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“It’s getting late and you need your rest.” Lizzie slipped beneath Oskar’s blanket and snuggled up against him. She laid her head on his chest and let out a small sigh. “Do you remember when I told you that I wanted to see the world?”
Oskar nodded.
“I was wrong. This is the most boring thing I’ve ever done.”
Oskar chuckled. “Perhaps you should have been more specific about the sort of travel you were interested in.”
Lizzie giggled. “I thought it went without saying that I didn’t want to wander through the wilderness for days and weeks on end.”
“You know me. You have to spell things out for me or I’ll never understand.” He slid an arm around Lizzie’s shoulders and pulled her close. He still didn’t see how so beautiful a girl could have any interest in him, but he had stopped trying to figure it out and simply enjoyed it. He hated the idea of taking her into a war zone, but he knew she would not be left behind. Besides, if they failed, nowhere in the world would be safe. This was a battle everyone would fight sooner or later.
“What are you reading?”
“The only book I thought to bring with me.” He held up the small volume he had taken from the archives at the Gates just before he fled.
“Is it interesting?” she asked drowsily.
“No, but it’s better than doing nothing.” He angled the book to catch the firelight and turned to the next page.
“Doing nothing? If you think there’s nothing to do at night under the blankets, you are in sore need of education.” Lizzie ran her hand across his chest, rose up, and kissed him on the neck.
“Not with everyone around,” he whispered.
“We’re practically alone.” She kissed him again.
They were hardly alone. Aspin, Colin, Larris, and Allyn slept nearby, as did Hair, Edrin, and Hierm, who had, after much shouting, convinced Rinala to stay behind with baby Hiram. A squad of soldiers ringed their camp, guarding the prince. Whitt, Naseeb, and Dacio were traveling along with the other saikurs, who were moving with the main force of the army. Despite their lack of privacy, Oskar was seriously considering giving in when he turned to the last page of the book and gasped.
“Did I nibble too hard on your ear?” Lizzie teased.
“It’s not that. I have to talk to Aspin.” He slid out from under the blanket leaving a surprised Lizzie staring daggers at him.
“Fine. He can kiss you on the neck tonight for all I care.” She curled up on her side and pulled the blanket up over her head.
Oskar didn’t give her a second thought. He could only focus on what he had discovered.
Aspin was still awake and he sat talking with Colin. They broke off their conversation when Oskar approached.
“What is it?” Aspin asked.
“I found something in this book of prophecy. I had so little success that I gave up on finding anything useful, but then I stumbled across this.” His hand trembling, he passed the book to Aspin, whose eyes widened when he saw what was written there.
“What is it?” Larris asked. Apparently no one in the camp was asleep. Even Lizzie crawled out from under the blanket and joined them.
“It’s a prophecy about a meeting of the bearer of the Silver Serpent and the Ice King.”
“Is that a big deal? I mean, aren’t there plenty of prophecies about that?” Lizzie asked.
“Every prophecy I have ever read says that the bearer will meet the Ice King at the final Frostmarch. What does this one say?” Larris sat rigid, his voice tight. Oskar knew why. Larris was in love with Shanis. He would not like what this prophecy had to say.
Aspin read aloud.
“The Lord of ice shall rise up and all shall fall before him. The bearer shall meet him in the mists in the place of earth and water and there shall the choice be made. The ultimate sacrifice or eternal winter.”
He closed the book. “The mists in the place of earth and water.”
“Calmut?” Oskar asked.
Aspin nodded. “I think so. It fits, and at the rate Shanis’ army is falling back, they will be in Calmut by the time we meet up with them.”
“We’ll be there in two days. Does that mean it’s almost over?” Hierm asked.
“Possibly.” Aspin rose and tugged on his robe. “I need to speak to King Lerryn. He should know what to expect.”
“I’ll go with you,” Colin said weakly. He quickly turned his back on the others.
“What does the other part mean?” Lizzie asked. “What is the ultimate sacrifice? Does it have something to do with the glyphs Dacio translated for you?”
All eyes turned to Larris whose face was a mask of agony. The prince closed his eyes and pressed a fist to his forehead.
“We can’t say for sure.” Oskar scarcely managed to speak the words. All of this time he had envisioned Shanis emerging triumphant from a battle with the Ice King, but if this prophecy were to be believed, it would not be the sort of triumph he had imagined.
“That’s true,” Allyn said. “Prophecies are rarely what they seem.”
“I don’t care what any prophecy says. We’re going to fight,” Hierm said without conviction.
“And were going to win,” Allyn added. “We always do.”
Lizzie looked up at Oskar and her gaze softened when she saw the pain in his eyes. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his head down to rest on her shoulder. “It will be all right.”
Oskar drew her close and held on tightly. He wished he could believe her.