Page 58 of Frozen Hearts and Death Magic

“Dangerous?” He threw up his hands again. “I’d rather spend years lost in darkness than having a daughter ruined by a fae. Did you forget they attacked us? Did you forget they destroyed Umbraar’s most beautiful city? Right, you weren’t alive then, so you don’t care. Well, they killed my family, my childhood home, they destroyed most of what I held dear.”

“And you don’t think I can make a difference? I’m here. What better place to learn more about them?”

“So you’re here to spy on them? You’ll give him your body in exchange for some false, scattered information? Is that how it works? Is that how I raised you?”

He was suggesting that she was selling herself? Oh, no, she wasn’t going to let him get away with that. Naia glared at her father. “No.” It felt good to say that word. “I’m not exchanging anything. I’m here because I want to.” It felt even better to say something that she knew would hurt him. “Believe it or not, I have wishes too.”

Her father stepped back, staring at her in horror. “You want a monstrous enemy? I raised you, cared for you, for a fae to have you?”

“For a lot more than that, but if that’s how you want to see it, that’s not my problem.” She didn’t know where she was finding the strength to defy him.

It was that different Naia, the Naia that had kissed River, the same Naia who wanted to stay, who was going to find out everything she could about the fae, but who wasn’t going to back down and return home. Well, she probably couldn’t even return home, having given River her word. There was that. Plus, she didn’t want to let her father control her. She wanted to trace her own path. Even if led in disaster, it was her disaster. She wanted to be in control of her life.

He stared at her. “Truly, you choose to stay? To say goodbye to your family?”

“I’m not saying goodbye to anyone. It’s you who’s doing it.”

He stared at her, his jaw set. “Very well, Irinaia. If you don’t come with me now, you’ll no longer be my daughter. I will disown you. I won’t speak to you or about you again. Is that what you want?”

Tears were pricking her eyes. “If I’m only your daughter within certain conditions, then I was never your daughter to begin with.”

He glared at her for a moment, as if in disbelief, then said, “You’re right. You were never my daughter. Goodbye, Irinaia.”

Her father’s eyes turned completely black. Naia shuddered, fearing he would kill her, but then he disappeared in a cloud of black smoke.

It was as if she was swallowing that smoke, which was the bitterest thing she’d ever tasted. A lot of what she had told him had been stuck in her throat for years. She should have been relieved to say it, and yet, all she could remember was her father disappearing, the sense that she was losing part of her family, part of her identity, that she no longer had a safe harbor to return to and would spend her life adrift. It was freedom, yes, but not the way she wanted.

“Naia?”

She raised her eyes and, to her surprise, saw River, looking at her with concern.

“I’m so sorry,” he said, then wrapped her in his arms. “Perhaps he’ll change his mind. He’s just angry. But I’m here for you now. And you still have your brother.”

Naia was stunned at sweet River, but glad that he was here, even if she would have preferred if he hadn’t heard this conversation. “I thought you were gone.”

She could feel the vibration of his chest as he spoke. “I know when there are intruders here, Naia. I just didn’t interfere because I knew it was between you two. I’m sure you were always a wonderful daughter and he’s very proud of you. It wouldn’t bother him if he didn’t love you, so I hope you know that.”

She looked at him. “It’s fine. I never liked to have people telling me what to do, and now he’ll stop.”

River nodded and ran his fingers through her hair. “He will. You deserve your freedom.”

She opened her arms and gestured around her. “So much freedom. Look at everywhere I can go!”

He chuckled, then got serious. “It’s just for now. Trust me. And this place will keep you safe. I think only a deathbringer could come here, and as far as I know he’s the only one.”

“Another fae could come, couldn’t they?”

He looked up, thinking. “In theory, yes, but they would need to know about this place and know how to get here, so the answer’s no. It’s safe. And I’m here. And so are you and your powerful magic.”

“I don’t care about being safe, I care about being free.” She then recalled something else River might have heard. “And—I just said I was spying on you —”

“I know. I understand. Nothing you told him was for my ears. And you will be free—and powerful, like you deserve. Just wait, that’s all I’m asking you.”

“You have to make the waiting better, River. You leave me here alone, don’t even kiss me—”

His lips were on hers in less than a second, and then she felt that wondrous connection to him, their energy intermingling, even some of their magic. And at that moment, she knew she’d made the right decision.

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