Page 50 of A Fate of Ice and Lies
It was too far for them to see us yet with their human eyes, but I saw them, their drawn faces and worried expressions. I could feel their anxiety in waiting. The air was heavy with tension and fear while the wind seemed to pick up their erratic heartbeat and carry it to my ears.
After a few steps, I stopped moving when I spotted Teddy’s figure wringing her hands together, Victoria clinging to her leg. Everly tugged the arm she still held on to.
I turned to her, my eyes pleading. “I can’t do this, Everly.” I licked my lips. “I can’t be the source of her fear or pain.”
She peered back at me in sympathy, her helplessness mirroring mine.
Brenton came to my other side and rested a hand on my hunched shoulder.
Nalari and Sama stopped while the distance between my uncle and me grew as he trekked toward Teddy and the people of the towns I oversaw.
I could taste the sourness of their hatred on my tongue.
“Everly, you should go,” Brenton said. “Teddy can’t see you with us.”
It all came down to Teddy. Started and ended with her.
When Everly let go of my arm, I stumbled, but she didn’t look back as she ran toward the woods we’d just left. My friend grabbed my arm to keep me upright.
I swallowed, allowing my friend and brother to usher me forward.
“Breathe,” Brenton reminded me.
With his hand steadying me, we headed toward the square where everyone scorned our slow approach.
“Ask your idiot friend what they did for fun,”Nalari said, breaking the deafening silence in my head.“Ask him, Elias,”she demanded when I remained quiet.
I fisted my trembling hands beside me but was too worried about falling to shove them in my pockets.
“Nalari wants me to ask you what you guys did for fun,” I rasped out.
From a distance, I saw how Teddy’s eyes widened in what looked like shock when she looked over my head at the two towering dragons. I sent her a reassuring smile I wasn’t sure she saw. Beside her, the young Victoria bounced from foot to foot as she took in the dragons that approached them.
Fearless. The child was fearless, making me like her all the more.
“I fixed the dog you made her,”Nalari said, reading my thoughts with far too much ease.“You can give it to her when this is over.”
I murmured a thanks through our bond.
Although I couldn’t make out anything the humans said, there was a constant buzz from the people’s murmurs.
“Did she call us foolish?” Brenton finally asked.
I scoffed. “Idiots.”
He forced out a laugh that made George turn around to look at us. He winked, and Brenton lifted his middle finger in reply.
“We built a few sleds,” he said, his tone wistful. “Everly found a steep hill, and we flew down it with our sleds for hours.”
Everyone fell silent when we entered the square. I nodded at Teddy and Everly, who stood next to each other, their hands clasped together.
“Because of you, we played,” he continued. “It was the most fun I’ve had in years. Since we were in our youth, maybe.” He shrugged. “The only one missing was you. Next time?” He lifted a brow in question.
“Sure,” I pushed out.
“I thought you were foolish gifting your magic to your friends,”Nalari said.“I see now it was the right thing to do. You gave themsomething special, and through their fits of laughter, I heard and felt how much they wished you were there with them to enjoy a few hours of carefree fun.”
"Hmm. Rare praise from my Guardian.”
