Page 63 of Dark & Dreadful Brutes

The temperature gradually fell as we traveled through the Endless Wilds. We reached the frosty shore where the Wilds met the Glittering Sea that night, and I slept alone.

The next day, we filed onto a slim ice bridge that led toward the huge, frozen castle I could see a long way in the distance. I kept an eye out for the sea dragons that were supposed to live beneath the nearly-frozen water, but didn’t see any.

The Demon flew slow, lazy circles over our heads the entire time we were on the bridge, and all of us were tense and quiet as the idorr ran through the day. His glittering red scales caught my eye and terrified me, but thankfully, he hadn’t made a move against the elves’ shield yet.

“We may need to leave at some point so we can attempt to lose him in the Wilds,” Ravv admitted to me, as we finally neared the ice castle. It was even bigger up close, and I couldn’t look away from the thick walls that looked like they wrapped around the whole city.

The bridge seemed to lead straight inside the castle. Because we were at the back of the group, Ravv’s warriors had been pouring in for nearly an hour by the time we finally made it inside.

“Could the Demon melt the entire city?” I asked him, as Gleam carried us through the gate.

“No. Loire’s ice was enchanted by the elves the same way Jirev’s trees were.”

That was a relief, I supposed.

I took in the castle’s first massive room with a bit of surprise. The structure itself was made of smooth ice, of course, but thick, cozy-looking rugs stretched over much of the floors, and colorful landscape paintings hung at random on the walls around what seemed to be… the throne room?

There were a pair of frozen thrones pushed up against one of the walls like an afterthought.

The castle’s gates shut behind us, and Ravv slipped off Gleam’s back.

I glanced over my shoulder at him while he strode down one of the hallways, his mind brushing mine with the command, “Rest. I’ll find you when I can.”

That was a dismissal if I’d ever heard one.

Gleam carried me down a different hallway, moving faster than I expected. She barged into a room, dropped me on a bed, and then called out, “I’m going to Coarse. Lock the door behind me,” before vanishing.

The room suddenly seemed very, very empty.

And I suddenly felt very, very alone.

Theoretically, Jern and Gora were in the city. Part of me wanted to go out and look for them, too.

But with everyone knowing about my connection to Ravv, it likely wasn’t safe for me to go out alone.

I tucked my feet beneath the blankets and lowered my head to the pillow.

When I closed my eyes, all I saw was flames.

Veil, I needed to get my mind out of the past. I needed to find a way to shut my memories out again, to forget.

But it had been ten years, and I still hadn’t forgotten… which made me think I probably never would.

So I opened my eyes and peeked around the room. It was simple but cozy, with a huge, thick rug in a pretty shade of dark blue that reflected on the icy walls, making them look a little bluish too.

Other than the huge bed I occupied, and the rug, there was no other furniture. I could see two doors, which I assumed led to a closet and a bathroom. There were a few calm landscape paintings hanging up, showing images of the glacier the castle had been built on, and the ocean.

There were no books, not that I’d risk reading them if there were, and no other distractions either.

Which meant I needed to leave.

But I didn’t want to risk my life, obviously.

So, after a few minutes of debating, I finally reached out to Ravv. I felt his attention the moment I did.

“I need you to find Jern and Gora for me,” I told him.

“No.” He didn’t even consider it.

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