“It’s not enough, my Lord,” the same Wielder spoke up again, more firmly now. “I’m approaching depletion; we all are.”
Ignoring the young woman, Edward stepped back from the Queen and swore into his reddened hands. His head snapped up and he glared across the coffin, anger simmering in his exhausted, sunken eyes. “You,” he hissed.
Adeline was bewildered to find his eyes on her, until Kai stiffened at her side and she realised that Edward was addressing the Merrow King.Blaminghim.
“I hope you’re happy.”
Adeline’s was not the only voice that growled back at the Commander, a furious medley of “Edward!” and “That’s enough!”
Iseult was bawling now, and Sebastian had given in too, shoulders shaking as he buried his face in the girl’s copper curls. Mareda had pressed her handkerchief against her eyes, either to stem the flow of tears or to shield herself from the ugly scene unfolding around their mother’s body.
“Selma wouldn’t want this, Edward,” Silas said quietly. He stood behind Adeline, and she wasn’t sure the Commander would hear him over the winds, but his shoulders sank as though he had.
There was a flurry of movement across the bank, and then Imogen was striding over the ice, several people in tow, some of whom Adeline recognised as Merchants from the Laune Market. She approached the head of the coffin, and laid a hand on the crook of Edward’s elbow, murmuring something softly. Edward remained rooted to the spot for a moment longer, tensed and scowling, but Imogen patted his arm gently once more and he seemed to deflate. He nodded, and stepped back, motioning for his team to do the same. Imogen and the Merchants took up their vacant places, hands on the ice, and spilled their magic into the coffin. It began to crumble slowly from the topmost corners. When one of them began to flag, another Merchant would come across the ice to take their place. Imogen held out the longest, her smooth brow deeply creased in concentration, cheeks flushed with effort until finally Edward joined her again at the head of the coffin, and with one final surge of magic, the ice crumbled to fine, sparkling snowdust.
The swirling wind tightened to a whistling, spiralling gust and finally,finally, Selma joined the breeze, her snowdust shimmering against the vast grey sky, up and up and up until she simply winked out of existence.
???
The Beira family stayed a while on the Laune as the crowds dispersed, accompanied only by a few close friends and Council members. Kai stood close to Adeline’s side, though she could feel the tension thrumming through him.
“Are you alright?”
The smile he gave her was barely a smile, but his eyes simmered with warmth.
“You needn’t worry about me in this particular moment.”
She ignored this.
“Edward didn’t mean it, you know. He’s just grieving.”
“I absolutely meant it.”
Edward’s low growl rose up from behind them, and Adeline turned to see him shaking off the grip Silas had on his shoulder. As he stalked towards them, Kai stepped smoothly in front of Adeline, and the movement seemed to stop Edward in his tracks for the briefest moment. Then he sneered, looking entirely unlike himself.
“You think I would harm her? She’s my family.You’rethe monster here, Merrow King.” He jabbed a finger into Kai’s chest. “You’re the reason the Kingdom is melting. Our Queen is dead because ofyou.”
“Stop it Ned,” Adeline cried out over his ranting. But Mareda had appeared at her father’s side, and was looking warily up at Kai as she reached a hand out, gently beckoning to her sister.
Adeline looked down at the pale fingers reaching out for her and frowned.
“What?”
“Adecome here. He’s right.”
“He’s not fucking right, have you lost your mind?”
A few stragglers had stopped on the bank, watching with open interest at the scene unfolding on the ice.
“He’sright.I’m so sorry, Ade. We didn’t want to tell you until mother was at rest.”
Adeline’s chest went cold as her heart plummeted.
She glanced at Edward’s collar, looking for the familiar glint of silver at his neck. He’d taken off the pendant. Had he learned what it was? That Kai had been searching for it?
Mareda was crying now, still reaching out for Adeline’s hand. She took a step out from behind Kai, drawn by her sister’s pain.
“The Healers performed an autopsy before Mother was encased. She didn’t die of the flu Ade - her heart was weak, for a long, long time. They said it became tethered to the magic of the Frost, and when the Thaw began, her heart began to thaw too, to weaken and wither.”
