Page 7 of A Bond of Ice and Glass (Crowned By Wings #2)

“Dragon magic cannot control witch blood magic or even see it, if the spell is strong. I believe the reason you’ve not been able to find your wife is because there’s a rogue witch involved.

If there’s a witch involved, you will need a witch’s help.

Despite how many spies you have across the kingdom, it could take you years.

You could never find her at all, even through the ether , and they could kill her by that point.

But with me, you have a chance of getting her back within weeks.

How many weeks has it been? How many months has it been already? ”

“Too fucking long.” I see straight through the witch’s emotional blackmail. It’s almost amusing that she is trying to manipulate me. “What do you want in return?”

I’ve gone insane with longing for Maelena, and I know that she could ask for so much and I’d probably agree to it in the desperate, maddening state that I’m in.

I killed most of my nobles from the castle, fired all the guards and maids, and now there’s hardly anyone left here.

The only people I couldn’t throw out in my madness were the ones who work for my grandmother and in the dungeons.

The messenger from earlier is one of my grandmother’s favourites.

She’s the only one I trust anymore in this world, except for Maelena.

I trusted Noble. I fucking trusted him so much as he stabbed me in the back for years.

How long had he been planning to betray me?

Was it when we climbed the mountain together and stole the eggs?

Was it when his father died and I helped him grieve?

Was it when we flew on our dragons together, on a hundred or more flights, and made this kingdom a better place—together?

I trusted him; he was my best friend and like a brother to me.

My trust in Noble cost me greatly, and I won’t give my trust to anyone else again.

Maelena is the only one I trust now. I have to find her.

“I want you to take me to a dragon pit to see and visit your dragons,” comes the witch’s bold demand.

“You can control them with magic, and when I took the eggs, I promised these dragons would be free of witch control,” I snap.

I’ve lost so much, but I will hold to that vow until the day I die. Kymera is correct when she says how wise and powerful the dragons are. But to the witches, they are pets to be tamed and then chained.

“I vow to the goddess Hekai, may she tear my soul in half if I break this vow, not to use my magic to bind them, to hurt them or do anything but defend myself.”

I remember my grandfather telling me that witches’ vows to the goddess are more than words. They’re spells in themselves.

“I simply want to visit them, and I will tell you why. I was born a twin, and back when there were two of us, the dragons came to me in a dream.”

She walks over to the window near me, but not too close. I don’t tell her to move away for now.

“My sister never liked dragons, though. She thought they were terrible beasts, that they shouldn’t be in this world anymore because magic like theirs is uncontrollable.

But being controlled is something I hated, and I understood what it felt like to be different, to long for more in life. I love the dragons.”

The way she talks, she’s almost got me believing her.

“Witches are taught to be strict with their minds, and daydreaming is frowned upon. Our magic feeds from our emotions, and having a vivid imagination was seen as a threat. They breed us to be calm, in control, and honestly, quite boring. In secret, I kept dreaming of them, drawing pictures of the dragons anywhere I could hide. My tutors, my parents, many of them thought I was growing an obsession that was unhealthy and that it should be stopped. My twin, she said it was okay to love something impossible and to not be like everyone else. She was the only one who fully believed me when I told her that one day I would see the dragons. I have seen a vision in my dreams, and I know I will face the dragon, because I am being called by them. I feel it in here.”

She places her hand over her chest. A calling, just like I had. But witches have never been riders, and it’s impossible.

“When my twin died, she was, well… she’s gone.” Her voice breaks slightly. “It’s a long story, but all I have left is this feeling that I need to see the dragons because I promised her I would. And I will, with your help or not, King Erax.”

I suspect this is true. She will end up as a dragon witch snack.

“No other witch would come here to negotiate with you. No other witch would offer you safe passage into our lands, or offer to help find your wife. But I am here offering both of those in exchange for something that I’ve wanted my entire life.”

“The dragons will burn you. They have bad history with witches, and many are angry that their kin are trapped with your queen in egg form,” I remind her.

I wish I’d saved all the eggs that day.

“If I die in the dragon pits,” she says, “then another witch, a friend of mine, will come to aid you. I have already sent word to her. She is not as powerful as I am, but enough to be able to track spells through light ether . She might be able to help you.”

I arch an eyebrow at her. “Seems you’ve thought of everything.”

“It is my job. I don’t trust easily. I wouldn’t expect you to, so I know making a solid offer is my best chance,” she bluntly explains.

“You will find her,” I repeat. “Failing me in this will end badly.”

“If a blood witch is involved, I can find her, and I will help you get her back.” She touches the glass.

“I sense war in the air, King Erax. A great war like in the times of our gods and goddesses… but we have no gods to save us now.” A shiver goes down my spine.

I do not want my wife to be in a war. “I dream of it now, of a war like no other, of fire and ice and darkness and light. This world will shatter like glass. My queen senses it, and so do so many witches. We can see it and smell it in the air. But all we can do is hide our children and pray that they survive what is coming.” Her eyes harden.

“I’d rather be on a king’s side, fighting, instead of running and being unsure of my place. I know I am drawn here for a reason.”

“Almost sounds like you’re swearing loyalty to me now, Kymera.” I test her loyalty.

“My loyalty is to my queen, always.” She bows once. “But, like I said, I’m here to make a deal, and fighting at your side to get your wife back is part of it.”

“You’re surprisingly brave for a witch.”

Brave but stupid. I’m going to see her burn after all.

“My twin was the bravest person I ever met. I strive to be like her every day,” she answers with her chin held high.

“I believe my wife would like you.” I watch her for a long second. She doesn’t back down from my scrutiny. She really is a bold one. I hate that impresses me. “You have a deal, witch. But if you don’t hold your end of the bargain, burning will be the least of your problems.”

“Yes, but don’t forget to send my bones back,” she quips lightly.

I glower at her joke. I refuse to laugh again until I know Maelana is safe and with me again.

“Come. We’re going to the pit.” I glance at her boots. “You will need to spell your boots not to burn on the ground. It’s hot down there.”

“Now?” she splutters, almost nervously.

When else? I don’t want her in my castle for a moment longer than necessary.

“Yes. I like my deals to be done swiftly, and I want my wife back.”

I don’t bother waiting for her answer before walking off through the throne room and pushing the doors open. The messenger boy squeals and nearly falls on his ass.

“Tell my grandmother the dragons have a visitor and she is needed to calm them.”

“Ye-yes, my king!” He bows and runs off, avoiding the destroyed painting on the carpet.

Kymera catches up before I get to the main corridor.

I can see her eyes flicking around, expecting to see guards and focusing on the mess.

I don’t bother explaining that I let them go or killed any that were remotely on Noble’s side.

That I went on an angry rampage and broke a lot of shit.

My grandfather is likely turning in his grave because he collected all this useless junk.

Kymera stops at the statues of the gods, which are burnt and beheaded. “Why do this to them?”

“The gods stood by and watched as I begged them to save her. I worship no one but my wife now,” I spit coldly before carrying on, her eyes on my back.

“Your wife is lucky for your loyalty and love,” Kymera eventually states.

“No,” I murmur. “I am lucky to have her as mine. The world is lucky she walks it at all.” I tug the staircase open that leads to the dragon pits, an older passage I rarely use.

Cobwebs line the brick walls, but the lava below shines a bright red glow to keep it bright.

I head down, and the walls get hotter and stones start to glow as we near the pit.

I’m tempted to ask her if she is sure about this, but then I realise I don’t really care.

A deal is a deal. A few more steps and the cave opens up in front of us, the rock walls and hissing lava plumes filling the space for a good mile.

I deliberately made sure to keep Zepheira away from this part of the cave.

She wasn’t happy. But I don’t want her questioning my decisions.

I don’t trust myself not to lash out if she does.

Cyrsí echoes a roar as she senses me, climbing out of one of the caves and slamming onto the stone in front of me and the witch. Her wings spread out as fire burns in her mouth, but she won’t kill her unless I command it.

I expect to see fear on Kymera’s face, but she looks amazed. Crazy witch.

“This is my dragon, Cyrsí,” I tell her. “She’ll eat you if you make one bad move.”

“Sers-eye?” Kymera tests. “Her name is beautiful.”

“You brought a witch here! Has your madness for your wife gone this far?” Cyrsí questions me. “Step aside and I will burn the issue to ash. I will taste her blood and use her bones as a toothpick. I will ? —”

“No, we don’t kill this one,” I calmly explain. “She is no threat to you. I would not have brought her down here if she were.”

I lean into our bond and let her see my memories of the meeting and the deal. It seems to calm her enough that she huffs smoke instead of fire. She turns to look at me, ignoring the witch.

“I may listen.” The ground shakes beneath her talons as she moves. “But my kin are not going to follow your command when you are not their rider. They sense witch blood in the air, and they will kill. You know this.”

I shrug my shoulder.

“It’s not my problem. It’s hers,” I say, nodding to the witch.

Cyrsí laughs in my mind. Her sick sense of humour has always matched mine.

I can still feel her dislike through the bond, but she trusts me just like I trust her.

My eyes flicker over to a dragon curled up by the waterfall, looking pale and cold. Freyren. She gave me too much magic, too much everything, to save her rider. I can’t fail her.

Maelena needs to come back soon, not just for me, but for her dragon.

If Freyren dies, Maelena’s heart will shatter. She’ll never be the same again. I’ve seen what it does to you—what it did to my grandmother. I won’t let it happen to my wife.

Another shake echoes through the ground, and Cyrsí comes straight over to me, lowering herself quickly.

“Get on! NOW!”

I climb onto her back, knowing better than to question when she tells me to get on, and if she is scared, we have an issue.

I watch as an ice dragon, a huge monstrous thing that usually hides underneath the lake, climbs out of the ground, sending dirt spitting in every direction.

She might be a water dragon for all I know; her scales are not as pale as Freyren’s and shimmer a darker blue.

Her horns are curved like a crown of frost above her head.

Well, fuck. I don’t know this dragon’s name, but she’s bigger than Cyrsí and older than any other dragon here.

She was never one of the eggs I stole; she was here already and hiding from the witches deep in the lake.

The ice dragon lunges straight for Kymera, but the witch doesn’t move. Doesn’t even flinch. She just stands there with a smile on her face.

“We finally meet.”