"I- I have kill- killed my sister-" Adrianna stuttered. Her face was smeared with blood. She looked blankly at Dmitri who held her tightly in his embrace. She was quivering so much that he stroked her back, held her head against his chest and pressed his lips on the crown of her head.

"Shh…" he tried to calm her. "Adri… I am so sorry darling."

​​

Adrianna's eyes went to her sister who was lying on the black rock with blood dribbling out from the heart. She remembered her wide eyes when she drove the dagger into her heart. She had gasped and the blood spilled on the black rock like rain splattering. Kayla's lifeless body was slumped there.

Adrianna shuddered and then with a loud noise started howling. "How could I kill Kayla?" She could never understand that in that last minute how she saw herself through the eyes of Ed.

Everyone else stood there on the slope of the mountain silently waiting for her to calm down.

"Adrianna, I am very sorry for what happened but we must complete the task that is ahead of us else our mission would fail. The sun sets soon here. If you don't go to meet Elder, we might get stuck in a killer blizzard with no resources to help us. Your magic is limited in these grounds," Mun warned.

She looked at Mun with teary eyes. How would he understand her misery? Dmitri cupped her face in his hands and kissed her tears, the way she had kissed his away. "I love you…" He wanted to convey that he was her strength. She felt that through their heart beats that were in tandem. "Go darling…" He removed her from his embrace and held her shoulders

Adrianna composed herself and nodded. She wiped her hands on her white fur coat. Dmitri used his gloves to wipe the blood on her face. She looked up at the blue-tinged peak and took a deep breath.

With Dmitri's help she climbed up the plateau. The wall around her appeared again sealing her inside. Panic rose in those who saw her locked on the other side. Dmitri extended his hand to the wall and so did Adrianna from the other side. "I'll be right here Adri. I won't leave until you come out."

She nodded with a faint smile. Her mate. He would never leave her…

She turned and walked to Elder's abode – the blue-tinged peak that was glowing like a jewel.

From afar she couldn't see any entrance but when she reached near the foot of the peak, she saw three small blue birds flapping their wings around a jagged rock. They would circle the rock, peck on it and then take to flight. It seemed they were trying to talk to the rock or urging it to move from its place.

Adrianna smiled when the birds came and flew in a circle over her head. One of them pecked her. "Ouch!" she skittered her hand to remove them and looked at the peak to find the entrance.

"You have to turn this rock," came a shrill voice from behind.

Skittered turned to look at the source of voice. One of the birds was staring in her direction. She pecked the peak again. "You need to turn this rock for entering Elder's abode."

Adrianna's mouth dropped. She blinked her eyes, went to the rock and turned it clockwise. With a roar that could create an avalanche, the door, which was the part of the snow clad peak earlier, opened.

Adrianna walked in. As soon as she entered the door closed and the rock went back in its position.

It was pitch dark inside and she tried to conjure her magic to create light but it didn't work. Scared, she took a step forward and a torch on the wall lit throwing some light on the pathway. Relieved, she walked further inside until the light could take her and then just before she stepped in darkness, another torch lit. The process continued until about a dozen torches lit and she entered a room that was full of snow and icicles. Large icicles that hang from the roof, and jutted out of the floor. When she reached the center she looked up. She was standing right beneath the blue-tinged peak.

"Who seeks me?" a heavy voice echoed inside.

Adrianna flinched as she darted her eyes around to see who was speaking. Her eyes settled on a very old kind-looking wizard with a very long beard sitting on an ice throne that was located at the far corner of the room. His body was covered with tiny crystals of snow that were slowly circling him while making a dim whirring sound. Only his face could be seen and the beard that fell till the ground.

She gulped.

Adrianna walked to him and bowed. "I- I am Adrianna," she curtsied. She was feeling slightly panicky.

Elder watched her intently. He waved his hand. "You shouldn't have taken the risk of coming here. You have the ruler of the Wizard Kingdom in your womb." He sounded annoyed.

She pursed her lips. "Surely you know my reason for coming here, Elder," she pleaded.

"Don't doubt that child ever. Ileus is the most powerful being that will be born on this earth. If he demands blood, give him."

Adrianna was horrified. Her internal chest pressure made her forget to breathe.

"Ileus has the power to walk in the past, present and future."

"Holy wolf spirits!" she loosed a breath.

"Most wizards and witches are born with a channel that connects them with the source of magic they perform," said Elder. "Some wizards and witches are born with a larger channel, which means they have access to a strong flow of magic. Imagine that this channel is going to be unlimited for Ileus, therefore he would be the most powerful wizard."

The whirring snow came to a stop. Adrianna didn't even notice it.

"A normal wizard would need to go to the academy to hone their raw skills. In the case of Ileus, he will only become more powerful just by exercising his magic."

The snow crystals started to melt slowly.

"Right now Ileus is fighting a battle in future along with Faes to ward off Demons from their lands. He is seriously injured and needs help. Perhaps he has reached out to you for helping him out. And he has demanded blood from his mother."

Adrianna's skin lined with goose bumps. She felt guilty – guilty for coming and asking about her child when all she should have actually done is drink blood and save him.

A layer of snow crystals around Elder blasted and some of the pieces landed on Adrianna. She covered her face with her hands.

"Go back Adrianna, else the child in you will kill me. He is trying to save you from agony."

Adrianna touched her tummy feeling the pleasure of having someone so powerful as her child. There were tears in her eyes and her head was held high. She felt safe and whole – whole as a mother, as a wife and as the Queen of Wizards.

"Thank you," she bowed and walked out. The door behind her closed in a way as if it was never there.

When Dmitri saw her coming out, he rushed to the edge of the slope and held her hand to help her.

She smiled at her mate and thanked him internally for giving her this chance to bear Ileus.