Winter Goddess_reverse harem romance Read online

  Winter Goddess

  Daughter of Winter Book 4

  Skye MacKinnon

  Contents

  A Note on Spelling

  What Happened Before

  The People of the Realm

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Epilogue

  Author’s Note

  Also By

  About the Author

  Sample: Guardian’s Dragon

  Prologue

  © 2018 Skye MacKinnon

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  Basically, please don’t pirate this book.

  [email protected]

  Cover by Arizona Tape.

  Formatting by Gina Wynn.

  A Note on Spelling

  As always, this book has been written in British English. There are some turns of phrases and spellings that you may not be familiar with, but that doesn’t mean it’s wrong ;)

  To my readers. Thank you for following Wyn’s journey and giving a new author a chance. You rock!

  What Happened Before

  After the loss of her mother and Chesca, Wyn is grieving and is trying to drown her sorrow by taking sparklies. Of course, drugs are no solution and she eventually needs to face her grief. In the process, she kind of manages to kill herself and ends up in the Library of Lives again, where she discovers that her father is still alive.

  To save Wyn (and prevent the Palace from collapsing), Beira expends all her magical energy and ends up bedridden and sickly. This means Wyn now has to step into her mother’s shoes and rule the Realm. In between her Royal duties, she takes fighting lessons with Thor and has some fun sex with her Guardians (chapter 5, if you want some steaminess).

  It turns out that Ada and her men have disappeared together with the dragon shifter who poisoned Wyn. In another unexpected development, the Spring Goddess Flora turns up and becomes Wyn’s ally in return for protection from Angus.

  A fake Crispin (a clone created by the Morrigan) invades the Palace and almost manages to kill Wyn, but gets stopped in time and ends up in the dungeons, where Arc interrogates him. The prisoner tells them about Castle Tioram, a place in Scotland where the Morrigan has created a Gate that leads to the Demon Realm. Assuming that Wyn’s Father is being held there, Frost, Storm and Arc head to Tioram.

  When they’re in danger, Wyn suddenly finds herself merge with her magic and becomes what she was always meant to be: a Goddess. She manages to help her Guardians and free her father, but now new challenges are up ahead...

  The People of the Realm

  Family

  Wyn, demi-goddess and heroine of this series

  Her Guardians: Storm, Frost, Arc and Crispin

  Beira, the Queen of Winter and Wyn’s mother

  James, Wyn’s adoptive father

  Rose, Wyn’s adoptive mother (deceased)

  The Council

  Gwain, Master of Arms

  Ada, Gwain’s second-in-command

  Tamara, Mistress of the Household (and spy mistress)

  Algonquin, Librarian

  Zephyr, Master of the Wings

  Theodore, Healer

  Magnus, former Treasurer

  Anthony, the new Treasurer

  Friends

  Blaze, unicorn extraordinaire

  Chesca, demoness (deceased)

  Aodh, Chesca’s lover (deceased)

  Flora, Goddess of Spring

  Thor, God of Thunder

  Lucifer, who’s not actually the devil, just a very cheeky God

  Enemies

  Angus, Summer King

  Bridget, his wife

  Morrigan, Goddess of Death

  Demons… well, they’re evil

  Prologue

  Being a Goddess isn’t all it’s made out to be. The worst thing isn’t the urge to randomly teleport to faraway places, or stopping people from prostrating before me in the street. No, it’s the fact that I can no longer see my men as I used to.

  My vision has changed; my eyes are no longer human. I see magic, everywhere, in everyone, but it hides their features, makes it impossible to see their bodies. All I see is their magic, their emotions, their souls. I call it their aura, although I’m sure there’s a more technical term for it.

  It’s not the same though. I’d much rather get a glimpse of their faces again. Crispin’s cheeky smile, Frost’s grin, Arc’s mocking eyebrows, even Storm’s broody frown. They’re hidden from me, despite all my magic. It tears me apart to not be able to watch their expressions as they talk.

  They shine and sparkle, their silhouettes bright, so it’s not as if I’m blind, but the detail is washed away by the colour of magic. I don’t want to see all their innermost secrets. It’s not good for our relationship. I wonder if they’re scared of me, the new Wyn. Goddess Wynter, they call me, the new Winter Goddess.

  I’d give up all my new powers gladly if I could only see their smiles again.

  Chapter One

  I study the book from the Library of Lives. It appeared on my desk the day I became a deity. No wonder it didn’t turn up before then; it probably mentions that I’m not an ordinary demigoddess. No, I’m a Goddess now. Yay me.

  I know that I only need to open it for the knowledge inside to seep into my mind. I discovered that new skill yesterday when I randomly opened one of the books lying on my mother’s desk. I now know everything about the herbs in her Realm despite never having read a single page in the book. It’s scary to know that if I wanted, I could walk through the Royal Library and learn everything in its books within a day. I don’t think that would be wise, though. Already, hand-drawn images of herbs keep popping up in my mind at random moments, and that was only a single book. I think my head would explode if I did this with more than a few books.

  But the tome in front of me is different. It’s about demigods and I know that I’m mentioned in there. Back during my first visit to the Library of Lives, the clerk looked me up in it. It feels like a very long time ago. My first death experience. The guide to Immortality. The fight against a being pretending to be my mother.

  It's strange, back then I was so desperate to find out more about demigods, and now I no longer need to. Unless all demigods turn into Gods at some point. No, I doubt that, someone would have warned me. Everyone was just as surprised when I turned into my new me just like I was. I never thought this much power could run through my body without killing me. My magic has grown from a cat into a lion and its cave is barely large enough to keep it contained. Wherever I go, magic happens. Lights start flickering, tiny ice flowers grow on windows, something explodes. Yes, there's been a lot of exploding. Luckily, nobody's got hurt... yet. I have no idea what to do with all the power I now have access to. It's more than double the magic I had before, and then some. I could level the entire Palace if I wanted to. Maybe even the surrounding villages as well. I'm powerful now, and that scares me. Not that I'm going to tell ot
hers that. Especially not my Guardians. I want to be the normal, old Wyn when I'm around them, not the Goddess whose head is full of knowledge and new desires.

  Someone knocks on the door and I open it with a single thought. I don't even have to think about how I use my magic, I just focus on the intended result and it happens. It makes it easier, but also more uncontrollable. What if I put too much energy into the motion and the door was ripped out of its hinges? I could injure someone. That's my greatest fear right now. Hurting others with my new powers.

  Before she even says something, I know that it's Tamara. Yet another one of those useful Goddess gifts.

  "My Princess, I would like to talk about the coronation again."

  I turn around and glare at her.

  "No."

  Tamara is old, her white hair framing a wrinkled face, but there's a strength in her that rivals that of the generals. She's more important than all of those, too, being the spy mistress that she secretly is.

  "It's your mother's wish. Do you really want to go against that?"

  "Yes. It's not right."

  Mara sighs. We've had this discussion before, and I don't think we'll reach an agreement today either.

  "Wyn, she needs you to step up and take her place. There will be war soon and she can't lead our people in her current condition."

  "I can lead them as Princess," I say with as much authority as I can muster to prove my point. "I don't need to be Queen for that."

  "I've told you, there are powers that come with being crowned Queen. Powers to lead, to heal, to give the people confidence. You need to inspire them, and while at the moment they're all fascinated by your ascension to Godhood, that won't last forever. Certainly not in battle when they're facing an enemy's sword."

  I shake my head. "My mother will heal. Once she's back to how she was before, what happens then? Will there be two Queens?"

  Tamara's fierce eyes soften a little. "You know she won't recover. Not until the Summer King has been pushed back, but by then it might be too late. We need you now, Wyn. We need you as our Queen."

  "No. I can't."

  I sink back into my large leather chair. It's an impossible situation. My mother won't get better until the war is over, but to win the war, we need a Queen. I can't do it, though, I just can't. It feels like betrayal and treason against my mother, even though she's the one who made the suggestion.

  Demand, actually. My mother didn't ask me to take her role. She told me to do it.

  "How's my father?" I ask, hoping to change the topic. I don't doubt for a second that Tamara will try again, but hopefully, I'm getting a short reprieve.

  "He's asked to see you." She turns to leave. "Maybe you'll listen to him."

  As soon as she's out of the door, I make my magic close the door. I may intentionally have put too much force into it, so it slams shut with a bang. Oops. Well, nobody will dare tell me off. Even if I'm not the Queen, people have started treating me as such, even the Council members. It's annoying.

  I sign two more papers that someone, probably Mara, put in my in-tray, then leave my office to head to the Royal Quarters. Two days ago, my father was released from the hospital wing to recover in a more comfortable environment. Physically, he's mostly healed, but not so much mentally. Both my mum's death and his imprisonment have left their traces on him. He's not the man I remember. He was always an emotional person, but now he's on the verge of tears pretty much whenever I see him. I envy him that he's allowed to show his emotions so openly. I have to keep up the facade so that my subjects don't see how I'm feeling inside. How broken I am.

  Two guards are standing in front of the doors leading to my father's new rooms. They bow deeply when they see me approach and open the double doors for me. At least they're not calling me 'Queen' like some of the other guards recently. I had to threaten them with demotion if they ever do that again. It's treason.

  My father is still in bed, his form only a small bulge under the sheets. He's lost a lot of weight during his imprisonment, and despite the cooks making all his favourite dishes, he's not eating much. I think he's lost the will to continue going on like before. He doesn't look after himself either; his beard is a shaggy mess, so different from the clean-shaven father I was used to. I'll tell one of the barbers to visit him. Maybe it's just because he's been too weak to shave himself.

  "Dad, how are you?"

  He's awake, staring at the ceiling. My heart begins to ache at the pitiful sight of him. This isn't supposed to be like that. He was always a role model for me, even despite his ditziness.

  "Dad?" I ask again, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

  He doesn't react, just keeps staring up. I take a quick look myself to see if there's anything special up there, but no, it's just a normal, boring ceiling. There are not even any of the floating lights there.

  "Is there anything I can do for you?" I ask softly, taking his hands in mine. Finally, he seems to realise that I'm here.

  "Wyn?"

  "Yup, as I live and breathe."

  He doesn't smile, at least his aura doesn't show any trace of humour.

  "Was it a nightmare?" he asks slowly.

  My heart hurts even more at the false hope in his voice. "No, dad, it wasn't. She's gone."

  "She was so brave," he mutters. "So very brave. Just like you."

  I cringe. "I'm not brave. If I was, I'd already be in the Morrigan's castle, making her pay for what she did. But no, I ran like a coward."

  He sits up a little and I help him by pushing a pillow under his back.

  "You had people to protect. Sometimes, not staying to fight is braver than taking up arms."

  I stare at him. "When did you become a philosopher?"

  He grimaces. "Always been one. I've just never had a chance to talk about battles and courage before. I wish I didn't have to now."

  "Me too," I sigh. "The world has become very strange. Some days, I just want to go back to Earth and live my human life again."

  "No," he says, his voice a little stronger now. "You belong here. This is your world, Wyn. Our life has never been enough for you. You're destined to be something bigger than us, and I think you know that. Look at yourself, look at how they treat you. You're special, darling."

  I shake my head. "I wish I wasn't."

  "We all want to be someone we're not," he says, his voice sounding as if he's smiling. I wish I could see his face properly. "I don't want to be a widower. I don't want to be a victim of the Morrigan. But you know what? I'm proud to be the father of a Goddess."

  His aura is sparkling with pride. I want to tell him that I'm not a proper Goddess, that I'm nothing to be proud of, but I don't want to extinguish that spark.

  "If you're feeling up to it, I can introduce you to the Court," I say instead, taking advantage of him being more energetic than he usually is. "They're all very curious about the human who raised me."

  "Oh no, I don't think that's something for me. Your mother would have loved it, I'm sure, but I'd rather stay here, if you don't mind. I'm not made for crowds."

  I smile. "Yes, I'd rather stay here too, if I'm honest. Part of the job though." I sigh. "I should get back. There's a Council meeting later on that I need to prepare for. I think it's going to be a long one."

  "I'm not envying you. Although that Tamara woman seems very capable."

  "Mara has been here?"

  "Oh yes, she wanted to know about the prison I was kept in. She was very gentle about it."

  Somehow, I can't imagine Tamara being very gentle, but if he thinks so, that's good. Glad I have one thing less on my list. I'd waited until now to ask him questions about what happened to him. Storm gave me a full report after we returned to the Palace, and he got a good enough overview of the Morrigan's hideout.

  I can't believe it's only been a week since we returned from there. So much has happened, and yet, not as much as there could have been. My personal life has changed, my whole being has, but the political situation hasn't. We've not heard
anything from the Morrigan since we broke my father out of her dungeons. She's no longer in that place, and just in case she returns, we have spies monitoring the Gate.

  Angus has stopped moving his troops, but they're close to the borders. It's as if everyone is holding their breath, waiting for the inevitable moment when the big battle begins. For now, I hope we can prolong this time of peace. Well, maybe not peace. The absence of outright war.

  I say goodbye to my father and tell one of the guards at the door to call for the barber. Let's see if my dad will get the hint.

  I return to my office, feeling a little better. As traumatised as my dad seemed when I got in to visit him, he did become more like his old self towards the end. That's progress and it gives me hope.

  I close my office door behind me and lean against it, taking a deep breath. Back to being the Heiress.

  "Tough day?"

  I jump and ready my magic, before I notice that Frost is sitting on my chair, his legs propped up on the desk.

  "What are you doing here?" I push my magic back, despite her struggling.

  "Coming to see how you are." There's humour in his voice and I'm sure he's smiling. I wish I could see it.

  "You look sad," he says softly and gets up from his chair.