70. Rhyland

Rhyland

70

T he Crystal Peaks loom up front, a goddamn jagged masterpiece shining like a hoard of diamonds under the relentless sun. Light refracts off their surfaces, casting prisms onto the frost-covered pines that shiver under winter's unyielding grip. The beauty of it almost steals my breath—if I were the kind of man to get lost in the scenery.

Dani strides next to me, her eyes blazing with fire and life. I catch the fierce resolve sparking inside her. That's my Angel—lighting up the damn way, it doesn't matter if she's sure where it's heading.

Her damn apologies nearly fucking gutted me back there in that cave, but she's got no need to beg forgiveness for anything she does. Dani's got a mind of her own, always charging ahead, and I wouldn't have her any other way. I am curious about her so-called "angelic upgrade" and this Soul-Tie shit she spoke of with Adrian now.

I know she wasn't ready to spill the news right away, with all the chaos of her return, but I can't stop pondering the implications of my blood inside her. It keeps me connected to her, and I figured she'd always need a touch to keep her engine running. Now that she's almost immortal, she doesn't need my blood to keep her alive.

I'm not thrilled she brought Adrian along and gave this asshole another shot—it chafes my ass just thinking about it. But if it makes her happy to have him help in freeing her mother—I'm willing to swallow that bitter pill and let it ride… so long as she's prepared to pay for it in other ways. I'm happy to discipline my little Angel; she seems to enjoy the consequences.

Axilya glides through the snow like it's her ballroom, damn fae grace in every step. She draws close to Dani, her voice soft but carrying over the hushed whispers of the forest.

"Do you know where we're going, Danica? No one has ever reached this far into the Peaks," she asks, all regal and shit.

Dani shakes her head, her golden eyes fierce and determined. "I don't have a damn clue. Just following this pull inside me," She confesses, raking her hand through those chestnut waves. Her knuckles accidentally rap against the circlet atop her head, which thrums a response."What I do know is we're getting very close."

We march through the snowy forest with intent, our breath fogging up in front like ghostly escorts shoving us on. Every step is quiet except for the muffled crunch underfoot—the cold's practically lickable, like a sharp, icy blade on my tongue.

The trees split like they're showing us to our seats, unveiling their big act—the clearing between the peaks looms huge and quiet before us. As far as the eye can see, it's just a stretch of snow and ice. But shit, something's off; a nagging feeling is pulling at my gut.

To our left stretches an endless field blanketed in white—pristine and undisturbed snow save for where our boots mar its perfection. Dani pauses, head cocked as if listening to a voice only she can hear.

"We go this way," she says with certainty, pointing across that virgin expanse.

Lucian snorts from behind me, his tone laced with sarcasm as usual. "There's nothing there but snow and more fucking snow," he says with a dismissive wave of his hand.

But Dani doesn't budge an inch. "The pull is this way," she insists, steel underlying her words.

I shootLuciana glare that screams, 'Back the fuck off,' and then I giveDania quick nod. "We follow your lead then."

She flashes a smile that's quick but damn near blinds you before she strides off across the field, us tagging along in her wake.

To our right, there's this towering building jabbing at the sky—like a damn lighthouse for the poor bastards stuck in this icy wasteland. The light bouncing off that thing is so intense it's a bitch to even glance at it.

I'm all for chasing that glare like moths on a death trip, butDaniisn't having any of that. She's dead set on veering left, and hell, that means we go left.

Then the shit hits the fan. The deeper we go into this frosty field hell, the crazier it gets. Images start to pop up in front of us like some twisted reflections in a mirror, stretched over this gaping snow coffin that's the ground and sky. There's this buzzing noise; it could be power or my pulse hammering in my head.

We all slam the brakes at this unseen wall as our own faces look back at us, all warped and skewed like we're in some screwed-up carnival mirror.

Lucian's voice cuts through the air with a signature edge of intrigue mixed with sarcasm. "What fun house hell have we stumbled upon here?" he inquires, half-expecting the answer as absurd as the situation probably is.

Danitakes a stab at it. "A portal, possibly?"

Instinctively, I reach out to it, and holy hell, if it doesn't scorch like grabbing a chunk of live coal! The cold bites into my flesh—so damn vicious I snap my hand back, hissing like It is some venomous serpent.

"Fuck!" I grumble, trying to shake off the burn from my stinging hand.

Lucian chuckles from his perch beside me—the smug bastard revels in others' misfortune. "Didn't your mama ever warn you not to play with strange objects?" he quips, wearing that infuriating smart-ass grin I'd love to smack off his face. But not today, since I know he's got a point this time. Even when he's being a dick, Lucian doesn't mince words.

I shake my head and shoot him a dirty look, all while my pride stings almost as much as my palm does—but I'd be damned if I'd concede he's got a point.

Dani, ever the worrying and caring type, snatches up my hand for a closer look. It's healing up already. "Are you okay?" she asks, her eyes swimming with concern.

"Yeah, Angel, I'm good," I throw back at her, trying to ease her mind.

"This is decidedly significant," Faderyn comments from my left. "There's something beyond this barrier; it intends to mislead anyone at a distance—no one has managed to venture this deep into the peaks before."

"Well, I'm down for trying it out," Dani declares, solid as stone. She reaches for that mirror-like barrier, and instead of frying her like it did me, her hand slips through, sending ripples across it like it's water. Fluid and freaky as hell.

She yanks her hand back in a hurry, sucking in air sharply. I'm right on her, tense, thinking maybe she got hurt, but she only smiles. "It's warm on the other side," she spills to all of us, her face lit up. "Feels like the sun's shining, and I swear, there's the scent of flowers."

"Alright, let's make a move already. My ass is about to chip off from this cold," Lucian quips with a roll of his eyes.

"It's a magical barrier," Adrian calls out, explaining its purpose. "A protective wall that's shielding the entrance to the Hidden Valley."

"How the hell do you know?" I can't help snapping at Adrian.

Before Adrian can respond, Axilya interjects, "Yes, it's concealed from all. This mirror, or whatever it may be, must serve as a gateway into the Hidden Valley."

"And I can feel it, Rhyland. The stone… it's pulling me this way," Dani says, laying it out straight while she locks me with gorgeous eyes.

If it zapped me, how are we all supposed to get through this? Is it some magic door that only swings open for Dani? Like hell, I will chill out here while she steps into who-knows-where.

"I'm coming with you," I state with a growl.

"Ahem, I think you mean to say that every single one of us is tagging along on this little adventure, whether you like it or not," Lucian declares, his tone leaving about as much room for argument as a black hole leaves room for light. "No ifs, ands, or buts about it, buttercup."

"Alright, let's join hands," Dani instructs while she takes hold of mine. We all clasp hands, forming a line, facing whatever awaits us. "Here goes nothing," she says decisively. With those words hanging in the air, we move forward as one.