The wind howled through the mountains, sharp and biting as it whipped around Valira and Caelan. They had been traveling for hours, the landscape growing harsher with every step. The path ahead was steep and treacherous, but Valira hardly noticed the cold anymore. The fire and ice within her had reached a fragile equilibrium, and she could feel them both simmering under her skin, balanced for now but always threatening to spiral out of control.
Caelan walked a few paces ahead, his shoulders tense, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. He had been silent since they had left the village, the weight of what lay ahead pressing down on both of them. They had escaped the Ash Court’s hunters for now, but the threat still lingered, growing closer with every step they took.
“The pass is just ahead,” Caelan said, his voice barely audible over the wind. “We’ll be in neutral territory once we cross it.”
Neutral territory. The space between the warring courts of Snow and Ash, a desolate stretch of land that neither kingdom controlled. It would offer them some protection, at least for a little while. But Valira knew it wouldn’t last. The Ash Court was relentless, and the Snow Court wouldn’t be far behind. They had only delayed the inevitable.
Valira’s heart pounded as she followed Caelan up the rocky incline, her mind spinning with doubts. Every step they took brought them closer to a confrontation she wasn’t ready for. Alyssia’s words still echoed in her mind: The Ash Court will come for you. And next time, you won’t be able to run.
“Do you think they’ll follow us into neutral territory?” Valira asked, her voice tight with fear.
Caelan glanced back at her, his expression grim. “They won’t stop. Not until they have what they want.”
Valira swallowed hard. What they wanted—what the Ash Court wanted—was her. They wanted the power inside her, the fire and ice that could unite the courts or tear them apart. And they would stop at nothing to claim it.
She glanced at Caelan, her chest tightening. He had been with her through all of this, risking his life to protect her, to help her control the magic that threatened to consume her. But how long could they keep running? How long before they had to face the inevitable?
“We can’t keep running forever,” Valira said quietly, her voice trembling. “We’ll have to fight them, eventually.”
Caelan’s jaw tightened, and for a moment, he didn’t respond. Then, slowly, he nodded. “I know. But not yet. We need time to figure out our next move.”
Valira nodded, though her heart was heavy with the weight of the decision she knew they would soon have to make. The balance of power inside her was fragile, and the price for controlling it loomed ever closer. But deep down, she knew there was no avoiding the final reckoning.
* * *
By the time they reached the pass, the sky had darkened, heavy clouds rolling in from the west. The wind had picked up, and snow began to fall in soft, swirling flakes, covering the rocky landscape in a thin blanket of white. Valira shivered, pulling her cloak tighter around her shoulders as they made their way through the narrow mountain pass.
“This place is deserted,” Caelan said, his eyes scanning the rocky cliffs on either side. “No one’s crossed through here in months.”
Valira’s pulse quickened as they descended into the valley, the sense of isolation growing with every step. The neutral territory stretched out before them, vast and empty, with no sign of life. It was a place of desolation, caught between the fires of the Ash Court and the frozen lands of the Snow Court.
“We’re safe here for now,” Caelan said, though his voice held little comfort. “But we need to keep moving.”
Valira nodded, her mind still racing. The neutral territory offered a temporary reprieve, but it wouldn’t protect them forever. They needed a plan, a way to stop the war before it destroyed everything.
As they crossed into the valley, the snow grew thicker, the cold more biting. The landscape shifted, the rocky ground giving way to frost-covered earth. Valira could feel the power of the Snow Court in the air, the icy magic that had always felt distant and untouchable now pressing in on her.
“We’re close to the Snow Court’s border,” Caelan said, his eyes narrowing. “We’ll need to be careful from here.”
Valira nodded, but her thoughts were elsewhere. The Snow Court had wanted her dead from the beginning, fearing the power she carried. But now, she wasn’t so sure if they were the real enemy. The Ash Court had been relentless in their pursuit, but the Snow Court had its own reasons for wanting her out of the way.
She had spent so much time running from both courts, but now, she wondered if there was another way. If she could find a way to control the magic inside her, to unite fire and ice, could she stop the war? Could she end the conflict that had torn the courts apart for generations?
But the cost of control—the price of binding those forces together—still hung over her like a shadow. Alaric’s words echoed in her mind: To bind fire and ice, you must give up part of yourself.
Was she willing to make that sacrifice?
As they moved deeper into the valley, Valira’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps crunching in the snow. She froze, her heart leaping into her throat.
“Caelan,” she whispered, her voice filled with dread.
Caelan’s hand shot to his sword, his eyes scanning the valley. “Stay close.”
The footsteps grew louder, and from the shadows of the snow-covered rocks, figures began to emerge. Valira’s heart pounded as she recognized the blackened armor and ash-streaked cloaks of the Ash Court’s hunters.
They had found them.
* * *
Valira’s pulse quickened as the hunters moved closer, their eyes glowing with the fiery magic of the Ash Court. She could feel the fire inside her responding to their presence, stirring in her chest like a beast waking from slumber. But she forced it down, knowing that if she unleashed it now, she would lose control.
Caelan stood in front of her, his sword drawn, his body tense. “Stay behind me,” he muttered, his voice low and urgent. “We can’t let them surround us.”
Valira nodded, her heart racing as she gripped the edges of her cloak, trying to steady her breathing. The cold air burned in her lungs, and the snow swirled, but she barely noticed. All her focus was on the hunters, their faces hidden behind masks of ash and soot.
“Valira of the Ash and Snow,” one of the hunters called out, his voice echoing through the valley. “You cannot run from your fate. Surrender now, and we will show mercy.”
Valira’s stomach twisted, fear clawing at her chest. The fire inside her flared, desperate to break free, but she fought to keep it under control. She couldn’t give in to the fire. Not now.
Caelan stepped forward, his sword gleaming in the fading light. “She’s not going anywhere with you.”
The hunter’s eyes narrowed, his voice filled with contempt. “You are nothing but a traitor to the Ash Court. You have no right to speak.”
Caelan’s jaw tightened, and Valira could see the tension in his stance. He was ready to fight, but there were too many of them. They were outnumbered.
“I won’t go back with you,” Valira said, her voice trembling but firm. “I’m not your weapon.”
The hunter’s eyes gleamed with amusement. “You are the key to ending this war. The Ash Court does not need you to be willing.”
Valira’s heart pounded in her chest, her mind racing. She had to do something, but the fire and ice inside her were warring, threatening to break loose at any moment. She needed to find the balance, but it felt so far out of reach.
Before she could react, the hunter raised his hand, and a wall of fire erupted from the ground, roaring toward them.
* * *
The heat of the flames rushed toward Valira and Caelan, but before they could be consumed, Caelan moved swiftly, raising his sword and sending a blast of icy magic toward the fire. The air hissed as the fire and ice collided, steam rising in a thick cloud between them.
“Go!” Caelan shouted, his voice filled with urgency. “Run while I hold them off!”
Valira’s heart raced as she took a step back, but she couldn’t leave him. Not again. She had lost control too many times before, had let Caelan fight her battles for her. But not this time. This time, she had to fight.
“No,” Valira said, her voice steady despite the fear gnawing at her. “I’m not running.”
She reached for the power inside her, the fire and ice that had always been in conflict. The flames burned hot in her chest, but the cold was there too, sharp and biting. She focused on the balance, on the delicate thread that connected the two forces, and for a brief moment, she felt it.
The fire and ice surged through her, not as enemies, but as equals. She raised her hands, and a blast of fiery ice erupted from her palms, crashing into the hunters with a force that sent them staggering back.
Caelan glanced at her in surprise, but he didn’t question it. He turned back to the hunters, deflecting another blast of fire with his sword, while Valira pressed forward, her power swirling around her like a storm.
The hunters recovered quickly, their eyes blazing with fury as they moved in for the attack. But Valira didn’t hesitate. She raised her hands again, the fire and ice inside her coiling together, and sent another wave of magic toward them, freezing the ground at their feet and sending flames crackling through the air.
The hunters faltered, their movements slowed by the ice, but they didn’t stop. Valira could feel their magic pressing against hers, trying to break her control, but she held on, her body trembling with the effort.
“Valira, we need to move!” Caelan shouted, his voice filled with urgency.
Valira’s heart raced as she took a step back, her power still crackling. The hunters were recovering, their magic burning hotter with every moment, and she knew they couldn’t hold them off much longer.
With a final burst of energy, Valira sent a blast of fire and ice toward the hunters, buying them a few precious seconds. Then, without looking back, she turned and ran, Caelan close behind her.
* * *
They ran through the snow-covered valley, the sound of the hunters’ pursuit fading behind them as they reached the edge of the pass. Valira’s breath came in short, ragged gasps, her body trembling from the effort of controlling the magic inside her. She had fought back, had found the balance between fire and ice, but it had taken everything she had.
Caelan grabbed her arm, pulling her behind a cluster of rocks as they caught their breath. “Are you all right?”
Valira nodded, though her body ached with exhaustion. “I think so.”
Caelan’s eyes were filled with worry as he looked at her. “You found the balance.”
Valira swallowed hard, her heart still racing. “For now. But it won’t last.”
Caelan’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t argue. He knew as well as she did that the balance was fragile, and the next time she lost control, the consequences could be catastrophic.
“We need to keep moving,” Caelan said quietly. “The hunters will regroup soon.”
Valira nodded, though her mind was spinning. The power inside her had always been a curse, something she had feared and fought against. But now, she was beginning to understand what Alaric had meant. The balance between fire and ice wasn’t just about control—it was about sacrifice.
She had felt it in the battle, the way the magic had pulled at her, demanding more. If she wanted true control, if she wanted to stop the war, she would have to give in to that power. But at what cost?
As they moved through the valley, the snow falling softly, Valira knew the time for running was coming to an end. The Ash Court and the Snow Court were closing in, and soon, she would have to make a choice.
To end the war, she would have to embrace the magic inside her. But doing so would mean losing a part of herself forever.
And once she crossed that line, there would be no turning back.
The End.
Did you enjoy Valira and Caelan’s story?
Read Thornbound, the first book in the Legends Reborn series.
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