Page 139 of The Kingdom of Eternal Ice
“Find out what the woman in white is seeking revenge for,” she says. “Everyone sees her as evil in person, but she started as a sorrowful woman. Begin there.” She smiles. “Goodbye for now. My strength wanes, and I’ll be going into hibernation until you wake Favian up.”
I can only stare at her as she turns back into Favian’s male form. “So?” he asks.
“This is amazing,” I breathe out. “You are literally two people; you can shift into another person! And said other person is an actual dragon deity. I’m not surprised anymore that the witch wants you.”
“Did Favia tell you what you are supposed to do?”
“Yes, find out what the woman in white is looking for, and why she is doing what she is,” I say.
“We can only do it because you are here,” he says. “I’m too weak to meditate on my own and track her down.”
“I have a plan now,” I say, getting up. “Let’s get to work.”
“And, what’s the plan?”
“Find out what’s truly forcing the woman in white’s hand. Then, I will try to give her what she is looking for, and put her and Artio back to rest. Then, I will wake you up.”
“You can do that?”
“Wake you up? You said I almost did-”
“No, that’s not what I meant,” he says. “Can you put their minds to rest?”
“I’m gifted too,” I admit. “My general, the man who raised me like a father, he kept telling me stories. I thought they were fairy tales, but I’m starting to believe he told them to me for a reason. The princess in his stories was able to bring life, death and peace.”
“And you know how to do that?”
I smile slightly. “I’m not sure how to do that yet, but I believe I will learn this on my journey here.”
*ALANA*
I nestle myself against Ros, her warm fur engulfing me, while a bone-deep tiredness keeps me constantly at the brink of exhaustion. I can hear voices around me. At first they seemed so far away, but they are getting more and more persistent.
“Wake up, my little girl,” a voice that sounds like my father begs. “Don’t leave me.”
I won’t. I want to tell him that I won’t, but no matter how hard I try, I can’t open my lips to talk. I can’t even move. And while I still ponder what to do, I feel myself getting dragged to sleep, cuddling against Ros, who is caught in a deep slumber herself.
I wake up again to other voices. I recognize Kilah as one of them. Her head leans against my chest, and she cries. She keeps apologizing for things she said or did, and professing how much she hates herself for how she treated me. All things that don’t matter anymore, I can’t even remember why we never got along.
Simin is here too and keeps talking to me, telling me stories about her home. And I want to cling to her words, as the fairy tales from the desert are new and exciting to me.
But no matter who talks to me, I can’t bring myself to dive up into consciousness again. And once more I drift into a deep sleep until I wake up again to warm arms engulfing me.
“My warrior girl,” a well-known voice reaches me. “You need to come back to me, now,” she says while brushing over my hair. Flinn and I have our red hair from her, but mine is more fiery than his, making me look like the spitting image of her.
Mom.
“Your friends and family need their Warrior Princess,” she says quietly. “Tynan needs you because he is going to do something very dangerous. He needs your support.”
What’s the reckless idiot doing now?
“Hm,” she hums. “Why don’t you wake up and ask him?”
What?
“What do you mean, ‘what’.” She chuckles. “You need to ask Tynan yourself what he plans on doing.”
“Mom,” I begin.
