Chapter 176

Chapter 176
Freya‘s pov.
"We're almost there," I said with a wide grin.
Arius snorted behind me. "You said that three hours ago."
I turned around on my saddle to face him, pouting dramatically. "But this time, I really mean it."
His laugh was rare, but when it came, it was deep and genuine. It made my chest flutter. "Do you ever stop talking?"
"Are you mocking me?" I raised an eyebrow.
"No," he said, squinting at me. "Just saying... right now, you look like a kid eager to open birthday presents."
I smirked. "Arius, I'm eighteen. Compared to you, I'm basically a baby."
That made him laugh again, and I couldn’t help but smile wider.
"You should laugh more often," I told him, meaning it.
"Only you manage to be this annoying and endearing at the same time."
We rode in a brief, content silence, until my thoughts drifted.
"Arius?"
"Hmm?"
"What will you do once we bring back Reyna and Hera? Once we complete the ritual and you're mortal again?"
He scratched the back of his neck. "Well, I did lose a solid opportunity for land and power... something tells me Dorian won’t exactly be welcoming me into his council."
"I'll talk to him," I offered quickly. "He’ll understand."
Arius looked at me with an almost sad amusement. "Freya, if you honestly believe Dorian or even Tiberius will forgive us just because you talk to them... You might be the most naive woman alive. If I had a say in this, I'd..."
He trailed off.
"You'd what?" I pressed.
But before he could answer, he reined in his horse, his body going tense.
"We're being followed. It's been behind us for a while now. It's getting closer."
My heart skipped. I dismounted quietly and moved beside him. "Is it dangerous?"
He sniffed the air and smirked. "Not really. At least not for me. But I am curious. Selene, come out."
"Selene?" I echoed in disbelief.
From behind the thick underbrush, the familiar figure stepped out. Dirty, pale, yet still with that fire in her eyes.
"Don't even think of sending me back. I'm going to the Valley whether you like it or not. You'll have to kill me to stop me."
I puffed my cheeks. "Arius, can you kill her, please?"
Both of them stared at me.
Selene scoffed. "And you say you’re different from me? You have as much hate in your heart as I once had. Maybe more. But the difference? I changed. You?"
I took a step toward her, but Arius grabbed my arm. "Don’t. Not yet."
"How did you track us for so long?" Arius asked, eyeing Selene. "You look like death warmed over."
"Because I have no choice," she growled. "Without Freya's blood, everything burns inside me. It's constant. My wolf is gone. I need the Mirror. I need my life back."
"Well, tough luck," I snapped. "I'm using it to bring back Reyna and Hera."
Arius dropped to the ground with a sigh, stretching out on the grass. He plucked a long blade of it and stuck it in his mouth, watching us argue.
Selene stepped forward. "You think you're the only one who lost something? The only one who deserves redemption?"
"I'm not doing this for redemption," I said sharply. "I'm doing this because I sacrificed Reyna and Hera so we could win the war—this wasn't just a mistake, it was a deliberate choice. Now I have a chance to make it right."
"Same damn thing," she spat.
I narrowed my eyes. " We all lost people, Selene. But you didn’t lose Reyna and Hera—I gave them up. I chose to sacrifice them so we could win the war."
"Oh please, don’t act like you’re the only one who's ever sacrificed anything" Selene sneered. "Freya the martyr. You’re right, everyone else just stood around doing nothing while you saved the world."
"I didn’t say that!" I snapped.
"You didn’t have to. You act like your pain is special. That you're entitled to the Mirror more than I am. But newsflash, princess—you're not."
I took a step forward, fists clenched. "You want to talk about entitlement? You tried to kill me. You almost destroyed everything. You’re lucky I even let you speak."
"Right," she growled. "Because you're so different from me. At least I admit what I am. You pretend to be above it all, but deep down you're just like me. Bitter. Angry. Desperate."
"Enough," Arius said from the grass, his voice low but sharp. "You two are going to end up clawing each other's throats out before we even reach the valley."
We glared at each other until Arius chuckled.
"What are you laughing at?" I barked.
"You both think the Mirror can only fix one thing, for one person?" He sat up.
Selene tilted her head. "Can it fix more?"
"Each person who offers a pure sacrifice gets their own answer," Arius explained. "It’s not one wish. It’s as many as there are worthy offerings."
Her eyes lit up.
I frowned. "Wait, but that means you can still use it for yourself. To become mortal again."
Arius sighed, dropping the blade of grass. "And what do you think I have to offer? What’s pure about me? The Mirror takes equal exchange. I don’t have anything left that’s not stained."
Selene turned pale. "What would it ask of me?"
"Probably something terrible," Arius said. "That’s the price of magic."
I felt my throat tighten. "What if it takes more than I can give? What if it wants something I’m not ready to lose?"
"It will offer you a choice," Arius said gently. "You can always refuse."
I turned sharply to Selene. "Don’t come near me. I don’t trust you. If you want to come, you follow from a distance. And if you try anything—"
"Yes, yes. Bow to your royal commands, my queen," Selene muttered, rolling her eyes.
But I noticed her shoulders sink, her confidence falter.
She wasn't here to fight me.
Behind me, Arius muttered under his breath, "Gods, these women... Do I really want to feel anything? Right now? Absolutely not. I'd rather be battling a wyvern than traveling with two drama queens."