Frostbite

Chapter Twenty Nine

Hey guys so wow it has been like a month and that is kind of bad but every time I tried writing this I really didn't know how to start because like ugh where is this even going but its ok I have figured my shit out now - for real this time, kinda. And its the holidays so i have two weeks to write a whole lot for you all. also my laptop died it had a ton of viruses but my mother just got a new one and its so nice and shiny and so much faster i love it so much! to any game of thrones fans - holy shit that ending so season five killed me even though i knew it was coming! and winds of winter is not out until next year and neither is season 6 what will i do with my life! also some books that you should read, 'a court of thorns and roses' i demolished it this afternoon and it is so beautiful like holy shit! go read it beg you. Red queen was another quick read of mine that i quite liked. and throne of glass is amazing, i need book four i cant wait...why are there no sequel yet why. anyway. onto the chapter. thank you if you are still reading.

ps shoutout to rhiannon for inspiring this chapter and being an idiot and distracting me while i was trying to write it, you're a hoe but i love you xoxo

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE

The snow was melting into dull grey slush as we returned to the campsite. And then I saw the blank space where Cassiopeia had been and remembered that I had let her go.

"Shit," I muttered under my breath as Rhys came to a sudden halt.

"Heather," he began quietly, "what the fuck have you done with the summer bitch?"

I took a hesitant step away from him. The puddles of rapidly melting ice were enough to remind me of what he was capable of. I had already seen him lose control once, I had no desire to see it again.

"I, well, I let her go." I mumbled the last part quietly.

He exhaled sharply, raking his hands through his hair.

"And why, why on earth would you do that?"

Now that he was asking me, it really did seem like a ridiculous thing to have done. Yet she had looked so pitiful chained up and injured, and I had thought that Rhys was going to kill her. I hadn't wanted her death on my hands.

"She said...you were going to kill her." I admitted. Even as I said it, the words sounded childish and naïve.

And then Rhys began to laugh. He walked away, moving further forward into the campsite.

"She compelled you, you stupid, foolish human. I should never have let you be alone with her. I should have known."

Compelled me? What did that mean? Had she used some kind of mind control on me or something? I shivered at the thought of a faerie going through my head.

"It doesn't matter. You were going to kill her and she never did anything to you!" I countered angrily.

"She almost killed you. She's summer fey - given the chance she would tear you apart. And you wanted to let her go?"

Cassiopeia had tried to kill me, he was right. And if she really had used some sort of mind control on me...

"I'm sorry," I offered even though I knew an apology wouldn't fix anything.

"No," he said, shaking his head at me, "I'm sorry. You don't know any of the rules here, Heather. I should have warned you."

"You did warn me!" I insisted, "You said it was dangerous, that people - faeries - would try to kill me, or hurt me."

He sat down on the ground, somehow managing to make the movement look graceful.

"A faery wouldn't just want to kill you Heather. A faery would want to own you, body and soul. It's what we are."