up among those who knew onlyviolence and betrayal, where emotion was considered a weakness to be exploited, and love was a virtualdeath sentence.“But I know Ash,” Puck continued.“When he’s with you…” He hesitated, scratching the back of his head likehe did when he was nervous.“The only time I’ve seen him like that was when he was with Ariel a.”“Real y?”He nodded [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.“I couldn’t bear losing you a second time.”Releasing him, I turned to Glitch, who was watching us with a bemused, uncomfortable expression on his face.“Didn’t you say something about helping us?”“Sure, princess.Whatever you say.” Glitch looked more resigned than convinced, but turned to his rebels andraised his voice.“Evacuate the camp!” he cal ed, his voice carrying over the field.“Pack up and take only whatis necessary! Healers, gather our wounded and take care of them as best as you can! Anyone who can stilfight needs to be ready to travel by morning! The rest of you, suit up and be ready to march! Tomorrow, we goto join forces with Oberon and the oldbloods! Anyone who has a problem with that, or who is too weak or hurtto fight, should leave right now! Get going!”The camp exploded into action.Glitch watched the rebels scurry about for a moment, then turned to me with a weary look.“Well, it’s done.I hope you know what you’re doing, your highness.We leave before dawn.” Then, someonecalled to him, and he left, vanishing into the dispersing crowd and leaving me alone with Puck and Ash.I was suddenly aware of Ash, standing a few yards away, regarding me and Puck with the expression of agranite wal.I hadn’t forgotten him, but that cold, silvery glare, blank as a mirror’s surface, brought a rush of emotions flooding back.Before I could say anything, Ash turned to me and gave a stiff, formal bow.“My lady,”he said in a calm, flat voice, meeting my gaze.“I must tend to my injuries before the night is out.Will youplease excuse me?”That same cool, formal tone.Not mocking or vicious, just overly polite, without emotion.My stomach clenched,and words froze to the back of my mouth.I wanted to talk to him, but the coldness in his eyes sliced into me,making me pause.Instead, I simply nodded, and watched my knight turn on his heel and stride toward thetower without looking back.Puck gave a very exaggerated shiver and rubbed his arms.“Whew, is it cold in here, or is it just me? Trouble in paradise, princess?” I felt my face heat, and Puck shookhis head.“Wel , don’t drag me into it.I learned long ago that you don’t get in the middle of a lover’s spat.Nothing ever goes as planned—people fal in love with the wrong person, someone ends up with a donkeyhead, and then it’s a whole big mess.” He glanced at me and sighed.“Let me guess,” he muttered, leadingme back toward the tower.“You did something mildly crazy during the last battle, and ice-boy freaked out.”I nodded, a lump rising to my throat.“He was angry that I went off without him,” I said.“But then I got madbecause he didn’t trust me to handle things myself.I mean, I can’t always have him watching over my shoulder,right?” Puck raised his eyebrows, and I sighed.“Okay, it was reckless and stupid.I could’ve been kil ed, and alot of people are counting on me to stop the false king.Ash knew that.”“And…?” Puck prodded.“And…I might have…told him that I didn’t need him anymore.”Puck winced.“Ouch.Well, you know what they say—you always hurt the one you love.Or is that the one youhate? I can never remember.” I sniffled, and he put an arm around me as we ducked into the ruins.“Wel , don’tworry about it too much, princess.Let ice-boy cool off for the night and then try to talk to him tomorrow.Hewon’t stay angry with you too long, I bet.Ash isn’t one to hold a grudge.”I pul ed back and frowned at him.“What are you talking about? He’s held a grudge against you for centuries!”“Oh.Right.” Puck half grimaced as I slapped his chest.“But it’s different with you, princess.Ash is just afraid you don’t need him.That whole ice-prince song and dance?” He snorted.“It’s just a device he uses to protecthimself, so he doesn’t get hurt when someone stabs him in the back.That happens a lot at the Winter Court,as I’m sure you know.”I did know.I’d seen the cold, cal ous nature of the Unseelie Court, and the royal family was the worst, with Mab pitting her own sons against each other to earn her favor.Ash had grown up among those who knew onlyviolence and betrayal, where emotion was considered a weakness to be exploited, and love was a virtualdeath sentence.“But I know Ash,” Puck continued.“When he’s with you…” He hesitated, scratching the back of his head likehe did when he was nervous.“The only time I’ve seen him like that was when he was with Ariel a.”“Real y?”He nodded [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]