I rubbed my palms vigorously. It was so cold that my entire body was shivering like a leaf in the wind. My nostrils flared and a wisp of cold, white fog left my nose, blending into the surrounding air.
“Dang! Why did he have to send me to the Ice palace of all the places,” I mumbled through my numb lips. Pulling myself into a fetal position, I let my gaze roamed around the large room.
There was nothing that could give me warmth. The entire palace was made of hard ice, the seats, the floor, the bed, everything. How in the world did the Lycan King even think of a place like this?
When I said that I would accept the consequences, I was hoping for a quick death. If only I knew they would torture me like this, I would have stayed quiet.
My teeth chattered as a gust of icy wind seeped in through the edges of the window. It was as if every cell in my body had turned into icicles. I couldn’t even feel my hands and legs now.
I drew myself closer and buried my head between my knees. Closing my eyes, I wondered how long it took for a werewolf to freeze to death. Hours, days?
I just wished this got over quickly. Then, I could meet Hera on the other side of the world. I could apologise for misunderstanding her.
I felt something heavy on my shoulder. It took a few, long moments for my nerves to register the warmth of human touch. I raised my head slowly, blinking away the small particles of icicles that were forming over my eyelashes.
At first, all I saw was a silhouette of a young girl. It was only after I blinked several times that I recognised her. My chapped lips parted in shock.
Daciana’s expression mirrored mine. Her eyes widened and her jaws hung open. “Justin? When did you return, and what are you doing here?”
“Isn’t that the question I should be asking?” I said, wobbling to my feet. “What is the Lycan Princess doing in this chilly place?”
“Me?” She shrugged with nonchalance. “I come here every week.”
“Why in the world would you do that?” I spoke through chattering teeth, blowing into my palms to get some warmth.
She winked and pressed her index finger to her lips. “It’s a secret.” Her lips curved in a playful smile. “I can tell you the secret if you tell me why you are here.”
My shoulders slumped, and a defeated sigh left my lips. “I made a deal with your father. I had to prove Hera’s innocence within a month. I couldn’t, so…” My lips pressed into a thin line as my gaze darted around the hall.
“I know about that deal, too.” Daciana’s eyebrows furrowed and a fiery spark flashed through her eyes. “My father didn’t keep his end of the deal!” Her expression softened, and she patted my shoulders. “Don’t worry, Justin. I will talk to my father. He can’t punish you when he didn’t honour the deal, either!”
“It’s okay, Daciana. Your father didn’t want to punish me. I was the one who insisted that he should execute me….”
She threw her hands up in frustration. “Why in the world would you do that? Are you crazy?”
My shoulders slumped, and I lowered my gaze. Fidgeting with my fingers, I spoke in a raspy voice. “This is all my fault, Ana. I trusted the wrong people. If only I had placed my faith in Hera, she would still be alive.”
I gulped as I looked at Ana. A few drops of tears rolled down my cheeks. “This guilt; it is tearing me from the inside, Ana. I can’t live like this….” My expression hardened. “If you want to help me, please request your father to kill me quickly.”
“Justin….” Her eyes sparkled with unshed tears. “I didn’t know you care about her so much….”
A sardonic laughter escaped my lips. “I wish I had figured it out before it was too late…”
She grasped my hand and tugged. “Come with me.”
“Where are you taking me?”
“My father is going to be furious when he finds but…” She exhaled forcefully. “I can’t see you like this.”
Walking over to the icy wall, she pressed a circular object around a protruding piece of the wall. There was a soft whirring sound. The wall slid apart, revealing a flight of stairs.
“Be careful. The stairs are slippery,” she warned as we walked down the flight of unending steps. The air became warmer as we descended the stairs.
I didn’t count the number of steps, but it took almost fifteen minutes to reach the bottom. The staircase opened into a stony corridor.
The air seemed stale, but it wasn’t chilly. We walked for half a mile or so before emerging into a brightly lit room. At first, all I could see was a bright blue orb of light.
My heart stopped beating when my gaze registered the silhouette visible beyond the orb of light. Tears streaked down my cheeks and my fingers clenched into tight fists. Gulping the lump that had formed in my throat, I stuttered, “Hera… Please tell me this is not an illusion…. P… Please tell me that it is really you.”
“It is me.” Her words dripped into my ears like honey, but the sweetness turned into a fierce stab as they reached my heart. A whimper left my lips, “I thought….”
Relief, guilt, regret, anguish; the mixture of emotions I felt was so intense that they overwhelmed me. My knees buckled, and I dropped to the floor, sobbing.
Daciana knelt to my side and patted my back. “Now that you know Hera is alive, why are you still upset?”
Her words only made me cry harder. I covered my mouth with my arm and bit into it; trying to stifle the sobs that threatened to tear me apart.
“Why are you here, Justin? Didn’t I tell you to forget about me?” Hera’s chipped voice sounded through the orb of blue light.
“I don’t think that is possible, Hera. Justin loves you more than anything in this world.”
“Ana, honey, you are too young and naïve. You won’t understand that the world is not so simple. There is nothing known as true love; if you believe in true love, you will only get hurt.”
“You don’t mean that, Hera.” I drew in a deep breath and stood up. “I know you don’t mean it. You, of all the people, can’t lose faith in true love; not after what Cassius did for you.”
There was a moment of prolonged silence. When Hera finally spoke, her voice was shaking, “Cassius… How do you know about him?”
“I know your entire story, Hera. I know why you killed Lord Andres and Alpha Azarel. I know why you had to turn into a wereheretic.”
I took a step towards the orb. But before I could enter the circle, Daciana held me back. “If you try to step inside, you will burn yourself.”
A thick veil of silence fell over the room. I couldn’t see Hera clearly through the wall of light, but I noticed her shoulders shaking. Was she crying?
My heart ached as another pang of regret stabbed me. I shouldn’t have mentioned Cassius. My fingers clenched into tight fists and I bit my lower lip. Why couldn’t I have been more considerate?
“Hera, I know I am young and naïve, but I can see everything clearly.” Daciana spoke, breaking the long spell of silence. “When Justin found out about your execution, he was shattered. He requested my father to kill him because he couldn’t save you. If that is not true love, I don’t know what is.”
Hera’s shoulders stopped shaking. “When will you stop being so foolish, Justin?” She chided, waving her hand in front of her.
The bright light surrounding her dimmed, and I was finally able to see her.
My heart fluttered and my lips curved in a broad smile. She hadn’t changed at all. She was just as beautiful and alluring as the first time I had seen her.
Her eyebrows knit together. “Why didn’t you listen to me? Why didn’t you just leave me to my fate?”
Drawing as close to her as possible, I smiled, “You know what Coral said to me outside ‘The Lycan Palace.’ She said that you dominated my thoughts and dreams. She said that I was obsessed with you.” A deep sigh left my lips. “I felt hurt by her words. But, now that I think about it, I think she was right. I am obsessed with you, Hera. I am in lo….”
“Stop Justin! Please stop yourself before it is too late.” Conflicting emotions flitted across her features. “You will attain nothing by being with someone like me.”
“I don’t want anything from you, Hera. All I want to do is stand by you and die with you.” Clasping my hands together, I licked my dry lips. “Please let me do that.
“You have to say ‘Yes’ Hera!” Daciana piped in. “That is like the best confession I have heard.”
Hera’s expression hardened. “You must go now, Ana. It is late. If your father finds out, you will get into trouble.”
Daciana’s lips pressed into a thin line. Her gaze drifted from Hera to me. “You are right. I need to leave now.” She took off her fur coat and handed it to me. “Wear this. It will keep you warm.”
“But….” I tried to give it back to her, but she didn’t take it.
“The servants are waiting for me outside the palace. They must have brought spare coats.” Flashing me a wide smile, she added, “I will come to meet you again after three days.”
“She is such a sweet soul,” I commented as I watched her back disappear round the bend.
“That she is. Daciana is not blinded by ambitions like others. She has a pure heart.” Hera commented as she slid to the floor. “She has been visiting me every week ever since they moved me here.”
She rolled a tin towards me and added, “These are some tinned peaches. You can have them.”
I picked the tin and twirled with my forefingers, “How did you end up here, Hera? And why did ‘The Lycan King’ lie about executing you?”
Hera shrugged. “He must have his reasons. I don’t really care.”
“But I do.” I snapped, sliding on the cold floor as close to Hera as possible. “I had made a deal with him. He promised to hold off the execution until the next full moon so that I could find evidence to save you.”
“Justin.” Hera raised her head to look at me. “You shouldn’t have done that.”
“I had to. It is my fault that you were captured.”
She snorted and shook her head. “Do you really think you have that kind of power? You couldn’t have captured me if I was unwilling.”
“Still….” I chewed my bottom lip. “I betrayed you.”
“The funny thing is, I knew you would betray me…. That is why I gave you that blood flower…” Her expression turned deflated and a tinge of sadness fell over her features. “I just didn’t expect you to….” Her voice grew raspy, and when she looked into my eyes, I felt my world crumble. The anguish reflected in them pierced through me. “I didn’t expect that you would tell them about Dreki…. He didn’t deserve to suffer, Justin. I deserved everything, but he…”
The coat slipped from my hands and my back hit the cold, rocky surface. She was right. Dreki was just following his master’s orders. He didn’t deserve to be punished.
Laden with grief and guilt, I buried my head in my hands. I realised my mistake a bit too late. There was no way to make amends now. I could only lament my actions and bear the consequences….