Jack Frost, page 9
His mane of brown hair was as unruly as his beard, both of which were entirely too long for Finn’s taste. They were Fairy Lords, but Beast didn’t seem to care about representing the Court of the Springtime Fae. Finn worked hard to compensate for Beast’s shortcomings. He kept his dark hair short, like their king’s, though it meant he needed to keep up a glamour constantly to hide his pointed ears. He always wore a pale blue, three-piece suit of the best craftsmanship.
The idea of Beast donning a suit like the Finn’s was oddly disconcerting. At least Beast’s hair covered up his own elven ears, since he never bothered with glamours either, opting to take on an animal form when he was around mortals instead.
“What you’ve done isn’t nearly enough.” Beast’s low, gravely voice dripped with anger.
“Lord Beast.” Finn stared into eyes the same pale green as his own. “You’re a day early for the festivities.”
“I don’t give a shit about your party, Lord Bough.” Beast growled Finn’s title like an insult. “The animals are rising from their winter slumber. They need plants to eat, and I’m barely seeing any growth.”
“I’m working on it.” Finn gestured to the plants surrounding him.
“This is one spot. Work harder.”
All Finn did was work. The Oak King wasn’t making his job easier by insisting the Feast of Ostara take place in the mortal realm this year—and be primarily arranged by humans. What did he hope to gain with that decree? The Fae always had an agenda, especially their king.
“There are years when the plants are slower to return,” Finn said. “That’s all this is.”
“Snow and frost are still thick on this land. I can only delay so many of my creatures from emerging. I will not have them greeted by famine and death.”
“That’s not going to happen.”
Beast’s nostrils flared, and he stood straighter, matching Finn’s impressive height. He angled his head, trying to catch some scent that was beyond Finn’s abilities to detect. Beast curled his lip up in a snarl, his shoulders hunching as he sank back into his usual feral pose.
“See that it doesn’t.” A bright golden light gleamed beneath his skin. He turned, his body shrinking as he took on the form of a wild hare and bounded away.
“Why does he always do that when I show up?”
For the second time, a deep voice sounded behind Finn. Strangely, this one was even less welcome than the first. Finn did his best to mask his unease, turning to face his King. He lifted his right hand over his heart as he bowed.
“My liege,” Finn said.
The Oak King was still staring after Beast. Like his namesake, the Oak King was massively built and taller than Finn and Beast. His chest was twice their size, his tan human-style jacket straining against his biceps. His hair was a lighter brown than theirs, but they all shared the same green eyes. Unlike Finn, the Oak King wasn’t bothering with a glamour to hide the long ears that rose to points on either side of his head.
“Lachlan, in the mortal realm,” the Oak King said, still staring in the direction Beast had gone. “It’ll draw less attention.”
“Certainly.” Finn cautiously added, “But if you truly wish to be inconspicuous, you might want to mask your ears.”
“Right.” A faint rustle of leaves sounded as he called on his magic, the tapered points of his ears suddenly rounding like a human’s. “I always forget something.”
Finally, he turned his attention to Finn, smiling. He even reached out and rested a hand on Finn’s shoulder, though his grip was tighter than Finn liked. Something was definitely going on, and it did not sit well with him.
“That’s why I have you,” the Oak King—Lachlan—said.
Finn didn’t like that smile. It usually preceded a task. He had been given more than enough to do already, and Beast was right. Spring was late in coming this year, not only because of the presence of Frost and Snow. The extra work Lachlan was giving him and the added complications of having the Feast of Ostara in the mortal realm was a distraction that Finn didn’t need.
“You should know that Lord Snow of the Yuletide Fae is still living in Crystal Hollow,” Finn said. “And Jack Frost has taken up with a shopkeeper and her son. I doubt he’ll be leaving anytime soon.”
“Frost and Snow.” Lachlan shook his head. “No wonder Crystal Hollow is encased in winter. But only for one more day. Tomorrow, the Wheel of the Year will turn as we mark Ostara with a magnificent celebration.” Perhaps he saw something in Finn’s expression that he didn’t like, because his grip tightened. “Right?”
“Yes, it will be extraordinary. I’m getting everything in order.”
“You are?” Lachlan said. “You were to give this task to a mortal woman. Your attention is needed elsewhere, to renew the plants and trees. She should be the one taking care of the feast.”
“Of course, and she is. But for something this important, there needs to be oversight. I’ve managed the Feast of Ostara myself every year for longer than—”
“For long enough.”
Lachlan’s words sent a chill through Finn. His mouth dried and his palms dampened. Was he being replaced? Surely the Oak King wasn’t considering mortals for the job. Letting them manage the feast for one year was a diversion in the Oak King’s eternal existence. Surely, it was just for entertainment. They were doing well enough with Finn’s help this year, but eventually, they would fall short of the Oak King’s standards. Finn’s heart clenched at the thought of him unleashing his displeasure on the humans Finn had been working with for the last few weeks.
“My King, if you’re unhappy with what I’ve done before—” Finn began.
“It’s nothing like that.” Lachlan shook his head and finally released Finn’s shoulder. “The Yuletide Fae have grown too powerful. We need to match their strength if we’re to keep the balance of nature. More than the mortal realm depends on the Wheel of the Year turning smoothly.”
“How do you propose we match their power? We don’t even know where it’s coming from.” Finn wasn’t quite ready to tell the Oak King about the strange boost in his own magic that he had experienced that morning.
“You leave that to me,” Lachlan said. “Focus on your task—Lord of Renewed Boughs. Make the land green and let the mortal take care of the rest.”
“Of course.” Finn bowed slightly.
“What did you say her name was again?”
A shiver skittered down Finn’s spine. Names had power among the Fae. Why did the Oak King want to know hers? He had never shown an interest in a mortal at all. Finn knew of other Courts who meddled with humans as entertainment. A pang of sympathy echoed through his chest at the unfortunate beings who came to those Faes’ attention.
“It’s Hayden, my liege—I mean, Lachlan,” Finn said.
“Hayden.” A ripple of power flowed out from Lachlan as he said her name. Finn’s unease grew. “And she’s managing the tasks well?”
“Yes, very well, but…” Finn’s voice trailed off. Lachlan turned fully to Finn, staring at him expectantly. “You should know that mortals do things… differently than Fae.”
Lachlan laughed. “I imagine so. They lack our magic.”
“They have their own resources,” Finn said.
Lachlan’s smile faded, his focus intent on Finn. “Go on.”
“Mortals can’t rely on magic, so they instead turn to each other. They work together to achieve their common goals. The woman I’ve hired to manage the Feast, for instance, has a team assisting her. And they also have helpers.”
Lachlan’s lips quirked up on one side. “So, this Hayden is a leader.”
“I suppose you could say that.” Finn’s stomach felt like it was filling with lead. Why was the Oak King so interested in Hayden?
“That shopkeeper I mentioned who Jack Frost is living with is actually a member of Hayden’s team.” Perhaps if Lachlan knew Hayden wasn’t doing everything entirely without magic, his strange interest in her would diminish. “Frost has been helping them.”
“Really?” Lachlan’s eyebrows rose, but a ghost of a smile crossed his face. “Impressive, that she could catch his attention.”
“It wasn’t Hayden, it was her friend Ava,” Finn hurried to correct Lachlan.
“That doesn’t matter. Hayden put this into motion. That’s what’s important.” He paused briefly, lips still pulled in that unsettling smile. “I have another task for you to present to her. Use your powers to give her the materials she needs, but leave the rest to her.”
Another task? The feast preparations were nearly complete. Hayden and her friends were already stretched beyond their limits. They had only succeeded in the Oak King’s previous tasks with the help of a powerful fairy. What did he want from them now? And worse, what would he do to them should they fail?
“My King…” Finn wasn’t entirely sure what he wanted to say. His mind was spinning.
The Oak King turned a piercing stare on Finn, power flowing through his gaze. The ring that the Oak King had given Finn when he agreed to become one of his Fairy Lords heated. Finn gritted his teeth as discomfort built to pain.
“You will give her the task and observe how she handles it,” Lachlan said. “Understood?”
“Yes, my liege,” Finn said.
But if Lachlan thought Finn would leave Hayden and her friends to fail and suffer whatever penalty the Fae King might have in mind, he was very much mistaken.
—
Prince Charming is in for a big shock when he discovers the true source of the new powers rising in members of the Fae who bond with mortals. If you want to learn more about Jack’s world, be sure to check out the Court of the Yuletide Fae trilogy!
I’d love to keep in touch. Join my newsletter to hear about all the adventures happening in Cassland and be sure to check out my reader group. And if you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review at your favorite book review site. Reviews are so important to authors. You can also help by spreading the word among your friends. I appreciate you so much!
Thank you for reading Jack Frost!
Cassandra Chandler
About the Author
USA Today Bestselling author Cassandra Chandler uses her vivid imagination to make the world more interesting, spawning the ideas she turns into her evocative Science Fiction Romances and enthralling Paranormal and Urban Fantasy Romances. Fast-paced and funny, lighthearted or filled with suspense, her stories will introduce you to characters you’ll fall in love with and worlds you long to explore.
Look for More Titles by Cassandra Chandler
Court of the Springtime Fae
Jack Frost
Court of the Yuletide Fae
The Yule Cat
The White Stag
The Krampus
The Department of Homeworld Security
Gray Card
Resident Alien
Business or Pleasure
Tied up in Customs
Entry Visa
Duration of Stay
Duel Citizenship
Invasive Species
Export Duty
COALITION RECKONING
Import Quarantine
Homeworld for the Holidays
Nothing to Declare
Rate of Return
Trade Secrets
THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMEWORLD SECURITY OMNIBUS 1
THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMEWORLD SECURITY OMNIBUS 2
Cygnian 7
NUAR
KRAL
LAR
DORN
BRON
The Blades of Janus
PACK
PROGENITOR
The Forbidden Knights
FORBIDDEN INSTINCT
The Summer Park Psychics
WANDERING SOUL
WHISPERING HEARTS
LINGERING TOUCH
THE SUMMER PARK PSYCHICS OMNIBUS
Other Works
CRAFTING A WRITER’S LIFE: Building a Foundation
Coming Soon
Court of the Springtime Fae
Prince Charming
The Oak King
Cygnian 7
TARN
ROM
Cassandra Chandler, Jack Frost
