Chapter 21 Ban
Ronnie’s grinning when she dies. It pisses me off, and I have the urge to drive her through the wall, out into the open, and tear her to pieces.
But Neve takes a weak breath in my arms, clinging to life, and I can’t chance taking that away.
“Good job,” Ronnie says, her voice slow and heavy as she fights to get her words through the blood leaking from her lips. “You were the final piece.”
I don’t understand what that means, but it’s too late to ask. Ronnie’s breath ghosts out of her one last time before her spirit appears, and blinding rage hits me.
I need her to no longer exist. Not in this life, or any other.
“Ban!”
I know I’ve begun to lose my mind as I cling to Neve, because I swear, that sounds like Zarev.
“Goddammit, Ban, you’re going to freeze us to death!”
Scratch that, it has to be Zarev. When I turn from Ronnie’s lifeless body, ignoring her spirit, I glare down at the floor.
Where did Davina go?
Below me is Zarev, his dark shadows spinning around in lazy circles. Behind him stands Odette, who appears to be having a tough time with the cold, her teeth chattering and arms wrapped around her body. They are trying to stand against the wind, and it occurs to me, belatedly, it’s my fault.
My grip tightens on Neve, and I can’t tell whether she feels it or not. She doesn’t seem to react at all.
Slowly, I sink toward the ground. The shadows that suspended us are dispersing, and the icy wind lessens as agony strikes me in the chest.
Neve.
When I reach the ground, instead of landing on my feet, I collapse to my knees. A pained cry escapes my mouth, and the two of them hurry over.
Maybe I really am losing my mind, because these two don’t belong together.
“Ban,” Zarev says, crouching beside me. Other than the extreme amount of worry in his eyes, he looks fine. Odette kneels next to him, arms still wrapped around herself, and stares in terror at Neve.
I can’t focus on her, not with the life fading from my queen. “She’s dying.”
“Yes,” Zarev says carefully, his gaze flickering between myself and Neve. “Who is this?”
“The Queen,” I choke out. Neve’s eyes peer unfocused between us, but I swear she’s breathing. “We have to save her.”
Zarev’s eyes shoot back to mine. “Ban–”
“It’s not up for discussion,” I growl. “Help me–”
Above us, a cracking sound erupts through the space. I look up at the same time they do, as the ceiling of the palace caves in. A huge piece of ice breaks away, crashing into the far side of the room, the walls groaning with protest as the floor gives.
“Help me move her,” I hiss, turning to Zarev again. I can feel the kick in my magic waning; I’ve used too much of it in a short span. “We have to go.”
He only hesitates for a moment, and in that second, I hate him. Then Zarev makes his scythe disappear before cradling Neve’s side, gripping her skin. “Odette. Hold on.”
The princess practically throws herself into him, and not an instant too soon. Zarev nods, and we slip into the shadows together as the ceiling gives way above us, the entire room crashing down.
Zarev lets me lead us through the shadows, his magic following mine as we leave. I don’t have it in me to go far. If he’s helping me move Neve while bringing Odette along, he won’t be able to travel far, either.
It’s fine. All I care about is getting outside the capital city. Even the gates will do.
My gaze stays on Neve the whole way. Her eyes barely blink, her labored breaths, and the fact that she’s somehow still alive.
I’m doing my best not to jostle her; the fragile connection I have between my ice, her spine, and the back of her neck feels fickle as we move.
The shadows shouldn’t harm her, but I could.
One wrong move and she’ll slip away from me forever.
We arrive outside the gates before I’m unable to continue. Zarev drops beside me, Odette looking haggard as we come out of the shadows.
Neve’s eyes have shifted, her gaze meeting mine, but there’s no light in them. No life, no fear or pain or desperation. Just blank blue slates that give me nothing to work with.
“Come on, my queen,” I whisper, and Zarev’s hand falls away. “You’re going to be okay.”
“Ban–” he begins.
“She’s going to be fine,” I snap, glaring up at him. Zarev doesn’t move back, but he slowly holds up his hands. “We need to heal her.”
“We can’t heal,” he says slowly.
“Then we’ll take her to Rapunzel,” I reply, brooking no argument. “Or you can bring her here. Go to Sherwood, collect her, and bring her back. Neve needs a healer.”
He shoots Odette a pained look. “Ban, even if I do that, it would take too long–”
“She needs a healer,” I hiss. “Her mother’s magic did this. We can repair it.”
Zarev doesn’t respond, and that’s worse than if he argued. He only watches me, resignation in his eyes.
I refuse to believe this is how it ends.
A cold breeze rolls past us, and at this point, I don’t know if it’s me or the Frostlands. I wish it were Neve, but I don’t think she has the energy or power for something like that. Right now, all she can do is try to survive.
“Ban,” Odette hisses.
I snap my gaze up to yell at her, to get them to listen, but my eyes snag on what’s caught her attention.
The figure before us stands a few feet away, hands clasped behind his back, unforgiving, cold eyes watching.
The pale, deathly white reminds me of Ronnie.
Except this is more dead, less magical. The winding horns that protrude from his head give him an ethereal look, and the sweeping blue of his robes makes it impossible to determine how old he is.
But I recognize him, the same way Zarev does when he shoots me a look. Without a word I stand, gripping Neve to me as tightly as I can.
When the man bows his head, I can’t stop myself from speaking. Recognition blooms in my voice, the eyes of a man I never expected to see again gazing back at me when he looks up. “An Icebound spirit, come to claim the Queen?”