Summer of Frost (7 page)

Oh, how I wished it was Drake in front of me
professing his love instead of Alston. Alston let go of my hands
and tilted my chin up with his finger so I could meet his eyes.
“How about we go for a walk? It’s not every day we get to come to
the Spring Court, and I know you like it here. I could see it in
your eyes.”

In a way I wanted to be alone, but a walk
through the gardens would probably help my sour mood. “Okay, but I
want Sarette to come with us,” I insisted, knowing that probably
spoiled his plan to seduce me, but he surprised me by smiling and
nodding his head.
Maybe he was serious about changing,
I
thought to myself, but I knew better than to fully believe it.

“I’ll go fetch her,” he agreed after kissing
my cheek.

After Alston left the room, it gave me a few
minutes to myself. I sat by the window on the plush window seat and
opened it, letting in the rosy Spring air. I breathed it in deeply
before calling out silently to my guardian.
“Oren, where are
you?”

“
Right next door, ai dulin, listening to
you and Alston.”

“
Stalker much?”
I laughed, earning a
laugh from him in return.

“
Sorry, but I kind of have to be. Just be
careful with Alston when you’re by yourself,”
he chided, worry
eminent in his voice.

“
Sarette will be with us, and I know
you’ll be close by. You know I can take care of myself. I’ve done
it before, and I honestly think he’s serious about trying to
change. He seems … different somehow.”

Oren sighed.
“I still don’t like him.
Anyway, you need to find Drake and tell him what’s going
on.”

“
I will, Oren,”
I huffed impatiently.
“When the time is right I will.”

“
Good, now go on your walk and try not to
fall into Alston’s clutches again.”

“
You have nothing to worry about,”
I
assured him.

I closed our connection so I could think
without knowing Oren could hear me. If Drake was the one for me
then why wasn’t he coming to me like Ryder did with Calista, and
the way Kalen did with Meliantha?
Was it because we were both
hard-headed as hell?
I wondered. One of us was going to have to
suck it up and make the first move, and it was looking like it was
going to be me.

After everyone had scattered to do their own
thing, I was tempted to follow Sorcha and talk to her.
What was
I going to talk to her about?
I asked myself. She would think I
was crazy if I started talking to her like I did in our dreams.
She’d laugh in my face if I told her what we did every night in
them together. My feet moved of their own accord, and guided me
toward the pull that I knew was her.

“Fuck it!” I groaned out loud, making my
decision. “I need to suck it up and find her.”

I ran into a servant along the way and she
happily pointed me in the direction of where Sorcha would be
staying. My heart thumped heavily in my chest the closer I got, the
same way it felt when I got close to her at the Winter Ball. I was
going to talk to her and go from there. Everything was going to be
fine … or so I thought. However, my excitement died in its tracks
when I turned the corner and saw someone I really didn’t want to
see.
What the hell was he doing here? Surely Sorcha wasn’t still
with him?
I wondered.

“Ah, Prince Dragon, so nice to see you
again,” Alston sneered sarcastically.

He narrowed his eyes at me and took up a
defensive stance. His hackles were raised, which clearly let me
know he wasn’t as calm as he wanted me to believe he was. After our
confrontation at the Winter Ball, I made sure to find out all about
Sorcha’s lover. Apparently, he came from a wealthy family and was
also the cousin to Sorcha’s best friend, Sarette. I was hoping that
would explain why he was there.

“I wish I could say the same,” I retorted
back.

Alston smiled at my comeback, but it quickly
disappeared. “Are you here to see Sorcha? Because we were just
getting ready to go for a walk. I’d ask you to join us, but I
really don’t want to.”

Feigning boredom, I answered, hoping my lie
was believable, “Frankly, I would rather stab myself in the eye
before having to spend any more time around you. If you must know,
no, I’m not here to see Sorcha, but I am shocked to see you here. I
thought she would’ve come to her senses by now.”

Alston grinned and winked at me. “Sorry to
disappoint you, but we’re still going strong … if you know what I
mean.”

He was goading me, but I knew I couldn’t act
on my anger and give him the satisfaction. “Glad to hear it,” I
lied, balling my hands into tight fists. I had to get away from him
before the rage got the better of me and I looked like a jackass.
Turning on my heels, I headed back the way I came. “Have fun on
your walk,” I grumbled over my shoulder.

“Oh, I will,” Alston called out, taunting me
with the double meaning in his tone.

Picking up my pace, I sped out of the
palace, losing my clothes in the process and not caring who saw. I
needed the release, and I needed to clear my head.
How and when
did I start feeling like I couldn’t stay in control?
I asked
myself.

The fury in me fueled the dragon, and I gave
in to it. My body stretched and my bones broke with the change as I
ran toward nothing in particular. I just ran, trying to get the
aggression out, and trying to get the Winter princess out of my
mind as well. The transformation happened almost instantly, and
with one flap of my wings I was in the sky where nothing and no one
could bother me.

After spending hours in the dark, cool sky,
I had finally decided to come down once my mood settled. The ground
was wet and soft as I collapsed, naked and fatigued upon it.
Falling asleep in the open wasn’t a going to be a good idea, so I
used the energy I had left and walked back to the palace. The
warriors posted outside didn’t say a word as I walked past them.
The clothes I shed earlier were lying in a heap on the palace
steps, and I was pretty sure Ariella was probably the one who did
that for me.

Pulling them on quickly, I headed inside,
going straight to the room that was given to me for the evening.
Once I fell onto the bed and closed my eyes, it didn’t take long
for the familiar pull to drag me under.

The setting of the dream this time was the
Spring Court in one of the many gardens around the palace. Sorcha
had her back to me, but she was pacing back and forth in the small
gazebo up ahead. These dreams were beginning to get ridiculous, and
in a way I wished they would stop. Leave it to me to dream about
someone I couldn’t have, or better yet, someone that didn’t even
exist.

The Sorcha in my dreams was kind, loving,
fun, strong, yet very stubborn, and so full of life and excitement.
We fought a lot, but it was always fun as hell. I like a woman who
can keep me on my toes, and this Sorcha could do it. It was
starting to get pathetic how I’ve made her up in my dreams.

The one thing that pissed me off was that
the real Sorcha had to be a shallow bitch if she considered Alston
to be someone worth being with. I came to the conclusion that these
dreams needed to stop, and they were going to now. I couldn’t waste
my time on a fantasy anymore.

When Sorcha heard me coming, she turned
around and gave me a slow growing smile. It was the same smile she
gave me after I made love to her. I hesitated for a second,
thinking there was no way I could let her go, but then reality hit
me again that this was only in my imagination. Maybe I needed to
find someone to fill my bed, surely that would help get these damn
dreams out of my head and clear my thoughts.

“
Drake!” she called out excitedly,
beaming.

When I didn’t respond, she slowed her
approach and eyed me wearily. “What’s wrong?”

“
What’s wrong?” I repeated. “I want the
dreams to stop, that’s what’s wrong.”

She flinched as if I’d hit her, and backed
up a step, looking confused. “I don’t understand. After last night
I thought things were going perfectly. You made love to me, Drake.
Are you saying that didn’t mean anything to you?”

“
That’s the thing, Sorcha,” I replied,
closing the distance. Taking her by the shoulder, I looked deep
into her eyes, and balked at the hurt displayed in them. I couldn’t
get over how they’re the same emerald green as the real Sorcha’s,
and just as beautiful. Exasperated, I motioned my arms to our
surroundings. “All of this isn’t real, none of it is. You’re just a
figment of what I’ve imagined the real Sorcha to be like. You’re
not her, and I want all of this to stop. I’ve never been this hard
up over a girl before, and I’m not going to start now. It has to
end; even if I never go to sleep again, I have to get you out of my
head. ”

“
You don’t understand,” she said quickly,
grabbing me by both arms with bruising force. “You have to let me
explain.”

Pulling away from her grasp, I moved away
slowly. “There’s nothing to explain. I want them to stop …
now.”

“
You’re not even going to hear me out?”
she yelled.

Turning my back on her, I began walking
away. “No!” I exclaimed over my shoulder. I could hear the wood
split after she punched one of the gazebo posts, and I was thankful
that it wasn’t my face she’d hit. Sorcha knew how to fight, and
with her spear, she made a volatile opponent. I had fun training
her in my dreams, but now it was going to be all over. I was going
to be free.

“
Fine! You want them to stop? Wake up you
arrogant jackass!”

My eyes flew open instantly with Sorcha’s
last words echoing through my mind. I got what I wanted, but why
did I feel so bad? The room was dark, signaling that morning had
yet to come, but I could feel it steadily creeping closer. I was
hesitant when I closed my eyes again, thinking my dream would pick
up where it left off, but I was surprised how empty I felt when all
that went through my dream was nothing except darkness.