The Ascension by Kailin Gow Page A

until recently the heir to my aunt, the Winter Queen.” Gem had guessed closer than she might Gem had guessed closer than she might have thought, it seemed, though it also looked like this Devon had spotted her game. That might actual y work for her though. After al , hadn’t medieval knights been keen on exactly that sort of overblown praise, mixed in with the odd pithy comment to show their cleverness? Especial y around women. Gem had read about medieval ideas of courtly love, and the admiration of noble women as almost a game. Her time in Anachronia had shown her that there was a serious edge to it, but stil , it seemed like something she could exploit.
    “Until recently?” Gem inquired. “I can hardly imagine that you might have fal en from favor.”
    “Ah, but you haven’t met my aunt.” There was a light note to that, but it faded quickly. “Truth be told, s h e rescinded my position the moment the two idiots showed up.”
    Gem didn’t have a clue what he was talking about, and it must have shown on her face.
    “Perhaps I am being too cruel,” Devon said,
    “but I, of al people, have a right to be upset. Two young fools showed up the other day, and now my aunt insists that they are her long lost children, Jack Frost and Katherine.”
    The names made Gem pause as the motion of the horse took them further across the snowy ground. Could Jack and Kat have made it through after al ? She didn’t know. The only thing to do was to keep Devon talking.
    “What do you say, Devon?”
    He gave a one-shouldered shrug as the other gripped the reigns.
    “I’l say whatever my aunt tel s me too, if I have any sense. Of course, since she’s not around, I can point out that, even with remedial tutoring, they both know nothing of our customs, or of our magic. I have been relegated behind two people who wil be next to useless in the battles to come, and who, even if they are my cousins, seem to have no interest in becoming what they must be. The girl in particular…
    she whines about everything, and from what I hear she was even prepared to argue with my aunt. I admire the bravery of it, but not the sagacity .” That definitely sounded like Kat to Gem.
    Hearing Devon say it made him seem a little less distant and intimidating too.

    “So how does the Winter Queen even know that they are her children?” Gem asked. “Or is it just Kat’s love of black that gives the game away?” That got the ghost of a smile from Devon, and he winked.
    “There’s the tale, milady. They are the right age, of course. The Summer Court stole my aunt’s children some sixteen years ago, as you would reckon time. They have a few signs of being fairy changelings, and Winter Court ones at that, given that they do not feel the cold. Also, they are from the right world, since the Summer Queen left them in the mortal realm. It is your home too, I believe?” It seemed that Devon real y did know about her. Gem nodded.
    “It is. So, what did I do to merit you finding out al about me?”
    “Wel , the Winter Queen does like to keep her eye on the many worlds. Anywhere the ice goes, she can look. Or rather, I can look, since it is my job to watch and bring anything salient to her attention.”
    “Oh, so you’re a warrior, and somewhere in line to the throne, a n d you do intel igence work.” Gem didn’t have to feign the impressed note in her voice. “Of course, you haven’t said why you watched me .”
    She got a polite smile in response.
    “Perhaps I thought you were worth watching.” They were back to the games, it seemed.
    Gem didn’t mind.
    “Of course,” she pointed out, “if you have been watching me, then you wil know that I could kil you with a word.”
    “You could,” Devon agreed. “I am ful y aware of how you became Anachronia’s ruler. Tales of your bravery and beauty has traveled far. I’m sure if you wanted to kil me, you would have. It makes me wonder what use you have planned for me. I assume there is something