Page 89 of The Crown of the Last Fae Queen
This was war, but … this was much, much worse than anything she could have imagined.
Only those with evil hearts could wreak havoc on innocents like this.
A blast of cold air filtered through the streets, nearly shoving them both to the side. Kolfinna twisted in time to see many of the buildings in the distance becoming blanketed in frost; people ran, but the ice touched their bodies and froze them, their faces forever carved in horror. A human soldier slashed at the frozen bodies, and they shattered into a thousand pieces.
“It’s Harald!” one of the fae soldiers shouted over his shoulder, fear and panic tightening the corners of his eyes and mouth.
King Harald.
The human monarch who took over the Fae Empire of Drivhus, renamed it to Rosain, and who was at the helm of the Great Purge, eliminating as many fae as he could.
And he was an ice elemental. Just like Blár.
“There!” Blár pointed in the sky. “That’s the half-elf.”
Vidar was flying in the distance, shadows ripping from his being and engulfing humans. Rods of light shone in his hands and he shot them with precision. He looked devastatingly powerful, even amidst the chaos. Humans tried taking him down from the sky, but their powers were blanketed by his shadow magic; fires were smothered, ice was diminished, air attacks were put out, and water blasts crashed into the shadowy barrier and rained down below. He was impenetrable, but he was only a single man.
They followed him until eventually, he swooped down and sprinted through the streets, bolts of light magic smashing into anyone who drew too close. At one point, a flash of electricity hit his head, and his helmet flew off, but he only turned to the attacker and incinerated her with his light magic.
Kolfinna’s breath fogged behind her as she tried to keep up with him. He turned a corner where more fae and humans were fighting. At the center, Aesileif fought with a sword; she was dressed in dark leggings and a silver-trimmed black tunic, and her pale gold hair was braided behind her head tightly, accentuating the sharp angles of her beautiful face. When she saw Vidar, relief washed over her expression, but it was only momentarily, because she slashed down a human who came close.
Kolfinna heaved in air, watching as Vidar picked off the remaining humans fighting close to Aesileif. His magic blasted around him, taking out more soldiers. He grabbed Aesileif’s arm, leaned down and pressed his mouth to hers in a quick kiss, and then grabbed her face, scanning her for any injuries.
“You must go,” he said quickly. “Harald is here.”
She hesitated, but then nodded. Holding her hand, they both ran, the fae soldiers flocking around them in a semi-circle, fending off the human soldiers.
Kolfinna and Blár trailed behind them; eventually, the group fled the city until they were in a forested area. Vidar pulled Aesileif to the side, both of them struggling to catch their breaths. A pained look flashed over Aesileif as she touched the scarred side of Vidar’s face.
“I can’t leave you,” she whispered thickly. “I can’t?—”
“It will only be temporary.” He rested his hand on top of hers. “You know that we have to do this.”
“But what if—what if you’re not able to defeat Harald? And I wake up alone, with nobody to fight with me, and … and youknow I can’t live without you.” Her voice cracked, and tears shone in her eyes. “I can’t raise Kolfinna on my own.”
Something broke within Kolfinna’s chest to hear those words and she stumbled back; Blár grasped her shoulders while she trembled, watching the heartbroken expression on both of her parents’ faces.
“I won’t let that happen,” he whispered. “But you know that you must seal yourself away. I will defeat Harald and his people, and then … and then we can be happy again.”
“But I … I can’t abandon you. Or our people?—”
“You’re sick, Aesileif.” He breathed out shakily. “If you die, and the power of the crown is passed to Kolfinna, you know her little body won’t be able to handle it.”
The power of the crown?
Aesileif bit her lower lip, inhaling sharply. “I know, but it doesn’t make it easier to know that I have to leave you behind to handle all of this. I’m terrified, Vidar, of what will happen to our people. What … what Harald will do. He shouldn’t be able to control the weather like this. It is unnatural. It is going to slaughter our people.”
Vidar nodded grimly. “I will handle it.”
She studied his face; determination warred with grief in her eyes, and she bobbed her head. Rising to her toes, she kissed him. They embraced for a moment longer, and Kolfinna had to tear her attention away.
“I want to see her again,” Aesileif said through tears. “Kolfinna is waiting for me. Do you know how much she cried when I left her?”
Tension formed around Vidar’s eyes and mouth. “We’ll see her soon, I promise. I will handle this war, Aesileif, and then we can all be together again.”
They embraced again, and Kolfinna’s heart shattered. This was likely the last time they’d ever been together.
Slowly, the image of them both disappeared, along with the fae surrounding them and the sound of the distant screams. Until it was just Blár and her.
