Page 60 of A Storm of Fire and Ice

“Are you serious?” I stared at him incredulously and then turned to Gwyneira. Surely, his sister would understand. “You too, Gwyneira? You want to leave Fannar like this?” I gestured to his pale face, his shallow breaths the only sign of life.

“Of course not, Helena!” Gwyneira’s eyes filled with tears as she looked at her brother, but she didn’t waver. “My heart feels like it’s being ripped apart seeing him like this. But Brontes is right. If we don’t end this now, she’ll stop at nothing to conquer all our kingdoms, and countless lives will be lost. We have to try.”

Heat surged through my veins as anger flared within me. My mind raced, torn between my love for Fannar and this ridiculous responsibility that was thrust upon me. How could they ask me to choose between saving him and stopping Obsidia from destroying the Enchanted Realm?

Did I even care about a world without Fannar in it?

“Do what you want!” Furious, I gritted my teeth, trying to control the fire threatening to burst forth. “I’m staying with Fannar.”

“Helena, we need you.” Gwyneira said gently, touching my shoulder.

“The Storm of Fire and Ice needs all three of us—storm, fire, and ice,” Brontes explained. “With Fannar down, you are the only one with fire.”

“I’m not leaving,” I snapped, my voice raspy and strained. “I won’t let him die alone!”

The admission of those words—that Fannar was indeed dying—pressed down on my heart like a million suns. A tear streaked down my cheek as I stared at him, his chest barely rising.

“Helena—” Gwyneira began.

“I can’t . . . I love him so much.” My voice cracked. Tears flowed from my eyes as my heart twisted with guilt. “He was protecting me. I can’t just leave him like this!”

“Helena, I love him too.” Gwyneira’s eyes filled with empathy. “I know how deeply you care for my brother, but please ask yourself, is this what Fannar would want? Do you truly believe that Fannar would want us to abandon our duty to the realm? To let Obsidia win?”

Her question pierced through me like an icy dagger. Duty above all else. That was his way, wasn’t it?

I looked away, not wanting to answer Gwyneira. As I leaned over to gaze at Fannar’s pale face, the phoenix pendant that Etheri had given me swayed back and forth from my neck. Its fiery wings spread wide, a silent testament to the resilience and the spirit of my mother that coursed through my veins.

“Never forget the spark that lives inside of you,” Etheri said.

My fingers curled around the pendant. The spark inside me seemed to burn brighter, fueled by the memory of Aria’s words about how she overcame the Iron Circle’s dark magic.Love, trust, and balance.

Could those words guide us now, as they had guided Aria through insurmountable odds? I closed my eyes, allowing that phrase to engulf me. Love for Fannar, yes. But also trust in our friends and balance between duty and heart. A lump formed in my throat, and I clenched my fists, trying to keep the flames of anger and fear from flickering to life in my hands.

Opening my eyes, the path was clear. I refused to let Obsidia win. She had messed with the wrong Combined Enchanted.

“You’re right,” I said through my tears, clutching what was left of his shirt. “He said to stop Obsidia. ‘Go, finish it.’”

“That sounds like Fannar.” Gwyneira gave a small bittersweet smile.

“Fine,” I choked out, struggling to keep my voice steady. “But I don’t want to leave him here on the roof. It’s not safe.”

“Agreed.” Brontes nodded solemnly, his face betraying a mix of relief and sadness. “I’ll take him inside the building. He’ll be safe with the headmaster behind her shield.”

I nodded, blinking back tears. “You better hang in there, Fannar,” I whispered to him as I caressed and kissed his cheek one last time. “You have to fight. I’m going to fight like you asked, so you better fight too.”

Gwyneira reached for her brother’s hand and gasped as she felt his scorching skin. “He’s burning up. We have to get him cooled down.” Her hands waved over Fannar’s body a few times, wrapping him in a thick cocoon of ice. “Hopefully, that’ll help stabilize him for now.” Then, she spoke directly to Fannar. “It’s your turn now. Like you always told me, brother, be strong.”

For a few moments, we stood in silent vigil around Fannar before I finally nodded. It was time to go. Brontes carefully lifted Fannar and carried him inside the administration building’s protective walls while Gwyneira and I followed close behind.

When Brontes returned outside, I whispered one last silent prayer for Fannar’s survival. And with a deep breath, I stepped away from the one I loved, hoping fate wouldn’t force me to leave him behind forever.

“Alright,” I said, my voice stronger and more determined now. “How do we create this Storm of Fire and Ice?”

“We don’t exactly have instructions,” Brontes replied.

“I think we just need to combine our powers together, even our second Combined Enchanted powers,” Gwyneira ventured.

An ominous rumble echoed off the shimmering barrier surrounding the building, heralding Obsidia’s approach once again.

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