“You’re in the clear,” I murmured to my brothers. Both Kost and Ozias relaxed, turning back around and slumping to the ground. We opted for fewer tents and supplies so as not to draw further attention to ourselves, which meant sharing blankets and an oversize hide with a down lining. Fortunately, for those who’d been touched by death, the icy nip of night air didn’t hold the same sting it once did. Still a far stretch from comfortable, but the burn of snow wouldn’t kill us. Shared heat would suffice.
Leena snuck her arms through her coat and pulled the hood over her head, protecting her ears. Then, she slid beneath the hide and wiggled her booted feet. Even with shoes, she insisted her toes be covered by blankets. “Much better.”
“Here.” Kost threw a white bundle through the air.
Leena snatched it. “Thanks.” Peeling apart two thick gloves, she slipped them on with ease and then rubbed her hands together. Kost tossed a pair my direction and handed one to Ozias before placing his own black set on his hands.
Ozias arranged his bag in a mound and stretched out beside Leena, laying his head on his makeshift pillow. “Better get some shut-eye.” He propped his back against the canvas and silently accepted the cold chill inevitably sinking through the tent.
Leena lay down next to him and plopped her head on her bag. “If I have to get up and pee during the middle of this, I’ll cry.”
Ozias grinned. “I hope the gods aren’t that cruel.”
She giggled, and the soft sound was unbelievably painful. I’d almost stolen that from her and she didn’t even know. Lying down beside her, I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her close to my chest. A contented sigh slipped from her lips and she nuzzled against me, seeking warmth. Ozias’s smile wavered, and a hint of apprehension lit his eyes when he met my gaze. It was gone in an instant, but I didn’t miss his subtle shift toward Leena.
I couldn’t blame him. I’d done something to keep him and Kost out. Created an unbreakable network of shadows they couldn’t pierce. Ozias loved Leena like family. She was blood to him. And I’d jeopardized that.
Stiff and uncertain, Kost lay down on the other side of me. Tension roiled off his form. I didn’t need to see his expression to know the battling emotions racing through him. The shadows told me. They whispered of torment and anger and concern and love. All conflicting and damning and unfair. With the snap of his fingers, the orb floated down to him and went out. Soon the steady rise and fall of Leena’s chest called to my own tired mind. Sleep was a dangerous reprieve, but battling an army of Sentinels unrested was a far worse gamble than any nightmare Leena could eradicate.
At least one I hoped she could.
* * *
We broke camp at dawn and trekked north. The sun, barely risen, offered only a hint of light. Weak rays painted the gray ground beneath our feet and caught on sturdy plants with leathery, faded-green leaves in the shape of tongues. Just a small dusting of snow coated the earth, but I knew the further up we climbed, the thicker it’d get. A trickling stream wound down from some place high in the mountains, flowing to the open mouth of Luma Lake at our backs. If we followed it, the crystal waters would lead us straight to Glacial Springs. Right into Silvis’s Ruins.
It’s as if the deceased mage knew I was coming. Despite the nearly vertical climb dotted with boulders, our progress was relatively smooth. Thick snow cushioned our footfalls and crunched beneath our boots. The constant wind had died down to a subtle breeze, and there was a silent beckoning in the air. Heat simmered from my ring. I tore my gloves off and tucked them in my pocket.
I should’ve stayed behind. But with Sentinels surely dispatched to find us, remaining at camp wasn’t an option. More than that, the thought of leaving Leena’s side was maddening. Ever since we’d landed on the north bank of the lake, I’d felt the presence of hungry eyes. A stare so profound and heavy that I couldn’t help but constantly survey the blinding white expanse, only to turn up empty. But that presence urged me to continue. To follow Leena and make my way to the ruins. Another trick from the gods. Another reminder like Zane’s memory slithering through my veins. It had to be.
But I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t become the king they so desperately wanted. I wasn’t fit to wear a crown.
The climb demanded our full attention, so conversation gave way to heaving breaths and scrambling feet as we fought for purchase. When the air thinned and the sun descended over the highest peak of the mountain range, we hit a plateau and came to a collective halt. A statue carved out of mint-green stone with deep ivy veins stood on a small island at the center of Glacial Springs. Silvis. Armor covered her body, and thick shoulder plates with emerald jewels glinted with magic. Heavy gauntlets hid her hands, and her fingers wrapped around a thin staff that ended in a fist-sized diamond. A tattered cloak flared wide behind her. Long hair was caught in a frozen wind, almost hiding the gleam of garnet eyes.
Ozias whistled. “Wow.”
“No kidding.” Leena let out a hushed breath. “Where’s the sarcophagus?”
Power throbbed from Silvis and slammed into me. “The statue is her tomb.”
Kost tossed a quick glance behind him. “We shouldn’t linger.”
“Agreed.” Leena’s worried gaze caught on me. “I’ll get set up.”
The wind chill was magically nonexistent. Glaciers framed the gurgling hot spring, and an aura of teal, shimmering violet, and blazing gold hung like a thick haze above the water. Mountaintops clambered around the small opening, backing us into a stronghold of ice and rock. The only way out was back down. Not like we were ready to leave, and besides, Silvis didn’t seem interested in letting me go. Her fiery eyes were alive with magic and studying me in earnest. Leena said something to me as she crouched, but her voice was lost in the urgent coos of incoherent whispers. Just like before with Oslo.
The third will realize.
A sudden pang bloomed in my chest. Distant memories resurfaced and took hold of my vision, thrusting me into the past and reminding me of a simpler time. One where I sat on the knee of my father, just as the summer sun was lazily peeking through mosaic windows of the grand hall of Wilheim’s castle.
“Aleksander, listen closely.”My father patted the mess of white hair on top of my head before sneaking a finger under my chin and forcing me to meet his blue-eyed stare. The same icy color of my own eyes.
“Yeah?”The toy sword in my hand demanded my attention.
“Answer me properly.”
I folded my arms across my chest in a pout.“Yes, sir.”
“Good.”He smiled, and the corners of his eyes crinkled.“One day, you will be king. It’s important to listen.”Leaning back in his throne, he placed his other hand on my knee.“Now, tell me what you learned today from your tutor.”
