Page 2 of A Bond of Ice and Glass (Crowned By Wings #2)

The healer flashes me a compassionate smile before rushing out of the room. The door slams in her wake, and for a moment the woman standing in front of me just looks at me with narrowed eyes.

“Who are you?” I ask again.

She doesn’t answer at first, her eyes still assessing me while she taps her gold-painted nails against the post. “A friend to some deserving souls. Enemy to most. But you… I reckon we could be friends if you play your cards right.” A gold tendril seeps out from her fingertips and curls around the bedpost. “You’ve already guessed correctly that I’m a witch. ”

I nod, pursing my lips for a moment. “You look like one. Well, what I thought a witch might look like. The markings.”

She huffs a laugh and gestures to her face with her other hand. “Yeah, magic in your veins tends to do this sometimes. The more magic you use, the more appear.”

“They’re beautiful.”

The witch snorts at that. “You know, I’m already warming up to you, Princess.”

“Maelena,” I say, wincing. “I’ve always hated being called that. Princess.”

“Mmm, well, they say you’re the princess who’s going to save our asses. The whole kingdom, in fact.” She rolls her eyes. “You’re going to make alliances, fix everything with what’s between your legs and a pretty smile. So they say. Awfully kind of them, isn’t it?”

I narrow my eyes, my entire body tensing at her words.

“I’d rather fucking die.”

She laughs at that. Actually bursts into laughter, and I’m tempted to smile at her. It’s clear by her tone that she doesn’t approve of what’s being said about me, and that makes me like her. Her laugh tapers off into a sigh.

“Damn it. I really wanted to hate you, but you’re already proving to be less of a spoiled breeding mare than I was expecting… My name’s Nymala, and you better tell me what you remember, Your Majesty.”

Your Majesty? As in— queen ? But I never married. I never became queen…

“First of all, please don’t call me that…

And I was running away with my friend. We were hiding in the back of a cart, and then there was a dragon in the sky…

That’s all I remember.” But there was more, wasn’t there?

My stomach hurts the longer I think about it, my temples throbbing, and the room spins.

Nymala just watches me as I briefly close my eyes against the wave of dizziness.

Once it passes, I try again, wanting to know for myself what happened.

“The dragon landed, and then I… we tried to… something happened. I don’t know what. ”

The door opens as I struggle to grab the memory. Why can’t I seem to catch it? Why can’t I remember?

“The king took you,” a voice I know gently offers.

Lochlan stands in the doorway, and my shoulders instantly drop in relief.

His dark eyes show me nothing but the same relief when he finds me awake.

Lochlan, the boy who looked after me and healed me time and time again after all those horrific beatings.

Lochan, my best friend, who promised to help me escape and build a new life together.

I stare at him, and even though it’s only been a short while since the cart, he looks so different now.

His light brown hair is longer, brushed back, and his brown eyes are not as soft as I remember.

They’re nearly black. Were they always like that?

When Loch smiles, his cheeks dimple in the way I am familiar with. And all my worries seem to fade away. This is the Loch I know. The one person who’s always been there for me. He risked everything to get me out of the convent.

I return the smile and lift my hand weakly to wave at him.

I know Lochlan too well to be scared anymore, but there’s still that part of me that feels unsettled inside, as if this reality isn’t real.

There are too many missing fragments. I remind myself, again, that this is Lochan , and that he’s safe. I’m safe. Right?

I hold my hand out to him. He doesn’t hesitate.

He strides over and takes my hand in his gloved one, sitting on the edge of the bed.

The minute his hand touches mine and he presses his lips against my knuckles, it feels strange.

Wrong, somehow. A chill runs down my spine despite my body still being flushed from the fever.

I pull my hand out of his, leaving him hanging in the air for a moment before he touches my forehead.

“The healer said I’ll be fine soon,” I tell him.

He nods, the muscles in his jaw twitching. “Finally.”

Lochlan practically spits the word out.

“Loch, what happened? Where are we? I was in the cart with you, and then—I don’t remember how I got here. Did we manage to escape?”

He moves his hand to my cheek in a caress. A sudden urge to pull away slams into me, but I ignore it, forcing myself to remain perfectly still. He’s just worried about me. He breathes a low sigh before nodding, his hand falling in his lap.

“Erax took you from the cart and dragged you away with him. I couldn’t stop him.” Lochlan’s entire face pales, as if all the blood has drawn away from it. “He forced you to marry him, Lena. He made you his queen.”

The words slam against me like a blow, driving all the air out from my lungs.

“ M-married ?”

Lochlan nods once. “In a way, I’m glad you don’t remember. What he did to you…” He shakes his head and swallows hard, as if trying to dislodge something stuck in his throat. “I will kill him for all the things he did to you.”

Sickness rises in my own throat. Erax, the Dragon King who killed my parents, destroyed my home, and imprisoned me in the convent, finally managed to marry me.

Not only that, but he clearly did horrific things to me for Lochlan to want his blood.

Sweet Lochlan who never hurt anyone. I’m glad I don’t remember.

Could it explain why I’ve forgotten everything?

Like my mind has completely blocked everything out in order to protect me?

My hands clench the sheets, my nails digging through the thin material. The bastard! I shouldn’t expect any less from a monster like him. Erax took everything from me the day he became king and stole my father’s crown. That I remember.

That I will never forget.

“I’m sorry it took me a while to get you out,” Loch says, drawing my focus back to him.

“Unfortunately, you were hurt by him so badly I thought you might die. We had to use magic to make you feel better, and losing your short-term memories is a side effect. It doesn’t matter, because you’re alive and safe with me now.

The witches have been very helpful, and they want the king dead just as much as we do. ”

Yes. We should want him dead… and yet, why does that make my stomach hurt?

“All hail the supposedly dead queen.” Nymala’s voice drips with sarcasm. “She won’t die. Can I go now? Or do I need to ask your brother?”

“Brother?” I echo as Loch slides Nymala a cold glare. “You never told me you had a brother.”

“Leave, Nym.” Lochlan’s sharp, icy tone is unlike anything I’ve heard from him before. It softens when he speaks to me.

Meanwhile, Nymala shrugs and leaves the room, the door closing behind her.

“My brother’s name is Noble. We have the same mother.

After she died, I was sent to the convent.

I guess my step-father didn’t want his dead wife’s bastard hanging around anymore.

My mother died soon after I left. Then my step-father a few years after that.

Noble inherited the estate and title. This fortress.

He became close friends with Erax so he could plan a way to bring him down.

” He smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes.

There’s something cold about it that makes me catch my breath.

“Noble watched out for you in that castle. For that, I’m grateful. You can trust him.”

“But I don’t remember him. I don’t remember meeting the king either. I’m really married?”

I look at my hand, expecting to see a ring. There’s nothing. Not even a dent where the ring should’ve been.

“Lena…” Loch tips my chin up with his gloved hand.

“Look, we’re in what’s left of The Drifting Kingdom now.

There’s so much you need to know. We’re finally united against Erax and his dragons.

The witches have sided with us, and an army is behind my brother, too.

The bastard Erax won’t be able to get to you in here.

You’re finally free, just like we spoke about. Dreamed about. Remember?”

I just manage to stop from shaking my head. There’s too much that I don’t remember, but the part about freedom… that I do remember us talking about, dreaming about, like he said. Tears prick my eyes at the thought of never having to see the sisters again or be subjected to their torment.

I’m free, but why does it feel so… wrong?

My heart clenches as panic creeps over me. “We’re free, but for how long? Erax has a horde of dragons and riders behind him. He can get anywhere, Loch.”

Lochlan smiles. “Not here.” There’s an unmistakable pride in his voice when he says that. “This has all been set up, ready for you. You’ve been sleeping for two weeks, and the healer said you’re not pregnant, which is a blessing considering everything.”

My heart sinks to my stomach, and I feel my cheeks flushing with heat.

I had sex with the Dragon King? I suppose we would’ve had to consummate the marriage, but I don’t remember my first time having sex…

or him at all. While I’m relieved not to be pregnant, the knowledge of what happened to me—and not remembering any of it—is daunting.

It’s like an empty void in my mind where all the memories should be.

“You’ll be safe with me,” Lochlan says, touching my cheek again, lingering for a moment before pulling away.

“With Noble, too. We’ll lead the war on your behalf, and once we win, you can choose which one of us you want to rule with.

” He winks at me, not noticing the way I dig my fingers into the sheets again.

He keeps smiling, his face almost… hopeful looking.

It makes my stomach ache. “I promised to look after you, remember? Everything is going to be as it should from now on. So just rest and sleep off the fever. We’ll be waiting for you when you’re well again. ”

He lifts my hand and once more kisses it softly. His lips feel cold and wet, nothing like I thought it would feel like. Why doesn’t this excite me? I’ve dreamt of Lochlan choosing me for years, and now that it feels like it could be real, it means nothing.

“I love you, Lena. I should’ve screamed it from the rooftops when I had the chance.

I was always in love with you. It was always you for me.

But when Erax took you, I knew that I messed up.

I should’ve got you out there sooner, done something sooner.

Look, I know it’s too much for you right now.

You’re still recovering. You’ve got amnesia.

You’re obviously not feeling well. We can talk more later, but don’t ever doubt for a second how I feel about you, Lena. I’ll always feel this way about you.”

He… loves me?

I should say it back. This is Loch, of course I love him, but the three words feel frozen in my throat. “Shout out if you need anything. There’s always someone nearby. You have guards outside.”

I only really feel calmer when the door’s shut and he’s left me alone. I must be sicker than I feel because that is Loch. My Loch! I push the sheets off my body and see I’m wearing a short red nightdress. Red. The colour of my parents’ rule and a colour that I’ve never been allowed to wear before.

My legs feel like jelly as I hobble over to the only window in the stone room.

The window’s frosted with steam, and I rub it to see outside.

I have to see where I am, and it’s worth the risk of passing out to get to the window.

The view isn’t great because we aren’t that high up, but I’m in a small town with gigantic red stone walls, and on each of the walls, there are cannons.

Massive cannons and huge ruby red arrows sticking out of them.

Fear lurches in my chest, and I touch my racing heart, wondering why I’m so scared of them.

They are good… they protect me from the Dragon King, who has married me, hurt me and taken everything from me, beginning with my parents and my crown.

No dragon is getting anywhere near here without being dead first. They should make me feel safe, but instead, the sight of them causes a heavy feeling to plummet in pit of my stomach.

I back away to the bed, my eyes dropping to my wedding finger again. For a moment, I imagine a ring there as someone else kisses my hand, and the feeling in my chest isn’t fear.

It’s love.