Page 17 of A Bond of Ice and Glass
“The north was never our true home. Our true home was far to the south, where the dragons came from. But we can’tlive there anymore because it’s completely turned to ice. That prick king cheated on his goddess wife, even when she gave him an immortal life. Even when she gave himeverything. She killed her lover, and her screams turned everything to ice and inadvertently killed her people. The dragons saved some of the witches, but most of us were wiped out. It has taken generations for the witches to grow back the numbers we have today.”
The next tapestry is a frozen kingdom with nothing but ice statues of people and dragons. “Is that the forgotten kingdom, then?” Below the city is a nest of frozen eggs, hundreds of them, and they are coloured like they are dead. My hand itches to touch them.
“Yes.” She blinks in surprise. “How did you hear of it?”
“One of my maids used to sing a nursery rhyme to me and the other kids. It went like?—
“Oh, be fearful young child when you go to the north, for in the ice is a king and queen frozen in time. Oh, they took their hearts and crushed their kingdom in their pain, and stole their children’s voices, which will never chime. Oh, the forgotten city, oh the lost souls, never dance in the ice, or you might be lost to the song too.”
My cheeks brightenas she stares at me. I can’t believe I just sang that. “I’m sorry, I’m not a good singer like she was?—”
“No, it’s just my father used to sing it to me, and I’ve never heard anyone other than him sing it.” She blinks. “Maybe your maid knew a witch who sang the rhyme and she copied it.”
I smile at her, but my smile disappears as I suddenly feel a wave of sickness crawling up my throat, and my blood feels likeit turns to ice. I grab my stomach from the intense pain that follows, and my knees give in as Nymala reaches for me. Nymala makes a bucket appear in my hands with a click of her fingers, and I throw up straight into it. A cold sweat comes over me as she holds my hair back, rubbing my back, and eventually the pain goes along with the shivery feeling in my blood. The room is still spinning when she clicks her fingers again, and the bucket has vanished. I’m too wiped out to even marvel at the fact she can do that and how useful that magic must be.
Nymala sits on the ground with me, and I can’t read the look in her eyes. It’s more than a concern… it feels like she wants to tell me something. She instead clears her throat. “Are you okay?”
“Yes.” She clicks her fingers again, and a hot cup of peppermint tea on a sweet flower-painted silver tray appears in my hands.
“Don’t tell anyone I can do that. My power is meant to be dulled and nonexistent with this on.” She taps the chain. “Only Noble can remove the chain to use magic. He wouldn’t like it if he knew I could use magic anyway. Nothing like my full power… but little tricks here and there.”
“Thank you, and your secret is safe with me,” I admit, and I feel sorry for her again. I wonder if I can ask Loch for more free time for Nymala.
“As for you. Sometimes, when powerful magic is used on mortals, they react badly like this.” She waves her hand over me.
“Oh, the magic used to heal me, to make me better after the king hurt me?” I nod. It makes sense. “How long will this happen?”
Her shoulders are tense. “I’m still figuring that one out.”
I sip on the tea with her in silence, and just as I’m done, we both hear footsteps. I turn around to see Loch and Noble walking towards us, deep in conversation. The tea disappears from my hands, and Nymala winks at me.
“Why are you on the floor?” Noble asks as Loch rushes over to help me up.
“Oh, I thought I dropped my earring, and we were looking for it, but?—”
“It was in her hair the entire time.” Nymala smoothly finishes my lie.
Loch doesn’t comment as he tugs me up, and my eyes fix onto his wrist, the bit of it that isn’t hidden by his gloves and long jacket, and his veins look black under his skin. What in the gods is that?
I go to ask, but Noble completely takes over the conversation. “We are travelling to a prisoner camp tomorrow. We have captured Erax’s men, and we need them to give us information. You are his queen and can command them.”
“Or kill them if they don’t listen.” Loch nods, but my stomach drops and aches. I’m happy to be getting out of the castle.
But I’m not sure I can be the queen they want me to be.
They continue talking about what I’m meant to do, how I’m meant to be, and the entire time, all I feel is pure dread.
Chapter 6
KING ERAX
The dragon doesn’t roar when she approaches the witch.
Shebreathes.
Frost creeps out from her mouth, and the heat in the air hisses in protest. Even Cyrsí stills beside me, and she does something I’ve never seen my dragon do. She bows.
Her head lowers in submission to the ice dragon. The air in my lungs catches, and it’s not from the cold. That dragon isn’t just a matriarch.
