Page 221 of Winter Gods & Serpents

Father had stolen from them and they were looking to steal back from him. If my father had already obtained the piece they would not be looking for it, which meant father did not have it either. Probably locked on one of these temples. What were these objects, magic or just random objects everyone was taking their proportions out of control? This pattern was unusual, the probability that I should be terrified that my father was indeed planning something big, ran very high but one thing I was sure of. If my father was to be asked in exchange of me he would not do it, the thought of it had me in giggles like a madwoman in front of the Solaryan vandals.

The ties behind my back broke and I stood kicking the man in his knee before he reached to grab me. The moment he stumbled forward I twisted his neck and he limped dead on the ground.

The rest of the men stood and approached wide eyed, unsheathing their weapons. I now knew what I had to do. It had been what Sam had wanted me to do. First, I needed to know what the truth was—the full truth.

“It was the last time, just how I promised.”

Chapter 41

Dreams and Nondreamers

Kilian

She had vanished right in front of me. I had let her enter that temple and let her disappear feet away from me. It had been hours of us entering the temple one by one facing its living horrors, but there had been no sign of her. My mind had gone dark, my body numb, lost, I was lost, and she was gone.

“She is fine,” Nia called, dropping to the ground breathless after coming out of the temple. She looked shaken, probably had faced whatever the rest of us that had gone in. The crafter's magic was strong, it had never let us further than the door of the main temple room, facing us all with some of our darkest fears which constantly kept us away from even coming close to the middle of the temple. But she was not fine, Snow could not have just vanished out of thin air. We rampaged the insides and all exits of the temple but found out nothing. Had whatever been there absorbed her to gods know where? I rubbed my head hard to get such thoughts far away. I only had hope, I could not lose that as well.

“Kilian, she is fine. Now stop pacing about, you are giving me a headache,” Nia said, grabbing my arm to pull my attention to her. “She will be very offended if she knew you underestimate her capabilities like this, trust me, I know her.”

“Let her be well and I will face whatever wrath she will unleash on me.” Her hazel eyes softened over my worried ones. She gave me an understanding nod before turning towards the entry of the temple, waiting for Caiden and Mal to come out.

“I will send word to her father,” Elias said, approaching us.

Nia shot up from where she was sat. “You do such thing, and I will send you dead to yours.”

He assessed her in disbelief before turning to me. “Should you not be afraid, isn’t she the key to your kingdom’s freedom? Should you not be panicking and running around looking for her, aren’t you her guard? Weren’t you sent here for that? Does your king know you haven’t protected her at all?” His words stabbing and dipped in anger.

I stood facing him. “I am afraid—afraid of losing the woman of my heart, should your salt dried brain understand. Snow is a grown woman, stronger than you and the rest of your little soldiers. I cannot chain her, I cannot make her do something she doesn’t want to do, and I am looking for her, unless you know a secret that we don’t, captain? Aren’t you on the general’s team, the one dealing with the vandals? Tell me, does your princess know that you haven’t protected her at all to guard whatever secret of her fathers?”

He retreated back a step, jaw twitching in anger, shadows dressed in puzzlement, frustration, disappointment, and a line of heartbreak. “Do you love her?” he asked, averting his eyes to the ground.

“Your ears will not hear that before hers do, now move and hold your mouth shut. Look for her, don’t make her life harder.”

Panting, two figures came from the temple. “She is not in there, I am sure of it, my magic can’t read her, but my senses don’t catch any human presence in there,” Mal said, plopping tired to the floor.

Elias’s eyes darted between us, hesitating to whatever he wanted to say. “There are other exits to the temple, some get you out to the forest or by the edge of Islines, and some to other temples in the other Krigborn line territory,” he revealed, and his soldiers all gave him a cold look. “They are connected by tunnels.”

I nodded in gratitude to him. She could have followed one of those routes. I didn’t know if I should thank the heavens or worry that it would be more difficult to find her.

“The morph, do you think she can trace Snow? This could last for hours or even days. Memphis could trace her bond down in moments,” Mal jumped in question.

Nia and Caiden’s eyes grew wide in realization and they immediately turned towards the forest letting out two sharp whistles. There was no response even though they both tried several times to call Memphis.

“The damned thing only answers to Snow,” Caiden cursed, kicking a rock in the air.

I whistled twice like Snow did. Grave silence, until a roar sent trees shaking in the air. Our heads turned to the sound erupting from the forest as a sigh of relief washed over us. Memphis elegantly made her way to me growling and nearly biting my head off.

I fluffed her mane and ordered, “Take us to her.”

Caiden pulled my shoulder. “Why is it taking orders from you?”

“She could have responded to anyone’s call, is it truly time to argue this?” I pushed his grip of me and mounted my horse following her directions towards the forest near the Isline mountains.

Elias’s team remained by the temple in case our instincts were wrong, and the morph had gone mad at the disappearance of her owner. Miles and miles of forest lands were left behind as we passed through conifers and inches of snow following the black animal. Tree folk, elder ash trees and snow flies startled into hiding, clearing the road ahead of us.

Please let her be well, gods and heavens let her live, do not take her away from me, do not take her. Prayers that repeated over and over in my head, almost echoing in them. The skies were furious, mountains echoed loudly, thunder cracked between them and around us. It felt as if the sky had come to the ground, the land and forest vibrated as if hit by lighting. Large flocks of winter birds flew above, one after the other, opposite to where we were heading. Worry coated my body and fear my heart, I shook both inside and out, unable to control my fear for her. I should have begged for her not to enter that damned temple, for me to at least go with her. Let her be alive and that would be the last time I let her out of my sight even if I had to sow her to myself.

Memphis began to slow pace as a large wooden cabin came to view a mile ahead. Thumping in anxiety, I furiously rode forward at such a speed almost sending my horse flying, the others chasing right behind me. Few men were running out of it in our direction, we all slid down from our horses and unsheathed out blades as they approached. Their features ghastly and wide as if they had faced an ancient mountain beast. They appeared tired, worn out as our blades met their flesh easily. Whatever they had run from had been their battle.