Page 240 of Season Warriors & Wolves

Nothing betrayed her features, or her heartbeat, when she said, “I do not know.”

I took the hand she held out and stood. The world turned entirely grim the moment I saw what remained from before. Bodies upon bodies. Snow piling on top, staining at the touch of blood from the dead that had yet to entirely turn cold— already buried underneath it.

“Hells.”

The zgahna peeled from the Isjordian air and earth, rolling and retreating down south, back to where it had rested for centuries protecting Olympia. It revealed the most gruesome scenery I would ever come to see in any existence.

Tristin portalled us further inside the remains of my father’s war where bodies were beyond unrecognisable laying on top of each other.

Less than we’d expected were pulled out from the ruin still breathing. The touch of the khamir beasts had been unforgiving. Healers and Crafters moved fast amongst bodies, healing and injecting Nia’s potion on those that had survived the dark magic Melanthe had used to turn them into beasts.

My eyes drew shut when I noticed Jayre’s remains laying between the forest and Snow’s bonded trying to awaken him. Memphis’s yowls were strained, she nudged her head on the dragon’s wings, attempting to move him despite the crater of a wound in his stomach.

“Memphis,” I called, and the animal limped to me, letting me touch her for the first time. “It is alright. He is home again, M. He is home now.”

Thora rushed past the battlefield, searching and searching, until she saw me in the distance. She flew in my arms, hugging me tightly. “I killed him.”

Relief washed over me. “You might have saved us all.”

She shook her head fast. “It didn’t stop Aurora. Snow…she had to stop her.”

My blood grew cold, colder than ice. “Where is she?”

“No one can find her. No one will tell me where she is either. Or Kilian.” She sniffled a little. “They are okay, right?”

“Yeah, yeah, Rora, they are fine.”

She looked over my shoulder, tensing. “King Sigurd.”

The Isline ruler walked to us, bloodied and wounded in places. His eyes did not meet mine not once. “You’ve won your war. This is where me and my people retreat.”

“Wait,” I called. “You might not remember me—”

“I remember you, son of skies, though I do not wish to.” He pointed to the scar over my lip. “You’ve got that reminder on your skin still. I hoped you would have taken the message.”

“For your help today, thank you,” I offered though I knew he did not want my gratitude.

The man huffed, shaking his head and picking up his weapons. “Let us never see one another again.”

“Let us not.”

Thora grabbed onto my arm. “You know him?”

I nodded, ready to free the truth. “Father sent me on a mission a week before the solstice. The order was to imprison a beast that he had his eyes on. A rare one. That beast guarded his village. That man killed three dozen of Isjordians with a snow pick alone, almost killed me too. I used a few means I regret to prevent him from doing so. Did more damage than just protect myself. I nearly wiped the whole village out and ended up killing the beast too.”

She took my hand in mine. “It is alright, Eren.”

“It was not.”

“It is to me.”

Footsteps approach us. “Kids.”

We both spun to Alaric who clutched a blood-stained white cloth embroidered with the Olympian falcon. Gold threats ran through its edges, similar to mine. Penelope had only embroidered three of them for us as a gift. My hand went to my shoulder where my own was still attached. “Rora, where is yours…where…where—”

Alaric’s face lowered, his shoulders shaking. “It is Snow’s.”

Chapter fifty-five