Page 171 of The Kingdom of Eternal Ice
I could swear that Cù Sìth smirks, but he remains completely quiet, not moving, until the man is close enough. Then, with one single movement, he jumps forward, ripping the head off the unsuspecting man.
Cù Sìth turns his head to stare at me. “Are you coming, warrior?”
“I am,” I say.
When we pass the window, we both stop at the view in front of us. For a second, I forget how to breathe. There is a golden dragon flying in the air; right in front of us, for all eyes to see, is a huge bear creature - with Azadeh riding on its back. Next to her is a wolf with fur entirely made of ice and behind them an army of wolves and a few werebears.
My heart skips a beat. They are here. They are here! It means Royan has a chance.
Right, Royan. “We need to hurry. We have a witch to kill!”
“That we have,” Cù Sìth growls, water and drool flowing out of his mouth as he bares his teeth.
*ROYAN*
I remember how my blood burned, how hot pain shot through my body over and over again, until I didn’t feel anything anymore.
I remember Rona, the first time I saw her and felt the magical bond between us, and then how we made love to each other. I remember the pain and sadness in her eyes when she thought I wasn’t looking.
I remember joking with Shayan, and how easy it was to follow his lead.
I remember the look on my friends’ and family’s faces when I was chosen the protector of the princess, and how proud my father was.
I remember Tessa, the first girl I ever liked and was intimate with.
I remember how I met with my friends around the campfire, and how dad told us stories.
I remember when mom died, and I cried for days.
I remember how dad got mad at me for something and yelled at me. Then, an attack happened, I got lost in the crowd, and he wasn’t mad anymore.
I remember when mom made a scarf and cap for me, and they were the most beautiful things ever.
A smile curls my lips. For a moment, the cold leaves my body, and I feel warm. Somewhere in the distance I can hear a loud screech ripping through the silence, but I’m too tired to bother.
Stay strong, dad. Stay strong and live on.
I’m going to meet mom soon.
fifty-four
The Golden Dragon Flies Again
*SHAYAN*
The whole manor is a mess. Everyone screams and runs around, and Cù Sìth is clearly out for blood. I can feel him seething and hissing next to me. “Are they all enemies?” he growls.
“I cannot say for certain,” I answer honestly. “My friend is in the dungeons. And, Penelope is with him.”
At the sound of her name Cù Sìth seems to grow in size, his eyes glinting in wrath. “Show me the way, warrior!”
That’s all I needed to hear to make me rush forward. Cù Sìth is hot on my heels, clawing everything that comes in our way. The cultists try to attack and bind him with their magic, but they face no chance against him now that he’s broken out of Penelope’s well-crafted spell.
“You are not a deity, are you?” I ask him.
“No, warrior,” he growls. “But they don’t call me the harbinger of death for no reason.”
“That’s a fancy name,” I say.
