Page 178 of Kingdom of Embers and Ruin

Bryn looked up and realized the gray horizon she had been looking at had been the Icewall Mountains. They shot up past the clouds, the peaks invisible to the naked eye.

Hakon murmured his astonishment at the sheer size of the mountains as Bryn did, both following Liv around the edge of the mountains. Theycircled the perimeter of the massive lake that was housed at the foot of the Icewall Mountains. What they were looking for, Bryn didn’t know, but she kept a watchful eye on Hakon and their surroundings in case an ambush lay in wait.

Liv closed in on one side of the waterfall and dismounted. Her boots hit the snow and then sunk another foot deeper.

Gods, Bryn hated the snow. It was cold, wet, and slippery in the best conditions. Knowing that she would sink a foot into the snow when she jumped down from the horse made her hesitate.

She had lived in a desert her entire life; the snow was a foreign entity to her.

Hakon jumped down and followed Liv after grabbing the reins to the sled that Gunnar slept in. He had been in and out of consciousness the last few days, speaking with Bryn occasionally but for never more than a few minutes. The belladonna was working its way through his body, shutting down one organ after another before it finally reached his heart.

Liv began banging on the side of the mountain and shouted something, the sound getting swallowed in the booming sound of the waterfall. Hakon ignored her, as she expected, pulling Gunnar to Liv’s side. Bryn jumped down, sinking into the snow and forcing a shudder to roll through her as the freezing powder found its way into her boots.

A few minutes passed, and nothing happened. Bryn had no idea what Liv was doing. It was almost like she was chanting in time to a song they couldn’t hear. As she did, Bryn noticed how the air around her shimmered slightly, like there was a veil between them and Liv.

Curious, Bryn stepped forward right as a loud crack sounded through the plain around them.

The wall that Liv had her hand on moved inward, the outline of a large doorway sinking into the mountainside and creating an opening. Therewas no light beyond the threshold, but Liv did not hesitate as she stepped through it and disappeared into the darkness.

Hakon, hesitating, finally looked at Bryn over his shoulder and then down at his friend asleep in the sleigh. Bryn shrugged and motioned for him to follow Liv.

“I don’t want you at my back, Helvig,” Hakon said, hatred dripping in his words.

“Ouch,” Bryn said, brushing off that he called her by her family name even if it made her chest cave in. “Fine, Kolbeck. I’ll go.”

Hakon rolled his eyes at her as she passed, and Bryn winked at him, knowing it would get under his skin, before passing through the mountain into the darkness. Prepared to call out Liv’s name in the darkness, Bryn halted as she was faced with the most unlikely circumstances.

She expected a long passageway that was bathed in darkness. She expected Liv to be waiting for her in the dark, ready to finish leading them to whatever safe hold she had promised them.

What Bryn had not expected to find was a brightly lit tunnel of ice illuminated by glowing orbs of sunlight in the ceiling. She had not expected to find a group of soldiers plated in matte black armor, their long hair different shades of dark reds, black, and deep golds. Bryn had not expected to see a glamour that had been veiling Liv’s features disappear, revealing her true heritage to them all.

Hakon quickly joined Bryn in her stupor, watching as everything he thought he knew about his friend disintegrated.

Standing in two neat rows extending down the long, narrow hall were Elven soldiers. Their long, tapered ears were clearly on display under their helmets, the flawless skin of their race varying in shades from fair to deep ebony. Liv’s glamour had cleverly concealed her pointed ears and skin that glowed like she was lit from within; her already long limbs seemed moregraceful than before, her movements measured and easy as she became accustomed to her true form once more.

Liv stood facing them, her hands clasped behind her back, giving them a secret smile as footsteps sounded.

“Olivia Minnasdóttir,” a deep, musical voice came from behind Liv. “You have finally returned.”

A tall male with black hair so dark it absorbed the light around him stepped forward. His golden skin was tanned and flawless, the tapered points of his ears protruding through his long black tresses. He was dressed as a warrior in fighting leathers, an axe belted to one side of his waist and a longsword on the other side. Hanging from his shoulders was a cloak whose inside was lined with black and silver fur.

Bryn couldn’t tear her eyes from his hair, the black so like her raven’s hair. The memory of her lover's body strung up in front of the palace flashed through her mind, leaving Bryn reeling. This was too much to handle.

His stance was casual, but the air around him and the way that the soldiers and Liv all bowed deeply at the waist told Bryn this male was high-ranking. Bryn couldn’t look away from his face, though, as Liv spoke softly in Elven to the male, the cadence delicate and musical. He had a strong jaw, and the angular cut of his face gave him a classically beautiful look as shadows gathered under his cheekbones in an almost feline way.

The slope of his nose, however, was so familiar that Bryn was sure she had seen it before along with the cut of his shoulders, the way it affected how he stood.

“And you brought friends,” the male's melodic voice said, turning to face Bryn and Hakon.

The male inclined his head at them both and motioned for them to follow him as he turned with Liv and walked down the narrow hall that cutthrough the Icewall Mountains. Bryn and Hakon exchanged looks before ultimately coming to the same decision.

After an extended walk through the bright hall, the warm light from the setting sun appeared, signaling the end of their trek. Bryn braced herself for what she suspected they might find on the other side of yet another threshold. Hakon stiffened at her side as well, while Gunnar remained oblivious to his surroundings.

The tall male walked through first, followed by Liv, who shot them a wide smile over her shoulder before winking at them. Finally, Hakon and Bryn stood together before the exit. Bryn glanced at him through her periphery. He nodded, and they both stepped forward.

They exited onto the top of a ledge that overlooked the inside of the Icewall Mountains, the carved stairs to their left descending into the city it protected.

Tall moonstone buildings rose from the ground in spires, their flawless surface dotted with large open windows. Through them, Bryn could see Elven walking up and down stairs, lounging in large living spaces, eating a meal at a large table with other Elven.

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