Reign of Ice (Forever Fae #4)(68)

“Ariella, where are you?” Brayden demanded. “We need to get out of here now!”

Tears streamed down my face because doing what I was about to do hurt worse than an arrow piercing through my heart. Swallowing back the guilt, I leaned up against the wall, out of sight, and said, “I’m in the prison with Bastian. We’re coming out.”

Quickly wiping away the tears, I grabbed Bastian’s arm and pushed him toward the door. “Go,” I shouted. “Get her out of here and somewhere safe. I’ll be right behind you.”

“Why do I not believe you?” he asked, eyeing me with skepticism.

“Because you shouldn’t,” Merrick snorted, even though Bastian couldn’t hear him. I ignored the jab and pushed Bastian out the door.

“Because you’re an ass, now go!” I repeated with more force, glaring at Merrick and then to Bastian.

He took off without another question and headed straight for the woods, away from Sorcha and Drake. However, he didn’t get very far. As soon as Sorcha and Brayden spotted him they did what I’d hoped they would do … they took him. Sorcha extended a giant claw and wrapped it around Bastian’s body, securing him in her grasp. Back in Gothin form, I watched from the doorway as Drake and Sorcha prepared to take off into the black abyss, thinking I was the girl in Bastian’s arms.

Glancing quickly my way, Bastian pounded against Sorcha’s claw and yelled, “No, Ariella. Don’t do this!” He kept fighting as Sorcha lifted up into the trees. I waved him good-bye and wished with all my heart that one day he would realize how sorry I was.

“We’ve got you, angel,” Brayden murmured in my mind. I gave him one final glance as I watched him smile, thinking he had me in his grasp. Oh, how I would miss that smile. A smile he never let the world see until me. Would he ever smile again after this?

“Yes, you do,” I cried. “You will always have me.”

I watched as they took off into the trees and out of the inky blackness of my doom. They were gone in an instant, but at least it would give me the time I needed. The sorcerer would be back soon, and I had to make sure I ended him before he could strike back.

“I know that was hard,” Merrick whispered, coming to my side.

I collapsed onto the muddy floor of the empty prison and covered my face with my hands. Merrick wrapped his arm around my shoulders and rocked me back and forth, murmuring that everything would be all right in my ear. There were no thoughts or words that could describe the agony I felt deceiving them the way I did … especially Brayden.

I was where I needed to be, and alone the way it should’ve been from the beginning. I just wished my heart would stop feeling like it would rip out of my chest. I would rather face death.





WE SUCCEEDED. I got her back.

It wasn’t until nightfall that I saw the icy terrain of my court, the Winter Court. I breathed a sigh of relief and enjoyed the ride through the air on my sister’s back as she flew majestically through the night sky. Her red dragon skin almost glowed in the moonlight along with Drake’s green emerald glow right beside us.

Even though they took a few hits with the arrows, they still seemed to be going strong. Now that Ariella was back and all the secrets had been unveiled we could finally work together and fight together. This was the way it should’ve been from the beginning, but Ariella’s hard headedness got in the way. If only I knew sooner what she was going through.

The horns blared as we approached the palace and down below I could see everyone coming out to see if we succeeded. Circling around and descending lower, Sorcha landed gracefully and so did Drake. I slid off of Sorcha’s back and climbed the rest of the way down her body. My father and King Oberon, as well as Meliantha and Kalen, were crowded around Sorcha’s claws where Bastian was slowly getting to his feet with Ariella in his arms. Calista and Ryder joined me almost immediately after they dismounted from Drake’s scaly back.

“Give her to me,” I snapped, glaring at Bastian and taking Ariella away from him. The cloak I gave her was draped over her face and body, and the moment I touched her skin I knew something was wrong.

“What the …” I started, but then stopped.

Immediately, I removed the cover from her face and my heart sank. It tore out of my chest and went right back to the Black Forest where I knew my angel was still in hell. She wasn’t in my arms; she wasn’t where she was supposed to be. She deceived me, and I had failed.

Coran was by my side in an instant and I passed the woman in my arms to him, glaring at Bastian the whole time. The air turned electric with both his and my power as we faced off at each other.

“What the hell is this?” I demanded angrily. “First, you defy my orders to bring Ariella back and instead you take her straight to the Black Forest. Second, you pull this stunt wanting me to believe you have her in your arms. If she didn’t care about you, you would be dead at my feet right now.”

“You are not the only one she deceived, Your Highness. I am just as angry as you are,” he spat. “I did not know she was going to do what she did.”

I scoffed. “Well, that makes us both fools.”

Calista jumped between us and pushed us apart. “That’s enough you two. There’s nothing we can do about it now. I’m sure what Ariella did was just as hard on her as it was on you.” She glared at us both before continuing, “It’s late, and we need to rest up before tomorrow. We attack at dawn.”