Chapter 20
Istep out of the portal onto a frozen ledge, my eyes following the hillside that slopes down into a valley.
Small villages scatter across the land, their chimneys sending smoke swirling through the fierce winds.
I stand at the entrance of a cave, its opening large but unwelcoming, serving to warn off unwary mountain climbers from plunging into the depths of Hell on Earth.
I casually step in, the archway shielding me from the harsh wind. My hooves click on the stone floor, echoing through the cavern as I follow the winding path. The veins in the stone glow blue, illuminating the way.
After what feels like forever, I come to a fork in the cavern, one path leading to my destination and the other to a maze from which no one has ever escaped.
I follow the path I’ve only taken a few times, but I know it like the back of my hand.
The walkway seems to tilt as I go deeper into the mountainside, with the floor warming beneath my feet.
A yellow glow shines through the cavern, acting as a beacon to my destination and letting me know that the only person who can fix this mess is home—waiting for me.
“Welcome, brother,” a euphoric voice says as it floats through my mind.
At the end of the walkway, an underground castle emerges from a vast cavern that descends straight into Hell.
Crossing the drawbridge, I enter the spacious, open entry hall.
Tapestries from the past and scenes of the future adorn the walls, illuminated by sconces of blue flames burning brightly between them.
A growl echoes through the hall, and I turn to face a great, white wolf.
It stands at the bottom of a grand staircase carved from ice, its glowing yellow eyes shining as it bares its teeth in a snarl.
“Eira,” I say, bowing before the wolf. “May I see my sister, please?”
The wolf huffs as she turns away, glancing toward the top of the stairs where Lussi stands, appearing as the formidable Witch of Winter.
“What brings you to my dwelling tonight, Kryx?” Her voice drifts through the air, sounding distant, yet also a whisper in my ear. “Twice in one day is considered too much by some.”
I bow deeply while keeping my eyes on where Eira stands, careful not to allow her the opportunity to ambush me.
Although Lussi and I are cut from the same cloth and considered equals in this world, she is an all-knowing being—what humans call a witch—yet she possesses power beyond what most could even imagine.
“I seek an answer, Lussi,” I reply as I stand back up to my full height.
“You discovered the truth of your mate’s heritage,” she says as she descends the steps.
I take a deep breath. “Why didn’t you tell me? Save me the trip back here?” I ask, even though I already know the answer.
“It was not mine to tell, but now that you know, we can speak freely of it.” There’s a ghost of a smile on her lips, and I can feel her joy as it ripples through the cavern, gently lapping against my skin.
Good. That’s what I was hoping for.
“Her mother is losing herself, Lussi,” I say, stepping a little closer, fully aware of Eira and her protective nature. “And I’m here to find a way to pull her out of the pit of despair that Nick has trapped her in.”
Lussi steps off the last step, resting her hand on Eira’s head and gently massaging the wolf’s scalp. Eira leans into her touch, their bond stronger than anything I’ve ever seen. “And you suspect I know the answer, dear brother?”
I give her a slow nod as I clasp my hands behind my back.
“Nicolette is my mate, and I have already claimed her as such; however, there is still a hole in my chest—a yearning I can't seem to overcome. I intended to complete the binding ceremony with her before she was taken from me—before I knew of her lineage.”
Lussi tilts her head, her brows furrowing slightly. “Does knowing her true lineage change how you feel about her, brother?”
My body lurches, as if her words punched me in the chest. “Never,” I bite, the word coming out harsher than I intended.
Eira shows her teeth, warning me as I relax my shoulders and suppress my emotions.
“Nothing could ever change how I feel about her, Lussi. I’ve longed for her for over a decade.
And Nick being her father is nothing more than a fact to me, just a twisted branch on her family tree.
” I take another step, careful not to trigger Eira.
“But her mother... she’s suffering from Nick’s infatuation, claiming that she’s his true soulmate—Nicolette, their star child. ”
Lussi only looks at me, her eyes shifting to mirror Nicolette’s bright green. “And you think you know how to save her?” she asks, cocking her head to the side, her curtain of stark-white hair falling over her shoulder.
Raking my teeth over my lower lip, I nod.
“I believe there’s a piece of Evelyn’s soul with my mate that was given to her when she was born, since she couldn’t give it to Nick.
I came here to find out if there’s a way, when I bind my soul with Nicolette’s, to free it—to give it back to her mother.
” I stare into the imposturous eyes of my mate, pain pricking my chest at her absence, and hope that she’s safe where I left her at the castle.
Lussi moves from the stairs toward a set of large, stone doors across the room, passing silently through them.
Eira at her heels, staying between us as I follow them into a sitting room.
Two plush velvet chairs sit in front of a blazing fireplace, with a bear skin rug at their feet.
She takes a seat in one, relaxing back and casually crossing her legs.
Some consider Lussi to be the legend of the Snow Queen, and seeing her in such a regal pose, I might think her royalty as well. She gestures to the seat across from her as Eira lies at her feet. “Sit, brother. Conserve your energy.”
I take my seat, but instead of relaxing back like her, I lean forward with my elbows on my knees.
“Please,” I rasp, the residual pain radiating through my chest from Nicolette makes it hard to breathe.
I know I left her suddenly with Nick, but I don’t believe he would allow anything to happen to her, especially knowing that she’s his star child.
“It will not be easy, and it will hurt everyone involved during the process. And of course, there’s always a risk.” She watches the fire as if searching it for more answers. “Are you willing to take it, brother?”
My heart thunders as anxiety crawls across my skin. “What kind of risk?”
Her eyes shift, turning crimson, mirroring mine. “Of death.”
The word hits me like a wave of arctic water, the shock nearly gagging me.
Death.
“I won’t risk Nicolette,” I growl, jumping to my feet. “I’m doing this for her, but I will not lose her over a mortal—mother or not.”
Eira rises swiftly to her feet, bares her teeth, and prepares to strike.
Lussi raises her hand, and the tension in the room vanishes as she intervenes with her magic.
“You will take the part of her that belongs to you, just as she will take the part of you that belongs to her. It’s a fair exchange, one that must be made to complete each other, filling in all the missing pieces.
Then, you will be bound as the fates have decreed. ”
I press my hand against my chest, feeling the pulse of my wildly beating heart. “But she has accepted me as her mate, and I claimed her as mine. Was that not enough?” I ask, lowering myself back into the seat, my claws curling into the armrests.
“For most beings, yes. But you were not created like most, and a demon like you—a Lord—must endure the extra steps to solidify your bond. However, these won't fix the issue with her mother.” This time, it’s she who leans forward. “For it to work, you will need to take her life and make her anew.”
Take her life?
The air is sucked from my lungs. “Kill her? You want me to kill my mate?”
Even as the tension in the room rises, Lussi remains calm and at ease. “You will not be killing her, brother, but making her your equal. Such a position requires her to become a demon.”
I stare into the fire, knowing that all Nicolette wants is for her mother to be free from this, and that she would be willing to do anything to make that happen.
But the real question is, am I as willing?
I finally have Nicolette, and for the first time in my eternally long life, I feel as though I have accomplished the most important task I’ve been assigned.
I have found the other half of myself, but until she is free from this burden imposed on her by her parents, she can never be fully mine.
I turn back to Lussi, who casually sits in her chair, waiting patiently. “What do we need to do to achieve this, sister?” I ask, anxiety prickling my skin with a thousand needles. “And please, don’t sugarcoat it or speak in riddles.”
Lussi’s face sharpens, her eyes darkening to pools of black.
“It requires a sacrifice.” My heart stops as she leans forward, her white hair appearing as if ink had been poured over her head, turning every strand coal black.
She rises to her feet and offers me her hand.
“And it can be no one other than her—the star child.”
I stand in the snow outside the castle, replaying everything Lussi said and trying to figure out how to explain it to Nicolette. Ultimately, it’s up to her how she wants to proceed. Her free will stops me from making decisions on her behalf, and even if I wanted to, it’s still not mine to make.
I take a deep breath, letting the cold clear my lungs as I open a portal and transport myself back into the hall to face my mate and her father.
Nicolette jumps to her feet from where she sits at the banquet table. “Kryx,” she exclaims, my name sounding like a prayer on her lips. She throws herself into my arms, burying her face in my chest. “Where did you go?”
Nick gets up from his seat, unsteady on his feet, a now-empty bottle of wine on the table in front of him.
He stays quiet and only watches me through unfocused eyes.
I look down at my mate, holding her close in my arms. “To find some answers, little vixen,” I breathe.
“To figure out how to fix what is broken.”
I stare at Nick, wondering how we both ended up at the mercy of two Evergreen women—how we both allowed Clara to play her game for too long, seemingly unnoticed, without realizing the implications.
Her own eyes, green with envy, reflected a love she would never have with Nick, even after she gave herself wholly to who she thought was her soulmate.
I don’t blame Clara for her actions against him, but I do blame her for how she treated Evelyn and for manipulating me to carry out the punishments she wanted for her.
Nick used his magic and charisma to lure her under the mistletoe and kept her there, slowly poisoning her until she was teetering on the edge of insanity.
Still, it was Clara’s actions that finally broke her.
Nick was selfish, and while he technically gave me my mate, he nearly destroyed her by letting her watch her own mother vanish, turning her into nothing more than a shell of herself.
I bring Nicolette’s face to mine, slanting my mouth over hers and kissing her deeply, not caring who sees.
Dragging my teeth across her bottom lip, I hook her chin between my finger and thumb.
“I need you to listen to me, little vixen.” I look to Nick with a fiery gaze.
“I need you both to hear every word I say and heed every warning.”