Page 134 of The Daughter of the Scarred Elf

The worst that could happen was that it failed, and they’d be stuck here nonetheless. But if it worked … Then they would be free.

Blár’s eyes glinted into an icy silvery-blue in the dim lighting. “Yes, let’s do it.”

Kolfinna quickly slid her hand into his. Her pulse raced and she tried to find the words to speak, tried to remember what was written in the journal of that fae warrior. He was so close to her in this moment, and she wanted to lean even closer, to feel the coolness of his magic. “I, Kolfinna, intend to marry Blár Vilulf,and we intend to bind ourselves and our magic together in theBryllupceremony.”

“I, Blár Vilulf, intend to marry Kolfinna …” Blár’s squeezed her hand, the words coming out clumsily, “and bind myself—ourselves—and my—ahem,ourmagic together in theBryllupceremony.”

Nothing happened.

“Well?” Kolfinna asked, giving his hand another squeeze. “Do you, uh, feel something?”

He stared at her blankly. “No.”

Her eyebrows came together. Did it fail?

Seconds ticked by, but there was no burst of energy. No crazy mana pulsing between them. Nothing.

“Maybe …” She chewed on her lower lip, gaze darting to the window. They didn’t have much time. “Maybe I can try something?”

“What?”

Instead of answering, she brought her face close to his. He inhaled sharply, blue eyes narrowing to search her face, to maybe make out the shadows of her expression. It was probably too dark for him to see her, but she could see everything about him. The bobbing of his throat, the feverish redness over his skin, and the dried blood caking the side of his face.

Her heart pounded in her chest like a beating drum as her lips brushed against his lightly. She gasped at how surprisingly soft his mouth was, how it molded so perfectly to hers, and for a moment, she forgot why she was even doing this. Her hands tentatively went to his shoulders, and she rested a hand against his cheek, breathing in the scent of him.

A surge of raw energy buzzed between their lips and pumped through her veins. She gasped against his mouth as a clash of ice and her own warm mana hummed in her chest, leaking into the beat of her heart and sending electric pulses through every fiberof her being. She pulled back, eyes wide, and he did the same, his own face showing alarm.

Her chest heaved and she fell back on her bottom. She brought a trembling hand to her lips, and a flush warmed her cheeks.

All at once, another surge of mana overcame Blár, and she could feel it. Could feel his mana like it was her own; could feel it rise higher, and higher, until it poured out of his hands. He yanked at his wrists and the shadow magic snapped off like metal cuffs and dissolved into the grimy floor.

He rubbed his wrist and grimaced in pain. “It … worked?”

They both stared at each other in awe.It had worked.

The feeling wore off quickly because Blár suddenly took a hold of her hand and urged her toward the window. Even though her focus should’ve been on escaping, she couldn’t stop thinking about the kiss. Her lips still tingled from it, and she resisted the urge to bring his face down to hers again and kiss him once more.

What is wrong with me?

Blár placed a hand on the bars and in seconds, ice escaped from his fingers and froze the metal. He snapped the bars off and tossed them aside, his gaze flicking between the sky and then the flying fae.

“Will they see us? With their fae eyes?” He nodded toward the winged people.

“No,” she said because only elves had extraordinary sight. Unless, some of those fae were like her—part elf.

“Good.” He raised his uninjured arm and glass-like ice steps protruded from the walls of the fortress all the way down to the ground.

He pulled himself through the window and landed on the ice panel directly below the window. Straightening, he turned to her and held his blood-stained hand out. “Let’s go.”

Kolfinna tried to grab his hand, but as if there was an invisible force, her hands didn’t go past the window. Her smile faded and she slowly turned to the runes on the wall. They seemed to glow even stronger now, and between their glowing and the sun slowly peeking through the horizon, she didn’t know which was brighter.

Blár didn’t have time for her to figure out a way to escape. She knew that.

Seconds ticked by and they both stared at each other, neither wanting to face the truth.

Kolfinna tried to smile, tried to show him confidence, but her mouth wobbled. “You have to go,” she said. “Without me.”

Blár shook his head and reached over the window and grabbed her hand. His touch was ice-cold, like winter itself, and she wanted to lean into it, but she couldn’t.

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