Page 203 of A Kingdom of Wild and Power
‘For not remembering you.’
‘It’s all right,’ he replied gently. ‘You remembered in your own way.’
Ylvanodded, biting down hard on her lower lip to stop it from trembling.
‘I would do it all over again if it meant meeting you,’ Arden said softly. ‘Close your eyes, little wolf.’
Ylva straightened, drawing what little dignity she had left around herself like armour. She shook her head, though the tears continued to fall.
‘No. I shall die looking at you, Arden Briar. You will be the last thing I ever see.’
Hagan snatched Eris’ arm, his grip tight and lethal. ‘Stop this. Now.’
Eris chuckled. ‘No. I don’t think I will.’ Her purple eyes flicked towards him, shining with fury. ‘Watch, Hagan. Watch what going against me means.’
Hagan stopped breathing the moment the blade plunged into Ylva’s stomach.
Blood burst from the wound in a violent spray, splattering across Arden’s face. Ylva’s blue eyes widened in stunned disbelief, the pain not yet fully reaching her. She gasped, crimson spilling from her lips.
‘Tell me a story, Arden Briar,’ she whispered weakly.
Arden’s voice broke.
‘There was once a wolverian princess… she was so brave…’
Tears fell from his green eyes, his whole body trembling.
‘She fought for the people, for what was right.’
He shook.
‘She met a Fae, and changed his life…’
More blood spilt from Ylva’s mouth.
‘And he fell in love with her.’
Ylva smiled as more blood fell like crimson rivers down her chin.
‘I like your story,’ she said, her voice weak and strained. ‘I’ll tell you another, Arden Briar. There once was a wolverian who became valkyrian. She met a Fae, who changed her life.’ Ylva’s chest rattled. ‘And even though she couldn’t remember him, he made her fall in love all over again.’ Ylva coughed, and blood arched across the air, reaching Arden and creating a bloody map of constellations on his face. But his attention never wavered from Ylva.
‘I’ll meet you in the afterlife, Wren.’
Ylva’s eyes fluttered shut, her smile growing as she nodded, her teeth red from the blood.
Ylva collapsed to one side and Arden screamed.
The sound tore from him like something ancient and wounded, a roar so raw and terrible it seemed to shake the very grey sky above them.
Hagan did not need to look to know that Ylva had stopped breathing.
Eris’ long pale fingers curled around Hagan’s wrist, her lips inches away from his ear. ‘How tragic, is it not? I almost expected you to intervene.’ She cackled. ‘I suppose not even love is strong enough.’ She stroked his head. ‘You really are rotten.’
Hagan ripped away from her hold, her laugh echoing across the land.
He turned on his heel and walked away just seconds before the second warlock’s blade came down and severed Arden’s head.
They say that the truth will set you free.
