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"All this time" – his voice draws my line of sight – "you've been a prisoner in your own home."
I shrug, feeling my walls begging to skyrocket back into place. "I can't change it, so why complain?"
Atlas snatches my hand in his. "Name a place," he whispers. "Anywhere in Dalerin. Anywhere you've always wanted to go, and I swear I'll take you."
"Atlas – "
"You deserve more than an easy life behind gilded bars. You deserve to live, and more importantly, you deserve to be free." He takes a step closer, eating the little distance between us. "So, name a place, Shaye."
Most of my childhood, I craved adventure and wanted to see the world. I'd given up on that dream long ago, but here, on the creaky wooden porch of a humble cabin in the middle of nowhere, Atlas is offering it up to me on a silver platter.
"Dalerin," I say.
He cocks his head to the side, confusion clear in his eyes. "That's all Six Kingdoms."
"Yes," I nod. "And I wish to see all of them with you."
His face softens and a smile plays at the corners of his lips. Slowly, he slips his hand along my jawline and whispers, "As you wish."
The urge to press my mouth against his vanishes the second a frowning Ronan shuffles outside, Nyx following close behind him with a pack slung over his back. I step away from Atlas, and he drops his hand from my face. I'm not sure where Atlas and I stand at this point, but until I figure that out, I want to keep whatever is going on between us private. Without voicing that out loud, he seems to understand, but that longing look in his eyes – the one that sets my soul on fire – is all I need to know that if it was up to him, he wouldn't care who knew about us.
"Ferry will be leaving in ten minutes," Nyx says as he and Ronan descend the porch steps and stomp down the path toward the docks.
"Come on," Atlas jerks his head toward the cabin. "I'll carry your bag."
Twenty-Nine
Shaye
We board the ferry with our horses in tow, and drift across the lake with floating pieces of ice bobbing above the water. The wind is bitter and chills me to my very bones, but I'm having way too much fun looking at the snowy mountains and steadily approaching city of Elowen to allow the blistering cold temperature to ruin my day.
During our boat ride, Finn has Eris drink a bottle of disimulo to mask her true Sea Elf appearance. The Frost Elves and Sea Elves exchange pleasantries when necessary, but Eris' mother and the Frost King don't quite see eye-to-eye, so it's best to keep her identity hidden for now. On top of that, Eris has done her best to keep her lineage and surname a secret in other kingdoms to ensure her mother doesn't know where she is and how to track her down.
A few minutes after drinking the elixir, Eris looks like she could be the Harland brothers' kin with tan skin, hazel eyes, and long black hair. I know it's for her protection, but I truly hate that she has to disguise herself. By the time I get used to her being in this new form, we'll be on our way home to Tronovia and she'll go back to her true appearance and throw me all over again.
Within a couple of hours, we near the Frost Kingdom port and I'm struck with how magical the city looks up close. From a distance, it's impressive, but standing here now, I'm left speechless.
White buildings with snow piled atop sloped, blue tinted roofs are nestled in the valley of snowcapped mountains, making the city virtually impenetrable from the north. The streets are laden with white bricks and a light dusting of snow. Silver lampposts are perfectly spaced along the sidewalks and each business sign hanging above blue doors sparkle under the sun's afternoon rays.
The second my boots hit the pavement, I am immediately struck with the sense that Enver Sol was here. This is the strongest I've ever felt his presence and it nearly knocks me off my feet. He must have spent quite a lot of time in Elowen, if I can feel him so intensely. A flicker deep within my soul tugs me forward and without the slightest hesitation, or waiting for the others to chase after me, I follow the sensation.
As I head up the slight incline of the white brick streets, I realize that everyone walking past looks exactly like me with white hair and grey eyes. The only true difference between me and the Frost Elves are our ears; they have pointed ones while I have rounded ones.
I continue my trek through the ancient, magical city until I feel compelled to duck into a shop to my left. As soon as the bell over the door chimes, the smell of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies fills my nostrils and I have an overwhelming sense of tranquility wash over me. Something about this bakery held a special place in Enver Sol's heart. For some inexplicable reason, I feel as if he's guiding me, showing me parts of himself that matter. I just wish I understood why he chose to show them to me.
"I didn't expect to see you today, Sylvane!" a sweet voice rings out. When I turn toward the baker, her eyes widen, and she flashes me an apologetic look. "Apologies. I thought you were someone else." Before I have a chance to ask her who she mistook me for, she wrings her flour covered hands in her white apron and redirects her attention to other customers calling out for assistance at the counter.
A hand clamps down on my shoulder and I spin around, hating that a smidgen of fear courses through my body at the contact.
"You alright, Kitarni?" Nyx's familiar greeting puts my mind at ease and my shoulders relax. "You ran off without us."
"Sorry, I got distracted."
"Were you able to sniff this place out from the docks?" Nyx chuckles. "That's quite the sweet tooth you have."
I push him playfully and shake my head, and a somber look overtakes his features when he asks, "You sense him, don't you?"
"What?"
