Winter Queen (24 page)

His eyes wide, Rone rubbed his cheek. “What did she do?”

Ilyenna grinned and took Elice from his arms. Bending down, she let her child’s chubby fingers skim the top of the nearby lake. Intricate, swirling patterns of ice fanned out. Quickly, Ilyenna withdrew Elice and wrapped her in the furs.

“
Summer wouldn’t approve,” she said with a hint of pride.

Rone hesitated before tentatively taking Ilyenna’s hand. “You can’t stay here?”

She shook her head. “I am a queen. I live with my fairies.”

“Then I will go with you.”

Ilyenna watched Elice. “And what of your people?”

He looked sadly back at the clan house. “I never really came back to them.” He touched her face again. “You’re not the only one who has changed. I don’t belong here anymore. I belong with you.”

Ilyenna searched Rone’s gaze for signs of doubt. All she saw was relief, as if a great pain inside him had eased.

“The transformation will make you impervious to the cold, but you shall never again feel the warmth of the summer sun on your face. Never smell a freshly mowed field. Never taste the sweetness of a
juneberry. And you will never see your family again.”

Rone didn’t hesitate. “Since you left, I have felt none of those things. I have been empty.”

“Chriel,” Ilyenna called. The fairy with rabbit fur wings moved to take Elice. “I have chosen Rone Argon as my consort. Make him a friend of winter.”

“Wonderful, my queen!”
Chriel changed direction, fluttering forward and pressing her lips to Rone’s.

He stopped shivering as golden sun spilled over the valley. “I—I’m not cold anymore.”

Ilyenna smiled. For the first time since she’d been reborn as the winter queen, she felt whole.

Rone took her hand in his. He was smiling and splitting his gaze between Ilyenna and their daughter. “I love you,” he said.

In response, she called an aurora to dance before the stars. Spreading her great wings, she drew him to her and took to the skies.

The End

# # #

Acknowledgements

I first began Winter Queen in 2008. It would be nearly impossible to name every person who had a hand in the direction of the book during that seemingly interminable time span, but I would like to mention a notable few.

Thank you:

God—for letting me borrow Tolkien (literally) every once in a while. 

JoLynne Lyon, Cami Checketts, Steve Diamond, Michelle Argyle, Chris Loke, and Julie Slezak—for always pushing me to create something more powerful than I thought possible.

Andrea Winkler, Cathy Nielson, Tiffany Farnsworth, Stephanie Jensen, and Rachel Newswander—for making my prose as transparent as Ursella’s wings.

Kathy Beutler, Laura Sava, Robert Defendi, and Linda Prince—without your artistic talents, my readers would be forced to endure drawings of stick figures and read novels with pregnant sentences (inside joke—you’ll have to ask me sometime).

My family and friends—for seeing “author” as only a small part of m
e (because in reality, it is).

About the Author

Amber Argyle grew up with three brothers on a cattle ranch in the Rocky Mountains. She spent hours riding horses, roaming the mountains, and playing in her family’s creepy barn. This environment fueled her imagination for writing high fantasy.

She has worked as a short order cook, janitor, and staff member in a mental institution. All of which have given her great insight into the human condition and have made for some unique characters.

She received her bachelor’s degree in English and Physical Education from Utah State University.

She currently resides in Utah with her husband and three small children.

Connect with Amber Online:

Twitter:
http://twitter.com/amberargyle

Facebook:
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Blog:
http://amberargyle.blogspot.com

Web site:
http://www.amberargyle.com