But even as my and Riven’s power responds to protect us, we’re outnumbered.
Riven’s eyes lock on mine, silver flashing through the swirl of frost and magic. “No matter what happens next,” he says, hisvoice steady despite the chaos around us, “I need you to know how much I love you.”
His words hit me like lightning, and our bond flares so bright it’s almost blinding. I can feel him everywhere—in my blood, in my magic, and in the core of my soul. The connection between us pulses with such raw power that the chaos of the battlefield fades away completely.
“Riven—”
“I won’t let them hurt you,” he cuts me off, reaching into his armor and pulling out the Stillpoint Compass, its metal glinting in the sunlight. “I won’t let anything hurt you. Ever.”
“The compass only works once per moon cycle,” I say as I slice through another group of approaching night fae with the Star Disc. “If you use it now, that’s it. We won’t have any more chances.”
“Look around, Sapphire,” he snaps, blasting a group of night fae with scalding hot water he created with his summer and air magic. “If this isn’t the right time to use the compass, then I don’t know what is.”
A quick scan of the surrounding chaos confirms he’s right. The night fae are taking down Winter Court soldiers from all angles. If we keep losing numbers this quickly, our odds are going to be way worse than what we anticipated in our battle strategy sessions.
“Do it,” I tell him, and his eyes darken as he twists the compass in his palm.
The world freezes.
The diving night fae are caught with wings spread, weapons raised, mouths open in silent war cries. Our own soldiers are locked in time, some mid-swing, others preparing to defend against attacks that will never come. Even the wind stops moving, leaving the battlefield eerily quiet except for the soundof our breathing and the soft padding of Ghost and Nebula’s paws against the snowy, blood-stained ground.
Riven stares out at the frozen battlefield, his expression blank, his eyes hollow.
“Listen carefully.” He pockets the compass and raises his sword, ice spreading along its blade. “I’ve been improving with the compass each time I use it, so we have about forty-five minutes before time resumes. In that time, we’ll kill them while they can’t fight back.Allof them.”
My stomach churns at the thought, but I force myself to nod. Because this is war. This is survival. Killing them while they’re frozen isn’t any worse than doing it while they’re attacking. It’s probably better, since we can ensure their deaths are swift and merciful, like when Riven sacrificed the pig on Circe’s island. If we hit the soldiers in the right spots while time is frozen, they won’t feel any pain.
Besides, somewhere in that palace, Zoey needs us to win.
I refuse to let her down.
“I’ll take the ones closest to us and spread out on the ground,” Riven continues without waiting for me to respond, already moving to the night fae nearest our position. “You’ll use the Star Disc on the ones in midair. Then project yourself to the far edges of the battlefield so we can quickly and efficiently cover as much ground as possible. Keep snapping back to your body and projecting to different locations until it’s finished.”
He gestures to Ghost and Nebula, who are prowling around us, the only other living things in this frozen world. “They’ll handle the middle distance. Between all of us, we can eliminate their forces with time to spare.”
The casual way he says it—eliminate—sends ice through my veins.
The scariest part? I understand completely. Because if this is what it takes to save Zoey, then I want it, too.
“All right.” I grip the Star Disc so tightly my knuckles turn white. “Let’s finish this.”
Instead of starting, he moves closer to me, grips the back of my neck, pulls me to him, and kisses me in a way that makes me feel like time has frozen around us more than it already has.
“I love you more than anything in this world,” he says after pulling away, his voice rough, his eyes pleading for me to seehimbeneath the ruthless winter warrior. “Everything I do—every enemy I strike down—is for you. Without you, I’m nothing.”
His eyes blaze with so much intensity it takes my breath away.
Reaching up, I cup his face between my hands, my heart aching at the fear in his gaze. “I love you, too,” I whisper back. “We’ll get through this together. We always do.”
For a fraction of a second, he looks lost—like a man desperate to hold onto something he’s afraid is slipping through his fingers. Then he blinks, rebuilding his expression into something steady again.
“We’ll meet back here soon,” he says quietly, and with one last longing look between us, we part.
He launches himself forward, his sword slicing through the frozen ranks of night fae with merciless precision. He doesn’t hesitate, doesn’t slow down. Each strike is fast and efficient.
But I can’t just stand here and watch my beautifully lethal Winter Prince destroy everything in his path.
So, I focus on the farthest part of the battlefield I can see, grip the Star Disc tighter, and project.
