Page 91 of The Kingdom of Eternal Ice
“You think it all comes together?” she asks.
I nod. “I think the fact that you can protect others is just one part of your gifts.” I offer her my arm, happy when she takes it.
To my surprise, Erin looks at me now, eyeing me curiously. I shrug it off though and turn my focus back on Aza. “You need to tell us everything, while-” I make a dramatic pause for one of my brothers to take over.
Flinn jumps at the opportunity immediately. “-while we take you on a little sight-seeing trip.”
“That is, if you are up for it,” Caelan adds, as usual, very considerate of what someone else wants. He looks as tough and serious as he is tall and muscular, but he is very sensitive. People just can’t see behind his build, which always annoyed Flinn and me.
Aza’s face lights up beautifully. “I would love to!”
“Are you ready to ride again?” I ask her. “We can also take a carriage.”
“No, let’s take the horses,” she says. “I’m not feeling my body aching anymore.”
At this, even my wolf Caspian is surprised.How can she heal so fast?I ask him.
No clue, but it’s amazing, he says.There are a lot of hidden mysteries about her.
While we leave Erin’s cottage, Aza twirls around to look at me. She smiles, and her smile sends goosebumps and tingles over my body. If only she would smile at me like that always.
Mine, Caspian growls unusually possessively. Although he doesn’t feel the mate bond with her, he wants her so much.
I’ve made up my mind too, I tell him.Even if–and that’s a big if–we have a fated mate somewhere due to the recent revelations, I want to set them free and ask Azadeh to be our chosen mate.
Yes, Caspian exclaims. We chose her.Even if others are going to tell us, it’s not real. I know it is.
I nod, fully agreeing with him. I know others will be telling us that it’s not comparable to a mate bond, but I don’t care. I know what I feel, and I know it’s real. No one can take this away from me, and I will make sure to protect and cherish these feelings. If Azadeh reciprocates them, I will be the happiest man alive. If she would become my chosen mate, I’d mark her and make her mine, severing the bond with my fated one. She would be my one and only then.
Azadeh’s hand on my arm feels warm as we make it to the stables. It’s yet another sunny day, and we can even leave our scarves behind.
“What are we going to see?” Azadeh asks us curiously.
“The Crystal Forest,” I tell her. “You have to see it.”
“It’s one of the most beautiful places in the kingdom,” Flinn says.
Azadeh looks both curious and expectant now. I hope she will be as fascinated by the Crystal Forest as we all were the first time we saw it.
*AZADEH*
It’s not a long ride, maybe one and a half hours until we reach a forest. The guys keep telling me about the Crystal Forest and my interest just keeps growing. We dismount our horses and leave them with two warriors, walking the last part by foot.
It’s a normal forest, lush and green and partly covered in snow, but I know the forest itself isn’t our destination. I’m not sure how long we walked, but eventually Caelan stops and steps aside for me to walk past him.
I inquisitively pass him and push aside a few thick branches to enter another segment of the forest. For a moment I even forget how to breathe, the sight in front of me more like out of a dream than reality. The Crystal Forest apparently got its name from its looks. The trees and bushes there are all white, even the color of their trunks looks silver, and each of them is covered in sparkling ice crystals, shining like diamonds in the sun. The longer branches have icicles dangling down from them and when I carefully touch them, they sound like little bells.
“This is unbelievable,” I say, feeling my heart thump against my chest. “This is… not real… this can’t be…”
“It is real,” Flinn insists, as he follows me into the forest.
Endellion lets his fingers brush over a few icicles and produces the sweetest melody from it.
I walk further and further into the forest, sitting down eventually to look at the magic surrounding me. I can’t even believe nature can produce such a miracle. It’s so beautiful, I’m not sure if I should cry or laugh.
The guys are beaming in pride at my reaction to this place, all three of them obviously happy that I like what they showed me. “Does it ever get boring to look at it?” I ask.
“No,” Caelan says. “Every time I come here, I’m surprised once more.”
