Chapter 6 Hell is Cold
Hell is Cold
ANNA
Crisp air stung my skin as I squinted against blinding sunlight. I shielded my eyes as my skin froze.
It was so cold.
My heart pounded as I strained to see through the floods of light pouring across my face. Finally, evergreen peaks came into view. I sucked in a sharp breath. This couldn’t be real.
It was like no time had passed, but I was clearly no longer in North Carolina.
Several inches of powdery snow covered the ground in a forest far less dense than I was used to.
I glanced around for a sign or something to alleviate my rapidly increasing anxiety, but nope.
Nothing. Not even a footprint. No birds, no creature in sight—just ominous sounds in the distance that sounded like ice shifting.
I shivered in the cold. Someone had changed my clothes—I was in wool leggings, thick-soled boots, and a fitted, long-sleeved leather jacket that was structured and cinched. It was thick and heavy, but not nearly warm enough. The wind still pierced my leather gloves.
What had I agreed to? I turned around, searching for anything man-made, but it was white as far as the eye could see.
I caught movement in my peripheral vision.
A white fox popped his head up, watching me for a moment.
Ice clung to his eyelashes. At first, I was glad to see another living creature, but when he turned, he revealed red stains on his fur before scurrying off and disappearing in the snow.
I started walking, moving quicker than before, my nerves firing as I glanced at the horizon.
The sun was at least a few hours from setting, but that wouldn’t matter if I didn’t find somewhere to take shelter before dark.
I couldn’t believe I’d signed up for this nonsense. My footprints were being swallowed by snow drifts as soon as I took a step. This wasn’t good—it was too cold, even with my style upgrade.
I moved faster, the snow crunching as I passed through the pines. Sticking my hands in my pockets, I felt something. Pulling out a small slip of yellow parchment, I stared at it.
I scanned the text. It was a poem, or a riddle, or something.
Were they serious?
This was my task? Because getting dumped half-frozen at the North Pole wasn’t cryptic enough. The chill was creeping deeper into my skin. I swallowed painfully and anxiously reread the text.
When light hides the dark,
Life begins with a spark.
When dark takes the light,
Life will struggle with all its might.
Descent bleeds power in a vibrant hue,
With bruising that follows right on queue.
Long enough for one to see,
The path to light and dark may both be.
I stared at the tiny, stupid piece of paper. What was that supposed to mean? How was this supposed to be helpful? I shivered and glanced around for a path, or a light, or whatever it was talking about before shoving the parchment in my pocket.
I moved through the forest long enough that my entire body felt numb, but there was nothing but trees, snow, and mountains on the horizon.
The branches quaked under the heavy snow, the occasional crack quickening my step.
The sun was beginning to set, and dark clouds were moving in.
Howls sounded all around me as the temperature continued to drop.
I felt it biting into my fingers through the gloves, the numbness setting in.
Not good. Frostbite didn’t take long.
I scanned for dry wood to burn, but everything was wet, frozen, and wrong.
“Hello?” I called, desperate for anyone or anything, to make this cold stop.
My voice echoed around me.
My breath condensed in the air before me. Ice pellets struck my cheek, and I looked up at the cloudy sky, a forceful wind whipping my hair from my shoulders.
“Damn it,” I muttered, moving under a tree.
My heart raced as I stared up at the towering pine.
I was running out of daylight. Grabbing the tree, I wrapped my legs around the thick trunk, bark scraping my thighs.
My arms burned. If I fell, there’d be nothing but snow waiting to break my fall but I had to get higher.
My body stung as the bark scraped through my clothes. Positioning my foot on a branch, I pushed.
Snap.
My weight dropped out beneath me, the slack in my arms gone in an instant. I smacked against the trunk, holding on with only my upper body strength. It felt like every muscle in my arms were stretching beyond their limits.
Pain shot like fire up my arm as I reached for another branch to secure my weight against. A groan escaped my cracked, dry lips.
With a final pull, I emerged above the treetops.
The sun was setting on the horizon, the starry night chasing it to the world’s edge.
Deep purples and reds formed like bruises as the sun sank.
It cast odd, shimmering lights through the snow-laden terrain, lighting it up with sparkles as if the snow were sprinkled with gemstones.
The mountainside looked different, too. The ice crystals glittered vibrantly, hitting the rock face like a light show.
I might have found it beautiful if I weren’t freezing to death.
All but one part.
I stared at it, squinting. Why was one part unlit? I grasped the tree tightly, pulling the parchment out of my pocket.
Descent bleeds power in a vibrant hue,
With bruising that follows right on queue.
Long enough for one to see,
The path to light and dark may both be.
That was it. This stupid poem was talking about a cave.
My heart was racing. I had to get there. If not, I was going to freeze to death here. I’d be found frozen solid, curled up in the fetal position with a fucking riddle in my pocket.
I climbed halfway down the tree before jumping into the snow. The shadows were fading into darkness as I ran. An owl hooted in the distance as snow started to fall. At least I wouldn’t die out here alone.
I shivered as I tried to stay focused on which direction I was going. I couldn’t feel my fingers anymore.
Somehow, I kept moving. Ahead, through the branches, I saw the cliff face, the evening light nearly gone. This had to be more than just shelter. Was it a tunnel? Perhaps leading to Nightfall?
My heart leaped, and I started to sprint. The air I dragged into my lungs was so piercing that I stumbled into the snow.
As I lay there, the deep cold in my bones began to subside as if death’s cloak was slipping over me. What was this? Why sedate someone and leave them out in the middle of nowhere?
A surge of heat flowed through me, and a pain shot through my limbs as the feeling in my fingers and toes returned. Growling, I rasped in cold, sharp air and rose. Shadows shifted between the trees as I moved toward the rocky slope where I’d seen the cave.
I trekked up as far as possible, grabbed a frozen rock, and pulled myself up the steep terrain.
This was crazy. I’d trained most of my life, and this was still incredibly difficult.
Did they think normal people could do this?
I clutched the next jagged rock I found and pulled as I cursed under my breath.
Despite all logic, I glanced down. If I fell, I’d be buried in the snow in no time. They wouldn’t even find me.
My vision blurred as I reached for the next sharp edge. I closed my eyes, fighting vertigo as the world spun around me. I could barely feel the icy rock against my hand.
The rock was there; I just had to hold on.
I’m almost there.
Reaching for the edge, my hand slipped, but I hung on desperately. The towering pines were fading in and out. The darkness was near, cold and still as death. Finally, I lifted one leg after the other and heaved myself up over the ledge.
I tried to breathe, but it was like the air was frozen. For a moment, I was warm, but why did the warmth feel wrong? I should stay here and let it take me. That made the most sense.
I blinked, and crushing aches and pains tore through me as I lifted my head, looking into the dark cavern.
I groaned and forced myself up onto my elbows.
A deep splitting pain made it hard to see.
Had I just blacked out? I couldn’t feel my hands anymore, and my lips wouldn’t move.
Who knows how long I’d been lying there.
I needed to get away from the cave’s entrance and that brutal wind.
A wave of heat rushed through my body, and I pushed through the pain and got to my feet, stumbling deeper into the cave.
Inside, there was perfect darkness swallowing all light like a black hole.
Still, the further in I went, the wind’s power waned.
I tucked myself against the cavern wall and wrapped my arms around my knees.
It was dry. Cold, but dry. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I made out something across from me against the opposite wall.
Crawling to it, I felt a thick cloth. Tears dampened my skin as I pulled the heavy cloak over me.
The warmth was a bliss I’d never experienced before, and I cried out in elation as I wrapped myself in it.
I closed my eyes, my laughter calming as I wondered if the little white fox had found shelter too.
I awoke to a tremor coursing through my body. I was shaking from the deep cold that had taken hold of me. Ice had formed on my eyelashes. I thought of the fire burning and crackling in The Squelching Mink, wishing I were before or even in it. Either would work.
The slow rhythm of my heart beat on, and I willed it to keep going. Death wasn’t something I was afraid of, but this wasn’t how I wanted to go. I wasn’t sure how I’d survived the night, but whatever awoke me had given me a chance.
One I had to act on quickly.
I forced my eyes open; it was still dark—maybe an hour left before dawn. I rose to my feet, my blood flowing faster, which set off every nerve ending in my body.