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I don’t, though.
I just watch this man who bound himself to me, knowing exactly who I am. The man I am now destined to kill.
My eyes track his movements as he walks around me in a circle. The snow crunches under his boots as he moves around me. His presence is like a fire behind me, and without moving, he has sent a flame to caress my skin one last time.
We move in time with each other. I take a step forward, he takes a step back. I lift my sword. He sends a ball of fire towards me. It’s wide, and I can tell he’s aiming to miss.
My sweet, kind Summer Fae.
There is no way out of this.
From the stands, I hear screams every time we get close to each other. The music is booming now; the beat is vibrating throughout the arena.
Ten minutes pass, then twenty, as we circle each other. I refuse to take the first shot, and looking into his eyes, I know he feels the same.
“Let’s hurry this up, Elva,” my mother calls out from her box.
Suddenly, the snow we are standing on becomes slick as thick ice coats it. I know my mother is responsible for this.
The moment the ice appears under his feet, Nathan slips, his boots having no traction. I watch in horror as he slides forward, his arms flailing like he will fall.
My heart drops, and suddenly, I know I have to act.
It won’t just be ice she summons next time.
I stand still, my hand on the sword, gathering ice and snow around me. Flinging out my power from the depths of my being, I create a blizzard that whips around us. I send it throughout the entire stadium, covering the entire Winter Arena in my storm.
Under the cover of the snow and wind and ice, I walk towards Nathaniel. I tug on the bond repeatedly, hoping he can understand what I’m trying to say.
I’m sorry, my love.
As I approach him, I shift my grip on the sword as tears stream down my face. As I approach, I can see his outline. The storm whipping around us covers us both with snow. My gut wrenches as I prepare to lift the sword. I am only a few feet away from him.
Just as I am about to bring the sword down to end the life of the only Fae who has ever loved me, there is a tug on the bond. It is so sharp that I halt my movements.
“Elva, love, do you trust me?” he whispers. His voice is so low, so hurried, I think I imagine it.
“With my life,” I reply instantly.
“I have a plan,” he says before he moves and fades into the storm.
Our words are lost to the wind and snow, my storm screaming furiously around us. The blizzard is picking up speed, snow drifting across the area, when my mother’s voice booms out.
“End this, child,” she growls, “or I will release the wild beasts.”
The snow is flying so furiously around me. I can’t even see my hand in front of my face.Fortuna never wanted us together, and we will end in a frost-ridden tragedy.
“I’m sorry,” I say before releasing my hold on the storm and allowing the snow to settle on the ground before us.
When the winds die down, I see... nothing. No one is there. I blink twice in confusion as I try to find my husband. Nathaniel has disappeared. Shouts and jeers come from the stadium, and I stiffen as heat rushes down my back.
Keeping my grip on my sword, I slowly turn on my feet.
Standing directly in front of me, his eyes filled with tears is my husband.
“I’m sorry,” he echoes my words, before moving to embrace me.
A sharp pain, unlike anything I’ve ever felt, fills my chest. The agony is so acute I can barely feel the way he is furiously tugging on our bond.
