Chapter 21
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
“Safe” isn’t a word I would use during these trials. Nothing is safe about what we’re doing. Even in the moments I think we’re good, something else happens. But here we are, out of harm’s reach from the elements, and we still have a dragon to face.
Clear blue walls, like frozen ocean waves—smooth, yet wavy—surround us as we walk through the cave. The ash is also present. Starburst pockets of it are held beneath the ice, while thin black lines intersect each other throughout.
Water drips from the ceiling in some places, while in others it slides slowly down the walls, gathering in rivulets that flow into different parts of the cave.
It’s almost as if the walls are whispering, telling the history that is woven into the way the ice has melted and frozen a thousand times over.
“Let’s get this over with.” I groan.
“What, you don’t like spending time with me in remote locations where our lives are in danger?” The corner of his lip rises as he dusts himself off, shaking his cloak instead of wiping it to get any loose ash off.
“Can’t you ever be serious?” I roll my eyes and walk ahead.
I remove a glove and run a hand along the ice.
Thousands of tiny air bubbles trapped within the ice shimmer like carefully-laid diamonds.
As dangerous as this island is, it’s beautiful—captivating even.
I don’t expect to experience anything like this again.
I cover my hand again, keeping it warm from the biting cold.
“Oh, come on, Bryn. You used to love when I teased.” Mikael smiles.
I did, and deep down I still do, but I’m just not ready to admit it out loud. I don’t want it to be easy between us, because letting go of the past makes me weak to his presence, and to the bond we share. I don’t want to be hurt again.
It’s easier to be angry.
Last night in the tunnels, when I was under the influence of his blood, I got too close to the truths I want to bury. I can want nothing to do with him and still love him.
Right?
Yes. Of course I can.
“Well, let’s see—you fucked me over. So no, I don’t want to play along.” I turn around and cross my arms.
“I thought we were past that?” Mikael takes a step closer with each word, cocking his head to the side when he reaches me.
“Well, my mood has been impacted by how fucking cold and miserable I am right now. A misery yet again caused by your hand,” I say, knowing it’s true. I am here in this cave of ice because of him.
Mikael’s eyes darken, and his nostrils flare. He closes the gap between us, pressing his chest against mine as he looks down at me.
I stare back at him, unyielding.
His expression softens as he lifts his hand to my face and runs a finger along my jaw. It’s a tender touch, but I step away from it, flattening my back against the ice.
Mikael shakes his head, and sighs deeply. “If only you knew my side of what transpired.”
“Then tell me!” I scream, no longer caring about what else we’ll disturb.
“I…” Mikael’s neck arches to one side, then the other, his veins bulging with the effort to speak. A pained expression spreads as his brows pull in and his eyes squeeze shut and he slowly shakes his head.
Mikael’s jaw clenches. “Fuck… I can’t, Bryn!”
I suck in a breath and watch in shock at his loss of composure. At how much anguish whatever he can’t say is causing him. It’s so strong, I feel it through the bond. I curse myself for being unnecessarily prickly. For causing his pain.
He walks to the other side of the cave and repeatedly punches the ice. “Dammit! You have no idea how badly I want to tell you everything. Because it’s not a matter of wanting; it’s a matter of my physical inability to tell you.”
“Stop.” I grip his wrist, my voice softening. “It’s in the past. Where it belongs.”
“You don’t understand.” Mikael’s eyes move from the bloody ice to my face, his expression shifting with the movement, from anger to torment. He twists out of my grip and stalks away, further into the cave.
I follow in silence. There isn’t anything else to say.
But that doesn’t stop my mind from wandering, even though I’ve already been over all the possibilities when his betrayal first happened. I had so much time to mull it over. Magic, bargains, curses, deals, or simply using me as a pawn in a long game.
It became too painful to keep thinking about, so I stopped, and did whatever I could to forget him and everything that happened.
If he can’t physically tell me, then there is still no reason to continue mulling it over.
The walls I built to protect myself from the damage of our past rise again, pushing out any thoughts that something between us could ever work.
We only make it a few feet into the cave when darkness takes over. I create two orbs of light and push them up so they float above us like bright stars on a moonless night. One stays with Mikael and the other with me.
We walk for a while, following the single tunnel deeper. The black lines no longer intersect within the white as the formation of the cave morphs. The ground and walls become partially stone, small ones at first, until more and more of the tunnel becomes rock.
Up ahead, a small pinprick of gray light filters into the tunnel. The closer we get, the brighter it gets, until it opens up into a massive cavern.
I halt and gawk at the height of the cavern. Light spills into the vast space from the opening in the ceiling, the sky above still shrouded in cloud cover.
“Damn.” Mikael takes in the view, eyes wide.
“Uh huh.” The cavern is as tall as one of the castle spires in the capital, almost as large as the dwarves’ massive underground dwellings.
Frost covers the rocky ground and walls that spread out at least a mile wide and deep, if not more. Large alcoves, wide enough for a dragon’s wingspan, pepper the walls. This is definitely where the dragons reside. Where we need to be, but it’s still terrifying.
In the silence of this place, an eerie stillness creeps into my body, sending warning signals that we are not safe here. Of course it’s not safe—we have to confront a dragon so I can recover a piece of my missing soul. Sounds like a great time, said no one.
I sigh. “Come on, let’s look around.”
There are no prints on the frosted ground apart from ours. I walk to a pool of water near one of the alcoves and stand at the edge, peering down. It’s undisturbed, the water so still I can see myself clearly, like the reflection of a mirror.
I look pretty damn good, even after having to climb up the side of an ice mountain. I fluff the hood of my cloak and smooth my hair. The specks of ash on my face give me the appearance of the seasoned warrior I used to be.
It’s been a long time since I’ve been that female. I’ve stayed so long in Varithen, running a city, that I haven’t been called to any of the skirmishes. Which is fine. I was happy to leave that life in the past—along with Mikael.
I glance over at him. He’s inspecting one of the other tunnels on this level. He runs his fingers through his blond hair, pushing it back. Most of it stays, but that one rebellious strand falls into his face.
A memory overtakes me—his naked body hovering over mine, hair falling down only for me to push it back and guide his lips to mine. He senses my gaze and we lock eyes.
Time stretches as we get lost in each other’s stare. He pushes against the bond, and it filters through. Love, comfort, and safety.
Stop. No. Not doing that. Damn him.
I blink, breaking the trance.
His expression shifts and he gives me a questioning look, but I avert my gaze and stare at the rocks beneath my feet.
“Bryn, over here.” Mikael calls out before turning back to the tunnel, slowly disappearing from view as he steps further into it. What is he doing? This is not the time or place to get separated.
I pivot, but stop mid-turn when I sense movement, and glance back at the water. Small ripples push out to the edges of the pool. Did I kick a rock into it? I look down, but there is nothing around me.
Ripples skitter across the surface again, each vibration driving them faster. I drop to my knees, remove a glove and put my hand to the ground. The cold bites against my bare skin.
Calling forth my magic, I close my eyes and focus on the ground. A steady rhythm beats. Like a four-legged creature taking steps.
Well shit.
I mean, if it’s the dragon coming to us, that’s what we want. But I also feel so unprepared.
I shove my glove back on and sprint toward the tunnel Mikael entered, each step made awkward by the teeth still in my boots.
Which, by the way, are not conducive for running over rocks.
The snow in this section is sparse, revealing crystalline ice weaving through the rocks.
My modified boots leave no cushion, and cause pain to spread up my legs with each footfall.
Mikael reappears with a wide-eyed expression, taking off in a jog toward me. I don’t want to be too close to the tunnel entrance, so I stop and wait for him to reach me.
“Something’s coming.” My feet are throbbing, and I rock from foot to foot, tapping the tip of my boots to the ground.
Even feeling unprepared, I’m also ready to get this over with. I want to go home and take a hot bath. Rest my feet and not travel to a cold place for a very long time.
“I can hear it.” Mikael turns back to the tunnel entrance, standing at my side. He eyes my neck. “Do you need me to carry you? Your heart is beating hard, the blood in your feet pulsating.”
“No. I don’t think this is the most opportune time to be carrying me.” My mouth turns down in a frown. “Your feet don’t hurt?”
“They do. But I’d gladly bear your pain in addition to mine,” Mikael says.
“Right.” I bend down and funnel magic into the ground again, pointedly ignoring him. The rhythm is stronger now, but just as even. There is no rush to the movement.
A knot forms in my stomach, anticipation heightening my nerves. We don’t have any weapons, no way to protect ourselves. It’s okay. We’re not here as a threat. The other dragon knew who I was, why I was here. There shouldn’t be anything to worry about.
“Breathe.” Mikael grabs my hand and squeezes it, gently letting it go after I take a deep breath.
I sigh, not from relief, but because it hurts to know how easily he can comfort me. I knew this curse-breaking journey was going to ruin me. Knew I wasn’t going to be able to continue hating him if I was forced to be around him.
It’s easier to hate the ghost of a person, the one that wronged me, than the one trying to make up for what they did.
We stand side by side, looking ahead, waiting for our fate. Two glowing blue orbs with black slitted pupils appear from the depths of the tunnel. The haunting eyes alone are enough to cause fear to flare and my stomach to roil.
I loosen the collar of my cloak, needing more air against my heated skin.
Breathe.
Breathe.
I used to be a feared warrior, and am still regarded as one in Varithen. But standing here, waiting for a dragon, is madness. I’d give anything to know what thoughts are swirling through Mikael’s mind. Is he as nervous as I am?
Am I actually worried about the dragon, or what the outcome of this encounter will be?
A deep rumble echoes through the cavern, followed by a voice, deep and gravelly. “The two that were one have come to claim the precious fragment that can mend.”
Oh, kill me now. More riddle speak. Lovely.
I’ve learned I really hate two things more than anything I thought I hated before—including Mikael. Being cold and riddles.
A single massive foot stretches silently into the light of the cavern. Sharp claws as long as my thigh and twice as thick dig into the ground. White-gray scales cover every visible inch of its body. It pauses, most of its form still shadowed.
A rush of cold air sweeps over us. “No metal. No wood. Good.”
The dragon’s nostrils relax, and the rest of its head slowly enters the light. Terror courses through my veins, and I blow out a puff of white mist, steeling myself against the warning signals firing off in my brain that I’m going to die. That this dragon is going to shred me to pieces.
Its head—full of spikes and twice the size of the dragon’s that took us to the edge of the mountain—moves into the light.
A row of spikes trails up the center of its head from the tip of its nostrils, then spreads out in a deadly crown of razor-sharp edges covered in frost. Even along its jaw, sharp spikes jut out from its scales, growing in size as they reach its neck. More pepper its brows and cheeks.
“Time ticks on, and waits for no one. Truth is the gold I seek. Bear it, or the heart will freeze.” Its narrowed blue eyes glow with a cold, ancient intelligence.
There is no mercy to be found within them.