Whatever hit the ice explodes from the water, its massive form landing on the surface of the lake, making me slip and wobble. Panic has all thoughts fleeing my mind as I stand in front of this giant . . . My head tilts, and I try to concentrate on what is in front of me.
Confusion has me wanting to tear off the blindfold. But instead, I slowly crouch down, the cold seeping through my clothes as I set my sword down carefully on the ice. I press my hands against my knees, drawing in a long, trembling breath, and then rise to my full height, lifting my hand out in front of me.
I’m panting with a mix of adrenaline and wonder. I lower my head, blocking out the world, and let the minutes stretch as I stand perfectly still.
And then I feel it—a warm, wet nudge against my outstretched palm. My breath catches.
The creature presses closer, its muzzle firm but cautious as it sniffs me. I stay frozen, barely daring to breathe. Then, to my astonishment, it leans in further, its head slipping over my shoulder to tuck me securely under its neck.
A voice fills my mind, soft yet resounding, like a wave crashing against the shore.
‘I missed you, young one.’
I startle, my knees nearly buckling from the shock.
‘You were gone so long I assumed you were dead, but it is you.’
Holy shit.
Thoughts whirl as realization sinks in. The kelpie—this majestic, otherworldly creature—is speaking directly into my mind.Only Nymeria and Anika have ever done this, thanks to the bond we share. But this? This is something entirely different.
“How?” I whisper aloud, my voice shaky.
The kelpie doesn’t answer, just nuzzles me again with a tenderness that feels impossibly familiar. My arms move on instinct, wrapping around its thick, muscular neck. Its hide is damp and cold to the touch, but there’s an undercurrent of warmth, a thrumming energy that pulses like a heartbeat. I squeeze tighter, wishing I could see her properly—not just the faint, golden outline my magic reveals through the blindfold.
The kelpie lifts her head, her powerful neck shifting beneath my hands. With a gentle nudge, she presses her nose under me, lifting me effortlessly until I’m seated on her back.
My hands clutch at her mane as she rears slightly, then takes off across the ice with a smooth, gliding gallop. A startled laugh bubbles up from my chest, escaping into the cold air. It’s pure, unrestrained joy, a moment so surreal and exhilarating that all my fear melts away.
But the joy is short-lived.
Without warning, a memory slams into me like a tidal wave—raw, vivid, and so overwhelming it nearly knocks me from her back. Except it isn’t my memory.
I watch as a figure cloaked in black approaches the lake’s edge, cradling a baby in their arms. My breath catches as realization dawns—it’s me. A tiny, helpless version of myself, barely able to crawl, placed delicately on the frozen shore.
The memory shifts to that moment in time, and I feel the icy plunge, the bone-deep cold as I fall into the water. Panic floods my body, and I thrash about, withering in the icy water, sending out a desperate pulse of magic—a scream for help.
And then she is there, beneath the surface, to pull me from the depths. The kelpie saved me.
The memory fades, leaving me gasping for breath, my grip tightening on her mane as we streak across the frozen lake. My mind reels trying to process it all.
‘Someone had stolen you from your crib and left you at the lake’s edge, sending you to your death, but something about you called to me, and I couldn’t let you die.’
I have no words.
‘Thank you for saving me,’I whisper.
‘After that day, anytime your mother visited, she would bring you here to see me.’
A tear slips down my cheek, and a dull ache spreads through me.‘I wish I could see her again.’
‘She is with you.’
Within seconds, we reach the edge of the lake, and the kelpie slows, coming to a stop. Gently, I slide from her back, my boots crunching in the snow as I land. I pause for a moment, one hand resting on her flank, listening to the soft puff of her breath.
“Couldn’t have made it without you,” I murmur, my hand trailing along her side. I sense her bowing her head, then with a shimmer and a splash, she transforms into her water form, racing back to the heart of the lake. Watching her leave, I wish, yet again, that I could have gotten a proper glimpse of her.
Out of nowhere, a blast of hot air swirls around me, the sudden warmth a stark contrast to the icy cold I’ve been enduring. The force of it raises goosebumps on my arms, and the hair on the back of my neck stands on end. I freeze, every instinct on high alert. A deep, resonant growl rumbles from behind me, so low it vibrates through the airand in my bones.
