Reign of Ice (Forever Fae #4)(57)
“Ariella!” I shouted in her mind. I hoped I was wrong in my assumption that she had indeed decided to take matters in her own hands. It wasn’t until I fully concentrated on our connection that I could already tell she had me blocked out.
“Dammit,” I growled, feeling as if I would explode.
The second I came to our bedroom door I kicked it open and rushed inside, already feeling the emptiness of her absence. The weight on my chest felt like a thousand tons crushing me to the floor as I struggled to breathe. After everything we had just gone through together, I couldn’t begin to fathom that she would actually leave me … but she did. The harsh reality of it slammed me in the gut when I found the crisp, white letter lying on the bed with a lock of her hair beside it.
I picked up the bright blonde lock of hair and clutched it in my palm, squeezing it tight. “So help me, Ariella, when I get you home you’re going to wish you didn’t run away from me,” I warned out loud to myself. The letter was folded over with a crease in the middle, but I could see her elegant handwriting inside. The ache in my chest grew deeper.
I opened it up slowly and read the words I’d been dreading.
Brayden,
By the time you read this, I’m sure you will already know the reasons why I had to leave. Please know that I love you and there’s nothing I wouldn’t do to keep you safe. When you said you were going to be the one to kill the sorcerer my heart ripped out of my chest. In that moment I fell in love with you even more and it made my decision even harder to face. In a way I wanted to be selfish and just stay with you, hoping that the scroll was wrong and that we would figure out another way … but I knew it wasn’t going to be so. There are so many things I need to ask your forgiveness on and I have no clue where to start. I need you to forgive me for leaving you. Trust me, it was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. Even as I write this I can’t seem to get the tears to stop. I wanted to tell you about my fate, and that was the reason I kept closed off from you at the beginning. I didn’t want you seeing the turmoil that warred within my body. I know that I can succeed in doing what I have planned because there are things I can do that you don’t know about. “The one who can earn his trust will be the one to defeat him.” That is the quote from the scroll. I have that ability, Brayden, and if I can save the lives of our people with the sacrifice of just mine then I’m going to do it. I know you would do the same thing if you could. Our time together and the love we share is the only thing keeping me going right now, and however long I have left I want you to know that I will love you always. We will never be apart, my love, because you will always be in my heart and I will always be in yours … forever.
With all my love,
Your angel
I could feel the presence of someone behind me, and judging from the power level in the room it had to be Elvena. Holding the letter to my chest, I didn’t even turn around when I asked the question I was too afraid to hear the answer to, “What’s going to happen to her? Is she going to die?”
Elvena sniffled and cried, “I’m not sure, child. From what I’m gathering it looks like it’ll be almost impossible for her to survive. No one could live through the magnitude of force the sorcerer’s power will unleash once it’s free.”
It cannot end that way! I screamed in my mind. I couldn’t believe that it would end that way … I refused to.
Taking Ariella’s letter, I folded it into a tiny square and placed it inside my armor belt. I wasn’t going to let her die; I was going to find her and bring her home. If I couldn’t find her tonight there was one person who could lead me to her … my sister. I just prayed to the heavens that I would find her before it was too late.
I DIDN’T KNOW if I would have time to write Brayden the letter, but I did it anyway. I had to let him know how I felt and how sorry I was for leaving him. He was probably never going to forgive me, and if I did survive I was sure he would never let me live it down. Dressed in my warrior gear, I changed my appearance to make myself look like one of our warriors.
No sooner had I gotten out of the palace and almost into the stables when Coran stopped me. “Saddle up your horse, lad. The queen has gone missing and we need to find her,” he relayed quickly. “Meet the others at the gate.” He didn’t even wait for an answer, but ran off inside the palace.
That was quick, I thought to myself. I didn’t expect them to search for me so soon. Lennox whinnied in his stall, and I knew he had to be confused. To him I smelled like Ariella, but I didn’t look it. It was strange being a female and impersonating a male. It wasn’t something I liked doing, but I had no choice.
Lennox sniffed me curiously as I rubbed his soft, white mane. I whispered in his ear, “It’s me, Lennox, but I can’t take you this time. I don’t want anyone recognizing me.”
I kissed him on the muzzle and saddled up the brown and white spotted mare beside him; I had no clue which warrior she belonged to.
“You are a beauty,” I said to her.
She nuzzled me and blew out her breath. After I buckled everything down, I mounted her and rode quickly out of the stables. I immediately headed away from the palace, toward the front gate.
While trying to sneak out, I could feel Brayden’s anguish like a knife to my chest. His pain was my pain and it felt terrible. I wanted to open my mind so I could speak to him, but if I did that I would probably lose my courage and go back. Coran’s voice echoed against the wind as he updated the warriors’ on my status. The sound of hoof beats thumped across the ground, and only seconds later they came into view thundering toward the gate. The doors opened and the riders blazed through like the speed of lightning. I joined in and followed them as we left the Winter Court and its protection behind.