Why do you think he fled to Glace?
Because he knew it was a matter of days before we drove him out of his tunnels.
Do you think Vladimir knows he’s taken refuge in Glace?
No.
As a white line appears on the horizon, I say,Our daughter will have no more princess to slay if Alyona stashed him in her kingdom.
I hope she didstash him, because I’d love nothing more than to save my future child the headache of having to deal with a reckless royal.
I smile then, because I can just imagine Lore as a father. He probably won’t let our children leave the nest until their fiftieth birthday.
At the very least . . . Though a full century would be even better.
Concentrating on this elusive daughter of ours dredges my heart from the pit quarried by my nerves. But one glimpse at the looming continent of ice sends it toppling right back inside. I’m not ready for this battle. I may have armor, a seashell, and a fork—yes, I slipped the tool into the waistband of my trousers—but I don’t have a steel sword.
I suppose I could cause quite a lot of damage with my fork, especially if I grow it, but I’ll still need an iron weapon.
You have me, Fallon.
I may have you, Lore, but you cannot kill Dante, remember?
Yes, yes. I’ve not forgotten.
You better not have for I’d prefer that my daughter be yours and not some other man’s.
Both his crows swerve and narrow their eyes.Yes, indeed.
Hopefully, that’ll keep my mate from risking his humanity.
Too soon, my father angles his body downward. Lore must slip the reason for our return into the Glacin sentries’ minds because the entrance to the castle rises and they scurry inside to fetch the king.
By the time we land, someone comes, but not Vladimir. We’re greeted by Konstantin and the blond general, Salom, who looks as though he wrestles polar bears for fun.
“Did you forget something?” Konstantin’s posture is as stiff as the icicles at his back, and his complexion, just as colorless.
I hop off my father’s back, adrenaline careening through my veins. Though I must look bedraggled, I feel as hopped-up as Syb after a glitzy revel. “We found the ship, but Tavo Diotto and the runestone weren’t on board.”
His dark eyebrows sweep low over his pale eyes. “Did the Lucin general fall overboard?”
“No, Korol.”
I spin around at the sound of the voice that shouldn’t be able to travel through air. “Lore!” I gasp. “Divide. Immediately.”
But my mate doesn’t fracture into smoke. He remains in iron and leather and flesh for all to withhold.
For any to shoot at.
Bronwen’s predictions may come true after all.
Seventy-Six
Salom steps in front the crown prince as though to guard him from my mate. It’s rather audacious of him to believe he can protect Konstantin against a man who can dissolve into lethal smoke.
As though this was a game of chess, Lore steps in front of me.
Though I want to scream at him for taking such risks, all I say is,You left Luce unguarded.
