Page 195 of The Kingdom of Eternal Ice
Dad furrows his brows. “Did it dry out, maybe? It could have been a parasite.”
“It’s hard to explain,” I say. “But, it felt weird. Not natural…”
I have his full attention now because Dad just looks at me, sudden worry in his eyes. “What do you mean, it didn’t look natural?”
“It looked like the forest was rotting,” I explain. “Wait a moment.” I jump up again and hurry back outside, to the tiny bag I always carry with me when I shift and am on one of my adventures. I learned it’s handy to have some items with me in case of an emergency. I left it outside when I changed into my clothes. Retrieving it, I return to Dad and show it to him. “I brought some of the leaves.”
Dad takes the bag, gazing into it. His frown grows, but doesn’t say anything.
“Did I do something wrong?” I ask.
“No,” he mutters. “It was very smart of you to bring proof. You are right, something about this doesn’t feel natural.”
“What does it mean?” I ask.
“I don’t know yet, but I will reach out to the wolf kingdom about it,” he says.
I eye him hopefully. “Maybe you can send your favorite delivery girl to them!”
He looks amused. “I was planning on sending you there, anyway. There is no use in trying to lock you up here and keep you in the skulk. Yet, I prefer you being on an adventure I know about, instead of just roaming around.”
“It’s a win-win then,” I beam. “I deliver the package; you know where I am, and I can go mate hunting!”
sixty-four
Epilogue #6 Something sinister
*AZADEH*
It's been one year since Endellion and I took over the reins, and everything’s gone smoothly so far. Just, for weeks, I have been having occasional nightmares. Dreams about darkness swallowing me and everyone else.
At first I thought it was just my imagination, my mind and body being exhausted because we worked so much, but I know deep in my heart that it isn’t that. So, I talked to Endellion about it. Something sinister is waiting in the shadows for the right time to strike.
It pushed Ende and me to gather the shifter and surrounding kingdoms, and hold an annual banquet and ball where everyone could attend. A first step towards finding allies and building a united front against whatever is coming.
It took months of preparation, but thanks to my friends and allies, we were able to organize the first event. The plan is to have the location change every year; this year Favian and Alana offered to be hosts, leading us far up the mountains for the banquet. While Ende and I are part of the main organizers, it suited us well that the both of them volunteered. We don’t want to monopolize this event.
Shayan stays back home to keep an eye on the kingdom, while Tynan and Royan join us. A few weeks ago, Royan and Simin held a private, small marking ceremony, where Royan took her as his chosen mate. Ever since that day, Simin looks happier than she has ever been, and it seems like it gave Royan a boost of strength, too. His body has recovered mostly, although his leg and arm still remain weakened and his wolf still hasn’t come forward fully. Marking Simin seems to have strengthened him, though. Over the past couple of months, he has learned from Shayan to wield knives, and to fight despite his disability.
Alana greets us when we arrive. She looks fresh and youthful like she used to, but her body looks stronger, indicating that she trains a lot.
“I’m so happy to see you!” she says, hugging each of us. “Come on in. Many guests have already arrived.”
She leads us through the huge hallway. Favian has made sure to rebuild his castle and his small kingdom, the royal clan, and he has reunited the dragon shifters again. He has finally been able to bless them with their dragon spirits. Since we are allies now, it’s not unusual anymore to see a dragon flying above our lands.
The scent of freshly cooked food is lingering in the air, making my stomach churn slightly. For a few weeks now, my stomach has been a bit sensitive, an annoying occurrence. But, I shove my discomfort to the side to greet everyone.
To my utmost surprise, Flinn is here with a guard I recognize from the Everlasting Desert. “Wait… my father sent someone to represent the Desert?” I whisper to Alana.
“Yes, we were surprised too,” Alana mutters. “Prince Kiyan sent us notice, last minute, saying Flinn would be attending as an official guest with a lieutenant.”
As if he heard us, Flinn waves at us and grins. I haven’t seen him in a while, although he has visited twice since he traveled to the Desert. I’m sure there is a lot of catching up to do.
Alana leaves us alone for a moment to greet another guest, while Endellion and I make our way through the crowd, exchanging pleasantries and greeting everyone. Another surprise for us, was that Shayan truly managed to reach out to the Fairy and Elf Kingdom, also known as The Luminous Fields, meaning their rulers is attending today.
“Oh, you are a sight for sore eyes,” he exclaims when he sees us, pushing past everyone and approaching me. He is a tall, athletic man. Unlike the shifters his body build is on the leaner side, he and his people are clad in flowy clothes. He has pointy ears and a dangerous, mischievous glint in his eyes. “It’s an honor.” He takes my hand, kissing it. Then, he winks at Endellion. “Oh hello, King Endellion.”
Endellion holds it together well, although I can tell the provocative Elfen king annoys him. But having him join this event is far too important to allow any personal feelings to get in our way. So, Endellion stays all professional. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he says. “Lord Alberad.”
