Page 168 of The Kingdom of Eternal Ice
“Then, he will regain his strength again.” I gaze over Favian’s body, noticing the necklace Cailleach bound him with. I grab it, feeling a burn in my hand, but once more I trust in my abilities, and in the hope and faith Favian put into me. The burning sensation gets stronger until I suddenly feel the necklace melt in my hand and disappear. “That’s done,” I say, and take Favian’s hand into mine. “Now it’s time to wake up.”
I close my eyes, remembering what Arianrhod told me. It’s an instinct, a feeling, all the love I feel for this land. I pour it all in my touch until I can see Favian’s face in front of me as I have successfully entered his mind. “You returned, Princess of the Sun,” he says.
“Of course.” I return his smile. “It is safe to wake up now.”
He looks torn for a moment.
“What’s wrong?” I ask him.
“It’s just… it’s been so long. I don’t know what to expect. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to lead my people.”
“You will,” I reassure him. “I’ve been connected to your mind for so long now; what you did by the mere strength of your willpower and mind is unbelievable.” I smile. “Don’t be scared now. You are what your people and kingdom need now. They are waiting for their dragon king, and Elio is waiting for his big brother.”
“Right.” Favian takes a deep breath, reaching out his hand.
I take it, once again amazed by how porcelain-like his skin is. Even his eyelashes are white, like snow covering them, so is his silver hair. The dragon prince, or rather the dragon king, is truly one of a kind.
“Thank you, Azadeh,” he says before he begins to fade. “To a long friendship.”
“To a long friendship.”
I feel I’m being gently pushed out of his mind, finding myself in the room again, standing next to Elio, who keeps watching us with a tense expression. There are so many emotions flashing in his eyes; fear and tentative hope are the most dominant ones.
I hold my breath, for a moment scared that Favian will retreat again, but then I see it… his eyelids moving slightly, and his fingers tapping against his blanket.
“Favian!” Elio blurts out, before throwing himself on top of his brother and crying into his chest.
Favian’s eyelids are still half-closed as he battles with consciousness, but he reaches out his hand and pats Elio’s head. Eventually, Elio and I help Favian up in a sitting position. His face is still pale, almost grayish, but there is life again in his eyes.
Favian blinks his eyes open, wiping the sweat of exhaustion from his forehead.
“You are back,” Elio whispers, tears filling his eyes again. “You are back. My… I thought I would never see you again. I thought I would end up all alone.”
Favian reaches out his hands and pulls his little brother into a hug. “You did so well, Elio,” he whispers. “I’m so proud of you. Without you, we would never have been able to stop this threat against us. You saved us.”
“He is right,” I say. “You were the bridge. The clue we needed. And, you saved Alana, the Warrior Princess of the werewolf kingdom.”
“See?” Favian brushes through Elio’s hair. “You are a hero.”
Elio looks flustered, but also proud. “And now?” he asks.
“Now, I will need to do my job,” Favian says. “I want you to stay here and keep an eye on everything. I’m sure within the next hour, the dragons will slowly return.”
“But, how will they know that they are safe again?” Elio asks.
“Because tonight, everyone will see the golden dragon flying through the sky again,” Favian says.
“You are not in the condition to do that!” Elio blurts out.
“I have to,” Favian says with determination in his voice. “They need to see him, and I need to join this battle, to show everyone that the dragon shifters are still very much alive and ready to strike.” I can see how torn Elio is, but Favian is right. He needs to show to his own people, but also to everyone else, that he is very much alive, and that he has fought for them all of this time. His people need to know that their prince - king - will protect them and do everything in his power to lead them back to safety.
It takes an hour for Favian to have regained enough strength to shift again. Shifters are truly amazing, I think, not without feeling a bit envious.
“Don’t overestimate me,” Favian says as if he just read my thoughts. I’m truly amazed by him and how he carries himself. When I met him in the dream world, he seemed almost soft, but here in reality he is very composed and serious, yet his kindness and honesty still shine through. “I’m nowhere near the strength I should have, and I won’t be of much value in this battle. I will just fly as a symbol today. And I can only fly because Favia is with me, enhancing the dragon spirit in me. I’m relying fully on her today.” He pauses. “So, are we ready to set off?”
“Yes,” I say. “And we have the woman in white, or rather the real Cailleach, on our side.”
“But, that’s not the only plan you have?”
