Chapter Nineteen #3
Liam let out a shrill whistle, and a massive beast flew down from the skies at his command.
The creature rivaled Oberi’s wyvern form, and the air billowed off its leathery wings in the same manner.
The beast landed in the courtyard, its long, sharp claws scraping over the paving stones.
The creature let out a roar, and its hot, fiery breath brushed across my skin.
It’s a dragon, I realized.
Liam approached the creature calmly. “This is Julian, my companion. He’ll take us where we need to go.”
I climbed onto Julian’s back, settling into a spot behind Liam. Julian took off. I lurched forward, grabbing Liam around the waist to steady myself.
Hell, this couldn’t be more awkward. I was riding bitch with my father-in-law. The things I would still do for this woman.
“Can you stop squeezing my insides?” Liam grunted. “I’m in enough pain every day without you trying to crush my ribs, thanks!”
“Sorry.” I loosened my hold. The cold air cut through the fabric of my sweater and whipped by my face, causing my eyes to water and my body to shiver in the frigid cold.
The higher we climbed, the worse the winds became, until the churning of clouds overhead transformed into a full-on blizzard.
Liam seemed unaffected by the growing storm, which made sense for a Toaqua who could control water and freeze it at his command.
Excellent— Ava’s father was going to freeze me to death.
Julian landed at the base of a mountain outside the city, one that was still within the confines of the shield.
My Earth magic sensed the rock rising high above our heads.
It was a treacherous area of the island, where the uneven terrain made it impossible to build any structures.
It was far away from the palace and abandoned…
a place where no one could hear me scream, particularly in the middle of this raging blizzard.
I dismounted the dragon and crossed my arms around myself to try to keep warm.
The cold frightened me almost as much as tight spaces did.
I remembered what it was like to lie awake on the streets in the dead of winter, unable to feel my limbs and praying I’d make it to morning.
It was a miracle I hadn’t lost my toes in the freezing cold all those years ago.
I’d never wanted to experience that raw, bitter ache of a frigid winter ever again.
“Why are you doing this?” I asked.
“This blizzard?” Liam responded from atop Julian’s back.
“This isn’t me. The storm is the result of the war that’s waging in the afterlife.
The fae god Tomir is responsible for bringing back spring.
He summons the sun and ushers in the changing of the seasons, and since it’s still colder than hell outside, I have to guess the Warden’s got him busy and he’s not able to perform his duties due to the war in the Blessed Haven. ”
“Great,” I grumbled. Now the weather was fucked, too.
Liam groaned. “Unfortunately for us, you’re our final hope.”
“And what is that supposed to mean?”
“In ancient Hawkei culture, before we received our magic, men who faced the darkest of times were taken into the mountains and expected to summit to the tallest peak,” Liam explained.
“These men had wives that had chosen to leave them. By scaling the mountain, they proved they were willing to conquer their bodies, hearts and minds in order to bring their families back together. The wife was given her final choice to stay or go once her husband reached the top. But at least by attempting the climb, the man proved he was willing to put his life at risk to conquer the mountain for her.”
“So, what? You want me to climb this stupid mountain so I can prove to Ava I’m willing to fight for our marriage?” I demanded.
“Gee, that might’ve been the point of the story I just told you,” Liam replied sarcastically. “You’re learning fast! If you want to fix this, you’ll hike to the peak of this mountain, no matter what it takes.”
The wind picked up, raging around us. I could calm it for a few moments with my Air magic, but I couldn’t ward off the chill. This was not the type of marriage counseling I was picturing.
“You must be insane!” I cried. “By the time I get to the top of this mountain, I could get hypothermia!”
“That’s too damn bad,” Liam said fairly.
“You don’t want to climb this mountain, fine.
You can trot your happy ass down to divorce court.
Or you can prove you want to save this marriage, and hike your happy ass up this hill.
I don’t really care either way. I’ll make sure my child’s okay, but this is my last chance at trying to make sure you’re okay.
You’ve already blown every shot I gave you with my daughter, and it’s more than a miracle that I’m giving you one last chance.
For as much chaos as you’ve caused, I see something great in you, and I think all you need is some tough love to show the world what kind of man you really are.
So prove me right, and make it up this mountain.
Or give up, and I’ll kick you off the side of it without another thought.
Hurry up and make your decision, because I don’t have all day. ”
“This isn’t fair! Stop acting like you’re my dad, because you’re not! I’ve always handled everything alone!”
“But you don’t have to. This forever alone shit stops right now. Cameron isn’t competent enough to guide you, so I’m doing what I would do with both of my sons by being a dad and giving you a reality check. You want to learn how to be a good father to Casey? This is your first lesson.”
“I’m not dressed for this kind of weather. I could freeze to death out here!”
“Kid, there will be many situations in life where you aren’t prepared for what you’re about to face, and working things out with Ava is one of them,” Liam replied.
“I’ve dealt with Ava-Marie half my life, and you never know what she’s going to throw at you.
I’m telling you that figuring things out with her is going to be a hell of a lot harder than climbing this peak in the middle of a little snowstorm.
You can either show me you can handle this, or return to the warmth and comfort of the palace, where you’ll prove to me you can’t handle her, nor take care of her through all of her seasons.
So are you going to be a man and prove you can weather her storms? Or are you going to run?”
I wouldn’t run— that much was certain. I’d had so many opportunities to leave, and I’d never gone through with it.
I wasn’t going to let something as simple as a mountain stop me.
I’d climb Everest and more to prove to Ava that I was willing to do whatever it took to fix this.
Freezing to death was one of my greatest fears, but if that’s what it took to convince Ava I loved her, then I’d gladly lay down upon this mountain and be buried in a block of ice for the rest of eternity.
Then she’d know how much I truly cared, because I’d have given it my all until the very end.
I turned toward the summit, drawing my shoulders back to brace for the cold… and the climb. “I won’t leave her,” I told Liam. “Not ever again.”
Liam remained on Julian’s back, and the dragon took long strides beside me to follow me up the mountain. There was no trail here, so I used my Earth powers to navigate around jagged rocks.
“I hate this, just so you know,” I told him.
Liam snorted. “What convinced you?”
“Though your methods are ridiculous, it’s clear this is what I have to do— for her,” I clarified. “Ava’s given up on me, and she’s never done that before. I need to do something to prove that I still want her to keep believing in me. If this will help, then I’ll do it.”
“You really think she’s given up on you?” Liam asked. “What Ava says and what she wants are two very different things, and you should know that better than anyone.”
I skirted around a huge boulder. “I can’t assume I know what’s best for her. I did that once, and it ruined us. I just wish we could reach a middle ground.”
“That’s not how Ava works. She’s an all-or-nothing person. We talked about this. I warned you this was going to happen when we spoke on the terrace before your wedding. You made me a promise then. Are you going to keep it, or break it?”
That conversation on the terrace seemed like a lifetime ago. Liam didn’t want me marrying his daughter then, and maybe he should’ve stopped us.
But Liam wasn’t one to take away what Ava wanted, and I didn’t wish to, either.
I didn’t answer, only focused on navigating up the mountain as fast as possible. The temperature was dropping quickly, and the tips of my fingers were starting to go numb.
“Ava wants to fix things with you,” Liam continued. “If you don’t, she won’t be around. I tried to explain this to you before, but you didn’t listen to me. After talking to my daughter, I have a clearer view of the situation and why you guys are having problems.”
“And what’s that?” I asked.
“That you’re hurting just as much as she is,” Liam said. “You can either accept my help or keep on hurting, because it won’t get better until you face the worst of your darkness.”
I shook my head. The further I climbed, the steeper the incline became, until I was using my hands to climb over the rock. “I wish it was that easy.”
“It’s not easy, but it’s simple. You have two choices. Either you work this out so you can raise this baby together, or you can go your separate ways and raise this child on your own.”
“I thought raising Casey by myself would be the best choice for everyone,” I replied.
“I don’t believe you. Can you live with never seeing her again?”