The Winter Court, 4
Driven by despair and heartbreak Wren O’Connor flees her village, only to pass through the Veil and into the perilous realm of Faery. Trapped in a world of beauty and cold magic, death seems tragically near.
But the threads of Fate are not woven idly, and her life is spared. Rescued by the Royal Bard of The Winter Court, Wren owes Thade a debt that cannot easily be repaid.
Fortunately for the mortal maiden, Thade has long been in search of a muse—and Wren is it. Trusting the portents of Fate, the bard offers her his heart, protection, and eternal devotion … but is Wren willing to turn her back on the only faith she’s ever known and put her trust in Fate too?
Excerpt:
My chest aches with a pain that steals my breath away, as if the bitter thorns of Fall themselves are piercing my heart. With tears streaking down my flushed cheeks, I run, hiking up my simple woolen dress as colorful leaves crush under my boots, releasing the dizzying scent of decay and petrichor into my lungs with each frantic step.
I shouldn’t be so devastated… Finn was never mine. I knew he was betrothed to another yet seeing him finally wed drove home the cruel stake of finality in a way I never expected. I’d always admired him for his kind heart and courage, but also for his learned mind. He was an educated man and loved to read as much as I. Together we’d shared a bond, one of friendship and comfort. But I’d always dreamed by some twist of Fate it could perhaps one day be more… I dreamed that his courtship would sour and he’d at last see me as the future Mrs. Maclellan.
But this noon gone, he walked the aisle of our humble little church and pledged himself to his bride forever before God, leaving me to pine and perish in the shadow of a love that could never be mine. Seeing them so happy together, the townsfolk showering them with rice and smiles… I just couldn’t remain. The fire that blazes inside me in rebellion and the hurt is too strong. I fear that if I linger, my soul might burst, and the town will burn to ashes in my wake.
It’s better this way. I don’t know where I’m going. I just run—into the wilderness, heedless of my direction—as the hellish inferno burning within me threatens to immolate me alive. Gasping, I fall to my hands and knees, only to find the ground beneath me is no longer damp and littered with the colors of the season. Swallowing hard, a ripple of disbelief shivering through my limbs, I stare at the sparkling, crisp, white snow. Snow? It makes no sense. It’s not possible. It’s only autumn…
Oh, but it is, a quiet voice in the back of my mind whispers. A chill creeps up my spine as the impossible suddenly becomes my new reality. “It can’t be,” I breathe, clenching my fingers under the snow, before sitting back on my knees to gaze up at the world around me. “Faery.” Good God. It’s still All Hallows’ Eve. In my anguish and heartbreak, I’d forgotten all about the perils of the fae, of the simple and undeniable truth that the Veil between our realms is gossamer thin on this sacred day.
Biting my lower lip, I rub my hands together, breathing into them in an attempt to create warmth. “What have I done?” My breath whorls in the air, frosting on the breeze as my jaw goes slack and I drink in the ethereal beauty of the landscape stretching out before me in all directions. Lakes that should by all rights be frozen shimmer beneath the moon as if untouched by winter’s cold. Trees bigger than any I’ve ever seen reach toward the heavens—pines, oaks, and conifers, all immense beyond mortal comprehension and blanketed in glittering drifts of snow.
Climbing to my feet, I take a staggering step forward, my heartache forgotten temporarily as it races with awareness and a palpable sense of danger. Though most of us live in fear of the Devil and his demons, they’re a threat beyond the grave, a danger to our eternal souls … but Faery? From the moment we draw our first breath we’re taught to fear it. The fae are closer than the terrors of Hell. They’re just a whisper away, a real physical threat, our realms separated from one another by a Veil as intangible as the promise of an eternity in Heaven.
Licking my lips, I fold my arms across my chest and look behind me, but it’s clear there’s no going back. My village and its familiar forests are gone, lost beyond the Veil. I could run toward home forever and never find it. The stories of those lost to Faery are as old as time, and I know them well. The way between our realms is not a stationary thing, not a door, or tear in the fabric of the world one can just find at will. It cannot be located on a map or marked. The ways are always changing and once gone, may never reappear in the same place again.
My only choice, regardless of how I feel or what awaits me, is to move forward—to survive. Faery is notoriously cruel and the Lands of Winter especially so. The fae of The Winter Court are said to be as cold as the ice and snow they dwell amidst. I must find shelter sooner rather than late, or I’ll freeze. My dress is woolen, and my knitted shawl warm enough for Fall, but entirely inadequate to protect me from the bitter bite of a true winter.
“Come on,” I say, encouraging myself to motion. “Fate has laid a new path before me and I must walk it, no matter how difficult.” One step after another, I trudge my way through the fresh, deep snow, my dress becoming increasingly saturated as I go. Soon, I’m shivering, my teeth chattering, and my fingers almost numb, but I walk until my every breath is labored and the icy air burns my lungs like frozen fire. The vast landscape around me shrinks, closing in around me as I step from the seemingly never-ending space of open, crystalline fields and venture deep into the shadowed forest beyond the lake.
Here, the snowfall is softer, the tremendous, gnarled canopy above preventing most of it from ever reaching the ground. Verdant grass and glowing flowers spring up in the shelter afforded by the trees, their blades and petals shimmering, as if covered in diamond dust. I recognize snow-white lilies and pale, frosted foxgloves. Swallowing hard, I collapse once more, huddling up among the roots of a great oak as a strangled sob escapes my throat. Despite the magical world around me, I can feel the life ebbing from me with each passing moment. With every breath a little more of my warmth fades, replaced with a cold that seems to settle into my very bones.
Hugging myself against the cruel frost that threatens to seep into my soul, my inner fire spent, I shed tears that freeze almost instantly, creating trails of shimmering ice on my cheeks. Just as I’m about to break down, giving into the melancholy of my seemingly hopeless predicament, a voice so beautiful my heart skips a beat reaches my ears on the wind, and I look up, a fragile flicker of hope bursting to life within me like a spark in the gloom of my despair.
The fourth book in the Winter Court, another captivating story in the series. Wren O’Connor flees her village, only to pass through the Veil and into the perilous realm of Faery. She is rescued by Thade the Royal Bard of The Winter Court. A well-written second story with a compelling storyline and great characters,that includes a satisfying, happy ending.
This is the fourth story in the "Winter Court" series and can be enjoyed as a stand alone read. The story is about Wren, who has run away from her village in heartbreak because the man she loved married another. She has run into the realm of Faery land. Thade, Royal Bard of The Winter Court, is looking for inspiration when stumbles on the freezing young maiden. His Muse! I enjoyed their steamy story.
Oh to be wren ? if you love fae, this book is for you! I read it one one go, I couldn't put it down, thade is all you need in life. It's charming, magical and spicy it really is everything you need in a short read.
This is Book 4 of The Winter Court series. It can be read as a standalone. The plot was intriguing and well paced. World building continues to impress. The characters were very complex and complicated. All in all a very good read. Recommend. Grab a copy, kick back and enjoy!
Wren is the fourth human that accidentally crosses over into Faery. She was just devastated that the man she was interested in marrying, chose someone else. She thought they had a lot in common. Since it was All Hallow’s Eve, the barrier between Earth & Faery was thin and she crossed over. But, it is deep winter there and she is dressed for a Fall day. She begins to freeze and is crying when Thade is traveling thinking of ways to find inspiration for new material since he is the Royal Bard of the Winter Court. Things have changed there since Kyren became King and Raven, Queen, since she had once been human. Thade finds Wren and helps her, and he knows that she is his Fated. After they talk, they realize that they were meant for each other and we learn about her past and how strict everything is for women in the human world. So, they discuss mating and decide to do it, knowing that by the time that the Winter Solstice comes and the Winter Court celebrates, Wren will have almost completed her transition from human to fae. I love the end of the book. There is so much beauty and craziness in Faery. It has changed so much since book 1 as well. The book is cute, sweet, romantic, steamy and I loved it. Raven and the other turned Fae women from the previous books are hilarious together when they start scheming. I love how the men just look on and are not that worried about the ramifications. lol. I can’t wait to see what happens next.
Wren is running from devastating heartbreak and runs right into Faery. Everything is so different there. Every step is trouble and peril. Then there is Thade, the bard from Winter Court, who fate has thrown together. This is so well written. Faery is not just magical and dangerous but it has be described so well it brings you right into the story. This journey of Wren’s isn’t just about her and Thade, it’s about her every step of the way from her choices to her heart. This is an incredible read.
Wren was ‘in love’ with Finn, and she had to watch him marry another. While fleeing in her pain, she stumbles into ‘Faery’ and the ‘Winter Court’. Thade, the Royal Baird, is seeking his muse when he tumbles across Wren, and discovers his mate. What follows is a quick, spicy read where two loners find their happiness together. Despite the spice, this was a very sweet read.
