Court of Nightmares and Ruin

Chapter 33

Kohl

Someone was going to die today. With the mood I was in, it was inevitable. My anger bubbled over like an overfull cauldron, and the contents were deadly. Someone had dared to enter my realm, poisoned my mate, and now my little snowflake sat in my bedroom crying. I knew exactly who was at the head of the line to die...Grimhilde.

Following her twisted thoughts, I quickly transported myself to the Winter Realm and located Grimhilde. I was surprised to find her outside the castle alone. I appeared before her instantly, and she froze in fear and fell to her knees.

"Your weakness is unbecoming for a queen." I gnashed my teeth at her.

Her impotence made me sick. Icelyn would never bow before anyone, no matter how scared she was.

"What is it you want?" she stammered as she bowed even lower, the front of her skull brushing the frozen ground.

"Let us not play games, Grimhilde. I know very well that you were in my realm and what you did to my mate. What I need to know is how you did it and who helped you. I know you do not have the powers to do such a feat."

She slowly sat upright, her eyes searching mine. "You...you are mistaken. It was I that poisoned the apple."

I forced my way through the barrier in her mind, grabbed her worst fear, and used it against her. She writhed on the ground in pain.

"I will not ask again," I warned.

"A witch! I had help from a witch!" she screamed.

"Of that, I am already certain. I want to know who and where I can find her, so she can reverse the spell."

"I cannot! I will not tell you! Icelyn must die. I have been shown my future. If she is allowed to live, she will kill me."

There was a craziness in her eyes and hatred that was so dark and twisted that I knew no matter what I did to her, she would never reveal her accomplice.

"You dare to threaten Icelyn's life in my presence? You are mistaken, Grimhilde. Icelyn will not kill you, but she is the reason you die today."

Without another word, I shattered her mind with fear. I watched in satisfaction as her green, tainted blood seeped onto the pure white snow. I glanced up from the body and looked towards the castle. I whisked myself to Icelyn's father and materialized before him. Unlike Grimhilde, he was honorable and stood upright before me.

"I am not one for treachery and games. I came here to tell you that you will find your queen dead outside the castle walls. I killed her."

A fleeting expression of shock crossed his face. He seemed dazed as if he just awoke from a deep sleep.

"What of my daughter Icelyn? Have you killed her as well?"

"Your daughter is my true mate. I would never harm her," I scoffed at his question.

"I was in my right to take your queen. She entered my realm without consent and poisoned Icelyn. Your daughter has been turned into a human."

I expected him to declare war on my realm at any second or at least be a little distraught by the death of his queen, but instead, he seemed almost relieved.

"What is to become of my daughter?"

"I'll fix this. I'm not sure how yet, but if it takes the last breath in my body, I will find a way to cure her."

"Good, see that you do."

I nodded my head at him once in mutual agreement. I never had many dealings with the king of the Winter Realm, but he gained a smidgen of my respect this day.

I returned to my realm even more frustrated than when I left. I was no closer to figuring out who cursed Icelyn, which pissed me off. I had to return to Icelyn quickly. A powerful enemy was still prowling around, and I did not know who or what their motive was.

A growl of frustration left my lips when I looked around my room. Icelyn was nowhere to be found. My heart increased tempo. What if someone had taken her during my absence? I snatched open the door and found the guard where I had left him.

"Where is she?"

The guard stepped back at the sound of my menacing voice. I was seconds away from ending him right there where he stood.

"I don't know, Kohl. I never left my post, no one went in, and she never came out."

I inhaled deeply to collect my rage. "If you value your life, you better disappear from my sight, round up the rest of my army, and find her."

He dashed off without another word, and I returned to my room. Her scent was still strong in here, and I didn't smell an intruder, but I also hadn't sensed Grimhilde until it was too late. At least, that was one enemy I no longer needed to concern myself with.

I ventured out onto the balcony. She had been here and not long ago. I leaped over the ledge and landed on my feet at the bottom. I crouched down and observed the ground. Two sets of footprints and the smell of my mate and Jen lead me in the direction of the woods. I stood and started out after them like a bloodhound on the trail. They disobeyed my direct orders. I was going to ring both of their necks when I got my hands on them.