What appeared to be a large, white, sparkling meteor fell to the earth one hundred yards away exploding in a burst of white light from which a misty ice blue ring shot out moving so fast, if I’d blinked, I would have missed it.
And it left in its wake two types of men. Those frozen completely in their tracks in whatever position the ice blue ring caught them in and those who still had the capacity to move and did, running for their lives.
“We must go, we must go,” Lavinia shouted, pulling at my hand and I felt Valentine grab my other one and tug.
But I couldn’t move.
“I can’t move,” I forced through immobile lips.
“Pick her up!” Valentine yelled, sounding panicked and when this didn’t work she screamed, “Drag her!”
They pulled, tugged, pushed and yanked but my body was rooted to the snow.
I was caught in the ice ring and I could tell by the frightful, restless sounds of the dragons behind me they were about to blow.
“Go!” I cried through my frozen lips.
“My princess –”
“Go, go, go!” I screamed but it came out weak for I couldn’t make it stronger.
“Seoafin –” Valentine whispered urgently, her body close, her mouth at my ear, her hand still tugging at mine.
“Take her, Valentine. You know the beasts are preparing and you know to look after your own neck. Take Lavinia, get her safe and the minute you can, go home,” I implored.
“My goddess of –”
“Take her!” I cried, the words strange coming through unmoving lips but the tone easily read.
“Goddess!” Valentine exclaimed then she whispered, “You must know, now, that I am sorry, my goddess of love, sorry for everything.”
“Go!”
She hesitated then I felt both of my hands squeezed by both of theirs and then they were gone.
I was alone.
I had thought when the dragons came…
Hoped…
But I was wrong.
I was alone.
Frozen but my blood was singing with adrenalin.
This was it.
My last adventure.
And I was ending it alone. At least Mom and Dad had each other.
But I was alone and terrified.
I couldn’t even close my eyes.
Shit.
“I’m coming to you, baby,” I whispered to Frey but it came out naturally, my lips moved with my words and I blinked.
I blinked.
Actually blinked, my eyelids moving and everything.
Holy moly!
“No, my love, I’ve come to you,” I heard a beautiful, sweet, achingly familiar voice behind me and, in control of my body, I whirled and stared, mouth open, eyes wide, belly plummeting, heart in my throat at my husband who was standing three feet away.
Then he lifted an arm and the dragons let loose, their massive bodies bulged, necks extended, their fanged mouths opened and flames erupted, shot forward and I stared as we were surrounded by an inferno over our heads, at our sides, my gown blowing with the force of it, the heat enveloping me, the bloody snow melting to a river rushing over my boots but Frey’s body, to my shock, was impervious and acted as a shield against the flames.
Then he dropped his arm and the flames immediately stopped.
I knew everything behind me was gone, reduced to ash. But in front of me stood Frey backed by a line of fierce, colossal, terrifyingly beautiful dragons.
It couldn’t be real.
“Are you a dream?” I whispered and his lips tipped up.
“No,” he answered.
“A ghost?” I was still whispering.
“No, my wee one.”
My wee one.
My wee one.
My heart squeezed.
“You’re alive,” I breathed.
“Yes,” he stated the obvious for there he was, tall, broad, strong, powerful, beautiful and best of all… breathing.
“You’re alive,” I repeated on a whisper, my nose stinging, my eyes blinking against the wet because I didn’t want him hazy, I wanted him clear, I wanted to see him clear.
“Yes,” he repeated.
“Alive,” I breathed.
His handsome head tilted slightly to the side, his heavy brows drew together and he asked, “Are you still frozen by the elfin magic, my Finnie, is that why you don’t come to me?”
I stared at him.
Then I sprang from my feet, jumping into his arms and they closed around me, strong, safe, tight and definitely, definitely real.
I held on tight to his shoulders, shoved my face in his neck and burst out crying.
“They… they… the… the… they,” I stammered into his neck, my arms convulsing, trying to hold him closer, “they told me you were dead.”
“I am not,” Frey’s voice rumbled and his arms squeezed.
I jerked my head back and glared at him before I shrieked, “Where have you been?”
He looked down at me and one of his hands came to my face, his thumb gliding through the wetness that was still coming and he said gently, “I was injured, gravely, close to death. I convinced my men to leave me to my passing and see to business, something we had all agreed, should such occur, we would do. The elves sensed my injuries and the extent of them luckily before the adela burned and, as I had arranged with them prior, they sought Kell and brought him to me. Kell had the adela branch, we used it and he and I both went to the elfin realm where they healed me.”
I blinked and then stared.
Then I asked, “What?”
Frey’s eyes went soft and slightly amused at my blink and he explained, “The adelas are gone but the magic of that bough and the reason it is so important is that it can be used by The Frey to move to the elfin realm and to bring the elves to our realm, say, should something happen to the adelas or he needs them urgently and cannot get to a tree.”
“Wow,” I whispered and he grinned. “So they healed you?” I asked quietly.
“Their magic is strong but my injuries were severe so it took some time but yes, my wee Finnie, they healed me.”
“They healed you?” I repeated.
“Yes, my love.”
“Like, good as new?”
He grinned and answered gently, “I’m clearly not a babe so, no, but fit as when you last saw me.”
I closed my eyes at the memory, my head jerking at the power of it and Frey’s hand at my cheek moved to cup my jaw and his arm gave me a squeeze before I heard him amend on a murmur, “Or moments before the moment you last saw me.”
I kept my eyes closed and dropped my forehead to his chest. “I thought you were dead.”