Chapter 1
Chapter 1: The Cold Cut
The House of Spades was a lot of things, but comforting wasn’t one of them. Everything in the Winter Realm was sharp, dark, and perfectly calculated. If it didn't have a purpose, it didn't exist.
Evadne stood on her balcony, leaning against the freezing black stone. She was twirling a silver dagger between her fingers—a nervous habit she’d never admit to having. Below her, the city was dead silent, just the distant, annoying clank-clank of her guards marching on patrol.
She was stressed. Rumors were flying about some forced peace treaty the King of Diamonds was trying to push, and the thought of playing nice with the other Houses made her want to roll her eyes. The Spades survived by logic and cold efficiency. Emotions? They just got people killed. Her grandmother had drilled that into her head since she was a kid: Keep your head clear, Evadne. Never let your blood run hot.
Then, she heard a sound that definitely wasn't a guard.
A sharp snap echoed from the courtyard. Evadne stopped flipping the knife. Her eyes scanned the garden below. It wasn't a normal garden; the roses were literally carved out of black glass because real plants couldn't handle the frost.
Another scrape of leather against stone. Someone was climbing up the trellis.
Evadne didn't yell for backup. If an assassin was dumb enough to climb straight to the Queen's bedroom, she'd handle it herself. She stepped back into the shadows of the doorway, melting into the dark, and waited.
A pair of hands gripped the stone railing. With a quiet, athletic grunt, a guy hoisted himself over and dropped onto the balcony.
He didn't look like an assassin at all. Assassins usually wore black and tried to blend in. This guy was wearing a bright crimson jacket with gold stitching, and right over his chest was a giant, embroidered red heart.
He brushed some dirt off his knees and let out a low whistle, looking around.
"They say you can kill a man just by looking at him," he called out to the empty balcony. His voice was smooth, completely relaxed, and way too cheerful for someone who just broke into a fortress.
Evadne stepped out of the dark, her dagger catching the moonlight. "And they say the Jack of Hearts loses his head three times a week to a new face. You’re trespassing, Jack."
Julez didn't even flinch. Instead, he flashed a reckless, brilliant grin. His golden hair was a little messy from the climb, and his hazel eyes locked onto her pale blue ice ones with so much warmth it was almost overwhelming.
"I prefer the term 'realigning boundaries,'" Julez said, stepping closer. He put a hand over his heart and did a dramatic, sweeping bow like they were at a royal ball. "The Court of Hearts sends its regards. Or, well, I do. I got bored of the endless war meetings and wanted to see the famous Winter Queen for myself."
Before he could even finish straightening up, Evadne closed the distance between them. In a blur, the sharp tip of her silver dagger was pressed right against his throat.
"You're gambling with your life," Evadne said, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "You are far from your kingdom, Jack. Do not mistake my patience for mercy.We harvest here. We don’t do feelings."
Julez didn't back away. He actually leaned in a little closer, letting the blade graze his collar. His eyes were bright, staring at her with an intensity that made the freezing air feel suddenly hot.
"Then why is your pulse racing, Your Majesty?" he whispered, his eyes flicking down to the base of her throat before meeting her gaze again.
A sudden jolt of heat hit Evadne's chest, and it pissed her off. She hated losing control. "An irritation," she snapped, tightening her grip on the knife. "You’re a distraction I don't have time for. Give me one good reason not to let my guards paint the floor with you."
"Because I brought you a gift," Julez said softly. The teasing tone dropped, replaced by something real. He reached slowly into his jacket, making sure his movements were obvious so she wouldn't slice him.
When he pulled his hand out, he was holding a single, perfectly bloomed red rose.
Evadne stared at it. It wasn't glass. It wasn't ice. It was a real, living flower, and it was actually radiating warmth in the freezing night.
Julez gently pressed the stem into her free hand. "They think we can't mix, Evadne. Steel and silk. Logic and passion. They think we have to destroy each other."
"We do," she whispered, but she didn't drop the flower. The warmth of it was bleeding into her skin, cracking through the icy armor she'd spent her whole life wearing.
"Let's prove them wrong," Julez murmured. He did something incredibly risky—he reached up and gently put his hand over hers, the one holding the knife to his throat.
Evadne’s breath caught. She should have cut him. She should have called the guards. But she was totally frozen by how warm his touch was.
Slowly, Julez guided her hand down. He didn't try to take the knife; he just lowered it, completely trusting her not to stab him.
"Let everyone else have their gold and their wars," Julez said, his face just inches from hers. "Give me one night, and I’ll show you a world worth actually feeling something for."
Evadne looked from the red rose to his eyes. For the first time in her life, the ice inside her felt like it was melting. A tiny, dangerous smile touched her lips.
"If you break my heart, Jack," she warned, her lethal edge returning, "remember that I know exactly how to cut."
Julez's grin came right back, bright and undefeated. "I'd expect nothing less."
Right then, the heavy balcony doors slammed open.
"My Queen!" Lord Marcus, the Captain of the Guard, stormed out with his sword drawn, followed by four armored guards. "We have a breach—"
Marcus stopped dead in his tracks, staring at the bright red jacket standing next to the Queen. The guards immediately leveled their weapons.
"An intruder!" Marcus growled. "Seize him!"
Julez didn't even look scared. He just looked at Evadne and gave her a quick, playful wink. "Well, looks like our party got crashed."
"Wait," Evadne ordered, her voice cutting through the noise. The guards stopped instantly. She looked at Julez, then at the warm rose in her hand, her mind already spinning with a new plan. "Don't kill him, Marcus. Take the Jack of Hearts to the dungeons. Let's see how much tension those pretty red threads of his can actually take."
Julez actually laughed as the guards grabbed his arms to bind his wrists. "A dungeon interrogation? Now that's my kind of first date."
