Ice Shards

From New York Times bestselling author Yasmine Galenorn comes "Ice Shards," a passionate story of redemption long overdue, and "Shattered," an all-new, never before published short story.
Finnish house sprite Iris Kuusi has fallen in love again. But she is carrying a dark secret. Now, she must journey to the frozen Northlands to confront the shadow of her former lover who haunts her dreams, and to discover, once and for all, whether she actually committed the horrible crime for which she was cast out. Only by breaking a curse she’s been under since her youth, can she free herself to embrace the love waiting for her at home.
Includes a preview of Haunted Moon, the new Otherworld novel.
"Ice Shards" previously appeared in the anthology Hexed.
"I STARED AT THE PORTAL, WONDERING IF I really wanted to do
this. I’d been running from this moment for almost six centuries. I’d been running from my memories for just as long. Now, even though I wasn’t sure how, I had to return to the place where my downfall had taken place—and right what went wrong. If I can. If I am truly innocent. But what happens if I find out I did it? What happens if I find out that I really did kill Vikkommin and forever lock his soul within a shadow, to roam the northern lands, crazed like a wild, magical beast? What... what if I am the monster the temple Elders thought I might be? Camille, Smoky, and Rozurial stood behind me, Camille’s hand on my
shoulder. “All you have to do is say the word and we go through. Or turn back. It’s up to you, Iris. We’ll support whatever decision you make.” I glanced up at the raven-haired beauty who made up onethird of the half-human, half-Fae D’Artigo sisters. She had dressed for the journey, eschewing her usual bustiers and chiffon skirts and stilettos for a warm, black split skirt and turtleneck, and a heavy cape slung around her shoulders. The cape was thick and resonated with magic, having been cut from the hide of the Black Unicorn himself. Camille carried a staff with her that I’d never before seen. “Where did you get that?” I pointed to the intricately carved stave. The wood resonated as yew. The head was a polished knob of intricately wrought silver surrounding a crystal orb the size of my fist. She smiled and ran her hand over the burled surface of the wood. “A
 ift. From Aeval. I still don’t know how to use it, but I thought I’d bring it along. It will make hiking easier, in any matter.” “Enough said.” I didn’t have to ask any more. The Queen of Darkness was to be Camille’s new mistress, and it seemed she intended for her new acolyte to return in one piece."