He nods solemnly. “Just before Slaine attacked, Abaddon had a premonition of something terrible to pass. Just a feeling—no hard facts—but it was enough for Erik to send her back to the human realm. He loved your mother more than life itself and would do anything to protect her.”

“Did he know she was pregnant?” she asks, her voice barely a whisper. “Did he… did he know I existed?”

He nods, reaching over and placing his hand on top of hers. “He did. She broke the news to your father in this very spot, under the light of the dark sun. When she was in the human realm, Erik would come here whenever he missed her—which was often—and he would sit, just like we are now, staring out at the horizon. I think it helped him remember what he was fighting for. Who he was fighting for. At the very least, it gave him some comfort.”

Dagny sits eerily still, her shoulders shuddering with the effort to hold in her emotion. “Thank you,” she whispers after a long while. “Thank you for showing me this place. If we… If the worst happens, I’m glad I got to know at least this small part of him.”

We sit there in silence for a long while, waiting for the sun to flip. As soon as it does, Malice squeezes Dagny’s hand, raising an arm to point out the group of penkins again. Their snowy feathers rustle in the breeze as they raise their heads to the heavens. Golden beaks open wide as a symphony of low-toned notes punctuates the silence, filling the air with their heartbreaking song. It’s beautiful and melodic and unlike anything else in this world or any other—and when I look to the side, I’m unsurprised to find Dagny’s eyes welling with unshed tears. The five of us curl around her, embracing our mate as the sonnet dampens, dissipating into the vast nothing of The Far Place.

Knowing this might be the first and last time we feel a moment of peace.

23. Fenryr

23

Fenryr

Malice’s secret lair is a short trip from the ocean, but the journey back takes twice as long due to the powerful blizzard whipping through the land, forcing us in the opposite direction of where we want to fly. Every now and then, I’ll turn my head to check on Dagny, only to be struck by the breathtaking sight of her soaring through the storm. Her face is the picture of serenity, and an air of power radiates from her skin, rivaling the raging wind. I know the others are thinking the same things as I am. It’s mirrored in their eyes, in the rush of adoration that thrums through our shared bond. They’re in awe of her. The beauty of her mind, the light of her soul, and the strength of her heart.