Page 25 of The Ruins of the Heartless Fae

“On the other hand, nobody thought much about me, because I’m just a girl, and I didn’t have any Elemental powers. But I didn’t want to just become nothing. I wanted to prove myself too.” The night cast shadows over her face, and her eyes grew sad. “To … I don’t know, win their love? Their attention? Or to provesomething. I don’t really know. I worked my ass off to awaken my Enhancer abilities. People say that everyone not blessed with Elemental powers have dormant Enhancer abilities, but as I tried over and over again to punch into a concrete wall and try to make a crack into it, my knuckles bleeding and my body breaking, I thought it was a lie. I thought there was no way I could ever awaken it. It took me years before I showed ahintof Enhancer abilities. The vast majority of the population never awaken their abilities because it’s so dang hard. But I’m glad I never gave up.”

Eyfura suddenly laughed, rubbing the nape of her neck and glancing at Kolfinna sheepishly. “I don’t know why I’m telling you all this, but yeah, it’s pretty hard. I guess I just get heated when I think about it … But you know, I’m pretty sure that’s one of the reasons people don’t like your kind … The fae, I mean. Magic comes so easily to your people. Or so I heard.”

Kolfinna shifted in her seat. It was awkward and strange to think about—that she somehow had an advantage over a human. “It … it does come easily to us. I’ve never had to struggle to use my magic, if I’m being honest. Yes, there are a few things that are harder to do and harder to learn, but I never had to awaken my powers. What are you able to do with your abilities?”

“I can break boulders and buildings,” Eyfura said. “And I can lift really heavy things. It’s pretty nifty, to be honest. I’ll show you my cool side when we actually fight whatever’s in the ruins.” She said the last part with a wink.

Kolfinna couldn’t help the smile that lifted her lips. “That’ll be cool to see.”

“Oh, you never know!” Eyfura spread her hands out, her eyes wide with excitement. “What if there are evil spirits and bandits in there? Or ancient monsters our world has never seen?”

“I wonder … But I don’t think I’m excited to see that kind of stuff. What if they’re stronger than us? Or I don’t know, I’d rather face things I’m familiar with. That IknowI can beat.”

“Oh, come on. We’d be the first people in centuries to see some of the stuff in there! I think that’s pretty exciting! But I’m pretty confident we could kick some monster butt if it came down to it, even if we didn’t recognize them.” Eyfura picked up a twig and twirled it around in her hand before pointing it at Kolfinna. “What do you think is in there that’s strong enough to make it so no one makes it out of there? There has to be a reason nobody has made it out yet.”

Kolfinna pondered for a moment. Magic beasts existed, so maybe there was a powerful magic beast stuck inside the ruins that no one could kill? Or maybe the ruins were empty because the first excavation team had taken all the goods and made a run for it? It was all a mystery.

“I’m not sure,” she finally answered. “But I hope it’s nothing too dangerous. I’d like to clear the ruins as easily as possible and then”—become a Royal Guard and not have to run anymore—“relax.”

“I agree! The king is promising a hefty reward.” Eyfura tossed the twig into the fire. “I’m excited to spend the money when we get back. Hey, maybe I’ll show you all the good shops in the capital? We can go shopping together! That’ll be so much fun!”

Kolfinna picked at the dirt beneath her fingernails. It was a pretty image: She and Eyfura waltzing through the capital streets with silk and fur clothes draped over their arms, smiling, laughing, having a jovial time. But it was too much like a dream.

“Yeah, sure.” Kolfinna smiled hesitantly.

“That’s a promise!” She held her pinky out and wrapped it around Kolfinna’s without warning. Her grin was infectious. “When we’re done here, we’ll have lots of fun. I’ll introduce you to all my friends, so you better not make a run for it, all right?”

“Yeah,” Kolfinna murmured, “sure.”

“Eyfura!” Mímir called out from half a dozen feet away. He stood with his hands on his hips and his tent was now a puddle by his feet. “Do you mind helping me with this? I’ve been trying to erect this thing, but it just won’t work.”

Eyfura giggled as she got to her feet. “You really do suck at those tents. Remember the last mission you needed my help too?”

“Ugh, don’t remind me.”

Eyfura went to the tent and examined it for a bit before waving to the other Royal Guards to help her. Magni grumbled and got to his feet. Kolfinna watched as Eyfura helped build the tent, laughing and poking at the other guards when they didn’t pull their weight.

Kolfinna turned her attention back to the fire, where it continued to expand and wane with the wind. In a few days, she would see Blár Vilulf again.

* * *

“We’re here!”Mímir called out three days later in the afternoon when they reached a makeshift military camp with two red tents and four gray tents erected in the forest clearing. Soldiers in gray military uniforms mulled around the clearing, and a few gave them pointed looks as they drew closer to the camp.

A chill settled in Kolfinna’s bones; a chill that rattled her teeth and was cold in every sense: literally, figuratively, and metaphorically. Her injured leg ached terribly and she couldn’t stop shivering. It was the kind of cold that tore at her skin and pricked her eyes. It was powerful and terrifying and horrendously ugly.

It meant that Blár Vilulf was nearby.

Kolfinna drew her cloak tighter around her body, her teeth chattering and her knees knocking together. Her cloak was meant for autumn’s coolness, but it felt like a mesh sheet with how little it stood against the biting cold. Maybe it was the power of a black rank, but the last time she had met him, there had been a similarly unbearable wintry chill. A year ago, when she should’ve been sweltering under the summer heat, the weather had morphed into winter in the few minutes he came to find her.

She wasn’t the only one who noticed the weather change; the entire party of Royal Guards shifted on their feet uncomfortably.

“It’s supposed to be summer,” Magni muttered with a string of curses to her left, while Torsten, the white-blond ice elemental, laughed beside him and said, “Well, you know what this means …”

Their conversation drifted to silence as they stared ahead at the military camp, their once carefree mood shifting to a more serious note. It wasn’t only them; Kolfinna could see the hardness in the Royal Guards’ faces as they regarded the camp with narrowed eyes, as if looking down on something distasteful.

“You okay?” Eyfura came to stand beside her. A breeze tousled her hair and sent stray blond curls across her eyes. “I can tell by this chill that it’s you-know-who exerting his power.”

Kolfinna quickly gazed at the dozens of soldiers in the clearing, their faces blurring together as she tried to findhim. Her breath caught in her throat when she couldn’t find him, despite knowing he was close. “Is this normal for him?” Kolfinna asked, her voice carrying with the wind. “This cold, I mean.”

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