Page 131 of The Kingdom of Eternal Ice
“Simin is right,” Aylin agrees. “Let’s get her to the dining room. The rest of the Alpha family is waiting there.”
“I will stay here,” Simin offers, “and make sure to clean up, so that you can retire after dinner.”
“You don’t have to clean, Simin,” Endellion points out before I can even say something. Had I not already been in love with him, I would be now. Simin might not be of royal blood, but she is my best friend. She is like a sister to me, and while we don’t spend as much time with each other as before, it doesn’t change the fact that I love her. That she is like the sister I never had. It’s because I feel that way, that I let her branch out and find her own friends here, while she is doing the same for me.
It doesn’t mean we don’t love each other anymore.
“Simin, you are my family,” I say.
Simin smiles, her eyes lighting up a shade. “I would love to join you,” she says. “But I’m taking over in Alana’s room now. Eibhlin’s been watching over her for hours.”
“Thank you for keeping an eye on my sister,” Endellion says earnestly. “It means a lot to me to know that she isn’t alone. How about we send you something to eat in her room?”
“I don’t want to be a bother,” Simin says.
“You are not,” I say.
She smiles shyly. “Then, I’d love that,” she admits.
With that settled, she hurries off to Alana’s room, while Aylin, Endellion and I meet the others in the dining room. There is a spicy, hot pot waiting for us there. It’s only then that I notice how hungry I am. While we eat, I feel my body warming up fully again. It’s a comfortable warmth that spreads from my toes to my head and finally helps me regain all my senses. I know we don’t have much time to waste and that Cailleach–or whatever she is–attacking me is a serious issue. So, I explain to everyone what happened before Endellion shares his part of the story.
I can almost feel the nervousness in the room growing. Only when Endellion says that he felt I was in danger does it pull the others out of their shock.
“Wait… what?” Beta Quinn asks. “You actually knew she was in danger?”
“Yes,” Endellion explains once again. “I felt it.”
“You felt her getting hurt?” Gillean asks.
“But, you are not mates,” Flinn adds.
Caelan’s eyes are wide in surprise. “How is that possible?”
Endellion sighs. “I’m not sure how often all of you want me to repeat it. Yes, I felt her hurt, and no, I don’t have an explanation for it.” For the first time, I can feel a hint of frustration coming from him. “Chosen mate or Goddess-given mate, it doesn’t matter. I almost lost her today.”
“You are right,” Flinn says, his voice almost soft. “We don’t mean to question you or what you felt.”
“It’s just never happened before,” Gillean says. “We are not doubting you, son.”
“And you saw Cailleach?” Kilah asks me worriedly.
“Yes,” a shiver goes down my spine. I was wary of her before, but now I’m downright scared. “She tricked me.”
“How?” Eibhlin asks curiously.
“She took the form of Elio,” I state.
Elio looks up. “Of me?”
“Yes. He and I were talking before he went to help Aylin,” I explain to the others. “Suddenly he returned and called out for me. He said you needed help, which is why I followed him onto the lake.”
“He was with Aylin and me the whole time,” Eibhlin points out.
“Yes,” I say bitterly. “I don’t know how she did it….”
“She can manifest in reality now,” Aylin says, her voice so serious it sends a shiver down my spine. “Before that, she could only reach Azadeh in her dreams. She could project a hallucination. But now, she is actually manifesting as another person and is able to reach out to her… in reality.”
Eibhlin grabs her creepy porcelain doll and presses her against her chest. “She is getting stronger.”
