Page 160 of Frozen Hearts and Death Magic

“Great. In fact, it makes sense. Can I ask you a few things? Dying wishes? Or is that too much?”

“Yes. Make your dying wishes.”

“I think… If it’s still possible, regardless of what happened between Leah and the Ironhold prince, I’d be happy if she and Isofel got together. They’re not siblings and they like each other. But it depends on you and her, of course.”

She crossed her arms, her eyes distant. “I don’t have a problem with that.”

“Right. And… try to send a message to Naia. I… I told her she was not my daughter, I… But it’s not true. I miss her and I wish we hadn’t parted like that. She’ll always be my heir. One of my heirs, at least. Try to send her this message, please.”

“Sure.” Her eyes were still distant, and misty now. She had some feeling, it was just that it was buried deep within her anger.

“It’s fine, Ursiana.” He chuckled. “Perhaps dying by deatheyes will be deserved.”

“It’s not funny.”

“I… I never stopped loving you. Every day that I thought I hated you it was just a day that I wish I had you by my side. Perhaps I thought I hated you because I thought you took that away from me. I… You went to Frostlake but it was my heart that got frozen, cold, hard, but also frozen in time. I never loved anyone else.”

Tears were running down her eyes. “It makes no difference now. We can both survive on our own, and that’s what matters, going on, moving on, taking care of our children. The past is gone and doesn’t matter anymore. What matters is the future; what can be fixed. That’s what matters, not some silly love story from our teens.”

“I guess.” Perhaps she was cold hearted, but it was better this way. It meant she wasn’t going to suffer with his death.

“You know it’s true.” She was still crying, though.

He wanted to reach out and dry her tears, but perhaps it would only make it all worse. It was time for a final goodbye, not the time to try to rekindle a flame that had been quenched too long ago.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

“Very much.” She smiled. “And looking forward to it.”

Yes, definitely cold-hearted. At least she would survive his death without any trauma. “I’ll keep them busy and you’ll run ahead of me. The corridor should be right across from this one.”

“Right.”

Something in her tone… There was something. No, it was just him being silly and expecting some more sadness. He had no right to expect that.

“Let’s go,” he said.

Once they were outside, they reached the tunnel leading out, but then she pushed him and formed a barrier of vines between her and him. The monsters were on her side. What was she doing?

“Ursiana!”

“Run!” She yelled. “I can’t hold them long.”

He wasn’t going to run, not with her still here. He wasn’t going to leave her. And yet.

“Run,” she pleaded. “Please. If I keep this barrier protecting you I can’t protect me. I would never survive seeing you die. Please, run. Fix the future. It’s my dying wish.”

There were deatheyes getting close, based on the roars. He tried to break through her vines but he couldn’t, unarmed as he was. He wasn’t going to leave her, and yet, if he didn’t cross over, they would both die. If he ran, she could use the vines to protect herself, and by staying here, he would only condemn both of them to death. Run. What a horrific dying wish.

He ended up doing as she had asked him, even if he hated that, even if he’d been willing to die for her. He found himself on white sands of an unknown beach. Soft waves crashed in front of him. The world crashed inside him. It was all so wrong. He would have given his life to save her, he would have gladly died for her, and yet she didn’t even want that. I would never survive seeing you die. And why did she think he could? Fix the future. It was true that he had a lot to do. And yet. If there was any chance that Ursiana was alive, he was getting her out. No matter what it took.

* * *

Naia’s knees felt weak.“What? Umbraar being attacked?” She still couldn’t believe River’s words. “I need to help them now. You knew about it? You didn’t tell me? You didn’t tell them?”

“Naia, you shouldn’t worry.” His voice was calm. “The Ironhold forces don’t stand a chance against your brother and father. They’ll be decimated.”

“And you think it’s good? To see people killed?”

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