It felt like I had just gotten him back, you know?Even in my mind, her thoughts are a whisper.I thought we’d have more time. I thought maybe he could know me.I didn’t get to say goodbye. I didn’t get to say anything.
I cradle her face, feeling her pain, her sorrow wash over me like a tidal wave. She rolls over to face me and buries herself in my chest. My heart comes apart for her.
What I wouldn’t give to be able to absorb all that pain, to take it from her. Yet for all the magic in this world, I can’t do anything but hold her while she cries herself to sleep.
I wake with her still tucked against me, her head lolling against my bicep. Rather than jostling her, I accept that I might lose the limb and lower my head back down to rest beside hers.
This feels so right—waking up to her curled against me. But then those long, heavy lashes lift, and I come crashing right back down to earth.
I’m still thinking about it as we load onto Furi’s back and sail into the frigid skies.
“Head northeast,” I say from behind her in the saddle. Furi glides onward until the dark iron spires of Castle Bellsphere come into view.
“This is where you want to land? Are you sure?” Serena shouts over the wind, twisting to look at me.
I nod. “Trust me.”
She chuckles. “You’re lucky I do.”
34
SERENA
When one finds themselves flying through a winter-wonderland, one expects the local castle to be a replica of Elsa’s ice palace.
My hopes and dreams are crushed as I stare down at what looks like a fortified prison.
Castle Bellsphere has all the makings of a war academy—cold, dark, and fucking terrifying—crafted from iron and stone. To make matters worse, it’s situated at the very peak of a mountain, and the temperature is justrude.
We circle overhead while Zadyn shifts into a white falcon and flies down to the gates. Once we get the signal to join him, Furi deposits us on the other side of a crumbling stone bridge arching over a heart-stopping drop into a rushing river below. Brawny guards patrol the perimeter—their fur pelts the only thing standing between their naked backs and the icy wind.
“How are they not freezing?” I ask Zadyn as we make our way past.
“They’re raised from childhood to withstand the temperatures. Elemental training.”
I quirk a brow. “That sounds insane.”
“Hyrax is known for its indomitable military. They’re trainedyoung to be ruthless and relentless, more beast than fae. Did you see those massive tents set up in the mountains as we flew in?”
I nod.
“Those are training camps. They span for miles. The best soldiers, the best killers come from there.”
I shudder. Not from the cold this time.
“Why are we here, Zadyn?”
The portcullis rises with an ancient groan as we cross the snow-dusted courtyard.
“The prince and I are old friends. He may be able to help us. Besides, I want to give him a heads up about Vod invading. Aegar could use all the aid it can get, and this will give them time to prepare for any possible attacks.”
There is no element of luxury to the castle as we make our way through the dim, torchlit halls. It’s all bones, no flesh—everything a wash of slate gray. Archaic stone and crumbling pillars bracket the walkway as a pair of hulking guards lead us down the corridor.
The wind howls, snapping at us through the open arches. Why in god’s name would they have windows here that don’t close? In temperatures that have to be below zero?!
Mar and I huddle close together, shaking like leaves behind Zadyn.
A handsome male in a simple crown fashioned from iron appears at the other end of the hall. Like the guards, he wears a fur pelt slung over one bare shoulder.
