Kaelem dodged a ball of Summer energy as he flung his Unseelie shadow at Nevina again. The guards approached him and Scarlett, weapons of ice in their hands.

One shot an arrow at Scarlett. Her hands shot a ray of light, slicing the arrow in half from its tip to its end. It fell to the ground.

Kassandra and Nevina froze, confusion on their faces.

Light magic was from the Seelie Court, and since the Seelie Court weren’t supposed to take humans as lovers, Kaelem was sure they were wondering how a mortal girl had Seelie blood in her veins.

Using their shock as a distraction, Kaelem reached out his mind magic. Four of the six guards had no shields. Rookies. Within a breath, they fell to the ground, dead.

The Winter Queen didn’t know the capabilities Kaelem possessed. She’d messed with the wrong king. He’d broken rules by coming in to take his sister back, but if Nevina thought going to war with the Unseelie Court was a good idea, she’d soon learn how mistaken she’d been.

Wrath charged through Kaelem like a bomb ready to explode, refilling the magic he’d used to take down the guards. Nevina had set them up. She’d weakened his sister—or, more likely, had someone else do it, a sly way around the fae bargain they’d made—her body so close to death, as a ploy to get what she wanted. Kaelem would rather die than leave his sister behind—or to do the unthinkable and fulfill his promise to end her life. Power grew inside him. He’d warned Scarlett not to use her own emotion as fuel, but in that moment, he let his own anger explode.

Nevina turned her head to see her fallen guards. Rage consumed her face as she turned back to Kaelem. A shriek escaped her lips, echoing through the chamber. Ice shot out of her palms, aimed at Kaelem’s heart.

He diverted the ice daggers, sending them up into the ice above. More shadows swarmed Nevina. Kaelem tried to invade her mind, but her mental shields remained strong.

Kassandra shot more magic at Scarlett, who was holding her own against the former Summer Queen.

Kaelem didn’t have time to watch. He hoped Scarlett could save herself. If not, her blood would be on his hands. If anything happened to her, he would keep his word and save her sister. For now, he needed to focus on taking down Nevina.

The Winter Queen’s rage grew. Ice daggers flew at Kaelem.

He blocked all but one that stabbed through his shoulder.

The Winter Queen gleamed. “It’s the Solstice, little king.”

Kaelem lunged out of the way of an arrow.

A guard with a sword attacked, his blade of ice slicing at Kaelem’s neck.

Kaelem twisted around him. Shadows grew from his hands, wrapping themselves around the guard’s neck and squeezing tight. Kaelem used him as a shield as he gasped for air.

The Ice Queen shot another dagger at Kaelem.

Kaelem caught it with the guard, straight through his forehead.

“Go get the rest,” Nevina barked at the last living guard, who obliged.

The Winter Queen had underestimated him and Scarlett. Otherwise, she would have already brought more guards.

Kaelem was strong, but he had his limits. If the other guards returned, the chance to escape would be lost.

Nevina attacked Kaelem with more ice. He reached inside her mind. Blocked. If he could get completely through, he could take her down within a blink. He stopped the ice daggers from reaching him with ropes of shadow, shooting more toward Nevina. As a strand circled her neck and tightened, a gap appeared inside her mental shields.

“Your Court will fall, Nevina,” Kaelem said, slipping past the fallen shield. “If word gets out I’ve been harmed, the wrath of my people will be upon you.”

“Please,” Nevina replied. “My army will attack before they have a chance. The Unseelie Court will be mine.”

Kaelem continued to fight Nevina. Slowly, he was cracking her mental shield. He needed to hurry. He was inside enough to access her memories. There, he found a vision of her as a child, riding her horse through the snow-covered forest with her father. Perfect. It was just what he needed.

He pictured the image of her father and, as he slipped past the next layer of her shields, he made her see him standing in front of her.

“Father?” Nevina’s voice cracked as she spoke.

Kaelem had heard he’d been stabbed by a dagger to end the Winter war against Summer, so he imagined a dagger protruding from her father’s heart, blood dripping into a puddle on the ground.

“No!” she screamed, agony shooting through her.

The last ring of her mental shields shook. Kaelem was so close.

A few feet away, Scarlett cried out. Her hands covered her ears as she screamed. Kassandra must have invaded her mind.

Kaelem was too busy to help. If he stopped now, Nevina would strengthen her mind again and he wouldn’t be able to get back in.

But if Scarlett couldn’t push her back out, it wouldn’t take Kassandra long to crush her.

The Winter Court gates were open. Two guards stood by, but when Raith said they were there for the Solstice, they let him and Sage pass.

Raith could feel Scarlett screaming from the bond. She needed him—now. He picked up his pace.

Sage matched it.

Hope filled him. If he hurried, he could save her.

The hope fell in shreds when he stepped inside the Ice Palace.

Cade and Poppy stood, both dressed in ball apparel, staring wide-eyed at his presence.

Sage pulled the bow from her back as Raith reached for his daggers.

“Brother,” Raith said.

A group of Winter guards rushed past, oblivious to the exposed weapons. They headed to wherever Scarlett was.

“I see you’re alive and well,” Cade said. He had no weapon, but an aqua orb grew in his hands. “You should have stayed away.”

“She’s in trouble.”

“Who?”

“Scarlett.”

Cade clenched his teeth.

“You already almost killed her once,” Raith said. “She could die any moment. I can feel her panic.”

Cade glanced around the room as if he was looking for someone.

“Now’s your chance,” Poppy said. “We can take them.”

“Please.” Sage chuckled. “You have no weapons.”

Poppy lifted her dress and pulled out a dagger. “Don’t we?”

Sage raised her bow and pulled an arrow from her back, loading it and aiming it at Poppy’s forehead.

Poppy was one of the fiercest females Raith had met—until he met Sage. She fought like no one he’d ever seen. She’d wipe the smugness right off of Poppy’s face.

“Save her,” Cade said.

Poppy snapped her head toward him. “What?”

“We can battle each other another day.”

Raith wasn’t sure if he should trust his brother, but he didn’t have time to overthink it. “C’mon.”

He and Sage walked around Poppy and Cade, not turning their backs until they were around the corner.

Raith could feel Scarlett near. He just needed to find her before it was too late.