Page 89 of The Kingdom of Eternal Ice
“This will take us hours,” Erin says earnestly. “I want the princess to be able to stay focused without prying eyes. I’m sure you have business to attend to.”
I turn to look at Endellion.I’m fine.I form with my lips, hoping he will understand. Oh, how I wish I could mind link him. He smiles at me, sending butterflies through my belly.
“Alright,” he says, much to my surprise, and stands up. “If Azadeh agrees, then we’ll respect her decision.”
“But we don’t like it,” Caelan grumbles.
“Not at all!” Flinn agrees.
“We will talk to the alpha and discuss some issues with him,” Endellion says. “And then plan our sightseeing trip.”
His last words seem to have improved their mood, as Flinn raises his head. “Right, we need to show Aza around!”
“We could also train a bit,” Caelan muses.
“You have a one-track mind,” Flinn groans.
Erin laughs before chasing the guys out of her cottage. She returns shaking her head. “These three... They might not remember me, but I saw them as little boys. I know their mother, and she consulted with me about their lack of a fate.” She sits down next to me. “Alright, first I will show you some herbs and tell you how to brew them. It will help you meditate.”
I nod, and then Erin teaches me about herbs. How to dry them and brew them and what they will help me with. I try to listen carefully and soak up everything as well as I can. She promises to give me a list and proper instructions.
Eventually, though, we get to the more practical part of today’s lesson, and I find myself sitting on a pillow on the floor. “Always try to find a place you are comfortable and relaxed in,” she tells me. “With minimum distractions. Ideally, it would be outside, but it works inside, too.”
“I have a small library in my chambers in the castle. Would that work? The scent of books always puts me at ease.”
She nods. “You can certainly try.”
Erin has mixed together some fragranced oil, the whole room smelling like it now. It makes my head feel a touch dizzy. We start with breathing techniques first, and Erin teaches me how to stay with my body and not allow my mind to wander just anywhere.
“Werewolves believe in fate,” she tells me. “In many strings of fate, one of these is their mate bond. I want you to imagine that you have these fates too,” she says. “Envision it like strings going from your body to somewhere else… to another place, to a person. Alternatively, you can imagine a stream of water with little sub-streams spreading from the primary stream. Try it and imagine one after another.”
I choose to imagine the strings, and allow my mind to build several strings in my imagination, and carefully follow them. One leads me to Simin and one to Shayan. It’s easy to find and understand them. The other one is shaky, almost torn, leading me to my family in the desert, and seeing my bond like that fills me with sadness. I don’t linger much with it though, and instead follow my bond to the triplets… While Caelan and Flinn are easy for me to define, I’m having more difficulties with Endellion. I barely dare to even think in that direction, but if I allow myself to dream, I want to be his. I want him to hold me in his arms. I want to give myself to him, and have everything from him, too. I want to carry his mark!
I swallow thickly at my own thoughts, moving to the next bond. It leads me to the castle, the place I have started to call home, and that thought fills me with warmth.
The next one takes me longer to follow. It’s a thin bond but firm, and curiosity fills me as I follow it. It’s almost like I’m wandering through the snow. Suddenly the sun is gone, no warmth, and no light to illuminate my surroundings. I’m standing at the tip of a mountain, a freezing cold wind brushing over me and making me shiver. A blizzard seems to be approaching.
I can see her in it!
The woman in white. She is standing there, but she doesn’t seem to notice me. Instead, she just keeps staring at something in front of her, a vast empty area of snow.
Fear fills me, and I tear my gaze away, deciding to follow my instincts and retreat. When I turn around, there is a door in front of me. Curiosity fills me once more, and I open it, carefully peeking inside. I’m in a beautiful room, richly decorated, and people are whispering. I sneak closer, my eyes widening when I see a figure lying in a bed. He is wearing the necklace I already saw once. He is pale and there are beads of sweat on his forehead. A young guard sits next to him and holds his hand.Hang in there, my prince.
I stare at the young man. “Favian,” I whisper.
I step closer, eyeing him carefully. He is sick… that’s why we only meet in our dreams. Something is happening to him. Is this his reality? Where is this place? I wonder if all of them are dragons, if they are hiding away so as not to get erased from existence. I bend down a bit, touching Favian’s forehead. I’m starting to feel nauseous but will my feelings down.
As I touch him, my surroundings change once more, and I see him in front of me.I’m in your dreams, aren’t I?
I think so, he says.But princess of the sun, you shouldn’t. It’s dangerous.
There is a pull from the bond of fate connecting us… this is how I can enter his mind and meet with him!
Before I can connect further with it, though, I can feel a sudden pull from the other side. A sudden cold hits me, and I startle, feeling how I’m pulled out roughly from this illusion.
“Princess!” Erin calls. “Azadeh!”
My body winces as I open my eyes, finding myself lying on the floor with my head in her lap. There is something cold pressed against my forehead.
