Page 48 of Fire & Ice

"It's true," Deakon says hoarsely. "Charlie desires power but Tempest above all else. Once he has found a way to break your mating bond, he means to use Tempest and her gifts to seize control of the Council, and from there expand his reign across the land."

I study Deakon closely, alert for any sign of deceit. But his thoughts are open to me, turbulent and laced with remorse. He speaks the truth.

A surge of possessiveness rises in me, primal and fierce. Tempest is mine. She always has been, in my dreams and in my heart, destined for me by fate and by the moon goddess herself.

I close my eyes, steadying my breath, and I glimpse a vision of Tempest at Charlie's side, radiant in crimson silks, her fire gift glowing as she bestows a tender kiss upon his lips. The threatening vision vanishes, but the sight sears into my mind like a brand. I cannot allow it to come to pass. Tempest belongs with me, and I will stop at nothing to find and reclaim her.

A growl vibrates deep in my throat, echoing across the throne room. My father's mouth set in a grim line. "I believe that Lost Love's Curse may be taking over you, my son. If you do not reunite with your mate soon..."

He trails off but the unspoken threat hangs in the air between us, as sharp as the icicles lining the battlements. Madness. If Tempest and I are not joined once more, the torment will drive me to madness, and I will be locked away so that I don't slaughter innocents.

I surge to my feet, fists clenched at my sides. "Then stop wasting time and find her!" Each word is punctuated with a blast of frost. The guards shift uneasily, hands hovering over their swords.

Let them try to stop me. They will learn the true meaning of winter's wrath.

The King holds up a placating hand, his eyes hardening. "We are doing everything within our power, but Charlie has concealed Tempest well."

"Not well enough." A feral grin splits my lips, all teeth and menace. I can feel her, a flickering torch in the vast coldness of my mind. The bond between our souls may be pulled thin but it is not fully broken. He cannot hide her from me forever.

I close my eyes, grasping onto that lifeline. There. A faint glow to the north, muted but unmistakable. The feel of it soothes the raging inferno inside me. I take a deep breath, the icicles melting from the walls. The guards release a collective sigh of relief.

"I must act quickly," I tell Marcus and my father. "Before it's too late and already enough time has been wasted." Before Charlie Snowden steals Tempest's heart and destroys my destiny.

No matter the cost, Tempest is mine to protect and cherish as she deserves. And once she is safely back by my side where she belongs, I will teach the vile Snowden prince a lesson he will never forget. The battle lines have been drawn. A war is coming, and this time, there will be no mercy.

I close my eyes and reach for the bond that ties my soul to Tempest's. A surge of energy flows into me, both bitter and sweet. Bitter because it is weak which means she is slipping further away. Sweet because it is a reminder of the intimacy we once shared.

With each breath, I absorb more of her power. More of her light. More of her fire. My veins ignite as the heat of her flames mixes with the cold of my own ice.

"Tempest," I whisper into the darkness. In my mind, I see her face. Feel the soft caress of her hands on my skin. Taste the warmth of her lips, like cinnamon and desire.

The power builds inside me, writhing and twisting, seeking release. I clench my fists, nails biting into my palms. Not yet. I must take it all. Every last ember of her flame. Only then will I have the strength to find her.

When the bond is nearly drained, a stab of pain lances my chest. She is slipping away, like a star winking out in the velvet sky. Panic rises as I realize I may be too late.

No. I refuse to lose her. Not when we have only just found each other.

With a roar, I unleash the combined power of ice and fire. The air around me explodes into a maelstrom of our combined gifts as I tear open a rift into our inner world.

I step through the rift and the inner world envelops me in its chill embrace. An eerie mist swirls around my boots with every step, clinging to my skin like a shroud.

In the distance, a pale orb hovers above the horizon—the moon, or what passes for it in this realm of shadows. I lift my hands in supplication, the beads of my bracelet sliding over my wrist.

“Great Goddess,” I pray, my voice echoing through the gloom. “Guide me to her. Show me the path.”

For a moment, all is still. Then a silvery light glimmers through the mist, winding away into the ruins of an ancient fortress. My heart leaps. The Goddess has answered.

The mist grows thicker and more opaque, obscuring my surroundings as it coils around me like a living thing, tendrils of silver-gray curling over my skin. An eerie silence descends, muffling all sound in its wake. Familiar scents fade away, replaced by a strange metallic tang that sparks my magic.

The mist parts before me, revealing glimpses of strange landscapes. Jagged obsidian spires covered. Gleaming citadels of pearl and silver. Paths that twist and turn, shrouded in mystery.

Yet none are my destination. I press onward, magic and instinct leading the way.

At last, the mist begins to thin, strands of silver fading into the night. A familiar energy calls out, as precious and vital as the beat of my own heart.

I emerge in a courtyard of pale stone, moonlight glinting off high towers that reach for the stars. And there, on a balcony wreathed in night-blooming flowers, stands a lone figure clad in red.

Our gazes meet across the distance, recognition flaring in her eyes like the strike of a match. A single word falls from my lips, filled with wonder and promise:

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