Polar bear.
Her fingers curled around the leathers, anchoring her in place as the wind whispered something enticing from the bear’s direction.
“Look!” Diane pointed, breaking the wind’s spell.
A cold look crossed Steinn’s face at the sight of the bear. August stood, one hand on Niko’s reins, leaning towards the bear, head tilted in confusion.
“Polar bear.” Steinn said the word almost like a curse. “Stay here. I’ll send it on its way. They’re dangerous to have around.” He strode off, one hand on the long knife at his belt. Tonya watched him go, misgiving stirring in her soul.
“August?” Dorian’s quiet question jerked her attention back to the forest faery. He stood stiff and alert, watching Steinn stride toward the bear that now paced back and forth with audible grunts.
August shifted, his expression staying thoughtful. “Nothing. Just never seen a bear like that before.”
Dorian stared at him a moment, solemn features calling August a liar louder than any words could. An unexpected shiver cut across Tonya’s skin as she again had the feeling that there was more going on around her than she knew.
“It’s leaving,” Diane said.
The bear lumbered away from Steinn. Her uncle stood with arms crossed, his posture rigid as he watched the bear retreat toward the trees that marched out onto the tundra from the hills.
August made a thoughtful hum as he watched Steinn walk back to them before turning to care for Niko.
“I cast some warding around us to keep out any other dangerous animals,” Steinn announced as he returned. “We should be safe enough out here now.”
Diane breathed an audible sigh. Tonya couldn’t shake the feeling of disappointment. Maybe it’s because polar bears are the sign of my father’s house and I wanted to see one up close. But the wind felt lonely and empty as it tugged at her loose braid, nothing like the almost warmth it carried when the bear had appeared.
She helped Diane spread out their tent to allow it to build itself. August did the same, and this time Tonya caught the slight flick of magic he sent into the tent to make it grow faster. Steinn watched in interest as he erected his own sealskin tent.
Dorian headed up into the hills to collect firewood. August walked after him, but they parted ways a few steps into the woods. Steinn’s eyes narrowed briefly until August stooped to pick up a fallen branch before disappearing further into the trees.
Dinner was a quiet affair. Tonya’s eyes drooped shut as her sore body called for sleep. Steinn insisted they didn’t need a guard as his warding spell should be sufficient. Dorian and August didn’t argue overmuch, appearing grateful to be able to get a full night’s sleep.
Tonya crawled into the tent along with Diane, curling up under the extra blankets that had been provided. Wind off the tundra rattled the tent in sporadic gusts. The caribou shifted against their ground ties with soft snorts and shuffles. A wolf howled somewhere in the distance, joined one-by-one by the rest of its pack.
Tonya closed her eyes and let the sounds of the north lull her to sleep.
Chapter Twenty-six
The low rumble of voices stirred Tonya awake. Diane was already sitting up, rubbing her eyes and yawning.
“When we get back to Konungburg, I’m going to sleep for a week,” she declared. “And then never leave the house when I get back to Chelm.”
Tonya pushed back her blankets with a laugh. “It’s been a long journey.”
Diane stretched her arms overhead, her fingers brushing the canvas.
“But!” She turned to Tonya. “We’ll find the Lights tonight!”
Tonya’s insides twisted up in nervous excitement. It leaked out into a shaky grin. Diane began rolling her blankets up. Tonya did the same, hands trembling. Magic might soon be able to fall freely from her fingers.
Diane pushed out of the tent first. Dorian and August had already collapsed their tent, packs sitting in neat piles beside them. Steinn was nowhere to be seen, but his caribou waited patiently beside the others.
Tonya placed her bag by the boys’.
“Where’s Steinn?” She took in a deep breath of the crisp air.
“Said he wanted to go make sure that bear wasn’t around.” Dorian extended both of them dried jerky.
Diane grimaced as she tore off a strip. “I’m also never eating anything dried ever again when we get back home.”
Dorian chuckled and Tonya tore her eyes away from the way his face came alight. She focused instead on August, who sat more alert than Dorian in a strange contrast. His gaze flicked around and he occasionally spread his fingers wide as his hands dangled over his knees as if testing the wind.
Tonya swallowed another bite of the flavorless jerky, clearing her throat.
“When is he coming back?” The jittering hadn’t left her joints and the tundra begged to be raced across.
August shifted his shoulders in a shrug, his features relaxing into something more easy. “I don’t know. But he’s been gone awhile.”
“We should get ready so we can leave when he gets back.” Dorian stood, slapping snow from his coat.
Tonya muddled her way through saddling Ransu and fixing her pack in place. She undid his ground tie like the others did and slipped the bridle in place. August walked among the caribou, touching their noses and whispering a soft word. They stood still in obedience, nickering to each other as August returned to wait with the others.
Another ten minutes crept by. Tonya got up and began to walk around. August and Dorian also stood, exchanging worried glances.
“What if something happened?” Diane wrapped her arms across her stomach.
“I’m sure he’s fine.” Tonya tried to force assertiveness in her voice. Diane nodded, pursing her lips in worry and walking away to go rub Raakel’s nose.
Tonya turned to face the north. The mountains were taller in the full light of the sun. Maybe a half day’s run across the flat tundra.
A sharp snort turned her attention to the caribou. They began to mill about, pressing close and grunting to one another. Diane backpedaled from the increasingly frantic waves of their horns.
August darted forward to place himself between her and the anxious animals. Steinn’s caribou tossed his head towards the sky and gave a louder snorting honk, sending the others into a more restless state.
August stretched out his hand, but Niko slammed his forefeet down and lowered his horns. August backed away. Without warning, Steinn’s caribou bolted, taking off parallel to the hills and heading west in a spray of snow. The others followed, leaping away in frantic haste, ignoring August’s call.
“What?” Diane gasped as they disappeared with all their supplies and packs.
“August, can you get them to come back?” Tonya asked.
A heavy crunch disturbed the snow behind her. A shadow fell alongside her. She froze. Faery-like, the head outlined in uneven spikes.
“They’re not coming back,” a deep voice growled. The same as on the beach, but now she knew it as Steinn’s voice. A hand clapped on her shoulder.
Her companions turned at the voice. Steinn murmured under his breath and ice leapt up around her legs and knees, pinning her in place.
“I should have done that before,” he whispered in her ear.
“What are you doing?” She futilely tried to move her legs, teetering precariously.
“Finishing what I started seventy years ago.”
Cold horror swept over her.
“Let her go!” Diane shouted, grabbing her staff. Steinn stepped around Tonya, allowing her full view of his face, a sneer twisting him into something nearly unrecognizable. He flicked his hand almost contemptuously, and a block of ice slammed into Diane.
Tonya gasped as the ice rebounded off Diane, throwing her backwards to skid almost ten feet away, where she lay frighteningly still. The ring of steel brought her attention back to August and Dorian.
August had his sword drawn. Steinn shoved both hands, palms out, sen
ding shards of ice flying towards them. August jumped in front of Dorian and Diane. He twisted, sweeping his arm up in front of himself like a shield. The ice halted in midair, trembling as it hovered.
Steinn curled his lip in derision. August’s arm shook under invisible strain. Tonya tried to jerk her feet free again. She stretched her fingers towards the ice pinning her in place, but the holes in the warding had shrunk in her panic.
Dorian drew his blades, snapping them together with a sharp word. Sweat beaded August’s face.
Steinn stepped forward, keeping his hands outstretched. “Give it up, boy. I’m stronger than you.”
“Dorian!” August gritted.
Tonya’s eyes widened in horror as Dorian settled his feet into a ready stance, prepared to run.
Steinn pressed forward another step. The ice shards bobbled in the air, inching forward. August’s legs began to buckle under the strain.
August dropped his arm. The ice flew forward, targeting him before he could raise his hand again. His grunt of pain as they impacted echoed across the tundra. Tonya screamed as he crumpled to the ground, ice sticking from his chest and arms. His hand sprawled limply beside him.
Dorian sprinted forward, swinging his bladed staff. Steinn brought up his spear to parry. The crack of wood on wood shattered the horrified silence. Dorian slashed his staff in a wide sweep, pivoting to drag his foot along the ice. The earth rumbled in response. Steinn staggered a step.
Dorian swept his foot out again, knocking Diane’s fallen staff towards Tonya. It skittered to a halt a bare pace away. Tonya bent to reach it, the muscles in her legs and back screaming at the tension as she tried to reach it.
Desperate, she stretched out her hand and the ice jittered in response, shoving the staff precious inches closer. Her fingers closed around the polished wood. Straightening with an effort, she began smashing the blunted end against the ice.
Sobbing breaths broke from her in time with each strike. A crack appeared and she dared risk a glance up at where Dorian and Steinn still battled. Steinn struck down with his spear. Dorian blocked the overhead blow, but Steinn kept up the pressure, bearing down with all his strength.
Then he let up. Dorian staggered under the sudden release.
Steinn swept his hand out at the ground. Dorian slid on the sudden slickness of new ice, hitting his knees. Steinn made scooping motion with his hands. Smaller shards of ice leapt from the ground. Their razor sharp points glittered in the sun before Steinn hurled them forward.
Dorian’s eyes widened, and he threw himself down, twisting to place his back to the oncoming assault. His wings spread wide to protect him.
The ice impacted. A hoarse scream broke from him, pummeling its way through Tonya as the shards tore through his coat, embedding in his back, leaving scarlet streaks. A horrible tearing sound came from his left wing as the ice ripped holes in the shining membrane.
Steinn continued the onslaught until Dorian went still. His bloodied hand slipped away from where it had tried to protect the back of his head. His left wing slumped to the ground, twitching weakly. His legs and waist were buried under the piles of snow and ice kicked up by Steinn’s attack.
Tonya’s hands tightened around the staff as Steinn turned to her.
“It wasn’t supposed to happen exactly like this,” he said. “My hand was forced last night.”
Her vision blurred around the corners. She swung the staff at him with a strangled cry. He caught it almost contemptuously and ripped it from her grip. It clattered to the ground.
He grabbed her hands, encasing them in cuffs of ice with a word edged in sharpness. The prison around her legs fractured with another command and she stumbled forward as he tugged her hands.
Only the wind stirred the camp site. Something in her heart twisted it harder than her strangled magic ever had at the sight of Dorian’s torn and bleeding form lying limp in the snow.
Steinn whistled and his caribou trotted out from the woods. Tonya stared at it, but the other four made no appearance. She staggered under his grip as he led her to the animal.
He shoved her into the saddle and sprang up behind her. Tonya tried to twist against his unyielding bulk as if to reach out to her companions. Shock had robbed her of her will to fight.
He grabbed her arm in an iron grip and pinned her in place. She fell forward as the caribou sprang to a run and they raced north across the tundra, leaving the destruction behind them.
Chapter Twenty-seven
Diane came slowly back to consciousness. A groan edged past her lips. As if her body had been waiting, she began to shiver. She forced her eyes open to see the wide expanse of blue sky. Her entire right side throbbed.
What happened? She rolled over and caught her breath.
August sprawled on his back, slender shards of ice protruding from him. Dorian lay a few paces from him, unmoving. Tonya was nowhere to be seen.
Diane pushed to her hands and knees with a sob as memory rushed back. Steinn. He attacked us. Why?
The question had to wait. She forced her limbs to carry her in a crawl to August, dread mounting at what she would find. Blood oozed in patches around the wounds in his chest, stomach, and arms.
“August?”
Her voice cracked as she rested a hand on his neck. A cry of relief broke from her as she found a sluggish pulse. A second later his chest barely moved in a breath.
“Just stay there,” she said stupidly as she moved to Dorian.
He lay on his side, half-buried in snow and ice. The wind gently moved his limp wing, pushing through tears in the membrane in a horrible fluttering sound. Beads of blood edged the rips. A streak of red cut across his pale cheek. Small, palm-length shards of ice embedded in his side and back.
“Dorian, wake up.” She shook his shoulder. “Please?”
He stirred and jerked awake. Pain furrowed his face as he moved. She grabbed his shoulder again.
“Careful!”
“Diane.” His voice slurred. “You’re all right?”
“I’m fine.”
He pushed himself up on his right elbow, grimacing in pain. His wing jerked with his movement. She caught the exact moment he saw the damage. He froze, turning his head a little more to see as he shifted his wing.
A shuddering breath broke from him and he turned his head, pressing his forehead against the ground. His jaw tensed and his left hand clenched in a bloody fist.
“Dorian?” she whispered shakily, placing a tentative hand on his.
He moved again, teeth clenched against another cry as he shoved to his hands and knees.
“Where’s Tonya?” His voice came hoarse.
Diane glanced around. A mound of ice glistened in the sun. Her staff lay discarded near it. One deep set of caribou tracks led out across the tundra.
“Gone. Steinn must have taken her.”
Dorian made a noise in the back of his throat that tore at her stomach as he tried to move again.
“Dorian, August’s hurt. We have to help him first.”
His head flew up. Diane shifted to reveal August behind her.
“No.” Dorian breathed out in horror. She helped him crawl over to August. The forest faery still hadn’t moved, only faint gasps marking him as still alive.
Dorian slumped beside him, keeping his left arm tucked up against his chest. He laid his right hand on August’s chest, wincing a little as he murmured some words of his magic.
“Help me pull these out.” He glanced up at her.
“Are you sure?” Diane scooted around so she knelt on the opposite side of August.
“They’re not that deep.” He winced as he tugged at a strap across his chest. “I kept my kit with me since he’s been acting jumpy.”
Diane returned to his side to help him pull it over his head and maneuver it around his uninjured wing.
“What about you?” she asked as blood dripped to the snow in tiny red stains around him.
“I can take care of him first.”
&nbs
p; But he winced as he pulled his left arm down and wrapped stiff fingers around the first shard.
Diane bit down hard on her lip as she helped remove the ice. Blood spread in wider stains. She undid the buckles of August’s tunic as Dorian dug into his kit.
August jolted awake with a little gasp. Diane jerked her hands away before recovering enough to press him to the ground as he tried to move.
“Easy.” Dorian rested a trembling fist against August’s shoulder.
“W-what happened?” August croaked.
“It was Steinn,” Dorian replied shortly, tugging a bandage free.
August tried to move, crying out before his head thudded back down to the ground.
“W-where’s T-Tonya?”
“Gone.” Diane’s throat clenched. A disconcerting blue had begun to appear around August’s lips.
Shivers began to wrack August’s body. “You h-have to g-go after her.”
“The caribou are gone.” Diane began to rub at his arms to try to warm him up.
Dorian pushed aside August’s coat and tunic to expose the wounds. His hands shook.
“Diane…”
Diane reached to help as Dorian pressed his fingers around the wounds. His lips moved soundlessly.
“D-Dorian, you’re hurt…” August’s hand fumbled at Dorian’s sleeve.
A bit of a smile pushed past the creases around Dorian’s eyes. “Can’t feel too bad if you’re still stating the obvious.”
August tried to lift his head again, but failed. His lips turned a deeper shade of blue.
“G-go after T-Tonya.” He tried to shove Dorian’s hands away.
“They’re long gone. We need to get you taken care of first.”
“D-don’t be an i-idiot.”
“Says the faery who let himself get impaled on ice,” Dorian muttered.
“T-to save your s-sorry wings. R-regretting it now.” August somehow forced a smile past the pain etched in his face.
Dorian didn’t answer, the lines around his eyes deepening.
“What?” Diane whispered.
“I’ve never seen this before. The ice melted inside his blood. It’s starting to freeze him from the inside.” Dorian kept his hands pressed against August. “I can’t get it out. Steinn must have warded it against this.”
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