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Better to be the one to kill than to be killed.
I could use my magic to pull a rock loose high above, sending it cascading down in the front, and with how long our line of riders was, he’d be trapped unless he took to the skies or spewed black flame again. I’d have to ensure the volume was more than before and not allow him any time to prepare. Though close to the front, Endre and the two High Lords of the Day Realm rode alongside some of the mixed-bloods Izidora seemed so fond of. I couldn’t kill my best friend, not after everything he’d done for me and almost killing him with my magic before.
Grinding my teeth, I occupied my mind with the myriad of ways I could feasibly kill Ruslan without it being so obvious. As we wound up into the mountain, we came across a ridgeline with a steep dropoff on one side. Could I incapacitate Ruslan’s horseand send them both plummeting into the ravine? From far away, no one would see the tendril of binding magic around his ankle that would prevent him from accessing his magic. Yet much to my dismay, he kept his mount flush with the rough wall that formed the other side of the path, too far for a slip of his mount’s footing to send them careening over the edge.
Weren’t there large beasts that lived in the mountains, attacking passersby at random? Perhaps I could form my magic into the shape of one, sending it leaping from the snow and startling his horse, the jumpy beast sending them falling. My imagination ran away from me, and as I assessed every possible scenario, time to act ran out.
We drove through a thick patch of snow nestled between two faces of the mountains and left the ravine behind. Up ahead, Endre shouted, gesticulating wildly at something in the distance. Ruslan and Drazen leaped from their mounts, followed by Endre and the others. With a grumble under my breath, I slid from Fek’s back and crept along behind the Crystal Fae. We bunched together among the snow behind a series of large boulders, silence reigning over us.
As if called by my will alone, one of those enormous beasts lingered on the mountainside a hundred yards away. Even from a distance, he looked like he was one wrong move away from attacking. Thick, white fur covered his body, and his eyes were a blood red that pierced into our hunting party as he scented our arrival. His blocky head lifted from where he snuffed the ground, and one of his massive paws swiped at the snow in front of him, clearing the drift impeding his path. As he lumbered forward, two more beasts were revealed behind him, and both Drazen and Ruslan began swearing.
“Everyone, back to your mounts. We need to leave,” Drazen instructed in a rush.
These beasts had gifted me an opportunity on a snowy platter.
The two new arrivals lifted their noses and sniffed, the closest one releasing a roar that shook the mountains on either side of us, and charged.
“Go!” Endre and Viktor shouted at me simultaneously, and the latter grasped my arm and hauled me along beside him as we sprinted to our horses at the back of the line. Around us, rocks perched on high overhangs began tumbling down, and the heavy pounding of three sets of paws against the ground sent more snow sliding down the mountains.
The beasts were faster than any of us, covering distance with ease and closing in on the back of our hunting party. I jammed my foot into a stirrup and hauled myself onto Fek, yanking the rein back on one side to turn him in the opposite direction. Pure, unfiltered fear lined the faces of those in the back, and fuck, as much as I wanted Ruslan dead, I couldn’t lose Endre, not when I’d already lost my father, Kriztof, and the twins. Digging my heels into Fek’s sides, I urged him forward, catching up with Viktor and Vadim who were already racing away, opening a path for the others. The two checked over their shoulders repeatedly to gauge our advance, not focusing on the harrowing path before them. Three vicious roars ripped through the air, so violent that the rock wall beside me shook from its force.
“Watch out!” I shouted as a precariously perched rock tipped forward, feet from where Viktor and Vadim were about to pass. Their horses were smart, and both swerved at the last moment to avoid being slammed by the projectile. It cracked upon impact with the ground, and I held my breath as my stallion and I careened toward it. We needed to jump to clear it, but the ground beneath his hooves was icy and slick.
Fucking Fates, I hadn’t come this far to die from a fall.
Fek sailed over it, and I wasted no time couching low on his neck to offer him the stability he needed to land without slipping. But the moment his hooves touched the ice, they slid, and he neighed a warning as we shot toward the side with the ravine. Without hesitation, I unleashed the binding magic, using it like an anchor to keep us from falling over the edge. The ropes around Fek’s belly and my hands stopped us a breath before, and I glanced to the side, noting the sharp rocks that would have impaled us and the rushing river that would have swept us away. We panted for a moment before King Airre pulled up his horse and melted the ice beneath us, providing us safe passage back to the center of the trail.
Another roar shook the canyon, and I wasted no time redirecting my mount forward. Thanks to King Airre, the way was cleared for the rest of our hunting party, and hoofbeats pounded into the ground as we raced back the way we’d come. Only once we reached a wide opening in the path did we finally slow, counting our numbers to ensure we had all made it safely. Aside from a gash in Drazen’s horse’s rear, everyone was unharmed.
Releasing a shaky breath, I dismounted, sweat pouring down my temples, until my heart slowed to an even pace once more. I sought out Endre, pulling him in for a much-needed embrace. “I’m so glad you’re alright,” I said, shaken as the reality of almost losing my life and the life of my best friend sank in.
“I’ve never seen a Fehérmedve before,” he replied, a slight tremble wracking his countenance. Viktor, Vadim, and Kaztar joined us a moment later, all breathing sighs of relief.
“Seeing one Fehérmedve is rare, but three at once? It couldn’t possibly be a coincidence,” Viktor hissed with a glance at Ruslan, Drazen, and the mixed-bloods. “They’re obviously preparing an attack. Did Liliana tell Izidora about our plan?” He leveled a lethal gaze on Endre.
“Why are you looking at me instead of Vadim?” he snapped, the tension obvious in his frame as he uncharacteristically bit back at our friend.
“You’re the one that’s fucking her,” Viktor replied coolly.
“That’s enough,” Vadim snapped. “We’re all on edge right now, so drop it. Don’t speculate, Viktor, and don’t accuse my sister of betraying us. She’s loyal.”
“Since when are you defending the Iron Realm, Vadim?” I snarled. “Is it because you’ve finally found kindred spirits in Anton and Slavian?”
He shoved against my chest when I took a menacing step toward him. “I’m fucking loyal to you, asshole!”
“Knock it off!” Endre shouted, and his tone brokered no room for argument. If our normally quiet and sensitive friend sounded like he was ready to throttle us, then we stopped and listened.
Running a hand over my face, I sucked in a steadying breath, blowing it out along with my apology to Vadim. Kaztar watched on as we reconciled, and minutes later, we all acted as if nothing had happened. Endre healed Drazen’s mount, and the other Fae shot us questioning side eyes until we were all remounted and trekking down a different path in search of food for the masquerade.
It wasn’t long before we came across a giant stag, and Ruslan wasted no time in killing it, using his Dragon wings to soar over the snow and collect it the same way he had before.
“About time. We can finally return to the warmth of Ryza,” King Consort Geza joked as the stag was strapped to the litter.
I grunted an acknowledgement. “It’s a good thing the Iron Realm only hosts every four years.”
“So true, my friend. So true,” he replied, urging his mount forward and joining with his High Lords as we wound our way down from the mountains and into the valley that held Radence.No one wanted to remain among the peaks for any longer than necessary, and we all took solace in that we’d finally captured and killed our dinner.
Ruslan looked like a fool, having taken us into his precious realm’s wilderness twice and twice almost dying. Perhaps this was the incident that would sway the monarchs of the Crystal and Day Realms back in my favor.
