Something Wilder (Child of the Winter Moon Book 2)

14: Silver, Ice, and Magic

Everyone was in position; the sorceresses on the cliffs, Juray and Geralt on Duke var Attre's ship, the others in various positions among the troops, Avallac'h and Ciri on the docks. The Sage held up the phylactery they'd shoved the curse into after lifting it from him, now cleansed and used to hold the Sunstone. He opened it and took out the relic, holding it up.

"'I give you my heart?'" Ciri asked, using what Yennefer had taught her to read his mind. "What kind of a spell is that?"

"It's an old love letter," Avallac'h answered. "Ancient. As I said, this stone was to reunite a pair of lovers." He held it toward Ciri.

"Never thought I'd say anything of the sort to Eredin." She then spoke in Elvish. "I give you my heart. But I shall take your head."

As she said the words, it began to glow, levitating out of Avallac'h's hand. He then made the end of his staff glow, signaling the sorceresses.

"They approach."

A rift opened, the sea freezing as it opened. The ice spread quickly toward them, the sorceresses erecting a barrier to keep it from reaching them.

"Break a sword, Geralt," Avallac'h whispered.

On the ship, Juray and Geralt watched as the rift opened.

"Right on cue," Juray said. The ship was racing toward the ice field.

"Ice!" A soldier suddenly cried in Nilfgaardian. "Reduce speed!"

The crew scrambled to slow the ship down, but they hit the ice at nearly full speed. The ship lurched, sending everyone to the deck as it ran aground on the ice. Once everything stopped moving, the two Witchers were the first to their feet.

"Juray?"

"I'm fine."

"I meant can you sense them?"

"There's too much magic in the air."

Geralt nodded before hopping over the side of the ship and landing on the ice below. One of the soldiers looked over the side to see where he went.

"Follow me," Geralt said. "The Naglfar must be nearby."

Juray translated for him before following Geralt. The soldiers followed them and the two Witchers lead the way.

"There she is," Juray said, finally seeing the Naglfar. Suddenly a wall of snow raced towards them, Juray's fingers casting Quen just as it reached them.

~~~

"I don't like how quiet it is over there," Eskel said, his arms crossed.

"Me either," Stormrider agreed. "Why do I feel they expected this?"

"Then this battle is about to get interesting and we just lost two Witchers and an entire regiment of Nilfgaardians."

"Juray's resourceful and quick. She was one of the only ones not frozen in Kaer Morhen."

"I know, but if they were ambushed..."

Stormrider could hear the worry in his fellow Witcher's voice. He was aware the two were in a relationship and knew that Eskel was as worried about Juray as he was about Triss. "Then focus on the Wild Hunt. We have to stop them here."