Page 127 of Crowned By Roses

Something moves beneath the surface. Something enormous.

“Back,” I hiss. “Get back⁠—”

The water explodes.

A monstrous sea worm, longer than a ship, armored in kelp-dark scales, erupts from the river. Its maw opens wide, jagged teeth dripping with green slime.

It strikes.

Farron shoves Thrand away, but the ground splits beneath him. He stumbles, arms flailing⁠—

And slips.

“No!” I scream, reaching for him.

He’s falling, careening down the rocky cliff side toward the black water.

I bend my legs, about to jump.

Then—

A blaze of frost and a streak of pale blue and silver fire crashes into the creature, slicing clean through its skull with a sword glowing like starlight.

The High Prince of Winter.

Keldarion lands on the water, transforming it to black ice beneath his feet. His blade gleams, and frost explodes from its tip, racing across the sea worm’s body. In seconds, the beast turns to frozen crystal. With another strike, it shatters into a million shards of glittering ice.

But Farron’s still falling. I scream his name, lurching forward.

A vine of shadows lashes out from the cliff side, catching Farron by the wrist and yanking him up in one impossible swing.

A figure stands on a ledge, dark cloak flaring in the wind, one hand glowing with green flame, the other outstretched.

Caspian’s face is twisted in concentration. But the second Farron lands beside him, his lip quirks in the faintest smirk.

“Took you long enough,” Farron mutters.

“What can I say? Had to make a dramatic entrance.” Caspian pulls him in for a hug.

My heart beats painfully in my chest.

They’re all here.

The five of them. My mates. Together.

Now, where is my sister? But there’s no time to question Caspian on her whereabouts.

Keldarion turns into his beast, hauling himself up the side of the cliff in two massive leaps before transforming into a man in his sapphire armor before me.

He leans down to place a kiss on my lips. “I told you they’d come.”

My smile presses against his mouth. “I think I was the one who told you.”

Behind us, the battle still rages. Ahead, Castletree awaits.

This is where it ends.

Farron places a hand on the neck of Thrand and the horse Ezryn rode. “Help the others. From here on, we go alone.”