Page 234 of A Kingdom of Wild and Power
And perhaps Arden would be there too, watching over her, making certain she did not wander into trouble as she so often did.
Yes.
Kage liked that thought.
He hoped Wren would find the kind of afterlife she deserved.
The kind he himself would never know.
Kage leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.
‘It was a pleasure meeting you,’ he whispered.
With a creeping sense of dread, Kage realised something that made his chest tighten painfully.
By the time day began once again and the curse allowed himto return to the Underworld… the great white wolf might already be gone.
The thought hollowed him.
A sorrow so deep it felt almost unbearable settled over him at the idea that he might not have the chance to say goodbye—to either of them. Not to Ylva, whose hand he still held, nor to Wren, whose spirit was slowly fading in the darkness below.
He had not truly said farewell to Ylva. But at least he had found her here. At least he could sit beside her for a moment longer.
Yet he hoped that he would return to the Underworld in time. That the great white wolf would still be there, breathing softly beside Zagreus. That Wren would still be able to hear him.
He wanted to wish her luck.
To tell her how much she had mattered to so many people.
To him most of all.
Kage had never been one to pray. Faith had never been something he placed much trust in, and even now he suspected that speaking prayers aloud was foolish at best.
But he did it anyway.
Quietly, beneath his breath.
He prayed to the world itself and to fate, to whatever unseen force still lingered beyond the reach of gods.
For one simple thing.
Just one.
A chance to say goodbye to his friend.
I remained behind to tend to my son. Yet, in truth, it was not only for him that I stayed. It was for Mal. To watch. To ensure the truth lay buried where it could not reach her. As she grew, I fed her my blood, each drop binding her power and keeping it asleep. I stood at a distance and watched her become a wyverian princess. And yet, I never felt like her mother. I knew her father would claw his way back to her, no matter the cost. So I cursed the lands themselves to keep him at bay. But Hades has never been a creature bound by barriers. He always finds a way.
Tabitha Wysteria
Mal moved slowly through the snow, her grip tight around the hilt of her sword. She did not allow herself to wander; her eyes remained fixed upon the solitary figure waiting on the far side of the frozen lake.
When she reached the edge of the ice, she stopped.
Her eyes dropped to her boots as she studied the frozen surface, wondering whether it was thick enough to bear her weight. For a moment she considered the distance ahead, then lifted her gaze again towards the figure across the lake, hoping for some signal, some gesture that might guide her. But the man offered nothing.
Only silence.
Carefully, Mal placed one foot upon the ice and waited, listening for the ominous crack that might signal disaster. None came. The ice held firm beneath her weight, and so she began to cross, step by cautious step.
