Page 117 of Frozen Hearts and Death Magic

23

Trapped

There was a faint light illuminating the tunnel where Azir was. Ursiana was unconscious but breathing. Thinking back to those vines protecting her in Frostlake, he realized that she must have used her magic, and an insane amount of it all at once, to have made that barrier. He’d known she was a greenbringer, but had always thought that her magic was dormant. Perhaps it had awoken. Magic acted in strange ways… Like with Naia and her mysterious fire. But he didn’t want to think about Naia. At least he still had Fel. But for how long? Would Ironhold move to attack Umbraar too?

Meanwhile, Azir was stuck here, in this hole, while something roared outside. If he was right, the creature waiting for them was a deatheye, and this was one of their traps. There was no stepping in the hollow from here. If he wanted to leave, he’d need to confront the monster—or monsters—waiting for them outside.

For now, all he did was sit against the rock wall and place Ursiana’s head on his lap, so that she had some kind of pillow. She’d betrayed him, dishonored him, and yet here he was; worried about where her head was resting. She didn’t look that different from almost nineteen years ago. Some lines, maybe, those lines that life marked on people’s faces, like his. Perhaps that was why he’d wanted to save her so much, not for her, but for a memory from a time when he’d thought everything could have been different. A time when there was still hope even after so much pain and tragedy, a bright light in a dark world. All illusion, of course, but the reminder was here, as if the dream could become solid and real.

His worry for her was what had caused him to get lost and to end up here. Ironic that he’d wanted to save her so much and yet had ended up dooming them both. Everything so ironic and illogical.

“Azir?” Her voice and her tone took him back to nineteen years before.

But it was her, not a memory. At last, she was awake, and he sighed with relief. Strangely, she didn’t stare at him with her usual derision, unless the faint light was tricking him. That thought came too early, as she soon frowned and sat up, as if she’d just realized she’d been resting her head on a nest of scorpions.

“What’s happening?” she asked, her voice cold, clipped, and strained, which made sense considering what she’d just been through.

“Your castle was attacked.”

“I know that!” She looked around. “What are you doing here? Where are we?”

“I rescued you and—”

Her eyes were wide. “Did you know this was going to happen?”

“I didn’t.”

“Then how did you—”

“Let me explain. I thought Ironhold could attack, for sure. I would never have guessed they would have attacked their closest allies.”

“How did you find me?”

“I…” How was he going to explain this? He didn’t want to compromise Isofel. “Received a communication from your daughter. She was worried about you.”

“You received it? She hasn’t contacted me, she’s only written strange letters, but she never mentioned anything…”

“She contacted my son. In a dream—by accident.” He didn’t need to explain how real the dream had turned. “And she was worried about her parents. So I went to Frostlake to check—and unfortunately got there too late. All I could do was take you away from there.”

“I didn’t ask or need you to save me, Azir. I told you never to touch me again.”

“Well, it’s done.” He shrugged. “But I must say I’m quite glad you don’t want to be saved, because I’m not sure I did.”

“What do you mean? Wait.” She took another look at the cave. “You took me to the hollow? Didn’t you say you couldn’t take someone else? That it could cause you to get lost?”

Azir was stunned that she remembered something he’d told her so long ago. “Yes. True. I shouldn’t try to take anyone across the hollow, but you were surrounded. I…” If there was such a thing as a crown of foolishness, it needed to go on his head. “I forgot.”

“Can you get out of here?”

He bit his lip. “There’s a deatheye outside. Perhaps more. I’ll need to observe them, see if there’s a time when they rest, to move past them.”

“You can’t just… puff?” She snapped her fingers.

“No.” He was feeling foolish. “I’m sorry. But I’ll try to find a way to get us out.”

“Might. You know, of all possible manners of death, being stuck with you is by far a punishment I don’t think I deserve. Can’t you get out on your own at least? Leave me to my fate in peace?”

“I obviously can’t, or I wouldn’t be here hearing your voice.” It was a lie, he wasn’t going to leave her. It didn’t mean he liked their situation any more than her. Her presence was like poking an old wound with hot iron.

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