War of Winter (Iron Fey Fanfiction)

Chapter 15 - A Declaration of War

It was like someone had implanted wildfire and ice into Crystal at the same time. First, it was heat that surged through her body in pure rage. And then came the deadly cold. There were several reasons why Snare was alive, but Crystal didn't really care. It simply annoyed her that he wasn't dead.

   But it enraged her that he would even have the audacity to attempt to kill a winter prince in his own home. Her winter prince. "What do you want, Snare?" she snarled, trying to keep calm. Her hands shook with the itch to unleash a flurry of living icicles at him.

   Rowan watched from the floor, grimacing as he held his middle and slowly began to reach for the ice dagger at his boot.

    "Oh, that's easy, darling," he smirked, twirling the bloody dagger around. "I want you and the prince's heads on a platter!" he said, flicking his hand. A flurry of needles flew at Crystal but she simply turned them to snowflakes and batted them away.

   "You've got a lot of courage coming in here and making an attempt on Prince Rowan's life - and mine, for that matter," she said, a plan forming in her head. She fought the urge to cringe as she heard Rowan attempt to get to his feet, but winced and slumped back down to the floor. Why was he acting so weak? she thought. He was a better fighter than this!

   "Of course. It was all planned out. Winter has smuggled goods from Summer's camps for long enough. It's time you all were punished," Snare growled, his veins beginning to glow with his glamour.

   How was he able to harness so much glamour outside of his home territory? Crystal noticed Rowan's movements as he tried to grab the ice dagger from his boot. Snare seemed not to have noticed, or if he had, he was ignoring him.

   She thought too soon.

   "Oh, yes, of course. I almost forgot," Snare was saying arrogantly. "Once the poison sets in, it will be like his mind never existed." He grinned, stepping closer to Crystal. Now that he was closer she did notice a bit of sickly green substance still coated on the Summer sidhe's weapon. "He'll be screaming for his dear mother to end his life," he continued.

   "No, he won't," Crystal said flatly. She stood perfectly still, tracking Snare's movements as he paced around her with her eyes and ears. "Because the first life his dear mother will end...is yours."

   And she screamed.

   The sound echoed throughout the icy hallways, alerting anything and everything around the palace of their location. The scream caught Snare off guard, and he flinched, distracted for a moment. That moment was all Crystal needed to draw one of her small finger knives and flick it at Snare's thigh. It hit home in a matter of a millisecond.

   Snare's yelp of pain was one of the best things shed heard that day. As he bent to pull the small weapon out of his skin, Crystal danced behind him, kicking him in the knees and holding an ice dagger to his throat. She pressed the blade hard against his skin, drawing a thin line of blood.

   Her heart cried with joy as she registered footsteps running their way. Soon enough, the royals and nobles rounded the corner, Sage and Ash with swords drawn and her mother a living shadow with pale white eyes. She didn't need a weapon when she already was one.

   The small crowd jerked to a halt as they took in the sight, and someone pushed through the mass to look at her son. Mab's face was oddly blank, as if this was a normal occurrence. But Crystal knew better. She knew deep down that Mab was beyond furious. Crystal felt a chill run down her spine.

   Titania and Oberon emerged soon after, the Summer King's face a mask of shock and fury. "What is the meaning of this?" he demanded.

   "Snare! What are you doing?" Titania gasped, eyes a roiling thunderstorm. She looked as if she wanted to say something else.