Page 16 of Ties of Frost

“I’m sorry, rengiri.” Mirlanwen shook her head. “I don’t know any other ice elf healers who possess the skill and power required for this task. You could visit them without luck and end up wasting more time than you would simply finding Gautindar Rouven—time you don’t have. The potent ice curse and your strong dragon fire are both fighting against Rengir Ilifir’s barrier. It won’t last forever.”

Frost swirled around my fingertips as fear and resolve tangled in my soul. “We’ll find him, Zee.”

She groaned and lay back on the bed. “This is a nightmare.”

“I have contacts,” I insisted. “And I’m an ice elf, too. We will have his location within days, I’m sure—”

“Iskyr, give me grace,” Zidra mumbled. She turned her head to peer at Mirlanwen. “Are you sure you can’t accompany me and remove Ilifir’s magic?”

My teeth clicked as I snapped my jaw shut. Of course she didn’t want to spend days or weeks with me. Not when she blamed me for this predicament. Or was it not merely that she blamed me, but that I had misinterpreted our relationship all these years? Perhaps she didn’t think of me as a friend at all.

Or had she gotten so caught up in her quest to be the best rengir, she’d forgotten our friendship? I’d just have to remind her.

Mirlanwen tilted her head and glanced between us. “Rengir Eilmaris, Kyrundar Ilifir did remarkable work in constraining the ice curse. Right now, his magic—which again, is far more powerful than my own—is the only thing preventing irreversible frostbite. However, it’s a temporary treatment, and one that has never been attempted before. You will need him to monitor and adjust the barrier. Besides, I cannot simply leave my post in the infirmary and my teaching position. I apologize that I cannot do more for you.”

Zidra sighed. “I understand. Thank you for trying.”

“Of course, rengir. It is my oath to serve all in need of healing, my honor to serve rengiri, and my great pride to serve a recipient of the Emperor’s Merit.” Mirlanwen bowed again. “Can I assist either of you with anything else?”

Zidra shook her head. “No, thank you.”

Mirlanwen turned to me, and I shook my head and thanked her as well. She left. Silence fell on the room, smothering us like a wet wool blanket.

After a moment, Zidra stood. She stole one of the candles from a sconce and moved toward the door without acknowledging me.

“Where are you going?”

“Back to the West Quarter Haven to borrow someone’s sword. Then back to Castle Grivolen to fetchmysword and examine the bodies. Alone.”

I exhaled through my nose and followed her. “Zee, someone just tried to murder you, and you want to go back there alone? What if whoever sent the assassins sends someone to check on why they haven’t returned? Besides, it’s a long way, and I can get you there faster since you can’t shift.”

The sorrow that crackled through our heartbond threatened my own composure.

“I’m sorry,” I murmured. “I could have phrased that more considerately.”

“It’s true.” She continued down the corridor, her movements jerky. “But no, we need to spend time apart. Maybe if we put some distance between us, the heartbond will break.”

“Heartbonds don’t work like that.” At least they didn’t for elves. I doubted they did for shifters, either.

“Maybe it’s new enough it will!” Zidra’s pace increased, and her steps echoed louder against the stone. “Besides, in normal circumstances, bonds aren’t accidental. This one might work differently.”

I stopped. She was right. Heartbonds were never accidental. As far as I knew, they had to be consensual, too—heartbonds never simply happened between two people who didn’t love each other, who weren’t devoted to one another.

Granted, heartbonds weren’t generally formed when one person threaded their magic through the other person’s veins, either. Perhaps she was right, and this one would work differently.

That didn’t change the fact that I couldn’t let Zidra return to Grivolen on her own.

I jogged to catch up to her. “Fine. I’ll return to Riverfront Haven, and we can try being apart for the night—after we return to the ruins.” She glared at me, but I spoke again before she could protest. “I forgot your sword, and I brought you here, where they couldn’t even do anything. Besides, if we go together, you won’t have to detour to the Haven first. You can borrow one of my swords if needed. It’s my fault, so let me repay you by taking you back and forth to the ruins faster than you can go on foot.”

A muscle along Zidra’s jaw ticked. “As long as it doesn’t involve you carrying me.”

Seven

Zidra

To my relief, Kyrundar didn’t need to touch me to use his magic to transport both of us. We stood on separate floating slabs of ice. Kyrundar moved both slabs at the same pace without requiring that we so much as hold hands. His magic propelled us far faster than I could have run, and I would have tired long before I reached Grivolen.

I refused to acknowledge this, however. Everything that had gone wrong, including our needing to return to the ruins at all, was his fault, and I was not ready to forgive him.

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