Page 93 of The Kingdom of Eternal Ice
I chuckle to myself. Who would have thought that the Desert Princess, locked in the castle for so many years, would enjoy the outdoor life?
My life has changed so much, and it’s thanks to King Gillean and my sweet triplets. I never expected to make so many friends, and to have people around me who accept me the way I am, with my secrets and weird powers.
When I close my eyes, I can see Endellion’s gaze in front of me. The way his silver eyes shine when he sees me, and how he smiles. I wish he would smile like that always… but only for me. I feel an unusual surge of possessiveness going through me when I think how he might look like that at another woman.
I want it to be me. Maybe that’s selfish, but I just want him so much. My heart hurts when I think of him, and at the same time, it sends butterflies through my stomach.
Thinking about Endellion calms my mind though and helps me doze off. In a way, I hope I can meet Favian and Favia again, but even if not, I now know how to reach out to them.
A giggle rips me out of my dreamless sleep, making me jolt upwards.
I feel disoriented. A gaze to the window tells me it’s still night.
I almost think I dreamed it, but then I hear it again. It’s a child! I swiftly jump up, putting my thick coat over my nightgown and slip into my shoes. Then, I follow the voice down the inn and outdoors. Everything is deserted, I thought one of the innkeepers liked to work at night and then sleep in. Well, maybe he changed his mind today.
For a split second, I’m confused about not seeing guards or warriors anywhere. As a pack close to the border, they have them stationed normally, and Endellion made sure they upped their security during our stay. Before I can linger too long on this thought, the child’s laughter pulls me out of my thoughts again. I turn around, seeing a small boy wave at me.
I run towards him. “What are you doing here in the middle of the night?” I whisper.
He shows me his toothy grin and takes my hand. “Come,” he says. “I need to show you something.”
I eye him curiously. He seems to be of school age, maybe seven or eight. Still young, but he doesn’t seem to be scared of the night. However, looking at him properly, I can see a lingering sadness in his eyes, touching my heart.
“Where are your parents?” I ask.
The boy just tugs at my hand. “Come…” he says. “Please.”
thirty-one
Targets
*ENDELLION*
Wake up!
I open my eyes, feeling more than a little confused.Caspian…
Wake up, he repeats, sounding urgent.
I grab the dagger next to my bed, clasping it. Are we under attack? I try to listen into the silence of the night, but nothing… there is just silence.
What’s the problem?I ask, more than a little disgruntled.
Something doesn’t feel right, Caspian says, and in my mind, I can feel him pacing up and down.Something doesn’t feel right…
I try to push him to tell me what’s going on, but he can’t. He says it’s just a feeling. My wolf is calm and composed normally, with an anger issue if provoked, but that’s not unusual for alpha wolves. However, this here is a first.
I get up, deciding to take my wolf’s instincts seriously. Just in case, I grab my coat and put on my shoes before padding outside. It’s silent. Everyone seems to be asleep, everyone but the innkeeper. The man, a kind omega, loves his handicraft and uses the night to work on it in silence. He looks at me in surprise. “Is everything alright, Prince Endellion?” he asks.
“I’m not sure,” I frown.
“It’s unusually busy tonight,” he chuckles.
“What do you mean?”
“The Princess…” he pauses. “She went for a walk, too.”
Dread settles in me. Azadeh is out there!? At night? Maybe she couldn’t sleep… maybe, but then why does Caspian feel so restless? “Where did she go?”
