Author: Audrey Grey
Category: Fantasy
Go to read content：https://readnovelfree.com/p/26858_19
As I watch Valerian create his portal, the snowflakes drifting into that rainbow oval and disappearing, a part of me aches for him to stay.
He catches my gaze, gives a dark smile, and disappears along with a sullen Asher before I can say anything.
Mack squeezes my shoulder, concern welling inside her corn-flower blue eyes. “What did he do? Do I need to murder him? I will, you know. I’ll make the ice prince my bitch.”
“Now that I would love to see,” Eclipsa drawls from the doorway. She has a death-grip on the now empty bag of Zapp’s potato chips, and she’s licking the last bit of spice from her baby-blue fingernails.
Frick, how does she sneak up like that?
Whispers: Interactive StoriesMake your own choices and decide what happens next!
“The prince didn’t do anything,” I assure them both. “In fact, he was actually pretty decent.”
Which is super annoying because this would all be so much easier if he switched back to dickhead mode.
Eclipsa raises a silver eyebrow, causing the jewels above to sparkle. “The Winter Prince, decent? Has the seven Fae hells frozen over?”
I shake my head, just as confused as she is.
“Oberon’s beard, I never thought I’d see the day. The Winter Prince, tamed by a mortal.” Eclipsa finishes licking her fingers and jerks her head toward the door. “You have to come back in there with me. I thought the tension between the Summer and Winter Courts was bad, but that room—”
I hold up my hand. “Coming. Just keep my aunt away from any weapons until then, okay?”
As soon as Eclipsa disappears, Mack wraps her arm in mine. “Pfft, how dare the Winter Prince be nice to you. Now, let’s go drown your sorrows in grocery-bought cake frosting before the tiny terrorists ruin that one too.”
I roll out my shoulders. “Mackenzie Fairchild, I don’t deserve you.”
She laughs. “Just wait until you open my gift. Then you really won’t deserve me.”
We spend the next two hours doing just that. Opening my presents and eating ourselves into a sugar coma. When it’s time to return to the academy, I check my phone, annoyed at how my heart leaps when I see Valerian’s text.
Silk briefs are my favorite . . . if you’re still curious.
I smile at the winky face emoji he added before my grin falters.
Summer Solstice, you’re so epically screwed.
4
The first day of school starts off completely different than last time. First, I’m not freezing my lady balls off. Second, I actually fill out the hunter green shorts and white tank top, and my arms ripple with muscles. Third, thanks to the highly complicated espresso machine Mack’s dads gifted her for the first day, a latte warms my fingers. The rich coffee aroma, intermingled with the perfume of tulips and lilies drifting in the air, makes me grin like a maniac.
If victory had a smell, it would be this. And my day doesn’t start with swimming for my life, performing CPR, and then being ogled and fought over.
The only downside is not getting to punch Reina in her surgically enhanced nose—but the day is young.
I take a sip of my latte and sigh. “This year is going to be my year, Mack. I can feel it.”
“Correction, it’s going to be our year.”
Mack tucks a strand of her chocolate shoulder-length hair behind her ear. It’s longer than the last time I saw her, and she must have had it straightened, large chunks dyed pink and yellow. No doubt to expertly match the tulips lining the path to school.
A flower print romper and brown leather booties make her even more adorable than usual.
Her sprite, Thornilia, flies just above her. Thornilia lists off Mack’s class schedule, which she’s already memorized, the showoff, and reminds Mack which books she needs for the first period.
Somehow, Thornilia also carries Mack’s triple almond-milk latte.
Ruby, on the other hand, hasn’t even woken up. She’s nestled on top of my backpack, snoring in my ear.
My new phone buzzes in my short’s pocket. I grin as I pull it out, ignoring Mack’s knowing look.