Page 151 of Frozen Hearts and Death Magic

The visitors were not fazed. Ircantari said, “Your pathetic attempt on our lives will also be noted.”

River could barely breathe. Would his father order his guards to try to attack them with swords? Perhaps no. One thing King Spring didn’t do was repeat his mistakes. The dragon lords were too calm and probably had some kind of magical shield protecting them.

His father laughed. “Let’s not be silly. No lives were put in danger here.”

Ircantari stared at the king for long seconds, then, as if making up his mind, said, “We will investigate your claims. Meanwhile, you will remain here.”

The visitors walked away. River couldn’t see much, but assumed they would be leaving through one of the circles. An odd feeling came to him, then, as if something was pulling him into his city. Once exiled, he’d never be able to step into the Ancient City again—unless he brought a dragon heart. There were three beating hearts right in the ancient hall. The view from the scrying mirror got blurry, and River felt sick. You will remain here. It hadn’t been advice, but an enchantment. The dragons were trapping the Ancients in the city—but that would mean their death, when Mount Prime was being destroyed.

River had to do something. He improvised a ring in that clearing, and then stepped into the darkness of the hollow, determined to find the dragon lords and plead with them. He would even beg if he had to. Hopefully they would understand.

Ironhold. They had just gone to Ironhold, which meant they were quite brave or reckless, or maybe they didn’t understand the threat the humans posed. In fact, it definitely seemed to be the case. No, they changed direction. Wolfmark. Almost as bad.

River found them in a faerie ring. “Wait.”

Ircantari turned and set his chilling yellow eyes on River. “What are you doing here?”

“I was the one who stole the staff. But we didn’t destroy Formosa. I got to Aluria after the city had fallen, in fact I almost died after the boat I was in turned.”

“Go back to your city.”

“I can’t. You have to investigate the humans. They have magic. The ironbringers also have powerful weapons. They have steel, explosives, fire. Perhaps they attacked Formosa.” Strange how the thought had only come to him now.

“Why would they do such a thing?”

“Because they’re violent? They’re insane? I don’t know.”

“We’ll look into it.”

“No.” Desperation was taking hold of River. “You don’t understand. If you leave my people locked in the Ancient City, they’ll die. There’s no food, nature there is dying, thanks to the greedy humans destroying Mount Prime. They’ll all die.”

Ircantari stared at River. “It’s a temporary solution. Your people won’t be stuck there forever.”

“But how long? One month might be too much.”

“We’ll find out what happened, then we’ll discuss it again with your king. If you want to help your people, tell him to cooperate with us instead of trying to kill us.”

“The people there, it’s not their fault,” River pleaded. “If you have grievances with me, take them on me, if you have issues with my father, deal with him.”

“Go back to your city.”

“I can’t.” The words were said to nobody, as River was knocked back to the hollow. Of course. Knocked back into his city. Now perhaps he’d find out which magic was stronger, his father’s or the dragon lords’. Or else he’d be ripped in half.

A last-ditch idea came to him. The scrying mirror could represent a place. Even though River was struggling in darkness, unable to find a circle, he took the object in his palm and placed the lapse stones around it, focusing on freezing everyone within the borders of that city. That way, if the dragon lords took too long, at least nobody would die of starvation. These magicians didn’t seem to understand the problem or care about it, and were unlikely to be in a hurry to lift the spell holding the Ancients in their city. If his magic worked, he could save his people, at least for a while, if it didn’t… then it was the end.

But he wouldn’t know the result of his effort for a long time, as darkness engulfed him right away. Exiled from his city while at the same time ordered to remain there, River ended up suspended in nothingness, frozen in time.

It took him nineteen years to wake up again, hungry, cold, lonely, and disoriented. He wasn’t sure if he was dead or alive, or where he was, until he saw a light far away. But there were also eerie growls in that direction. And yet, it was a direction, it was a goal. River fought his way to that light—and passed out.

He woke up in a strange room, still alert to enemies, still trying to fight for his life. But he didn’t find an enemy, but his pretty savior—again. Except… she was slightly younger, and looked at him defiantly, not as if she knew him. And she was intent on demanding her due debt for saving his life. He got to kiss her—and almost died with her poisonous iron magic, pushed back again into nothingness.

When River came to consciousness again, he tried to visit his city, but was unable to do so. He considered going to Fernick again, and pleading to the dragon lords to help his people. But then his thoughts turned to Ciara. Ciara and her words, let them kill each other. He could still have his revenge. And if his people were still alive, he could still free them. The only thing standing between him and his plan was actually a person: his beautiful savior, to whom he now owed a life debt.

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