26. Twenty-Six
Adecoy team left earlier this morning by sea. If Vesper and her crew are out sailing, they”ll follow the decoy and buy us some time. I hated giving them the dagger Bastian gave me in hopes the Soul Eaters, if truly out there, would pick up my scent and take the bait, but if it gives us a fighting chance to make it to the Frost Kingdom without issue, then it”s worth it. King Soren assured me the decoy team included the best fire wielders in Tronovia, who could hold their own if confronted. I just don”t want anyone”s blood on my hands should they fall to the demons tracking me.
Shortly after the ship disappears from the harbor, the Harland brothers, Ronan, and Eris grab their packs and mount their horses. I”m so glad Finn and Eris readily volunteered to join the rest of us. The last three days of preparation have been stressful to say the least.
Riggs seemed almost giddy in our last class when I told him why I would be absent for at least a month. He wished he could one day attend Levanora, but he was evidently more excited for me to learn more about my Frost Elf features.
Atlas, however, went about our last official class together as if nothing in the world was bothering him. I still don”t understand how he can switch his emotions off like that. I used to be much better at disguising my true feelings in Midori, but I”ve gotten sloppy here. Probably because I have so many new and unexpected feelings that I”m still learning to cope with.
Honestly, the only enjoyable part of the last three days has been shopping with Eris for new clothes and supplies.
Our entourage is dressed in common traveling clothes, not wanting to draw unwanted attention on our four-day journey to the lakeside village of Haverness, where the Harlands own a cabin. From there, it will be a couple hour journey by boat to reach the capitol city of Elowen. Unbeknownst to me until this morning, we will forgo traveling with a heavily armed escort in order to maintain a low profile. I would normally be filled with trepidation not having armed guards with us, but we have three anomalies, a water wielder, a powerful fire wielder and me. No matter what we face beyond the Tronovian border, I know we”ll stand a fighting chance at coming out on top.
One of the stable hands tugs a white mare around the corner and has her stop in front of me for easy mounting access. She seems to sense my reservations because she pounds her hooves and sputters in disgust, as if to say, she won”t be bearing me today or any other day. I take a small step back to avoid her when she stands up on her back two legs and I slam into something solid. Spinning around, I find Atlas staring down at me, an eyebrow quirked.
”You”ve never ridden a horse before, have you?”
I want to deny the accusation, tell him he”s wrong, that he doesn”t need to be concerned about me, but I”m too tired and stressed to keep up with the facade. ”No,” it pains me to admit. ”I haven”t.”
The smug look I expect to see never flashes across his face. Instead, he extends his hand and quietly, patiently, waits for me to accept. With a firm gentleness, he guides me away from the white mare that would have been mine and escorts me to his own steed. Slipping his hands on either side of my waist, he effortlessly lifts me up and sets me on top of the black beauty.
”What are you doing?” My eyes dart around to see if the others are watching our interaction, before settling on him.
”You”ll ride with me.” He says, shoving his boot into the stirrup and hoisting himself up to settle behind me.
”I”ll ride my own horse,” I protest as his chest presses against my back.
”And when she bucks you off and you break an arm?” He shakes his head. ”I promise to teach you to ride one day, but a four-day journey isn”t the time to test your stubborn will.”
”The others might say something,” I say in hushed tones.
His lips brush my ear when he leans forward to grab the reigns, ”Then let them talk.”
His arm slips around my waist and his palm lands on my stomach, securing me on the horse. With the other hand, he tugs the beast, signaling our departure. I dare a glance at our companions and catch Eris and Nyx grinning at each other, as if they knew something like this was bound to happen. There”s no use fighting it, so I lean into Atlas” chest and accept my fate. I”m sure I”ll get teased about this encounter at the first opportune moment, but I”d be a liar if I said his pine and leather scent didn”t set my soul on fire. Now the real challenge: keeping my thoughts and feelings from making my hands glow.
Instead of trotting through the main drag of the city, we take the path Atlas showed me through the Old Kingdom. Once we reach the woods, instead of going straight, we cut to the right and head north. I”m struck with wonder as the terrain changes the further we get from the crescent shaped city of Tronovia. The forest changes from thick and green to autumnal with the leaves boasting red, orange, yellow and purple. The weather also begins to transform once the snowcapped mountains come into view, from a pleasant cool to a bitter cold.
Apart from setting up camp and eating whatever Finn roasts over the fire, our journey is mostly on horseback. The horse I was supposed to ride solo is still accompanying us, but instead of carrying me, she bears some of the supplies and seems happier for it.
Towards the end of the third day, we make camp, with promise that tomorrow morning we”ll finish the last couple hours of the trip to the lakeside cabin. Thank the Stars! I don”t think I can last much longer traveling on horseback. For one, my ass is sore, and my back feels like I have a hundred needles pricking me. And two, I don”t know how much longer I can concentrate on keeping my hands from glowing while pressed against Atlas for eight to ten hours a day.
Apart from inconsequential inconveniences, there is one thing I”m very fond of while camping, and it”s our bonfire storytelling sessions. Over the last couple of nights, the Harland brothers have taken turns telling spooky tales they heard as children, but tonight, Ronan is telling us about the time he went hunting with his father and saw a ghost. I”ve never personally seen one, but I feel like if all the creatures Professor Riggs has taught me about existed at one point in time, then I”m sure ghosts might, too.
Once we”ve eaten our fill of Finn”s hearty rabbit stew, Atlas goes for his nightly walk to check the surrounding area before we all settle down for the evening. Eris busies herself helping Finn with the empty dishes, using her affinity to clean everything we used, while Ronan and Nyx arm-wrestle to see who has to take the first watch.
I”m tired of sitting, so I hop up to stretch my legs. I know better than to wander off by myself, so I stick to the area where I”m still within sight, to examine the intricately carved rocks we passed earlier. There seem to be hundreds of these boulders clustered together and if my eyes aren”t deceiving me, I could swear the carvings look like faces. Different expressions of pain or anger plastered for all to see. How odd not to make at least a few of these rocks smiling or laughing. They all look so ominous, and it sends a little shiver down my spine.
”You alright?” Ronan startles me enough to make me jump. ”Sorry,” he chuckles. ”Didn”t mean to frighten you.”
”It”s fine.” Without taking my eyes from the rock, I ask, ”Who carved these?”
”Carved what?”
An irritated huff escapes my lips. How does he not notice the markings? I wave my hand in front of the boulders, ”Those faces in the rocks.”
He blinks at me as if I”ve said the most insane thing in the world. ”Those aren”t carvings,” he points where I”m staring. ”Those are Frost Giants.”
”Frost Giants?” Skepticism mars my face. ”If this is like your ghost story – ”
”First of all,” he cuts me off with a semi-serious frown, ”I did see a ghost, but that”s beside the point.” He shifts to make himself comfortable before starting his tale. ”Hundreds of years ago, the Frost Giants roamed these lands, terrorizing humans and Frost Elves alike. The Frost King called upon his magical kin, and the Tronovians, his strongest ally, to fight back. Seeing they were losing the battle, the Frost King made the decision to use his magic to freeze the giants on the battlefield. Expending that much of his magic nearly killed him, but he ended the bloodbath and saved those who remained.”
I glance at Nyx, who joined us just as Ronan began talking, for confirmation. When he nods, I turn back to Ronan. ”He must have been extremely powerful to do this.”
”From my understanding, he”s still just as powerful, albeit cranky in his old age.”
”Are you saying he”s still alive?” My mouth drops.
Ronan bobs his head, ”Armas Basilius is still King of the Frost Elves and is our host for the next few weeks.”
After I stare at the rocks for what they are – frozen Frost Giants – we collectively turn and head back toward the bonfire where Eris and Finn are sipping on some hot cocoa.
”Do you think King Armas will help me find out why I have Frost Elf features?”
The prince barks out a laugh and shakes his head. ”The Frost King isn”t known for being helpful, and in the off chance he is feeling generous, he will want you to offer him something you value most. There”s a slim chance you might be able to persuade Thrane to help you though.”
”Thrane?”
”Thrane Basilius is King Armas” grandson. His father died in the Great War making him the heir to the Frost Throne.”
”He”s a horse”s ass, if you ask me,” Nyx huffs.
”He is conniving,” Ronan agrees without missing a beat, ”and he”s certainly unbothered by the troubles of others, but from what I”ve heard about him, he”s never turned his back to a pretty face.” His eyebrows bounce playfully and my stomach sours at the thought of what kind of favor the elf prince would want in return for aiding me.
I crinkle my nose, ”I”d rather take my chances with the cranky Frost King.”
Nyx laughs but a grave look washes over Ronan”s face. ”Be careful, Shaye. You seem to be making a lot of deals with powerful men lately.”
”I”ve made one deal with one powerful man and that”s your father. He”s different.”
”Is he?”
The question stops me dead in my tracks. ”You”re scaring me.”
”I apologize,” his eyes soften. ”My father is a good man, but he”s first and foremost the King of Tronovia. He will always have our people”s best interest at the forefront of his mind. If it ever came down to helping you or saving Tronovia, he would abandon you without question. All rulers do it. Just be careful what you promise them.”
”Not all leaders rule that way.”
”Yes, they do.”
”Are you saying you”ll be just like that when you become king?” I challenge, and he doesn”t back down.
He nods. ”Just as you will when you are queen. Our personal desires mean nothing in the end. Our people and country are all that matter.”
”Damn, Rone,” Finn motions for us to join him and Eris by the campfire. ”You”re rather cheerful this evening.” He hands us mugs of hot cocoa as we perch on the fallen logs. ”Problems with your father?”
”When do we not have problems?” Ronan huffs, blowing the steam wafting from his mug. He takes a long sip, eyes not focused on anyone in particular. ”We had a bit of a disagreement before I left.”
”What happened this time?” Eris makes room for me to share her blanket and tugs it tighter around our shoulders.
It takes Ronan a few seconds to muster the right words. With a disgruntled huff he confesses, ”I am expected to take a wife by this time next year. Heirs must be sired to ensure the future of the Delaney line.”
Nyx chuckles, wiping chocolate from his mouth with the back of his hand. ”Oh, is that all? To be fair, you knew this day was coming. You”re the future king.”
”Of course, I knew this day was coming,” he barks, but quickly presses a hand to his chest to calm himself down. ”I just didn”t think it would be this soon,” he says softly. ”I”m way too young to be shackled to one woman for the rest of my life. No offense, ladies.” He glances apologetically at me and Eris. ”I wish he would give me a chance to find someone on my terms.”
”I take it you”re against arranged marriages then.” I say, feeling a bitter taste in my mouth for them myself.
”No disrespect, Shaye, but look at how well an arranged marriage worked out for you and Eris.”
”Well, that”s not entirely fair,” Finn finally inserts himself into the conversation. ”I doubt your future fiancé is plotting to unleash a disgruntled demon or…” He trails off, his eyes darting toward Eris. ”Maybe we should change the subject.”
Eris slips her hand out from our shared blanket and squeezes his forearm. ”It”s ok, Finn. Ronan is right. Arranged marriages don”t always turn out the way one would hope – ”
”See,” Ronan quips. ”Arranged marriages are disasters in the making.”
”That”s not what I said,” Eris fires back. ”Not all arranged marriages are disasters.”
”I don”t understand how you of all people can say that, Eris,” the prince shakes his head, clearly irritated no one is backing him up.
”Your parents had an arranged marriage, did they not?”
”That”s different – ”
”And they are happy together, yes?” she interrupts.
”They are the exception,” he stares into his half-full mug. ”Not everyone is as fortunate as them.”
”Just because it didn”t work for me, doesn”t mean it can”t work for you.”
I grab Ronan”s hand and squeeze when he remains silent. ”Who is she?”
”I don”t know yet.” He shrugs, flicking his gaze to meet mine. ”My father hasn”t chosen any prospects.”
”Your father seems like a reasonable man. Perhaps you can make a deal with him?” I suggest. ”Agree to get married by this time next year, but you have a say in who you marry.”
”You clearly don”t know how arranged marriages work, Kitarni.” Nyx stretches his legs and cracks his neck as Atlas stomps back from his nightly scouting session and plops down on a log across the bonfire from me. ”Uncle Soren isn”t going to agree to that.”
”Ignore him, Ronan.” I flash Nyx a dirty look to which he lifts his hands as if questioning what he did wrong. ”It”s worth it to ask.”
”He”s going to say no, by the way,” Nyx says, drawing a frown from me.
”That”s encouraging,” I scoff.
”Why give the man false hope?” He swats his hand around aimlessly.
”Just because you aren”t being forced into an arranged marriage doesn”t give you the right to be an ass about it.”
”I”m always an ass,” he returns. ”Why are you so steamed about it now? It”s not like you have to go through with marrying Bastian. You can marry whoever you want now. Welcome to the club.”
”It”s not that simple,” I spit back, my bottom lip quivering.
Nyx”s mouth drops and anger flashes in his hazel eyes. ”Seven hells, Kitarni! You aren”t considering still marrying him?”
I can almost sense Atlas suck in a breath. ”Last I checked,” I grit my teeth, ”I”m still the heir to the Midorian Throne. If not Bastian, I”ll just be married off to someone else.”
”After everything you”ve been through, learned about yourself and about them, you would willingly go back?” Atlas” voice feels like a slap from across the fire and garners my undivided attention.
”It”s my duty. It”s what is expected of me, Atlas.”
He scoffs, shaking his head, breaking eye contact with me. ”That”s fucking insane.”
”Watch your tone,” I bark.
”If you go back, you will fall into the same hollow shell of what they created you to be.” His eyes are ferocious and strike fear into me. ”You”ll be a prisoner in your own home, ostracized for your magic. You”ll be a queen with no crown and a husband will rule in your stead. Is that what you want? For the sake of fulfilling some warped sense of responsibility to a people who don”t accept you as you are?”
”And what would you suggest I do?” I jump to my feet and raise my voice. ”Pledge my life and allegiance to your king? Stay in Tronovia and forget everything else I”ve ever known? What do you want me to – ”
He hops up, matching my body language and demands, ”Stay with me.” Everyone, including myself, is taken aback, and he quickly corrects himself. ”Stay with us. You have a home in Tronovia, if you want it. You know that.”
”Atlas…” The rest of what I”m about to say dies on the tip of my tongue. My gaze darts from him to something that moved just beyond him in the trees. I narrow my eyes, trying to make out if I”m seeing something that warrants me being on my guard. The tiny hairs on my arms stand on end, and I know something is wrong. ”Atlas,” I whisper, eyes wide.
He immediately understands my hushed plea. With the flick of his wrists, two shadowy swords appear in his hands, and he turns in the direction I”m staring. Once he arms himself, the others follow suit.
Quietly, we wait. I”m tempted to throw a shield over the entire group, but if I play that card too early, whoever is out there might not show themselves.
Several agonizing minutes pass and no one has moved a muscle or so much as whispered anything. I”m beginning to think I was imaging the entire thing, but then something stirs again in the tree line. This time, it comes toward us. I squint, trying to get a better look.
The creature emerges and the moonlight beams down on it, revealing its wolf-like body. I know for a fact that it”s not a wolf, but something more sinister. The closer it slinks, I am able to see patches of fur missing and brutal scars marring its skinny, albeit enormous, body. It doesn”t look like a strong beast, but from the sharp claws and agile frame, I”m sure it”s quick and vicious.
”What is it?” I whisper loud enough for Ronan standing beside me to hear.
”Hellhound,” is all he says in response when we catch sight of its red eyes, and that”s all I need to know.
Thank the Stars that Professor Riggs was more than happy to share all his knowledge with me about the lore of mythological creatures, because I don”t need to bother anyone with dozens of questions. Hellhounds are scraggly wolf-like creatures that hail from the Underworld. Drogon used them to track down his enemies.
”Vesper,” I mutter to myself. It”s possible she”s here, but it”s more plausible she dispatched these hellhounds to track me down in the event I left Tronovia.
Where there is one hellhound, there will most certainly be more. But it”s not the hellhounds you should fear, it”s their masters. Riggs” lectures flood my mind. We”ve seen one hellhound, but my hands tremble at the thought of seeing one of their owners.
I thought Soul Eaters were frightening, but they”re nothing compared to the Ongok. Scrawny bodies, with unnaturally long arms and bony fingers, the Ongok”s facial features are undetectable behind the stag skeleton head they use for masks with antlers stretching like tree branches high above them. They walk with zero motivation yet attack in swift fury. They are some of the ghoulish creatures I was hoping Riggs had been exaggerating about, but I”m starting to realize his tales and research are indeed accurate when the master of the hellhound inching closer to us appears.
I stiffen. The rough sketches of this demonic duo don”t nearly do them justice at how truly monstrous they are.
The Ongok screeches something in a language I”ve never heard before, and dare say I hope to never hear uttered in my presence ever again.
”Vigilo,” Atlas issues the Tronovian command, provoking the others to turn around, maintaining our circle but with our backs facing one another”s. I follow suit once I understand what they”re doing, and whip around, my body on high alert. I might not have understood what the foul creature said, but I”m certain Atlas did, or at least understood what was coming next.
Just as I feared, two more hellhounds with their masters appear on my side of the tree line and my heart nearly stops dead in my chest.
I am not afraid. I am not afraid. I am not afraid.
I repeat the phrase over and over and over again in my mind, combatting my fear before it has an opportunity to truly take root in my heart.
Trees rustle on either side of me and I see two more duos on each side. By my count, there are seven masters and hellhounds. One of the Ongok in front of me takes a step forward, earning my attention. He points a skeletal finger in my direction and says in a whispered voice that will haunt me at night, ”The girl belongs to Vesper. The rest belong to us.”
With confirmation that Vesper did send them, anger flares within me, and the need to protect my friends floods me. ”If you want me, come and claim me.”
That”s all the Ongok needs to lunge for me, and although the hellish abominations are quick, thankfully, my magic is faster. I throw a shield around the group seconds before they reach us. They pound on the golden force field with reckless abandon and show no signs of tiring anytime soon.
”What”s the plan, Atlas?” I ask, strain in my voice as I fight to maintain the shield.
”We split up,” he says, stomping toward me. ”Eris and Finn, you take the northern ground. Nyx and Ronan, head straight east. I”ll get Shaye to the cabin and wait for you all there. Be there by morning, understood?”
With everyone in agreement, I wait for Atlas to give me further instructions.
He presses his chest against my back and whispers in my ear, ”Instead of dropping your shield, can you blast it away?”
I nod. ”Yes.”
”Good,” he says softly, his breath tickling my ear. ”That should give us a few seconds of a head start.”
”Tell me when.”
I feel his hands perch on my waist, as if steadying me for the task he”s asked of me. ”Now!”
Instead of lowering the shield, I do as Atlas asked and shove my hands outward, blasting the golden force field at our assailants. The blow is powerful enough to knock them off their feet and momentarily stun them.
”Go!” Atlas grabs my hand and tugs me in the opposite direction of the other two groups. With lighting speed, the six of us mount our horses and take off.
As sick as I am from the speed of which we”re going, Atlas keeps me secure in front of him as we weave through the leafless trees. I dare a look behind us and see three groups have chased after us.
”We can”t lead them to the village, Atlas, they”ll kill everyone – ”
”I know,” he cuts me off. ”That”s why we”re leading them to the river.”
”The river? Isn”t it frozen?”
”Ongok can”t swim. If they follow us onto the ice, blast it out from under them.”
His quickly thought-out plan is now taking form in my mind. He knew most of the Ongok would chase after me and the best way for us to defeat them was to test their sheer will by threatening them with the one thing they couldn”t defeat. Water.
When we reach the river, we hop off our horse and Atlas slaps the steed”s hindquarters and has it take off down the embankment, with the white mare carrying our supplies nipping at his heels. Grabbing my hand, Atlas pulls me across the iced over river. We slip and slide toward the center, and even though I nearly fall at least half a dozen times, I never hit the ice because Atlas doesn”t allow it.
We make it halfway before the Ongok and their hellhounds begin to cross after us. I didn”t see any weapons on them, meaning the only tactic they have in defeating us is melee attacks. I”m not naive enough to believe I can beat them in hand-to-hand combat, despite how much better I”ve gotten. One swipe of those claws and I”ll probably lose a limb.
”Aim for their chests, if they get too close to you,” Atlas steadies me. ”Only blast the ice beneath them, if they”re at a distance. I don”t want you falling in.”
I nod, ”Chests and ice.”
”Shield yourself.” He orders.
”What about you?”
”Don”t worry about me,” his violet eyes meet mine. ”No matter what happens to me, keep yourself safe, do you understand?”
I want to argue with him, but there isn”t time. The Ongok sic their hellhounds on us and Atlas slides on his knees toward one and slices his shadowy swords across the beast”s chest and neck. Atlas flicks his head up at the two remaining hellhounds as three chunks of the beast he”s cut up skitter across the ice. I”m so mesmerized watching him fight that I nearly miss the two Ongok circling toward me.
I throw up my shield. Then I realize, if I don”t fight back, I”ll run out of energy to maintain the forcefield, and they don”t look to be in any rush to abandon their quest to claim me. It”s time to quit being on the defensive and start showing my enemies why they should fear me. I slam my shield down as they get closer, slicing into the ice and watch as the crack zig zags toward them, widening the further it goes. One Ongok”s foot gets caught and even though he attempts to recover from the fall, he isn”t fast enough and slips into the icy water beneath us. The second one is more agile, and I dare say, faster than his companion, and hops over the crack and zooms toward me.
I spare a glance at Atlas to make sure he”s ok only to find three dead hellhounds at his feet, and him dueling the third Ongok. I breathe in relief knowing he”s holding his own, but when I turn my gaze back to the creature, I”m surprised and terrified he”s not there.
”What the hell?” I mutter to myself, fear gripping my heart and squeezing.
”She said you might give me trouble,” the monster whispers from behind me. The second I spin around, his bony hand seizes my throat, and he effortlessly lifts me off the ground. ”Honestly, I”m disappointed. I thought you”d put up more of a fight.”
I kick, but don”t make contact with him. Wrapping my hands around his arm, I allow my anger to flare up and char his forearm just like I did Vesper”s. He bellows in anguish, dropping me from his vice-grip.
”You bitch!” he seethes, crumpled on the ice, nursing his burn.
”How disappointing,” I say, taking a few steps away from him. ”I thought you”d put up more of a fight.” I blast the ice underneath him and watch as he falls in, flailing and screaming. I don”t move until I watch the Ongok”s head dip underneath the water and wait to make sure he doesn”t come back up.
The last Ongok punches Atlas, drawing a pained groan from him. Atlas scurries to stand to his feet, but the demon has no intention of letting Atlas get back up to defend himself and kicks him square in the chest, sending him flying. Landing on his back with a crunch, Atlas holds his ribcage to catch his breath. The creature he”s fighting stomps toward him, looking to finish Atlas off.
I slip and slide, but do my best to sprint to Atlas, disregarding what he said about taking care of myself above all else. I don”t have a clean shot at the creature”s chest, and if I blast the ice under him, Atlas is sure to fall in too. So, in a last-ditch effort to save him, I throw a shield around Atlas and tackle the Ongok from the side. Without thinking things through, I blow through the ice, and we fall in together.
The water is so cold, my body immediately goes into shock. A gasp of air escapes me, and panic rises within me. I have to remind myself that I”m an excellent swimmer and begin to make my way back up to the surface, but I”m stopped short when a bony hand wraps around my ankle and drags me deeper into the darkness.
I refuse to let this be my end. I kick, but once again find myself short of hitting my mark. I think of Atlas and how desperate I am to see him again. With that one thought fueling my body and distracting me from my aching lungs, I aim my glowing hands at the demon and fire a ball of light at him. The attack works, and his hold on me is broken as he sinks deeper. I kick, stroking and fighting my way to the hole I fell through, but my eyes grow heavy, and my frozen limbs refuse to do as I command.
I”m sinking and there”s nothing I can do to stop it from happening.
Suddenly, a shadowy tendril spears through the water and slips around my torso, pulling me to the surface. Once my head breaks the surface, I gasp in the deepest breath of air I can before I”m pulled out of the water to see Atlas hovering over me.
”Stay with me, Shaye,” is all I hear before everything goes dark.