Valira's eyes snapped open, stinging with the frigid air. She could feel the sharp bite of the cold against her skin, but she didn't flinch. The snow beneath her had already started to melt from the heat of her body, leaving a damp spot on her clothes. Glimpses of a steel-colored sky peeked through heavy clouds, casting a dreary light on the snowy landscape. With a shiver, she sat up and brushed off frost from her hair, revealing strands as white as the ground beneath her. Something was off about this morning, and Valira couldn't shake the feeling of unease that settled in her gut.
Sinking deeper into the snow, Valira struggled to move her numbed fingers. She couldn't feel the cold, but she knew it was there, biting at her skin. Despite the frozen world around her, a simmering heat pulsed in her chest. It was the only thing keeping her going.
As she stood up and took in her surroundings, she saw the trees were stripped bare of leaves, their branches coated in a layer of ice. The air smelled of snow, crisp and clean, like freshly washed laundry. How had she ended up here? She couldn't remember anything before a sharp pain and the feeling of falling.
But as she walked forward, she noticed something strange: her feet left no footprints in the snow. She blinked and tried to clear the fog in her mind. With each step, her heartbeat remained steady, almost unnaturally so. The silence of the forest seemed to stretch on forever.
Until a sudden sound shattered it - a distant howl that sent shivers down Valira's spine.
A small crack echoed through the stillness of the forest, causing Valira to freeze in her tracks. She immediately became alert, her senses sharpening as she scanned the area for any signs of danger. And then, she saw him - a figure cloaked in dark fur, standing at the edge of the clearing with an air of silent menace.
His eyes were a piercing icy blue, cold and calculating as they locked onto hers. As he stepped forward, his hand rested on the hilt of a long, silver blade. Valira's heart raced, fear gripping at her chest. She didn't know who this stranger was or what he wanted, but she knew he was not here to help her.
With trepidation, Valira raised her hand and felt a warmth spreading through her chest, traveling down her arm and into her fingers. The snow at feet melted in a perfect circle, steam rising from the ground. She was both amazed and terrified by this unfamiliar power coursing through her veins.
The man hesitated for a moment, his grip on his sword loosening as he looked down at the melting snow with surprise. He spoke in a low, measured voice. “You shouldn't be here.”
Valira's heart pounded in her ears as she responded defiantly, “Neither should you.”
But before either of them could say anything else, a distant rumble grew louder and shook the ground beneath them. Valira turned to see a fireball hurtling towards them from behind the man. In a split-second decision, the force of the fire threw aside him, colliding with a nearby tree and setting it ablaze.
Valira stumbled back in shock as figures emerged from shadows engulfed in flames. Their eyes glowed with an eerie orange light that matched the color of the forest fire surrounding them.
They were not human.
* * *
Valira's skin prickled as the heat from the fire engulfed her, but it was more than just the flames that made her uneasy. The approaching figures seemed unnatural, their eyes glowing like embers and their movements crackling with an otherworldly energy. She took a step back, her heart pounding in her chest.
As the man struggled to his feet behind her, Valira's eyes darted between him and the fiery figures. She felt a surge of hope that he would protect her, but his next words shattered that illusion. He barked at the creatures, positioning himself between them and Valira, sword at the ready. “Stay back,” he commanded. “This one is mine.”
The creatures paused, amused by his bravado. The leader - a tall woman with skin like molten lava and hair that burned like fire - hissed out a biting response. “Yours? She belongs to the Ash Court.”
Valira's confusion turned to fear as she heard those words. The Ash Court? Her? It made no sense, but she had no time to dwell on it as the fiery woman raised her hand and shot a stream of fire directly at the man.
With quick reflexes, he dodged to the side, his cloak singed by the heat. Valira felt a surge of gratitude towards him, but then he turned to her with urgency in his eyes. “Run.”
For a moment, Valira hesitated - where could she possibly run to? But there was no time for questions as another blast of fire erupted behind her. With shaking legs, she turned and fled into the forest, the sounds of battle ringing in her ears. Fire clashed with ice as she ran, but she didn't dare look back. All she could think about was surviving this chaotic encounter.
As she sprinted through the dense forest, Valira's calves ached, and her lungs burned with each gasping breath. The trees blurred in a green blur, but still she pushed herself faster, desperate to escape. Suddenly, a figure appeared ahead of her, standing tall and unharmed despite the raging fire that surrounded them.
Valira skidded to a stop, her heart pounding against her ribcage. It was him - the man with piercing icy blue eyes that seemed to see right through her. He took a step closer, his voice calm and unnerving.
“Where do you think you're going?” he said, reaching out to grab her arm with an ice-cold grip. Valira tried to pull away, but his strength was impossible to overcome. Panic rose in her chest as she frantically searched for an escape, but the man's words stopped her.
“You can't outrun them,” he whispered. “And you can't outrun me.”
Her mind raced as she tried to process his words. Who was this man? And why did his touch feel so strangely familiar?
Before she could find an answer, he spoke again. “I was sent to kill you.”
Valira's stomach dropped at his chilling words. She should have been terrified, but she felt a strange sense of inevitability wash over her. Of course, someone had been sent to kill her. It only made sense.
“Why haven't you?” she asked in a shaky voice.
The man's stony gaze flickered for a moment before returning to its steady state. “Not yet,” he replied cryptically.
A shiver ran down Valira's spine as she realized the gravity of the situation. But despite her fear, there was something about this man that compelled her to ask one more question.
“Who are you?” she whispered.
For a split second, his eyes softened with a hint of remorse before hardening once more. “I am your assassin.”
The man's grip on Valira's arm was firm, his dark eyes flickering with indecision. For a moment, they stood in tense silence as he studied her face, trying to decide whether to trust her. Finally, he let go of her and whispered, “Something's not right. You're not what they said you were.”
Before Valira could ask for clarification, a loud roar echoed through the forest behind them. She turned just in time to see a woman wreathed in flames running towards them, setting the trees ablaze in her wake. Panic set in as Valira realized she was being pursued.
Without hesitation, the man grabbed her hand and pulled her towards a denser part of the forest. “Run!” he commanded, his voice brooking no argument.
Valira ran beside him, their feet pounding against the frozen ground as they fled from their pursuer. But it wasn't just fear that drove them forward - there was a sense of urgency building inside Valira, something warm and powerful that threatened to burst forth at any moment.
They reached the edge of a frozen ravine and skidded to a stop. The man quickly assessed their surroundings before turning to Valira with determination in his eyes.
“We can't run forever,” the fiery woman yelled from across the ravine. “She belongs to the Ash Court. Hand her over and I'll spare your life.”
Valira's heart raced as she tried to make sense of everything. Fire, ice, courts - it all felt like pieces of a puzzle that refused to fit together. But one thing was clear: this woman wanted more than just Valira's capture.
Before Valira could say anything, the man spoke up, his voice steely. “I don't care which court she belongs to. She's not yours.”
He raised his hand, and suddenly the air shifted. Ice spread from his fingertips, forming a bridge of frozen water over the ravine.
“Now,” he said, his voice urgent but determined, “run.”
* * *
As they raced across the icy bridge, each step cracking beneath their feet, Valira could feel the frigid air biting at her skin. The man beside her was swift and sure-footed, his dark hair whipping in the wind as he gripped her hand. Behind them, a woman wreathed in flames screamed in anger, her fiery tendrils licking at the edges of the bridge but unable to cross the expanse of ice.
Valira's heart pounded with every step, and she could feel a heat building inside her that was unfamiliar and intense. Just as they reached the other side of the ravine, the ice bridge crumbled beneath their feet with a deafening roar. Without stopping, the man pulled her into the thick cover of trees, his grip unyielding and his pace relentless.
“Where are we going?” Valira gasped, struggling to keep up.
“Anywhere she can't follow,” he replied sharply, scanning their surroundings with wary eyes. “We need to find shelter.”
Valira's legs burned with exhaustion, but she pushed herself to keep running. The forest seemed to close in on them, the towering trees forming a dense canopy that blocked out the sun. After what felt like hours, the man finally slowed down and led her behind a massive boulder covered in frost.
The cold seeped into Valira's bones, but she could feel something warm and powerful coursing through her veins, keeping her from freezing. The man released her wrist and took a step back, his breath visible in the chilly air. For the first time, she noticed how young he was—no older than her—with sharp features and icy blue eyes. He ran a hand through his dark hair, his expression grim and determined.
Valira's heart raced as she collapsed against the cold, rough surface of a boulder. Her companion, a man with piercing blue eyes and a strong jawline, muttered something under his breath and looked over his shoulder. The sense of danger was palpable in the air.
“Who was that?” Valira asked, her voice trembling. “Why is she after me?”
The man turned to face her, his expression hard and guarded. “That was one of the Ash Court's hunters. They've been searching for you for a long time.”
Valira's confusion grew as she tried to make sense of everything. “Me? But why? I don't even know who I am. I don't remember.”
“Exactly,” he cut her off, his voice cold and detached. “You don't remember because they made sure of it. They wiped your memories, hid you away, and now they want you back.”
A surge of fear and anger rushed through Valira's veins. “Why would anyone do that?”
“Because you have power,” the man said, his gaze flickering with an unreadable emotion. “A power that could tip the scales in the ongoing war between our realms.”
Valira's mind reeled at this revelation. She didn't understand why she had this power or how it could be so dangerous.
“And what about you?” she asked, her voice shaking slightly. “How do you fit into all this?”
The man's jaw tensed as he crossed his arms over his chest. “I was sent to kill you,” he said bluntly.
Valira felt like the ground had dropped out from under her. “Kill me?”
He nodded grimly. “My father, the King of the Snow Court, ordered your death. He sees you as a threat to our kingdom.”
Valira couldn't believe what she was hearing. None of this made sense—the Ash Court wanting her, the Snow Court wanting her dead, and this strange power that she couldn't control. She stumbled backward, her heart pounding in her chest.
“Please,” she pleaded with the man. “I don't understand any of this. Can you help me?”
The man's expression softened for a moment before hardening again. “I was sent to kill you, but I won't do it. Not without hearing your side of the story first.”
Valira's eyes widened at his words. Was there a chance for her to survive after all? To find out who she truly was. She could only hope as the man continued to speak about the dangers that awaited them in the coming days.
Valira's heart was racing as she whispered, “What am I?” to the man standing before her. His eyes softened for a fleeting moment, but then the coldness returned. He replied, “You're the Ash Princess - born of fire and flame, destined to destroy.” Her stomach twisted at his words, and she desperately shook her head in denial. She couldn't be a destroyer.
But then he asked if she had felt it - the heat inside her, the fire that burned within. Valira looked down at her trembling hands, remembering the flames that had burst from her when the Ash hunters attacked. It was all too much to comprehend.
“I don't want to destroy anything,” she whimpered.
The man sighed, his face softening slightly. “I know. But that doesn't change the fact that you're a danger to both courts.”
Desperation crept into Valira's voice as she asked why he hadn't killed her yet. He hesitated before answering, his gaze searching hers. “Because you're not what I expected. You're... different.”
Her heart skipped a beat at his words, but she didn't dare believe them fully. “Different how?”
Caelan looked away, struggling to find the right words. “I can't explain it. But there's something about you... something that doesn't match everything I've been told. And until I figure out what that is, I'm not going to end your life.”
Relief flooded through Valira's chest at his words, but it was short-lived. She couldn't ignore the truth - he was here to kill her.
She swallowed hard and mustered up enough courage to ask for his name. He met her gaze with icy blue eyes and finally replied, “Caelan. Prince of the Snow Court.”
* * *
“Caelan,” Valira repeated, the name sounding foreign on her tongue. She studied him carefully, trying to reconcile the person standing in front of her with the one who had been sent to end her life. A prince—someone who lived in castles, commanded armies—now standing with her in the wilderness, his mission unclear. Her pulse quickened as the weight of his admission sank in.
“Prince of the Snow Court,” she murmured, still trying to grasp the enormity of it. She had only heard fragments about the courts in her hazy memory—legends, mostly. Snow and Ash. Cold and flame. Endless war.
But now, standing face-to-face with the prince, she realized those stories were very real.
“Why do they want me dead?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t understand.”
Caelan’s jaw tightened, and he turned his gaze toward the forest, scanning the shadows. “You’re not just any Ash Princess. You’re the product of a forbidden union—fire and ice. The Snow Court believes you’re a weapon, one that could destroy both kingdoms.”
Valira’s heart raced, her mind spinning with the new information. Her? A weapon? The words made no sense. She had no memory of any union, no recollection of being anything but... lost. But deep down, the warmth simmering beneath her skin, the way her powers had erupted in the heat of danger—it was undeniable.
“They think I’m dangerous,” she said, more to herself than to him. “But I don’t even know how to use these powers. I didn’t ask for them.”
Caelan glanced at her, something softening in his gaze. “Maybe that’s why I haven’t killed you,” he admitted quietly. “You don’t seem like the weapon they fear.”
Valira’s breath caught in her throat. “What now?”
Before Caelan could answer, a rustling sound came from the trees. Both of them tensed their eyes snapping to the darkened forest. The silence that followed was thick and unnerving, broken only by the faint crackle of leaves underfoot.
Suddenly, a fiery arrow shot through the air, embedding itself into the tree just inches from Valira’s head. She gasped and stumbled back, her heart leaping into her throat.
“They’ve found us,” Caelan growled, drawing his sword in one fluid motion. His stance shifted, his entire body bristling with readiness as his eyes darted across the shadows.
Valira barely had time to react before another arrow flew, this one aimed directly at her chest. But before it could strike, Caelan moved too fast for her follow, deflecting the arrow with a sharp flick of his blade. Sparks flew, the air hissing with the clash of fire and steel.
“Run,” Caelan commanded, his voice rough with urgency. “I’ll hold them off.”
Valira froze, her mind racing. Running felt like the only option, but something deep inside her told her she couldn’t leave him here—not alone, not against whatever was coming.
But before she could protest, the forest erupted in flames. Figures, cloaked in fire, stepped out from the shadows, their eyes glowing like molten embers. There were more of them now—at least six. All armed, all moving with deadly precision.
Valira’s breath hitched as one of them stepped forward, a man with flames licking at his fingertips, his eyes trained on her like a predator watching its prey.
“The Ash Queen sends her regards,” he hissed, raising his hand. Fire swirled in his palm, ready to strike.
Valira’s pulse pounded in her ears. She could feel the fire inside her responding, like a spark igniting in her chest. It wanted to be unleashed, to match the flames that surrounded them, but she didn’t know how to control it. Panic surged through her.
Caelan moved in front of her, his sword raised, his voice a low growl. “You’ll have to go through me first.”
The man sneered, but before he could attack, Valira felt something shift inside her—something powerful, something terrifying. The heat in her chest swelled, rising like a wave, and before she could stop it, flames erupted from her hands, surging toward the enemy in a fiery arc.
The man screamed as the fire engulfed him, his body consumed in a blaze of orange and red. The other attackers staggered back, shocked by the sudden display of power.
Valira gasped, stumbling as the fire inside her receded, leaving her breathless and shaken. She looked down at her hands, still trembling, her heart racing with fear and disbelief.
“What... what just happened?” she whispered.
Caelan turned to her; his expression unreadable. “You tapped into your power.”
“I didn’t mean to,” she stammered, her voice shaky.
Caelan’s eyes softened, but only for a moment. “Doesn’t matter. We have to move. Now.”
Without another word, he grabbed her hand, pulling her away from the scene of destruction. The forest blurred as they ran, the heat from the battle still lingering in the air.
But in the pit of her stomach, Valira knew the real battle was only just beginning.
* * *
Valira’s pulse hammered in her ears as she and Caelan wove through the dense, frostbitten trees, their footsteps muted by the snow underfoot. The fire in her chest had dimmed, but its echo lingered—an unsettling reminder of the power she couldn’t control. The attackers were behind them, distant for now, but she could still feel the heat from their approach in the air. There was no time to stop, no time to question what had just happened.
Caelan’s grip on her hand was tight, guiding her through the labyrinth of ice-bound trees, his breath steady and focused. He didn’t speak. He didn’t need to. The silence between them was thick with tension, but also something else—an understanding that their survival now depended on each other.
After what felt like miles, they finally reached the edge of the forest, where the trees thinned, giving way to a vast, frozen plain. Caelan slowed, glancing over his shoulder to check if they were still being followed. The sky had darkened, clouds gathering overhead, and the wind cut sharply against Valira’s skin.
“We need to rest,” Caelan said, his voice low and cautious. “But not here. We’ll be too exposed.”
Valira nodded, her breath coming in ragged gasps, exhaustion threatening to overtake her. The power she had unleashed earlier had drained her more than she realized. Every muscle in her body ached, and her legs felt like they might give out at any moment.
They moved toward a rocky outcrop, a jagged formation rising out of the snow like a forgotten ruin. It provided some cover from the biting wind, and Caelan motioned for her to sit. She collapsed onto the cold stone, her mind still racing from everything that had happened.
For a long time, they sat in silence, the wind howling. Valira stared at her hands, the memory of the fireball she had conjured flashing through her mind. She didn’t know how she had done it, didn’t understand what had triggered it. But the fear that had gripped her in that moment... it had felt like she was losing control.
“Are you all right?” Caelan asked, his voice softer than before.
Valira looked up, meeting his gaze. For a prince sent to kill her, there was an odd gentleness in his eyes—an understanding, perhaps, of what it meant to carry a burden like hers.
“I... I don’t know,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. “That fire... I didn’t mean for it to happen. I just...”
Caelan nodded, his expression grim. “That’s what makes you dangerous. The Ash Court will use that power, and the Snow Court will fear it. It’s why they want you gone.”
“But I don’t want to hurt anyone,” Valira said, her voice trembling. “I don’t even know how to control this.”
“You will have to learn,” Caelan said, his tone firm. “If you can’t, then they’ll use you... or kill you.”
Valira shuddered at his words. The weight of her situation pressed down on her like an avalanche. She was trapped between forces, both determined to use her or destroy her. And the worst part? She didn’t even know who she really was. The memories of her life before the forest were a blank slate, leaving her to piece together the fragments of a history she didn’t remember.
Caelan’s gaze softened as he watched her struggle with the realization. “Look, I’m not your enemy,” he said quietly. “I was sent here on a mission, but everything has changed. Whatever you are, whatever power you have, I think it’s more than either of the courts understand.”
Valira blinked, surprised by the sincerity in his voice. “Then why help me?”
Caelan hesitated, his eyes flickering with uncertainty. “Because I don’t think you’re the threat my father believes you are. And... maybe because I don’t want to be the one who decides your fate.”
Valira’s heart thudded painfully in her chest. There was so much she didn’t understand—about herself, about the world she had been thrust into, about Caelan. He was a prince, a hunter, someone bound by loyalty to the Snow Court, yet here he was, standing between her and the forces, trying to claim her life.
A heavy silence hung between them as the wind howled louder, carrying with it the promise of an approaching storm. Valira wrapped her arms around herself, trying to ward off the chill creeping into her bones. But it wasn’t just the cold. It was the fear—the fear of what she might become if she couldn’t control the fire within her.
“We can’t stay here,” Caelan said after a long pause. “The storm will cover our tracks, but it’ll freeze us if we don’t move.”
Valira nodded, struggling to her feet. Every part of her ached, but she knew he was right. They couldn’t stop now. Not when the Ash Court was still hunting them.
As they moved through the growing wind, Valira stole a glance at Caelan. He had saved her life—more than once now. And even though she couldn’t fully trust him, something inside her told her he was more than just her enemy.
She just hoped she wouldn’t regret it.
The storm swept in quickly, snow whipping through the air like icy daggers. But even through the haze, Valira felt a strange pull, something deep inside her stirring, guiding her toward something she couldn’t yet see.
And in that moment, she realized her journey was only just beginning.