Secret of the Snow Queen (Fire and Ice Book #1) *GOING THROUGH EDITS*

CH. 22 The Snow Queen ❗❗❗ 🔪🔪

                                                                               Aurora

The morning sun rose timidly over the horizon, casting a golden hue upon the snow-covered landscape as we mounted our horses and prepared to resume our journey. The chill of the mountain air clung to our weary bodies, a stark reminder of the challenges that lay ahead. As we rode in silence, a sudden cry pierced the stillness of the morning air.

"Ben! Ben, where are you?" Willow's voice echoed off the rocky cliffs, her desperation tinged with sorrow. Luca's brow furrowed in annoyance, his gaze sharp as he glanced back at Willow.

"She's lost her mind," he muttered under his breath to Kelvin and I as all three of us rode at the front.

"Ben!" Willow's call echoed across the mountains, and I couldn't help but wince as Luca heaved another annoyed sigh.

"Enough of this nonsense," he snapped, his voice cutting through the quietude like a blade. "We cannot afford to waste time on wild goose chases." But despite Luca's harsh words, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to Willow's cries than met the eye. Beneath her gruff exterior lay a heart that beat with a fierce loyalty to those she cared about, and I couldn't ignore the urgency in her voice. I knew that Ben had been a kai-gon warrior when my father had been the emperor of Juvelia. He had disappeared after the massacre, but beyond that, it was all a mystery to me.

I turned my head to see Willow's head hung low—tears were streaming down her cheeks now. I gave Luca a look before falling back to ride next to Willow. The old woman wiped her tears with her sleeve and sniffed.

"Hey," I whispered. "I apologize for him; he just wants our group to focus on getting to the Crystal City before Morgana has any more time to—"

"Without Ben, this is all helpless." I twisted my face in confusion, not knowing how to respond.

"Were you and him close?" I ventured carefully.

"Ben is my older brother." Her face was contorted with frustration. My heart clenched at her revelation; I could only imagine Willow's pain—not seeing her brother for the last twenty years.

"We'll find him, Willow, I promise," my voice was soft but resolute. "But for now, we must focus on the task at hand." With a heavy sigh, Willow nodded, her gaze lingering on the snow-covered landscape as if searching for a sign of her lost brother. I reached out to comfort her, my hand resting gently on her shoulder as tears streamed down her cheeks.

Later, I rode back up to Kelvin and Luca, the weight of my promise to Willow sat heavy on my shoulders. Kelvin's questioning gaze met mine, and I felt a twinge of uncertainty in the pit of my stomach.

"That's a pretty big promise, Aurora," Kelvin remarked, cocking a brow at me. "What if he's dead?" His words cut through me like a knife, stirring up the fears I had been trying to suppress since this journey had begun. The thought of Ben being lost forever, his fate sealed in tragedy, sent a chill down my spine. I took a moment to gather my thoughts, the weight of Kelvin's question pressing in on me from all sides.

"I know it's a risk," I admitted, my voice tinged with uncertainty. "But I can't bear to give up hope, Kelvin. Not when there's even the slightest chance that we can find him alive."

My words faltered as I struggled to maintain the fragile thread of optimism that had been woven into the fabric of my promise to Willow. The uncertainty of our situation threatened to overwhelm me, casting doubt on the vow I had made to her. Kelvin's expression softened, his eyes reflecting the compassion that had drawn me to him from the beginning.