Page 54 of Heart of the Summer Queen

I vow to break his curse, to liberate him from this prison of misery, even if it takes my last breath.

“Adara?” Elaric prompts.

I tear myself from my thoughts, pushing away my impossible longing. “You’re right,” I reply steadily. “We should press on.”

We start out the courtyard, and when we reach the crumbling arch marking its exit, Elaric pauses, glancing into the shadowy forest. Our path forks ahead. Both directions are as overgrown and identical to each other.

“Which way shall we try first?” he asks.

Though Belinda claimed the lake would be near to the castle’s ruins, it could still be many miles away. If we lose our way, we risk wandering in circles through the darkness all night.

I set my mouth in a determined line. Neither path looks preferable, so we’ll just have to choose one at random. “Let’s try right first?”

With a nod, Elaric steps into the trees. I follow close behind.

We venture deeper into the forest, forging past soaked branches as rain drips through the canopy. Behind us lies a trail of Elaric’s magic, hailstones glittering among the frost-covered needles. The tension across his face reveals his anguish, though he says nothing as his curse continues its rampage.

As we walk, I melt what I can reach, my fingers running over branches, trying to slow the spread. But before long, his magic consumes whole trees, bark and branches locked helplessly in wintry shackles. If this continues, soon even the lake we seek will freeze completely. And then we’ll be unable to find the cave within and retrieve the brambleweed.

Should we return empty-handed, I doubt Belinda will be merciful enough to offer us a second chance. Or if she did, her next demand might prove far more dangerous. Taking the sword by force won’t be an option, not with the wards blocking Elaric’s magic. Attempting to do so would be suicide.

I stop.

After a few paces, Elaric looks back at me. “What’s the matter?”

I chew on my lip, struggling to find the right words. Ones which won’t cast any blame on him. Besides, I’m not even sure what to propose we do instead. Returning to the castle’s ruins will cause them to freeze overnight. And by morning, winter may entirely engulf Brimlore Forest.

“Your magic...” I start. “How long will it take to spread to the lake?”

Elaric surveys the trees, wincing at the undeniable devastation. I flinch as well, hating the additional pain I’ve inflicted through asking the question.

“A few hours likely,” he says grimly, “though it depends on the its size. A larger body of water will take more time to freeze entirely.”

I nod. Hopefully, our destination will prove vast enough to withstand his magic long enough for us to reach it. Though a greater size will make it more difficult to search for the cave amid its waters.

Elaric summons an orb of glowing light in his hand, casting it forward. The ghostly blue illumination drifts ahead, revealing our surroundings in intermittent fragments. Though gnarled limbs writhe all around us as we walk, I’m thankful at least one burden has eased: the rain stopped a short while ago and no longer drenches us.

After an hour more, Elaric slows to a stop. The dark shadows beneath his eyes are illuminated by the orb’s light. “It’s growing late. We ought to head back to the ruins before we lose our way.”

Weary though I am, I have little desire to return there. Not just because I’m eager to find the lake but also because I dread what will happen if we spend the night in the ruins. Elaric would wake to see the chaos of his curse and so much shame would fill his expression.

“Soon,” I say, mulling over the decision. “Why don’t we search for another hour before calling it a night?” Having said that, we have little means of keeping track of the time with how deep we are inside the forest.

Elaric nods. “Very well. Another hour then.”

We continue through the trees, and with every step, I see the uncertainty growing in his expression. Yet he does not suggest for us to stop. He isn’t the one who requires sleep. Given his immortality, I suspect he could easily keep walking day and night until he reached the end of the world. But as for me, my strides are slowing, even when I try to fuel them with as muchenergy as I can. Exhaustion is sinking its claws ever deeper, and taking each step becomes much harder.

And then my clumsy feet trip over a protruding root, and I stumble. Elaric catches my arm, steadying me.

“Adara,” Elaric says firmly.

I sigh, too tired to argue against the truth. I’ve pushed my limits to their brink.

He surveys my sagging posture with concern. “The ruins are too far to walk in your current state. I’ll conjure a carriage to fly us back.”

“Using your magic will quicken its spread. Which will be disastrous if the lake lies nearby.”

His expression grows sterner.

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