Chapter 44
Forty-Four
T he following day dawned with frosty stillness, the air sharp and biting. But they’d survived. Tenderness lingered in soft glances and quick brushes of fingertips.
Last night had changed something between them. She wasn’t sure what it meant yet. She’d opened wounds she’d kept hidden for years. More than that, she realized the terrifying truth: she was falling for a fae—of all people—one she knew she couldn’t have.
Her heart had chosen without consulting her.
Alaire hitched the lighter pack higher on her shoulders. They’d discarded most of the bloody bandages and eaten a large portion of their food, rationing the rest. The mountain settled during their time in the cave, fresh snow already covering the ground.
Beck and Dawson had used their air aether to move the blockade of boulders. Their footsteps crunched across the icy ground, careful to avoid the cracks Solflara’s power had triggered. Solflara spotted two trails heading toward the summit. Unanimously, they chose the one with unblemished snow.
Before leaving the cave, they’d agreed to use magic sparingly. A slight wind was nothing compared to the yetis they’d encountered.
“ You and the prince seemed especially close last night .”
Alaire dragged a palm down her face, suppressing a groan. Sometimes she truly detested the telepathic connection.
“ Not willing to dignify your scandalous behavior with a response . Why am I not surprised ?” Solflara replied loftily.
Alaire gasped. “ There was no scandalous behavior .”
“ Whatever you need to tell yourself to justify your actions in front of others is just fine .”
“ On second thought , I regret not being louder so you could’ve thoroughly enjoyed my pleasure .” She grinned.
Solflara let out a sharp squawk. “ Please do not . It will only give Beck more confidence than he already has . Understanding boundaries is a foreign concept to a griffin .”
“ I’ll let Dawson know to convey your utmost interest in Beck . He’ll be thrilled , I’m sure .”
“ Don’t you dare .”
Alaire sent a humming wedding march down the bond, waiting for Solflara to pick up on the cue.
“ Fine . Whatever transpired between Dawson and you last night was private . I apologize for implying otherwise .”
“ Thank you .” She couldn’t remember Solflara ever apologizing before. Her phoenix took shit from no one—and truthfully, she wouldn’t have it any other way.
“ Though there were things you said . Things we should talk about .”
They finally passed the edge of the massive ice crevasse they’d spotted from the mountain’s base.
“ Saved by the frozen mountain .”
“ This conversation is not over , Alaire .”
“ Sure , Solf .”
She grunted.
The crevasse opened wide, a jagged wound in the earth. Carefully, they navigated its edge. One wrong step could send them plummeting into the abyss. Alaire’s heart hammered at the steady drop as the ice cracked beneath their feet.
“We have to be close,” Dawson said, his breath a frigid cloud.
As they rounded a bend, the crevasse widened, and Dawson stopped.
When Alaire reached his side, she saw why.
From far above, a pulsating glow refracted off the blinding snow.
Nestled in an alcove behind a curtain of icicles, a singular flame burned blue.
Something about it called to her. The familiar pull in her chest returned, drawing her forward.
“The winterflame,” Alaire murmured. “Do you know what it’s for?”
The flame seemed alive, pulsing with power. Each flicker tugged at her chest as if recognizing her presence.
“I’ve never heard of it. During our trials, we endured our share of tribulations, but no one ever had to retrieve a specific item.”
“I wonder why we have to now…”
He shrugged. “This trial is more challenging than even I anticipated.” Tucking his hands into the pockets of his leathers, he studied the flame intently. “I’ve never seen fire burn so blue. I’ll give them that. Why do you ask?”
“The flame feels like more. Special. There’s this odd tug here.” She placed a hand over her chest. “I’m not sure how to describe it. It feels both familiar and forgotten. Powerful and deadly.”
Silence.
“I sound outrageous. The altitude must be getting to me.”
Dawson shook his head. “No, you don’t. I’m just surprised you could sense that from this far away. The inscription did say, Retrieve the objects and pass the test . Seems your line of thinking isn’t far off. There’s only one way to know for sure.”
“We have to go down there.” She scanned the rough terrain for a way down. Shielding her eyes with her hand, she squinted. All she could see was white and blue.
It would be easier if Solflara and Beck could swoop down, but they still couldn’t fly in this sector. She’d come to rely on Solflara’s presence and skill more than she realized.
“ I’d be thankful for me too ,” Solflara interjected.
“ Stay out of my head !” Alaire shouted down the bond. She untangled the threads tying her to Solflara, raising her mental shield.
This was why they’d come all this way. She needed complete concentration.
With his fae vision, Dawson pointed to a narrow, icy trail that snaked down the crevasse’s side. “That looks like our best bet, but it’ll be tricky.”
They began their descent carefully, taking slow, deliberate steps. Alaire unsheathed one of her blades and forked it into the side for extra grip.
She smiled as she heard Dawson unsheath his broadsword behind her. Copycat.
Solflara’s talons dug into the ice as she went first, with Beck bringing up the rear. The path was treacherous. Each movement sent showers of ice and snow cascading into the depths below.
Halfway down, the trail narrowed further, transforming into a slick, steep slide. They could see their reflections in the sheen of ice.
“Looks like we’re going to have to slide the rest of the way,” he murmured, leaning close. The heat of his breath on her ear sent something dangerously electric through her. Dawson shifted forward, edging in front of her, his shoulder grazing hers—a touch that felt more intentional than accidental.
“Seriously?” Her pulse stumbled. She blamed it on the altitude.
“Serious as your loud snores.” Before she could stop him, Dawson dropped onto his ass and pushed off.
“I do not!” Her voice boomed through the crevasse. “Snore, that is.”
Grumbling, she sat, the icy surface chilling, and pushed off. The world blurred white and blue, wind tearing at her hair until it resembled a winter-stripped tree. Her ears popped on the way down, but joy surged through her veins despite the jarring final tumble onto a blue-black floor of ice.
When she got to her feet, her eyes locked on the blue flame—captivating, otherworldly.
“We need to be careful,” Dawson said, gaze transfixed.
“What we need is a plan.” Alaire lowered her mental shield again.
“That too.” He smiled faintly. “I’m surprised you don’t already have one.”
“I aim to please.” She smirked, turning to her phoenix and asking down the bond, “ Solflara , if you wouldn’t mind .”
She released a torrent of flame.
“Whoa!” Dawson gave Solflara’s fire a wide berth. “Some warning would be appreciated.”
“Why would we do that when this way is so much more fun?” Alaire snorted. “Technically, you asked for a plan. We’re just delivering in the areas you and Beck fail to excel at.”
The fire engulfed the ice, heat shimmering, but as the flames receded, the barrier remained untouched.
“ It’s been a long time since a phoenix’s flames could not breach a barrier not already magically fortified ,” Solflara said, solemn rather than miffed. “ The one in Orion’s Belt was one thing , but this … this feels different .”
“ What do you think it means ?”
“ I don’t know yet , but all of this feels connected to something far greater than an academy trial . This is old magic — ancient — and it shouldn’t be hidden here .”
“ It’s the same pull I felt with the ring at the ball … the same one that drew me to you . I don’t know what it means , only that this is where I’m supposed to be .”
“ Hm .”
Alaire turned back to Dawson. “Solflara confirmed my suspicions. It’s old magic,” she said, frustration creeping into her voice. “We’ll have to try something else.”
Dawson stepped forward, expression grim and determined. “I’ll try.” A flicker of wind sparked between his fingers as he lifted his hands. “Maybe it’ll take a prince to break through defenses of ice. Not like it hasn’t been done before.” He winked at her.
The audacity.
He unleashed a burst of aether, a blinding torrent of air that slammed into the ice. The ground vibrated with the force, cracks spidering across the surface—but the barrier held.
“Maybe we can’t use magic.”
“There’s no way we could carve through that. It would take days, and we don’t have that kind of time. We can barely last another night out here. Let me try once more.” Dawson closed his eyes, anchoring himself.
She couldn’t help noticing how his eyelashes fanned delicately across his cheekbones. As if sensing her gaze, his eyes snapped to hers.
She sucked in her cheeks. “Ready, prince? We don’t have time to stand around ogling, do we?
Though I don’t blame you—your view is quite exquisite.
” It was easier to deflect her embarrassment than admit she’d been admiring him.
Those unguarded moments were her favorite; she’d tuck them away for later.
Dawson’s magic split into two streams flowing from his palms.
Alaire spun the handles of her blade, hating the helplessness creeping in.
“ Alaire , your ring ,” Solflara urged.
The ruby pulsed, beating in rhythm with her heart. Crimson light—pure, unfiltered—erupted from the gem and lashed toward Dawson’s magic, just as it had at the Celestial Cascade Ball.
“No!” Alaire cried. “Don’t hurt him!”
But the scarlet light didn’t strike him. It wrapped around his streams of air, twining with them. For a heartbeat, nothing happened. Then the two powers began to dance, crimson spirals weaving through his currents, creating something entirely new.