Free The Ice Queen (Dark Queens Book 3) by Jovee Winters Page B

themselves with tidying up an already immaculate palace. The animals she held so dear too had their place in the keep, roaming the halls and rooms as freely as he did.
    Heavy chandeliers spun of ice and crystals hung from massive icy beams above, lighting every square inch of the place with an ambient blue glow. Snow bees moved in tight little clusters throughout, dropping fat flakes of snow in their wake.
    This home of hers was unlike the one she normally lived in, that one was austere, somber, and empty. Only she and her damnable falcon lived in it. There were no servants. No flame. No kitchens smelling of roasted and sizzling foods.
    Why had she gone through all the effort? She could easily have afforded to keep the three of them locked up in their separate rooms until the month’s end, but she hadn’t.
    Perhaps she was truly lonely—lonelier than even he’d imagined. He smiled.
    Licking his front teeth, he continued to walk, stopping only to stare at something now and again before moving on. Aware immediately of another presence lingering in the hall, he turned and followed the astringent scent of horseflesh.
    He stopped once he saw the centaur staring forlornly out the window. He did not need to look out to know what the creature spied on.
    Luminesa was out there, no doubt communing with her winds of ice and snow. It was a struggle not to laugh uproariously at the sight of the centaur. Everything was going according to plan.
    Already the centaur was fulfilling his purpose for being here.
    To thaw the queen’s icy heart.
    To make her fall in love.
    The Goblin hadn’t understood why Baba had sent him for the damnable beast in the beginning, but he understood it now. The look on the male’s face as he watched her, one of utter fascination and budding desire...the Goblin almost choked on his laughter, swallowing it down before the sound betrayed him.
    Once it would have infuriated him to see a male chase after her, there’d been a time, long, long in the past when he’d considered Luminesa his. But that time had long since passed. All the Goblin wanted now was his vengeance.
    She’d become so besotted by her beast that her thoughts would be divided, she’d be unable to focus on the fact that the key to their release sat literally beneath her nose.
    But even if by some quirk of fate she was able to learn where it was, she’d never have the stomach to do what was needed to actually free them.
    The Goblin released a happy breath. He was just about to turn when Alador grunted heavily, turning sharp, intelligent eyes in his direction.
    He knew he’d see nothing. For he’d turned himself invisible.
    “Who’s there?” The beast asked in a deep, rolling voice, hooves clacking on the icy floor as he took a step in his direction.
    But he only chuckled, his voice mingling with the howl of the winds outside the walls.
    Bored now, the Goblin put his last piece of the plan into play.
    Holding out his palm, he blew at the pile of silver that’d suddenly appeared on it. Scattering it through the winds.
    This glass was different.
    This glass was special.
    “Have fun, beast,” he whispered, and then cackled as outside the window red eyes glowed.

Chapter 7
    Luminesa
    B one tired now, Luminesa was just about to finally head back to her room and try to get whatever sleep she could when she froze, heart thumping powerfully in her chest as rows upon rows of red, burning eyes suddenly sprouted all around her.
    “What in the bloody hell is—”
    She never got to finish her thought as suddenly the castle was rocked by a thunderous shaking, roll. The power of it tossed her to her feet.
    Two things happened at once.
    Alador came barreling through the door, and one of those red eyed monsters crawled up and over the castle’s parapets.
    Eyes widening, Luminesa stared into the deranged face of an ice demon.
    Ten feet of enchanted ice with fangs for teeth, and eyes that glowed the color of hell’s flame. It roared as it came