Page 32 of A Sword of Ice
Her heart ached for him.
“I’m sorry about your mother,” she whispered, shifting so she faced him.
He smiled. “Me, too.”
“And I’m sorry about this, too.”
His face registered confusion a moment before her fist whipped out and struck him on the side of the head. He gasped, jerking back, but she struck out again and again until he finally slumped to the ground.
“I’m really sorry.” But she didn’t have any more time to waste.
When Valerio had taken the map and all but yelled at her, he hadn’t given her a moment to explain that the Fae wasleavingPorir City Zoo.
Even without the map, Shula could find her way to the Elemental. She hadn’t told them, but ever since arriving, she’d felt a stirring inside her. Right beside the space that occupied her magic. Something inside her grew restless, banging against the walls of her soul, reaching with phantom fingers to find something that wasn’t quite in its reach.
Shula identified it quickly. The part of Mana that tethered her to the other Elementals was reaching out, demanding she find the Fae.
They were close, and she wouldn’t rest until she found them.
She slipped her own cloak on and grabbed her sword. She wanted to grab her shield, but figured it would draw more attention than just a sword so opted to leave it. Once she had everything, her features cloaked behind a hood, she left their hiding place and went in search of the other Elemental.
* * *
She followedthe tug of her own consciousness, like a thread pulling at her soul, like the will-o’-the-wisps of the forest she’d followed weeks ago. The ones that led to her destiny.
She used every ounce of her skill to move as quickly and discreetly as the snow would allow. But when the world was covered in white, it was hard to hide in the shadows of daybreak.
Her heart thundered, breaking into a faster tune with every furious step she took. A sudden tug was felt somewhere deep inside her and she followed the direction her instinct took her towards.
She turned a corner, caught a quick glimpse of a rushing body. And something deep inside her sang a song of power. Raw and begging, like Mana had slipped inside and whispered the words,“That’s the Fae…”
She started forward to chase after the Fae and froze as a mirror opened in the air in front of her, and Uric stepped through.
She skidded back against the snow, a curse pushing past her lips as he darted forward, quick and lethal, wrapping his arms around her upper body and yanking her back into the portal.
They fell through darkness a moment before they came out standing on the other side, her limbs thrashing against Uric’s hold.
He shoved her away unkindly and she whirled, gnashing her lengthening canines only to realize she was right back where she started. Only, instead of an empty room, she was surrounded by a group of angry Fae males.
“Fuck.”
Valerio was in front of them all, and for the first time since she’d met him, anger marred the sharp lines of his features. A murderous, burning anger.
Uric stepped back next to his prince, arms crossed against his chest. Clay stood on his other side, his brown-blonde hair plastered against his temple with blood. She was too cowardly to meet her friend’s gaze. She’d rather face Valerio’s anger than Clay’s hurt.
“I gave you an order,” Valerio growled.
“A stupid order.”
Uric snapped his canines at her, his black eyes flaring with fury at her reply. “Careful how you speak to our prince, Fire Dancer.”
“He’s notmyprince.”
Uric took a step forward and there was no pretending it was anything but menacing. “He became your prince the moment you came into our fold willingly. He became your prince the moment Ryker fixed those abominable ears of yours.”
Magic surged through her veins and fire danced in her eyes. She saw the reflection of the flames against the marble surface of Uric’s black gaze, but he didn’t step back in fear. His lips thinned in a challenge.
A challenge that pulsed between them like a living thing.
