Page 18 of The Silent Mountain (Under the Werewolf Crown #2)

eighteen

It’s Snowing Blood

*FAVIAN*

T he sight of red snow falling down onto the lands sends me into a spiral of emotions. Breathing gets harder all of a sudden. It’s like it was ten years ago… or longer… How much time has passed? My head starts spinning. It was raining every day, or snowing, sometimes it was so cold that the rain turned into ice, and each day it was red. Deep red snowflakes or raindrops falling down, making it look like blood was washing over us.

In a metaphorical way, it did, because so many dragon shifters died during that time. Aengus made it snow and rain blood for us to remember them.

“Favian,” I hear Alana’s voice and feel her body closer to mine, her warmth radiating and pushing through the coldness that has gripped my heart. The ice-cold hand loosens its power over me, the coldness subsiding. When I come back to my senses, I notice I have gripped the edge of the balustrade so hard it’s leaving cracks. Alana has put her hand on mine, just gently touching it.

“I apologize,” I mutter, pulling my hand away from the balustrade.

“Don’t,” she says quietly. “I… don’t know what to say, but I get it, Favian. I really do.”

“I used to see this view daily,” I mutter. “For weeks and months, and then it led to my captivity.”

“Does it always stand for death?” Alana asks.

I nod.

“But… who…” she whispers, her voice trailing off.

That’s when it hits me. I was so caught up in my own grief and pain that I completely forgot to prioritize my clan. Someone is dying! “Damn it,” I curse. “I need to check on this immediately.”

“I am coming with you,” Alana says, much to my relief. Maybe it shows weakness to rely on my mate in moments like this, but I couldn’t care less. I want to give my clan all the help they need, and if I need Alana to do this with me to fulfill the task, I will.

We both rush down the corridor, but we don’t get far because Stefan is running towards us. “My king!” he blurts out.

“Did you alert our witch and doctor?” I ask before inquiring further.

“Immediately, like the protocol demands,” he hurries to say.

“Who is it?” I ask. “What happened?”

Stefan gazes at me. “It’s Maggie,” he says quietly.

No matter how often you see it, no matter how much loss you experience, you never get used to it. Never! And even if you expect it to happen like with Maggie, it still comes as a surprise. It comes with pain and grief and sadness.

“Is she in her chambers?” I ask.

When Stefan nods, I turn on my heels and target Maggie’s room instead. “What happened?” I ask him again.

“One of the maids found her today,” he says. “She was lying on the floor in her room. Maybe she wanted to get up or… I don’t know. She was responsive, though, but very weak. She couldn’t link anyone for help.”

My heart breaks for Maggie.

“Stefan,” I halt, forcing my heart to slow down as I try not to show how much this affects me. “Go and wake Elio.”

“But, my king…“ he mutters. “He is so young, and he has experienced so much loss already, and-“

“Do what I tell you,” I say shortly, not bothering with explaining this to him. I couldn’t care less.

“He needs to be able to say goodbye,” Alana tells Stefan. “Not everyone is able to say goodbye when they lose a loved one, but Elio can. He still has the chance, and he wouldn’t forgive his brother if he didn’t get this chance when it’s offered to him so clearly.”

“Of course,” Stefan says before bowing his head towards me. “I apologize for doubting your decision.”

He hurries off while Alana and I continue to rush to Maggie’s room. “Thank you,” I mutter to her. “I didn’t have the patience to explain things to him.”

“You don’t like him much, do you?” she asks.

“You are right, I don’t,” I admit, more direct than usual. “But that’s a story for later.”

Alana nods. “If you want me to leave you alone with Maggie, I will. I know she was important to you, and I don’t want to impose.”

“Please come with me,” I say while stopping at Maggie’s door. “I… I think she will be happy to see you and know I am not alone.”

You never get used to losing those close to you.

With a shaky breath, I open the door and quietly step inside. Maggie is in her bed, covered with a blanket. Frederick is already there, attending to her. He looks at me when he spots me, his expression saying it all. I sent the witch back home, he tells me. There was nothing we could do anymore, and she didn’t need to experience this.

I nod.

“Maggie,” I say gently while sitting down at the edge of the bed, carefully taking her bony hand into mine.

She stirs slightly. “Favian,” she mutters. “My king. Is he happy?”

“He is,” I say.

“He is lying,” she says quietly. “Don’t lie to an old woman.”

“He is on his way to becoming happy,” I tell her. “He has his beautiful mate with him, always, and he will make sure to protect the clan together with her.”

“He shouldn’t forget to look after himself while he does that,” she says. “Don’t forget yourself, please.”

“I won’t.”

She opens her heavy-lidded eyes to gaze at Alana. “You are the fire this land needed so badly,” she whispers. “Do you love it?”

“Yes,” Alana says without hesitation. “I love the Silent Mountain, and the clan.”

“Do you love the king?” she asks.

Alana’s face flushes, but to my surprise, she doesn’t evade the question. She steps closer to look Maggie directly in the eyes and nods. Maggie’s eyes light up for a second. “My king got an honest woman. Her heart might be more difficult to conquer, but she will not stray from the path she has chosen for herself.”

“You don’t need to worry for me,” I reassure her gently.

“Can I leave?” she asks tiredly. “Can I truly leave, Favian? I am so tired. My body can’t anymore, my mind can’t.”

“You can leave,” I tell her sadly, my eyes filling with tears.

I sense my brother coming closer. “Elio is coming to say his goodbye,” I say before taking a step back. At that moment, the door opens, and Elio rushes inside. He is only half-dressed and clearly distraught. He doesn’t waste any time and rushes to Maggie’s bed, throwing himself onto it to wrap Maggie in his arms.

“Mom,” he cries. “Don’t leave me.”

My heart breaks at his words. She was the only mother he truly knew. The one who protected him against all odds. Her health deteriorated because she was hell-bent on protecting this child, who wasn’t even hers. Some people in this world are truly magnificent beings; they give more than others, and their kindness is true and real.

Maggie moves her arms around Elio’s frame. “My sweet boy,” she whispers. “I am so happy I could see you grow up, and I know you will grow into a commendable young man.”

Alana, Frederick and I take a step back to give these two the privacy they deserve, not wanting to listen in on what Maggie is telling him. Her heart belongs to Elio, and so do her last moments.

There is a crack in my heart, watching my little brother hovering over this gentle, elderly woman’s frame and crying in her arms. Another crack that will remain with me until I die. I wanted to protect Elio from all evil and couldn’t do it. War struck us, and he was forced to live his life in hiding. Then we reclaimed our lands, and I promised myself that he would not shed another tear. And here we are, his heart broken once more.

You can’t do that. It’s a promise you can’t make and won’t ever be able to live up to, and that’s okay. That’s how the world and the circle of life is. I hear Favia’s voice in my mind.

She barely interacts with me when I am in my human form. She is her own entity after all, her power is a gift that resides within me, but she is her own person. Most of the time, I don’t know where she is or what she is doing. It gives us both some privacy.

But now, she is here as we are dealing with the death of a clan member. She will send Maggie’s soul off. In the years of imprisonment, a lot of dragon souls were lost in limbo, but she has tracked down each and everyone by now and made sure they received their peace.

I am not sure what to do, but my instinct tells me to just be there for Elio. He is sobbing over Maggie’s lifeless form. Her hand has dropped off his head and rests next to her now. She looks so peaceful, as if she is sleeping. I gently put my hand on Elio’s shoulder before pulling him into a hug. “Let’s send her off like she deserves it,” I whisper. “Favia will make sure to lead her soul to Aengus personally.”

Elio is too stricken with grief to answer, but he nods. His eyes never leave Maggie, while I take a step back and hand my mortal form to Favia. She changes effortlessly, turning into her regal human form that’s so similar to mine. She once told me she uses my features and characteristics to form a body for herself, the female version of me. That’s the only way she can keep her human form; that’s why she needs me.

My clothes hang loosely off her body now, but it doesn’t take away from the grace she emits. She takes a moment to reach out her hand to touch Alana’s cheek, smiling at her, before gently squeezing Elio’s shoulder. Then, she steps forward to Maggie’s bed, resting her hand on her heart. There are small dots of light circling around her heart now. My mortal mind can’t quite grasp what she is doing, but she once told me the dots are a dragon shifter’s soul, the many pieces of a puzzle that make a person what they are. In her palm, the dots form into a dragon, an indication that the dragon spirit has separated from its human shell now and can be brought to Aengus.

In a flash, it’s over. Favia hands my body back to me and disappears together with the light.

Silence engulfs us as we just stand around Maggie’s bed, watching the body of the person we love so much. At the door frame, I notice Theodor now. I didn’t even realize he had entered the room. He looks sad while his stare is pinned to Maggie’s now-still form.

I am sorry for your loss, Theodor, I link him. I know she was your guidance too.

Thank you, Your Highness, he says.

I apologize for not being able to give you more time, but I will need to ask you to keep an eye on Elio. I cannot stay with him for the whole day. I would have liked to do so and relieve you from your duties for today.

I don’t see this as a duty, he says. Or something I have to do. I want to. I will make sure to stay with him.

My request doesn’t even come a minute too soon because, as if he is waking up from a nightmare, Elio suddenly startles breaking out into a sob and dashing out of the door. “Leave it to me, my king,” Theodor reassures me.

“Maybe I should go after him,” I mutter. “What do you think, Alana?”

Alana tilts her head to the side. “I think your brother should be your top priority. However, making sure Maggie gets properly sent off by the clan is also a top priority. Only you can do it, and it’s not going against ensuring that Elio is ok.”

“I wish I could truly separate into four different persons at certain times.”

“If I may?” Frederick asks.

“Go ahead,” I encourage him.

“Please forgive an old man for speaking,” he says. “But you are our king, and as your king, your lands and your duty will always be at the top of your list. It doesn’t mean you need to neglect your other priorities, your family, your friends, or your mate, but making sure the clan and the land are safe and secure should always come first. Even if it’s unfair, even if it’s sad, even if it means having to do the ugly things first before being able to take a moment for yourself. However, Margarete was also right in saying you shouldn’t neglect yourself. It’s all about balance.”

I nod. “I know. Thank you for reminding me. Let’s make sure everything is prepared for Maggie’s send-off. Theodor will be with Elio. He is like a brother to him.”

“If you want, I can go to the emergency meeting with Azadeh and Shayan,” Alana offers. “The one Stefan organized because of what Cù Sìth mentioned. I doubt much will be decided today, but I will make sure our most trusted friends are all getting the information they need and then plan for our next steps.”

“That would be a great help,” I say, relief filling me. That way, I can make sure everything is prepared for Maggie’s send-off but also check on Elio. “Please take over the meeting. As the future queen, you have as much to say as I do. I will make sure Stefan knows that too, so he can back you up. If time allows, I will join you at a later point.”

Without further ado, Alana steps forward to hug me before taking a deep breath and walking out of the room.

“Come, Frederick,” I say. “Let’s make sure the clan can pay Maggie their last respects.”