Surprisingly, the heavy, fur-lined coat, leather pants, and boots that covered me were somehow insufficient to block the cold. Snowflakes stuck to my face the moment snow began to fall, flushing my nose and cheeks from the chill. Rubbing my hands together, I blew hot air into them and covered my face to give me some comfort, but it wasn’t enough.
I grew up in San Francisco, for gods’ sake. I wasn’t made for below zero temperatures.
Kingston and Asher looked as miserable as I was. They weren’t made for the cold either.
A sudden warmth swept through me, coiling around my muscles, and relieving some of the tension building there. A small smile curved my lips while my body relaxed, and I reached for Crystal, caressing her scales.
“Thank you for helping me stay warm,”I offered through our connection; she was sharing her bodily heat with me.
“My pleasure, Young Prince… We have arrived.”
Her statement caused my eyes to snap forwards. A black and white mountain, like nothing I had seen, punctured the clouds before us. Its prominence was similar to Mount Everest, except this one appeared a thousand times taller. Immediately, a memory crashed against the vision before me, fitting it perfectly, and a gasp escaped me.
It was the frozen mountain I’d seen a glimpse of as the Dragons performed theRebirth of the Princeritual on me. The same place. They showed me right then and there how to find the Truth Teller.
“We’ll be landing soon.” Asher’s voice pulled me away from my thoughts to see him reach for the large burlap sack he’d brought with him and stand up, gripping one of the horns tightly. “The landing will be rough, so get ready.”
Although confused, I stood as directed. His urgency indicated we would land at any second, but the ice Dragon wasn’t making any effort to descend. If anything, she was lifting, heading straight towards one of the mountain’s peaks.
We couldn’t possibly be headed for one of those, it seemed higher than should be possible for anyone to survive there…
Then again, this was Caelisium. Anything was possible here.
“Hold on!” Asher urged when it seemed we were going to crash into the black rock, and both Kingston and I reached for one of the icicle horns, hugging it tightly like Asher had done.
Crystal’s hands and feet opened wide before her as she reared back at the last second, her hook style claws extending and piercing the mountainside to hold her firmly in place. Sheets of frozen ice and snow broke from the black rock with the force of her grip, plummeting through the air until they crashed on the land below.
And just like that, we “landed” at the side of the frozen mountain, thousands, and thousands of feet above the ground. So fucking cool.
“I will be here when you return, my prince,”Crystal assured, lowering her head until her long mouth rested on the rock, offering us a bridge-like path.
“Thank you,” I answered out loud and climbed down her forehead, walking along her nose until I jumped onto the flattened threshold.
Not far from where I stood, a cave could be seen, and Asher nodded towards it the moment he and Kingston jumped to my side.
The first thing that reached us when we entered the cavern was the warmth of three roaring fires. They sat on each corner of the large, triangular space that seemed to act as a foyer, repelling the cold wanting to come inside it. Partially shrouded in darkness, a corridor extended farther into the cave from between two of the fires, probably to the place where Asher’s mom actually lived.
To my left, a wooden table sat, reminding me for some reason of a place where people left offerings. Dread grip me briefly; I hadn’t even thought of bringing something for the seer. That was until I noticed Asher open the bag.
He pulled a beautiful, full-length, hooded coat from it that had more layers of fur than the ones we wore. Silver embroidery depicted snowflakes and what seemed like runes along the cream leather—on the hem, sleeves, and lapels—the details extending all the way to the bottom. Caramel-colored fur wrapped the cuffs and extended all along the ample hood. It was a coat made for a queen.
The care he used when placing the garment along the table said he might not have been with her for a long time, but he’d thought about her every day. He’d probably had those gifts saved while trying to muster the courage to come here again.
Asher proceeded to take out of the bag matching gloves, new boots, and a large wooden box.
“Announce your arrival.” Kingston nudged me, bringing my attention back to why we were here.
“I’ll wait for you outside,” Asher informed before I could speak, turning to walk out of there.
“You don’t have to leave. I trust you to hear what she has to say,” I assured, but deep down, I knew he wasn’t leaving because of me.
“I’ll wait outside,” he repeated and slipped out without waiting for my reply.
He wasn’t exactly asking for permission, and I couldn’t blame him. Asher didn’t want to be there… he couldn’t be there.
Exchanging a glance with the chief, I took a step forwards, facing the corridor. “Hello… My name is Braxton Skystorm. I am the son of the Harbinger of Just—”
“You need not announce yourself,” a voice echoed, closing in on us from the shadows. “I know exactly who you are, Dragon King.”
