“I love you and I will be back to free you, my sweet knights and friend," I say confidently, while I hold back the sobs that are threatening to break free.
“I love you, Andras," Jacob says as tears stream down his cheeks. I focus on making a quick, protective barrier around our friends, to keep the cold and any enemies away. The magic surrounds them, the snow deflecting on the small bubble like an inverted snow globe. Satisfied, I turn to Gerwyn for further directions. I’m thankful at least he was with us, since he knew the most about this land and magic.
“We have to get past them, whatever you do, keep as much distance as you can. The walls and ground are curse free now, I can’t feel the magic anymore,” he promises. Nodding, I follow his lead as he squeezes past them, barely breathing since it’s a tight fit.
When we’re all three on the other side, I give our men one last glance before turning to the town that stretches out in front of us. There’s a renewed determination in me now, one that promises retribution to the person who put our men in harm’s way.
Chapter 5
The town is in complete ruins. The courtyard that lies between the walls and the castle isn’t going to be easy to cross. What looks like it used to be a large merchant bazaar or open air market was now a pile of torn tents and splintered wood. The canopies discolored from time in the elements, the shreds flapping in the winter wind.
The walls themselves were crumbling in places, windows blown out, the large shards no longer visible in the dusting of snow. The war clearly came directly through the town. This wasn’t a testament of time, but of violence.
“Not the home I envisioned,” Gerwyn says with a defeated sigh. “I knew that there was a skirmish here, but this…”
“I don’t think this was the war,” Jacob notes. We both turn to see him standing directly in the middle of the courtyard, spinning slowly. “It’s almost like one concentrated blast that started here.”
“You’re right,” Gerwyn says in shock.
Everything is thrown away from Jacob’s spot, leaving a perfectly empty circle where he stands. It’s almost like a magical tantrum, if that’s even possible, since there aren’t any scorch marks for it to be a bomb of some kind.
“I’m going to try again,” I tell them. They both tense as I bend down, taking my glove off so I can connect with the land again.
Even though I’m braced for it this time, the assault on my psyche is enough to make a normal person crazy. The images are impossibly more jumbled and confusing, flashes and sounds that make no sense. The red and black swirl in slow motion, almost like a lava lamp. Screams and garbled yelling echo in my ears, so loud I have to yank my hands back before it causes physical harm.
“It’s so much worse here. I think what I’m getting is whoever cursed the gates,” I tell them. “That’s the only thing that makes sense. I can’t even sense Faerie at all.”
“That’s not comforting,” Gerwyn sighs. “Let’s hope it’s not as bad as we’re imagining.”
“Oh, it will be,” Jacob counters. This time I don’t bother to say anything optimistic, my mind just as dark as his at the moment.
“The greenhouses are broken. How would anyone have survived? There’s no way food grows easily in this cold,” I point out when I notice the broken remnants of greenhouses on the roof of the walls. We couldn't see them from the outside thanks to the slope and how far they’d crumbled.
“There’s another in one of the castle towers. You can’t see it from this angle,” Gerwyn says, staring up at the monstrous structure.
“The King clearly had a complex," Jacob says dryly as he stares up at it. “This castle screams small dick energy.”
The castle is extravagant, and not in a good way. Knowing that he lived in such luxury and his people lived smashed together within the walls that surrounded the city, was just sad. We may not have seen the inside, but from everything we’ve heard so far, I can only imagine what it’s like.
“He thought of himself as the most important fae in the realm. The setup here wasn’t just for our protection from the cold, he wanted to lord his power over the town, showing he was the one we should fear and bow down to. He ordered the death of anyone who didn’t show him the respect he thought he deserved," Wyn grinds out through a clenched jaw.
“Man, your grandfather was an awful man,” Jacob notes. I wince, not having really put the connection together before. I knew I was born from the Sprint Court Princess and Winter Court Prince, but all I heard about the King was awful. I don’t want any association with him.
“No wonder they ran,” I say as I glance up at the castle. For a moment it looks like a white figure stands in the window, my mind and the cold playing tricks on me. Or perhaps it’s my Winter powers coming through. “He’s gone now anyway.”
“That he is, and the realm is better for it,” Gerwyn says. His voice is tired and I hate that his home harbors so many awful memories. Then again, it would be impossible to forget the atrocities of a magical war.
“Should we go to the castle now?” I ask gently, laying a comforting hand on his arm. His gloved hand rests on top of mine as he takes a deep breath, letting me give him strength for a change.
“Yes. But we’ll have to go through one of the wall passages. The front gate is blocked," Jacob points out. Glancing over I see what he’s referring to, there’s a huge pile of rubble and stones blocking the front doors. They look way too precise to be anything but purposeful.
“That looks like the work of someone hiding away,” I add, glancing warily up to the castle again. It’s impossible to know who or what awaits us, but I do not have a good feeling about this journey. But with the others frozen, I have little choice but to find them and end this curse.
We all wordlessly turn to the walls and search past the rubble for an opening that works. Half of the doors have shattered, meaning it would take brute force to enter and we currently lacked that. Eventually I find one not far from the outer gates, the door slightly ajar, but the dark room beyond it gave little away.
“Found one,” I call without looking away. I’m almost afraid if I do that something will jump out of me, boogeyman style.
“Where’s a flashlight when you need one?” Jacob mutters as he walks up next to me.