Stretching as far as the eye can see as I scan our surroundings. It's a frozen wilderness. Beautiful with its crystal-like presence sparkling everywhere. Majestic mountains of ice towering, jagged tips piercing through the swirling, cold smoke that cloaksus from the sky above. A thick veil of mist dances over us as I let my hand slowly rise, fingers stretching upward into the chilly sky. The cool mist dances around, playfully caressing my skin as we glide forward. The horse’s hooves pound against the thick blanket of snow beneath us as it strides forward, each step sending up plumes of thick, powdery-white snow.
I should be used to riding horses by now, but my thighs scream in pain. My shoulder blades ache every time I squeeze Florian’s body, holding on tightly so I don’t fall. I fear if I fall into the snow beneath us, it for sure would kill me. This winter air is like nothing I have ever felt before and the air is thickening, making it harder for me to inhale deeply.
With every breath, my throat rattles, as if frozen ice is freezing inside of me. Torturing.Chilled.Agony.
But I must breathe.
Even if it's brutal to do so.
I look back at the desert beginning to fade into the distance, the sands giving away to this frozen expanse. The wall, visible yet see-through, prevents the beasts from coming into these lands. The sand dragons, with their sinuous bodies twisting and diving back into the rocky terrain, can no longer follow us into this icy wilderness.
I won’t miss that place.
I never want to go back there. Honestly, if I never see any of this ever again, I will be okay with that.
I suck in a shallow breath, feeling the icy air filling my lungs. My chest tightens. “It’s too cold.”
Goosebumps have risen all over my body as tiny ice particles begin to attach to my dark hair. My skin, once a rosy red, now is turning into a deep blue.
Florian glances over his shoulder, his autumn eyes widening as he sees the condition I am in. I am not dressed for thisweather, but I feel, even if I were… the cold here would stillfreeze me to death.
He whips the reins, the horse picking up speed, sprinting through the Ice Nation faster than I have seen before. Maybe this is why he said no one ever rides faster than him.
No beast.
No person.
My arms tighten around his broad frame, desperately burrowing into his warmth with my cheek, clinging to every trace of heat I can steal. As if he is my anchor, my lifeline, and I hold on for dear life.
“You’re so warm,” I whisper through chattering teeth, my bottom lip quivering uncontrollably.
“We're almost there, I promise.” His voice drops to a deep command. “Don't fall asleep.”
I nod, my body seizing with each violent shiver.
“It's hard to… breathe,” I gasp, words escaping in ragged puffs as my eyelids flutter open and shut.
“Stop talking!” he growls, wielding the reins with violence, urging the horse into a frenzied gallop. His voice, a sound so unfamiliar… as if fear has crept into him and there is a hint of worry.
But that's impossible. He can’t worry about me. He wants me dead.
But as I stare up to him, watching his golden strands fly in the wind, I catch his jaw tense and his muscles tight, desperate to get us out of the brisk air.
Maybe I have him all wrong.Just maybe.
To my right, I notice a magnificent, towering castle with a bluish tint, nearly merging with the surrounding ice-covered mountains. There's a frozen waterfall on the left, beyond two mountains that nearly obscure it. The tall frozen trees stand with leaves as white as the snow blanketing the ground. A bridge,elegantly sculpted from frozen water, extends gracefully to meet the ice wall that encircles the castle. The dull sun, blocked by the smokey air, hits the castle perfectly, revealing the golden swirls of details within the ice. As we ride over the bridge, the smooth, crystalline surface glistens, casting shimmering reflections onto the surrounding snow. Guards posted in silver uniforms stand vigilant at every post, their breath visible in the crisp air, while their sharp eyes survey the scene at the entrance.
We ride through and within seconds, the cold vanishes. My body melts, feeling the heat I have been craving. The ice begins to melt off my hair, dripping against my exposed shoulder and down my arms.
My body relaxes and I close my eyes, resting against his back as we trot through the castle walls. We arrive at the grand entrance of the castle, where the massive, oval, silver door looms imposingly above us, glinting in the sunlight like a giant shield. Florian swiftly, yet gracefully, dismounts from his horse with ease. He reaches up, his strong hands gently gripping my waist to assist me down, ensuring my feet touch the cobblestones with steadiness.
“Are you warm now?” His eyes frantically scan my face.
My brows deepen. “I don’t understand how…”
He cuts me off, as if he knows exactly what I am going to ask. “The curse.” He clears his throat. “Which is something you don’t know about. I’ll explain…”
The massive doors begin to open, a booming sound of metal against metal rubbing together as they glide open. A guard in an all-black attire makes his way down to us, his sun-kissed skin marked with a few silver markings along his neck and black hair that curls down to his chest. But his silver eyes take my breath away. “He is waiting for you,” the guard says.
