Page 20 of A Bond of Ice and Glass
It won’t be much longer, Mist. Hold on.
I walk over to Freyren, my steps unsteady. She’s curled up by the waterfall again, fallen back into her deep slumber. I press my hand to her face and rest my forehead against her.
“I’m coming for you,” I vow, not to her.
To my queen.
Kymera’s footsteps echo behind me.
“You think you can find her?” I ask, without turning to look at her.
She nods. “If I follow the current of ether through the dragon magic… I can find the gate.”
“Then we leave at dawn,” I say. “But we don’t ride out alone.”
Cyrsí lifts her head. “You plan to gather the rest?”
“The ones loyal to me. The ones who still believe in my queen.”
A low growl rumbles through the pit as more dragons begin to stir in the lower caves. Their hunger isn’t for food anymore. It’s for blood.
Chapter 7
The dungeon smell hits me first. And then the groaning.
The endless whimpering of those trapped inside.
I thought I knew suffering. But the slums were nothing compared to this. At least there the smell had somewhere to go. Down here, even at the entrance, the air hangs heavy and unmoving, like the stench has been frozen in it.
If suffering had a scent, then this would be it.
I don’t hold my breath or cover my nose, though I want to. I refuse to be the only one to do it. Even Nymala appears immune to the stench as we follow Noble down the narrow passageway, his blue cloak billowing behind him.
Lochlan greets us at the dungeon gate. He holds a single torch that flickers when he steps forward. The guards manning the gate each stand beneath similar torches wedged into the wall. Grime coats the stone, glistening black under the firelight. The groans grow even louder.
I keep my hands clenched at my sides. I’m already regretting this. But Loch said I might be able to help him, and after everything he’s done for me, the least I can do is try. I need to stay strong.
I smile when our eyes meet. Even in the dim light, he reads me. That familiar line etches between his brows when he steps closer.
“You don’t have to do this. If you’re not ready, we can come back and?—”
“I’m fine,” I say, sharper than I meant. “I want to help. I mean, I can’t promise I’ll be able to control this… magic, curse, gift, whatever it is… but I want to try.”
Noble leans against the wall beside me, one foot tucked under him, his arms crossed. “Thought you said our ice princess was made of strong stuff?”
I frown at the nickname, but he only grins.
“She is,” Loch growls. “I just don’t want her in a room with murderers and ra?—”
He cuts off, but I catch what he meant. Murderers and rapists. The worst kind of criminals. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared. According to Lochlan, these were soldiers who had committed unspeakable war crimes. Crimes he couldn’t even talk about without anger choking him. I understand why he’s hesitant. But I need to prove I’m more than a burden.
“Loch, I’ll be fine.” I offer another smile. “Besides, we have a powerful witch to protect us.”
Both men glare over my shoulder to where Nymala stands in my shadow.
“Hey, it’s a bit early for compliments,” she replies dryly, “but I’ll accept them nonetheless, thank you.”
Her words make me smile a little. Lochlan and Noble continue glaring at her.
