Previously on "A Court of Fear and Ice"

At dinner, Lexi meets Eirwen, Rian's future wife and daughter of Viviane and Kallias, the High Lady and Lord of the Winter Court. To her displeasure, she is forced to sit opposite Rian and then eat Meleri's awful tuna salad. To make things worse, Lexi gets drunk and wakes up the next morning with a terrible headache. Luckily, Cerys offers a remedy for her hangover and promises to take her to the city.

Chapter 17

It was late afternoon when we finally hit the city. Dressed in a pale blue top and trousers, I was flying now with Cerys and was almost crushing her body, though she wasn't complaining about that. My eyes were shut and squeezed so tightly they were hurting. But I didn't want to look down as I knew that one glance into the abyss beneath us and I would be lost in panicking.

I heard others flying next to us but I was too afraid to have a look.

Before we got off the House, I decided to choose Cerys as my flying taxi because she seemed to be a safe and rather responsible person. As for the others, Conri was flying with Zareen, and Ciaran with Fannar. Meleri opted for Rian whom I didn't pick mostly because of the cocky smile he flashed me when we met in the main hall a couple of minutes ago. Although that handsome muppet didn't say a thing about last evening, I knew he was thinking about it. His smile was proof enough for me.

Yet, the biggest surprise for me was Eirwen. At first, I thought the Snow Princess would fly with Rian which was kind of obvious, given the fact they were supposed to be married. But to my huge amazement she created a snow whirl that allowed her to lift herself over the ground and then move through the air. I was watching her with my eyes wide open and couldn't believe she was able to do something like that.

"We're almost there," Cerys said loudly, trying to outshout the wind. I nodded and relaxed a bit because that meant our flying trip to the city was almost over. Indeed, after a few seconds, the wind immediately stopped and we weren't moving anymore.

When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was a big bright marble bridge with a lot of tiny colourful lanterns hanging on silver chains and swaying in the wind. I moved closer, fascinated by them. Each metal lantern was different. I noticed there were some plain ones, painted blue, red, yellow, purple and green, and some that had various patterns on them, like swirls, stripes, and dots. None of the tiny lanterns were lit, but I was sure I spotted teeny weeny candles inside of them, so when it was dark the bridge had to look wonderful.

"Wow. What is that?" I asked, still looking at the swaying lanterns. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed we were surrounded by tall marble buildings with massive pillars, which were probably the shops.

"This is the Bridge of Eternal Light." Cerys approached me. "It was built two years after the Hybern attack to commemorate all that fell defending the city."

I lifted my brows. "Really? I didn't know that such a thing existed in Velaris."

"Well, another thing that wasn't in the stories, was it?" She flashed me a smile and turned around. "So that was our first stop," she said. "We'll come back later when the lanterns will be lit."

"You're going to love it, Lexi." Meleri beamed. "It's one of the most amazing things in the city and you mustn't miss it."

I gave her a smile. "I'm looking forward to it, then."

Cerys looped her arm through mine and said, "I think we should start with the Palace of Thread and Jewels and browse through some clothes and jewellery. Or we can visit the twin Palace of Lace and Rings which is on the northern side of the Sidra."

"What makes you think she's interested in clothes and jewellery, Cer?" Ciaran asked, crossing his arms and lifting one of his brows. "What if she wants to see the confections first?"

"Oh, that's a great idea." Eirwen beamed. "We can show her our favourite cake shop and buy some muffins there."

"I'm in," Rian chimed in. "I haven't eaten anything sweet today, and you know I have a sweet tooth."

"And you're grumpy if you don't eat any," Conri muttered.

I giggled. "I thought he's grumpy all the time."

Conri shook his head. "If he doesn't get anything sweet, he's even grumpier."

"Ha ha. Very funny." Rian rolled his eyes. "I'm the merriest male in our court. Ask anyone and they'll tell you the same thing."

"Are we really going to stand here and talk shit?" Fannar asked in a bored tone. I set my eyes upon the Snow Prince and regarded him with curiosity.

It was the first time I had heard his voice since yesterday's dinner as he didn't open his mouth during the whole meal. Though Fannar looked much like a male version of Vivien, he had a very unpleasant voice, full of arrogance and boredom. And the same arrogance and boredom were written all over his handsome face.

"Had I known the excursion was so stodgy," he added, "I would have never agreed on going here with you. And with every passing minute I'm confirming myself I want to go back to the House." He crossed his arms and fixed his pale blue eyes on Eirwen. Then, he asked, "Are you coming with me?"

His sister smiled and said, "No, I'm staying."

"Fine. Suit yourself," he snapped and went across the bridge, heading for the buildings on the other side of the Sidra. By the way he walked towards them, I assumed he must have known Velaris and its streets.

That was weird, I thought, frowning and looking at him. If I were his sister, I would certainly feel embarrassed by his rude behaviour. Well, I would even want to curl up and die. But when I glanced at Eirwen, I noticed she was just smiling sadly.

"I wonder how he is going to get to the House now," Ciaran drawled, observing the Snow Prince disappearing around the corner. "As he doesn't have any wings."

Conri snorted. "Let's hope he likes climbing stairs. Actually, a lot of them."

Even though that white-haired weirdo tried to ruin my first visit to the city – surely, he was too preoccupied with blaming the whole world for his problems to even think about me – I wasn't going to let him do that. I wanted to see the City of Starlight and the Night Court fairies were acting as my guides.

"So let's start with the clothes and jewellery," I said, drawing everyone's attention. "We've eaten sandwiches half an hour ago and we're obviously full now. Your cake shop will be the last stop, okay? And I hope there is ice cream."

Rian nodded. "Excellent idea, lovely Alexandra. You're going to eat the best ice cream in Velaris."

"Do you promise, Tinkerbell?" I flashed him a smile, wondering if he understood my allusion.

He smiled lazily at me and then said, "I promise, honey."

"What? No tattoos?" I shook my head. "I'm really disappointed, Rian dearest. I think you're getting too old for that."

With shadows all around him, Rian approached me and leant forward, asking quietly, "Do you really want that lower-back tattoo of me naked?"

I blushed a little. "Thank you but no thank you," I said, making a step back.

"Pity." He straightened up and the shadows disappeared. Then, he turned aside and added, "Let's go to the Palaces."

The rest of our group followed him, except me.

Standing there and looking at his back, I couldn't help but notice the slight change in the way he sounded. Was I just making it up or Rian had spoken with a barely audible Scottish accent? It was similar to the ones Cerys and Ciaran were using, and that was surely the first time I had heard it.

"What were you two talking about?" Cerys asked, attracting my attention. I thought they all went with Rian, but she was standing there, crossing her arms and regarding me carefully. "His shadows were visible and he only does that when his trying to make his point."

"Or when he's mad," Zareen chimed in. "Or when he's–"

Cerys shot her a glance, and then said, "Either way, Lexi, what were you talking about? I'm really curious now."

I fixed my eyes on her and frowned. "You didn't hear that? You were standing right beside us."

Cerys made a face. "No. Every time he's talking with you, he's blocking everyone around and shielding both of you. As if he doesn't want us to hear the conversations."

"And we watch you or him moving hands and making angry faces." Zareen smiled. "Sometimes watching both of you is really funny."

"So I'm going to repeat my previous question." Cerys moved closer and whispered, "What were you talking about?"

Seriously?

"Your brother promised I was going to eat the best ice cream in Velaris and then we talked about a tattoo," I admitted, rolling my eyes. "He asked if I wanted a lower-back tattoo with his naked picture but I refused."

"Really?" Cerys sounded surprised. "That's all? I thought that he offered to spend the night with you."

I blushed and exclaimed, "What? Good God, no!"

Zareen laughed. "Well, I think Bryaxis had made a big mistake and chose the only girl that doesn't want our sweet Rian."

"Give them time, cousin," Cerys said and smiled knowingly.

I snorted. "Bullshit. I don't like him and he doesn't like me. End of discussion." When she was still looking at me with a cocky smile, I added, "Where is that bloody Palace of yours?"

"Come with us." Cerys flashed me a smile and led the way.

Seething with anger, I followed her and Zareen. Give them time, eh?

###

Never had I thought that a made-up place could look almost like a modern metropolis.

While sightseeing Velaris, I saw lots of old and new marble buildings that were housing massive theatres the size of a shopping centre, multilevel shops selling goods from all over Prythian, and twenty-four-hour restaurants that could accommodate over one hundred customers at a time. All one needed was to be found in the City of Starlight.

Walking around the city with Feyre and Rhysand's children seemed like a lifelong dream. They were telling me stories about absolutely everything that was around us, beginning with the histories of some street names and ending with anecdotes about the owners of their favourite shops. Well, I was even acquainted with some shopkeepers near the Bridge of Eternal Light and given a twenty percent discount on everything they were selling when I would visit them next week. It was a shame I was leaving any day now because I wanted to buy nice earrings.

Of course, we couldn't miss the famous Palaces of Velaris which were indeed marvellous. Yet, we only visited two of them, the Palace of Thread and Jewels and the Palace of Bone and Salt, as they were both on the southern side of the Sidra. My guides didn't want to cross the river and waste time on the other two Palaces so they stuck to the northern bank.

Before anyone could have realised, it was nightfall. The streets, lit by many magical lamps, were even more crowded than during the day. Everything was busier and louder. So the Night Court fairies decided to venture deeper into the city and show me the second library in the city.

Now, licking the best hazelnut ice cream in Velaris, I was strolling along a much quieter street with my magical companions. Each of us was holding ice cream in a cone and rarely did we speak to one another. Apparently, eating was more entertaining than talking.

Walking alone in the middle of our group, I was observing the surroundings. I couldn't help but notice that the monumental marble buildings in the city centre were now replaced by tall townhouses with greenish roofs and small front gardens. Each house was brightly lit, and when I got near one of them I thought I heard voices and music as if there was a party.

Turning my head back, I saw the twins and my little kidnapper who were talking quietly with the Snow Princess. White-haired Eirwen proved to be a nice person – provided you liked quiet and calm people – and chatted with me for a couple of minutes about my family. She seemed quite surprised when I told her I lived in a terraced house with my parents and siblings, and that I shared a room with my two younger sisters. Well, not everyone could afford living in a palace, right?

Going back to licking my delicious ice cream, I set my eyes upon Conri, Rian and Zareen who were at the very head of our group. Gesturing and pushing one another playfully, they were laughing at something, and I was just waiting for one of them to land on the pavement. At least something like that happened each time I was pushing playfully with my sisters, and, usually, it was our youngest, Jaz.

Though I should have felt abandoned, as I walking in the middle without any company, I didn't mind being alone now. I had my frozen dessert and nothing else mattered. So without thinking, I put some hazelnut ice cream into my mouth and accidently made a loud smacking noise.

Rian immediately looked over his shoulder and fixed his blue eyes on me. Blushing, I came to realise that my noise must have been so loud that it attracted his attention. Fuck. Fairies and their super hearing, I thought, observing Rian. He said something to Conri and Zareen that made them laugh, and, to my horror, dropped from his pace.

Suddenly, my ice cream seemed to be super interesting. Oh, God, he's going to walk with me and put me down for smacking, I thought.

Too afraid to lift my eyes, I sensed he caught up with me as my left arm felt a bit hotter. Before he was able to roast me, I said, "You weren't lying about the ice cream."

"Because I don't lie. Didn't you know that High Fae can't lie?" Rian asked with that Scottish accent.

I frowned. "But Maas wrote you can lie."

"Oh, we have a name, then." He smiled. "Maas. Who is that person? A man or a woman?"

"I will not tell you," I said quickly. Shit.

Suddenly, my ice cream wasn't as good as earlier.

Rian looked at me with curiosity. "I see. So you don't deny that a person named Maas wrote the stories about us." When I didn't answer, he added, "All right."

"You do realise I didn't confirm that," I said, hoping to somehow handle the situation.

"But neither did you deny it."

I pondered over his words. "Fair enough. I gave you a piece of information and now I want one from you."

Rian smiled. "Hmm. I'm listening. Though," he lifted his right index finger, "remember I haven't agreed on anything yet."

Good. There was a yet.

"I've heard you're blocking people around when you're talking with me. As if you don't want them to hear us." I glanced at him.

With his hands in his pockets, he didn't seem impressed. "And?"

"Why are you doing it?"

"Do I have to have a reason?" He shrugged. "Maybe I'm doing it out of the kindness of my heart. Yes, I have a heart. Right here." He touched the left side of his chest.

I rolled my eyes and sighed. "Cheesy."

We walked in silence for a couple of minutes, listening to the night around us.

When I glanced at him again, he was staring at the dark sky above us. "Thank you," I said, catching him off guard. Rian immediately looked at me with surprise on his handsome face. "I'm glad you didn't tell your parents about the sex scene in the cabin," I added.

"Who said I didn't tell them?" he asked with a smile.

I huffed. "That's not funny, Rian."

"Of course I didn't tell them." He stopped right in front of me and leant closer. "Would you like to be informed by your eldest child that he knows the details of his conceiving?" He lifted one eyebrow. "Because I wouldn't. And that's why it's going to be our little secret, isn't it?"

Ciaran's voice distracted me from replying. "We're here," he said. "That's the second library in Velaris."

Turning my head left, I fixed my eyes on a rather small building with beige walls, big blue windows and greenish roof. There were flowers everywhere, on the exterior windowsills, under the windows and on the stairs leading to the building itself. And it certainly didn't look like a library.

"It looks like a cosy cottage," I said, frowning.

"It's simply disguised," Rian explained. "When you step inside, there are three floors up and two floors down. I've been there for a couple of times."

I smiled and looked at him. "So it's bigger on the inside?"

It was Rian's turn to frown as he surely couldn't understand my reference. "Well, yes, it is. This library is much smaller than the one under the House and doesn't have so many books." Then, he flashed me a mysterious smile. "If I were you, I wouldn't go inside this library at night."

"Even with you as my protector?" I asked, fluttering my eyelashes.

"Well, especially with me because I would run away and leave you there alone." When I laughed, he added, "It's haunted."

"Bullshit."

He glanced at me. "Want to check it out?"

Though I didn't believe in things like ghosts and wraiths, I was sure as hell that he would use his magic to lift something there and scare the shit out of me. I knew he was capable of such things, so I said, "Maybe another time."

"Come on." Rian grabbed my hand. "Let's go inside."

"No, I don't want to," I protested. "Rian, stop it."

He laughed. "You're scared."

I opened my mouth to tell him something really mean when I suddenly felt a wave of coldness coming from his hand. Looking at our joined hands, I saw those famous three stars on his wrist that were now shining brightly with a yellowish light.

"What the–" I exclaimed but the three black stars on my own wrist started doing the same, and the coldness was growing stronger. I lifted my head and our eyes met. "Stop doing that," I said.

Rian seemed quite worried. "That's not me."

"It's not funny, Rian." I gritted my teeth when the coldness intensified even more. "Let go of me." When I tugged on our joined hands, I just drew him towards me and my second hand accidently grabbed his. "Sorry!" I gasped. The stars on our other wrists started glowing too, and the coldness took over as well.

"I said it wasn't me," he snapped, trying to move his hands away. His shadows appeared and covered our hands, but it didn't help either. "Fuck," he muttered. "I can't take both my hands away."

All of a sudden, I heard a low humming sound that just came from nowhere. Our eyes met seconds before something exploded between us, thrusting us aside into two different directions.