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But fear not, for there is hope in the form of a mate,
One true love, who shall break the curse and restore.
The end of days approaches, with each passing hour,
Find the mate, before time runs out,
For with their love, the curse shall be shattered,
And the kingdom of Icegard shall reign free.”
As the shadow loomed over the towns in the north, I zipped forward, flying over each one of them. Humans and elves alike ran through the streets, screaming as the menacing cloud ate through their flesh like a vat of acid. The total devastation was gruesome and utterly horrific. No one made it out alive.
The world teetered and spun on its edge again, jumping ahead in space and time to show the complete overtaking of my realm. The Dark King sat atop the throne, and my people’s souls walked in chains before him. His gaze locked directly with mine, and I gritted my teeth.
Again, the vision spiraled out of control, and I stiffened, my body swirling along with it. My stomach flipped inside me before the prophecy stabilized once again and settled down outside the castle of Icehelm.
I furrowed my brow, seeing the streets once again alive with people. Torches lined the halls of the castle, illuminating the once dark hall in glowing light. The street market was alive with humans, dwarfs, and elves alike, and then the vision pitched upwards and settled on the castle balcony that overlooked the city.
There was a woman standing with her back to me. Her slight form was overtaken by a beautiful set of glittering white wings with cerulean tips. They seemed more visually striking than a Fae’s wings, bigger and more magnificent in their grandeur. I found myself taken in by them. She turned towards me and looked over her shoulder, catching me with her gaze. Her eyes took my attention next, a burning blaze of icy blue, piercing in their vivid intensity and downright captivating. She rested her hands on her swollen pregnant belly, and instinctually, I knew she was going to have a boy.
There was a Dragonborne’s mark on her shoulder. I recognized it as mine.
It was Ella.
All at once, the vision shook and faded away in a jittery haze, and with a hard jolt, I found myself back in the cave with Orin’s knuckles pressed against my forehead.
“Should you ignore your duty and refuse to take a mate, your people will be constrained to a terribly cruel fate at the hand of the Dark King.”
I swallowed heavily.
“You must take her as your mate,” he stated.
“Then let us find her,” I replied.
With a swirl of his hand, a small needle appeared within his fingers. I held out a single finger as he quickly poked me with it, gathering a single drop of blood on its tip. In a flourish, a piece of parchment appeared before him, a map of the entirety of Icegard. He flipped the needle upside down and I watched as it split in two, one marking my location and the other traveling north, stopping several miles south of the mountains.
“How is it possible that she’s moved so quickly? There wasn’t enough time to make such a journey on foot.”
“There are more terrible things than orcs and wraiths that exist deep in the pits of Helheim, my King.”
CHAPTER19
Ella
Holy hell. It was freezing.
When I came to, the air was swirling all around me and what felt like icy water droplets were pelting my face. It was viciously cold, and to make matters worse, my eyelids felt like they were frozen shut. Wind whipped all around me, and when I finally managed to pry my eyes open, I was startled to find myself surrounded by the snows of the northern wilds.
How the hell had I gotten here?
My skull pounded brutally hard, and I pressed my hand against my forehead, rubbing gently as if it would help, even though I knew it wouldn’t. I was lying on the frigid ground, and I groaned, pushing myself up to a seated position just to remove as much of my body from the icy surface as possible. I flinched, a piercing flash of agony cutting across my left palm, and I glanced down to see it wrapped in a piece of white cloth. My blood had seeped through it.
Someone had cut me.
All of a sudden, the events of the night before slammed into me, and I looked around, trying to see if I was alone and if I could make an escape before things turned for the worse.
“You had a nice long nap,” Mais scowled. She lifted her chin, her whole demeanor exuding sheer, arrogant pride. Instantly, distaste swelled up in my belly, and I did nothing to hide my ire from my face.
