I held out my dagger as I met her icy gaze. “Fraleigh will have to just wait a little longer. NowIhave a bargain foryou.”
The weight of the air crashed around me. Ganora’s eyes flicked down as water of the well swirled faster. My white flame flared around my heart, rattling my ribs and bringing tears to my eyes.
My hand shook around the dagger, but the moon was crawling toward the center of the sky. I had no time to waste.
I swallowed and let my conviction bleed through each word. “All my life I fought for power, whether it came in the form of security, or sorcery, or a crown.” I tightened my grip on the bronze hilt. “But love is the greatest power in the world. It is more powerful than any bargain, any title, and more powerful thanyou.”
Ganora’s eyes went wide as I sliced my left palm. Blood dripped from my wrist into the well of tears. My eyes raised to Ganora’s icy ones and the white light from the well nearly blinded me, but I remained firm.
“A life for a life given in love,” I said. “You take my eternity and Riyan goes free.”
I could have choked on the weight of the air around us. She could do nothing to stop my bargain, but a smile still crawled across Ganora’s face. “Your eternity on my terms? Done.”
My stomach turned at that smile, but the warm white light in my veins kept me calm.
It was done, no going back. I had saved him.
Ganora waved her hand over a mound of snow and the white powder disappeared into a flurry. I choked on a gasp—Riyan’s body was on the ground. He was still fifteen feet tall, his limbs stiff and frozen, and a mask of ice was over his eyes.
With a slow turn of her hand, Ganora’s magic lifted Riyan’s body from the snow and lowered him into the churning well oftears. His body disappeared into a thousand years of sorrow without so much as a splash.
I gripped the hilt of the Hyton dagger. I held my breath for the last time I would need to and took my bravest step forward.
White light engulfed my vision and a low voice of frost and flame wrapped through the white void.
“Welcome back, Little Ember.”
My feet hit solid ground and I opened my eyes to darkness. Water gently swirled around my body, but my heart did not beat.
I was in the place West of the Moon and East of the Sun.
Suddenly Ganora parted through the dark waters as if she were stepping through gossamer curtains. Somehow we were the same size.
“A thousand choices through the centuries led you to accept the Man of the Mountain’s gift in its entirety.” She tilted her head. “And so you have completely surrendered to me.”
Trails of crimson swirled from the cut on my palm like ink blots on a contract. “Name your terms, Queen of the Giants.”
“For your sacrifice, your beloved shall walk free.” Her voice was low and powerful, adding to the weight of the water with each word. “Though you have not laid down your life to takehisplace…”
What was she saying? Was she not using me as a weapon to free her sister?
“…you will take mine,” she said. “You will take my power and my eternity. And Daigen’s. And Fraleigh’s.”
I slowly shook my head. This was no bargain. “There must be more.”
Ganora’s mouth formed a tight line. “When the Alastar comes to Nordingaard, surrender yourself.Youwill go under the collar in Fraleigh’s place.”
My hand flew up to my neck. I was prepared to face eternal servitude to the Queen of the Giants,notthe man I destroyed. “No, I can still free Fraleigh without it. With all the power you promise, I can convince—”
“No you can’t!” Ganora snapped her teeth. “You know an Alastar would never let her go unless he had something more powerful to take! If the Man of the Mountain takes her power back and makes her mortal, the Hytons will keep her enslaved until she dies!”
I shook my head. I could not chain myself to the monster I could not slay. I could not face General Hyton after what he proposed, nor Derrick after I had broken his heart.
“Youcannotback out now, Serafina,” Ganora said. “This was the Man of the Mountain’s plan from the beginning. I listened to his whispers and forcedjustthe right circumstances to poise you to make this bargain.”
The chill of her power prickled my neck again, just like when she had strangled me in front of desperate Riyan. She was never taking revenge for her fallen giants, or waiting for her perfect weapon to return to her…
“I never cared about the boy,” Ganora said with a hollow laugh that crackled with desperation. “He was just the only way to get to you—the only way to free my sister, to free all of us!”
