“I hope you like petticoats, Olive, because Mother is planning to have you wear three sets of them.”
“She’s planning my dress, too?”
“Of course. It’s her hobby. She loves planning weddings. You should be grateful she does, or else she wouldn’t have let this wedding happen.”
I glanced up at Kull. “She’s teasing, right?”
“I’m being truthful,” Heidel answered. “Mother came to me last night after the feast and told me of her plans. She informed me that because Olive doesn’t know of our ways, she’s taking charge of the wedding.”
“She can’t do that,” Kull said.
“Actually, she can.”
“But it’s our wedding,” I said. “Not hers.”
“Do you think she cares?”
Kull clenched his jaw. “She wouldn’t have done this if Father were here.”
“No, but since he’s gone, she feels she’s got to do everything herself. Including planning your wedding.”
“It won’t happen. She will never get me to sing, of all things. I’ll speak to her.”
“When?” Heidel asked. “By the time you return from this quest, she’ll have the invitations sent and everything planned. You might as well go along with it. You know you’ll never talk her out of it.”
Kull sighed and clenched my hand. Wind tousled his hair as he stared out over the mountains. In a perfect world, maybe we could have had the wedding we wanted. But I supposed nothing was ever perfect, not even our relationship, and it hurt more than I cared to admit that I would most likely never have the life I wanted with him—not while he was king and I had a life on Earth.
But there was no point in worrying about stupid things like that, not when we were going on a quest to retrieve a lost sword that had the ability to kill a goddess, and not when going on said quest meant we had to enter a world so dangerous no one returned, and could most likely end in our deaths. Maybe I should be grateful for the wedding drama. At least it kept me from thinking of other things.
In the distance, the carriage appeared as a speck of golden light speeding toward us. Rolf’s new wife, Brynhild, hugged her husband tightly and pressed her tear-soaked face to his chest. I’d never been terribly fond of Rolf—the kid had always had more testosterone than was good for him, and he had a bad habit of sticking his foot in his mouth at the worst possible moments. Still, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for his bride. They’d gotten married only a few short months ago, and now her husband was leaving on a quest that he might never return from.
Rolf stroked her long hair as he held her close, whispering quietly to her. She nodded, managed a smile, then backed away as the carriage arrived.
“Promise you’ll come back to me,” she said.
“I give you my oath.” He attempted to flash his broad, boyish grin. Instead, he only achieved a half-smile. “I love you, Bryn.”
Her eyes clouded with tears as she nodded. “I love you, too,” she managed.
The carriage stopped and the doors slid open.
We entered the light coach. Rolf entered last, leaving Brynhild behind. The doors slid shut and clicked, locking us in, then we sped south toward Dragon Spine’s peak.
The Wults made quiet conversation as we passed through open countryside. I kept to myself, thinking of how I was beginning to hate these quests, wondering if I’d ever be able to settle down and have a normal life, maybe even raise a family. But that future seemed so distant and impossible. I wasn’t sure it would ever happen.
The journey passed uneventfully as the day waned. We stopped only once to stretch our legs and get a bite to eat before continuing onward once again. When evening approached, we finally arrived at the Wult outpost. Rather than staying at the inn, we decided to make it up to Silvestra’s castle.
By now, I shouldn’t have been so terrified of the witch, except that she’d captured Kull and me not long ago, tortured him, and gave me an impossible riddle to open a box that would save him. I’d never solved the lotus cube’s mystery, so she’d retaliated and taken my stepfather prisoner.
That was all old news now. We’d freed my stepfather and brought her what she’d wanted all along—which happened to be her only offspring.
As we climbed the mountain up to her castle, Kull took my hand. He smiled at me, but I saw the pain in his eyes. I knew he wasn’t happy about seeing Silvestra again.
“Will you be okay up there?” I asked.
He shrugged. “Silvestra’s castle is a place I’d never wanted to go again, but I don’t get to be picky when the fate of the world is on the line, do I?”
“I guess not. This is a typical thing in our lives, you know, putting up with crap so we can save everyone else. You think we’ll ever refuse to do this stuff?”
“No,” Heidel interjected. “You’re both too honorable to refuse these quests, and too proud to let someone else do it.”
“You’re on this mission with us, too, Sister. Remember that.”
She sniffed, and then patted Grace’s head. The wolf trotted along at Heidel’s side the same way she’d followed Maveryck. With Maveryck’s death, the two must have become inseparable.
Rolf and Brodnik walked ahead of us, but stopped as they reached a bridge spanning from one side of the mountain, over a deep gorge, and to the opposite side.
Silvestra stood before us, guarding the bridge.
I panicked for half a second as my eyes met hers. Her magic made my senses tingle. She stood tall, the wind making her silver gown flutter, the waning sunlight turning her skin a deep bronzed
