"And you think I didn't?"


Another lean, shadowy figure came into view. "Ash." Rowan smiled as his brother stalked toward them. "What a coincidence," Rowan continued, still bearing that disgustingly smug grin. "Come and join us, little brother. We were just talking about you."
"What are you doing, Rowan?" Ash sighed, sounding more irritated than anything. "Mab told us not to bother the Summer."

"Me? Bother her?" Rowan looked incredulous, blue eyes widening into the picture of innocence. "I'm never a bother. We were just having a scintillating conversation. Weren't we, Princess? Why don't you tell him what you just told me?"


Ash's silver gaze flicked to Isiea's, a shadow of uncertainty crossing his face.


"Oh, come now, Princess, dont be shy," Rowan purred. "You seemed to have a lot to say about our dearest boy Ash, here. Go on and tell him."

,, I have a lot to say because youre asking questions about him. ,, She retorts. ,, Thats like if I asked you about yourself, then got all shocked when you talk about yourself. ,,

" yeah. I do. "

"Ouch. That kind of hurts."


Ash's gaze hardened. Striding away from them, he bent and plucked something out of the snow, holding it up before him. It was the fruit she'd dropped, a single bite taken out of the flesh, like Snow Whites poisoned apple. Only it wasn't an apple now, but a big spotted toadstool, the fleshy insides white as bone.

" Im sorry, I guess. "

She stares at it, then glares at Rowan.

"Yeah...you're still not sorry."



Ash also said nothing. Glaring at Rowan, too, he held up the mushroom and raised an eyebrow. Rowan sighed.
"Mab didn't specifically say we couldn't use spill-your-guts," Rowan said, shrugging his lean shoulders. "Besides, I think you'd be most interested in what our Summer princess has to say about you."

"Why should I be?" Ash tossed the mushroom away, looking bored again. "This conversation isn't important. I made the bargain to get her here, and now its done. Anything I said or did was for the purpose of bringing her to court."

" I know. "

Isiea is still glaring at Rowan.

"Yeah, I know you know."



Rowan still has that infuriatingly smug look on his face.

"Mab doesn't care how I did it, as long as the goal was accomplished," Ash continued. "Which is more than I can say for you." He crossed his arms and shrugged, the picture of indifference. "Now, if we're quite done here, the half-breed should return inside. The queen will not be pleased if she freezes to death."