She was distracted from her thoughts as she realised there was something cold and hard around her wrist. Sloane looked down and alarm filled her eyes as her gaze fell upon the shiny metal shackle that encased her wrist and kept her fettered to the bed. She shook the metal chain angrily.
‘What have you done?’ she spat, turning her glare upon Rhyn.
His smirk grew broader. ‘You tried to escape last night. Talk to me and I will take away your chains.’
‘Release me now and perhaps I won’t kill you!’ she screamed in return.
He laughed and the sound made her blood boil.
‘What have I ever done to you?’ she asked, her voice had turned cold and she uttered the worlds darkly. ‘What have I done to deserve being locked up?’
‘You tried to kill me,’ he replied.
‘No, if I’d wanted to kill you, you’d be dead already.’
His eyes narrowed on her. ‘Will you tell me who you are?’
She looked away from him, refusing to answer.
‘That restraint is only the beginning,’ he growled. ‘If you don’t answer my questions, I will toss you in an ice pit or tie you to a stake and allow the glacies to slowly feed on you.’
‘Go ahead,’ she replied, ignoring the spike of adrenaline that made her heart race at his words. Anger pulsed through her, and every cell in her body urged her to try and attack him. But she already knew her restraints were too short, and he was out of reach while she was shackled to the bed.
There was no way she was telling him anything about her. She knew answering one question would only lead to another. And she didn’t intend to say anything that would potentially put Rowe in danger.
She could feel Rhyn’s stare on her skin, but refused to give him the satisfaction of looking back at him. He was going to have to try a lot harder than chaining her up and threatening her if he wanted her to talk to him. She only relaxed when she heard him move out of the room and leave the hut.
Her shoulders sagged, and she cursed as she glared down at the metal that encased her wrist. There was a slight blue shimmer to it, similar to the sheen on the metal beak and claws of the glacies. It was almost pretty—for a metal that is. The cuff itself didn’t appear to have a lock to it, so there was no way she could pick it open. The chain was secured to the wooden frame of her bed though, which caused her to smile.
She immediately swivelled her body into a better position and started kicking at the joins of the frame. She was making quite a bit of noise, so it wasn’t exactly surprising when Orelle came rushing in.
‘What are you doing?’ Orelle asked, shock making her voice breathy.
Sloane froze where she was, with her foot pulled back and ready to strike out at the frame once again. She slowly turned to look at Orelle, guilt causing her to blush.
Orelle took several steps forwards and leaned towards her. ‘Here,’ she said, placing her hand on the cuff around Sloane’s wrist. The metal glowed, before releasing with a click.
Sloane watched the process with astonishment. ‘How did you do that?’ she asked.
Orelle was focused on the bed though, a frown creasing her brow as she looked back to Sloane. ‘I know you’re not happy here, but please try not to ruin my furniture,’ she said, before turning and walking from the room.
Sloane glanced at the bedframe, which was showing a few cracks in it. She didn’t want to destroy it, but it was the only way she could think to get out of the restraints. She turned and slowly followed Orelle out into the living area. The woman had already taken a seat near the fire and was staring into the flames intensely.
‘I’m sorry,’ Sloane said, surprised she actually meant it. She rubbed at her wrist and looked down at the floor, suddenly feeling meek. Orelle had been nothing but kind to her since she’d awoken yesterday. She may not be able to let Sloane leave, but she was doing everything in her power to make her comfortable there. A part of Sloane didn’t want to disappoint the woman, as strange as that was.
‘I would never allow him to keep you chained in there,’ Orelle replied.
Sloane glanced up at her. ‘But you said you couldn’t question his decisions.’
‘I shouldn’t, but this is my house and he asked me to look after you. I wouldn’t be doing a very good job of looking after you if I allowed you to stay chained up like that all day.’
‘Thank you,’ Sloane smiled. Orelle was craftier than she’d given her credit for.
Orelle nodded again and returned to staring at the flames. ‘Just try not to antagonise him when he comes back and finds you loose. You really bring out the worst in my son. It’s quite embarrassing really; he’s usually such a good boy.’
Sloane snorted. He was hardly a boy, but she didn’t feel comfortable saying that out loud.
‘I’ve laid out a change of clothing for you in my bedroom—if you’d like to change that is. Those clothes you’re wearing won’t keep you very warm here.’
Sloane glanced down at her space jumpsuit and nodded, before walking into the other bedroom. She’d worn the same jumpsuit since she landed and, Orelle was right, it didn’t keep her very warm. Not to mention it had a large, bloodstained gash in the arm now and probably smelt terrible. She was actually quite glad to be getting out of it. Sloane’s eyes narrowed though, when she saw a dress laid out on the bed. It was just like the one Orelle wore, with long sleeves and a skirt that would touch the floor. She walked back into the living room, with the dress bunched in her hand.
‘I don’t want to be difficult, but I can’t wear this,’ Sloane said, holding out the dress before her.
Orelle frowned. ‘Does it not fit?’
‘I’m sure it fits,’ Sloane replied. ‘But I won’t be able to move freely in it, and I haven’t worn a dress since I was five. Surely you have some pants I could wear … please?’
A warm smile lighted Orelle’s features as she took in the disgust on Sloane’s face. ‘I’m afraid I have nothing like that here that will fit you. How about you wear the dress for now, and I’ll see if I can find some pants that will fit you?’
Sloane nodded in agreement but grumbled quietly as she returned to her room to change.
The dress was just as she suspected: cumbersome and restrictive. The material was surprisingly soft and thick enough to keep her warm. She could almost feel her freedom slipping through her fingers as she put it on though. There was no way she could run fast enough to get past the glacies in this thing—not that she managed to get past them in her jumpsuit either. The dress definitely wouldn’t help though and Sloane half suspected it was Orelle’s own way of ensuring she wouldn’t escape.
She wished Rowe could see her like this. Sloane could already imagine the way she would laugh at the sight of her in a dress. Rowe didn’t smile much, and her laughs were something Sloane longed to hear. She hoped she was okay on the Explorer. Rowe just needed to be strong for a few more days while Sloane tried to get back to her.
‘You look lovely,’ Orelle said, when Sloane finally emerged from the room. She pushed down a grimace at the compliment. She was never aiming for her appearance to be lovely. Strong, fierce or intimidating; now those were compliments. But not lovely—she scrunched up her nose with distaste.
‘Are you hungry?’ Orelle asked.
Sloane shook her head, not even remotely tempted by the thought of the rashi she’d had yesterday. She walked over and took a seat on the ground by the fireplace, reaching her hands out close to the flames.
The room was quiet, with only the soft hiss and crackle of the fire to be heard. It was almost pleasant, especially when compared to the constant sounds of people, mechanical beeps and the incessant barrage of broadcasts and announcements that she’d been used to on the Explorer. She wasn’t a huge fan of people in general, and being penned in with them for months was far from peaceful.
‘You should answer his questions,’ Orelle said to her, breaking the silence.
Sloane stopped herself from giving the first impulsive respon
se that came to mind. It involved swearing and saying several things about Rhyn that would probably upset his mother. Instead, Sloane kept her face passive as she looked over her shoulder to Orelle. ‘Why would I do that?’
Orelle sighed. ‘He might give you more freedom if you cooperate.’
Sloane shook her head. ‘Why would he give me more freedom? I’m escaping from this place the first chance I get.’ She didn’t bother to lie to Orelle. Staying trapped there wasn’t in her nature, and it was clear the woman had no intention of restraining her so there was no harm in being honest.
The look in Orelle’s eyes saddened. ‘You won’t escape. The rift back to the World of the Woods is concealed, guarded and almost impossible to locate. You would freeze to death if you went looking for it.’ There was no hint of deceit in her voice, and Sloane could tell she was being honest. She didn’t want to believe it though. She didn’t want to accept defeat, to accept the possibility that she would never find her way back to Rowe. She especially didn’t want to consider spending the rest of her days alone in a foreign world surrounded by these aliens.
‘But I have to go back,’ Sloane replied, her voice tinged with emotion. ‘I have to.’
‘I don’t think that’s an option,’ Orelle said. ‘I want you to think seriously about talking with Rhyn. He can be reasonable, but until he gets the information he wants from you, things will only get worse.’
‘Like being thrown in an ice pit or slowly fed to glacies?’
Orelle lifted one eyebrow. ‘He wouldn’t do that,’ she replied. ‘But you should still answer his questions if you want to enjoy your life here. Just tell me you’ll think about it. I don’t want to see you get hurt unnecessarily.’
Sloane huffed out a breath and turned back to face the fire once more.
‘I’ll think about it,’ she mumbled, looking deeply into the flames.
Rhyn returned to the hut later that day, and Sloane wondered whether she should take Orelle’s advice. She didn’t want to give him any information, but the more Sloane mulled over Orelle’s words, the more she thought that maybe she should change her tact.
Knowing what information he was after would give her insight into what he wanted with her. She could always choose not to answer his questions if they became too demanding. Plus, Orelle had mentioned more freedom. Maybe if she gave him what he wanted she could see more of the village. She needed to find a way back to Aeris and she certainly wasn’t going to achieve that stuck in this hut and guarded by glacies.
As Rhyn walked through the door, Sloane felt her body stiffen in response. She made a mental note not to mouth off at him. She was too impulsive and often spoke before she thought, which didn’t heed well for getting on Rhyn’s good side. Just the sight of him made her bristle though.
His eyes darkened the moment they landed on Sloane’s shackle-free hand. She fought the temptation to rub her wrist, which would only provoke him. ‘Play nice,’ she thought to herself. She hated even thinking the words, when all she wanted to do was punch him in his annoyingly handsome face.
His gaze slowly moved from her wrist to take in the dress Sloane wore. The formless space jumpsuit did nothing for her figure. She was strong, but her muscles were lean and she had a nice hourglass shape, which the dress seemed to accentuate. Stupid dress.
Rhyn didn’t mention the restraints she’d managed to lose. Instead, his eyes flicked up to look right into hers.
‘Tell me your name.’
Sloane didn’t answer straight away. She didn’t want to give him an inch. Even if that inch was only her name. She tried to remember all the reasons why she needed to play along with him, but now that he was standing in her presence, her plan had gone out the window.
He swore in his language and threw his hands up in the air as he moved to storm from the hut. She was pleased with herself for annoying him so much, but her success felt empty. She was going to spend an eternity staring at the same four walls if she didn’t begin to cooperate—and that certainly wouldn’t help her find Ash, or get back to Rowe.
‘Wait,’ she said, choking to get the word out.
He paused, one hand against the doorframe, and slowly turned to her. ‘Are you ready to talk?’ he asked, his ice blue eyes staring at her intently.
Sloane hesitated for a moment, not liking the way he looked at her. He was staring at her like she was dinner—and she didn’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. When she didn’t respond immediately, his gaze became darker and he practically growled. His fists tightened and he looked down at them, as if daring them to make a move.
‘My name is Sloane,’ she said, in a rush of words. ‘Sloane Avery.’
His eyes swiftly jerked up to meet hers. ‘Sloane?’
She nodded in response, feeling suddenly nervous. For some reason revealing her name made Sloane feel vulnerable.
‘You’re ready to answer my questions?’
‘Yes, but not in here. I want to go outside,’ she responded. Her voice was steady, though her stomach was not.
He waved his hand towards the entranceway. ‘After you.’
Sloane hesitated before pulling open the hide that covered the entrance to the hut. She had barely moved it an inch when the glacies rose to usher her back inside. They stopped though when Rhyn stepped out behind her. One word from him and they calmed, quickly relaxing back into the snow. Rhyn dug into his pocket and pulled out a small piece of rashi, which he flung in the direction of the glacies. They flapped into action again, pecking and jabbing at the snow as they fought for the food.
There was a large wooden log that sat, half buried in the snow, in front of Orelle’s hut. Sloane eased herself down onto it, leaving room for Rhyn who sat next to her. She took a moment to relish in the frosty air that bit into her skin before turning to Rhyn.
‘What do you want to know?’ she asked.
He looked at her distrustfully, as though he was expecting to walk into some clever trap she’d laid that he could not see. ‘Why are you humans in the World of the Woods?’
She watched him, weighing his words before she responded. ‘I will answer your question if you answer one of mine.’
He raised an eyebrow. ‘You’re hardly in a position to negotiate.’
She shrugged and leaned her head back, allowing the sun to warm her face. She could practically feel him bristling beside her, and the effect was making her grin inside. She kept her expression neutral though as she waited for him to cave.
‘You may ask one question,’ he responded, folding his arms across his broad chest. ‘After you have adequately answered mine.’
She lowered her eyes to his and gave him a small nod in response. She felt like she was making a deal with the devil, but she didn’t have much in the way of bargaining chips.
‘Why are you humans in the World of the Woods?’ he asked again, launching straight into his questions.
‘We’re exploring,’ she replied.
Rhyn’s jaw tensed. ‘Why?’
‘I don’t know, because we can?’ His eyes narrowed on her, and she could tell he wasn’t convinced with her answer. She shouldn’t have sounded so flippant.
She could hardly tell him they were there to see if Aeris was habitable for humans though. And she definitely couldn’t explain that life on Earth was becoming unviable and they needed a new start, free from terror and conflict. He wouldn’t understand how overpopulated and starved of resources Earth had become, and how devastated it would be by another war.
The truth was, their crew had no plans to return to the planet she’d called home for eighteen years, and that would be a problem for Rhyn. She would never see that world again, and he couldn’t know that they had no intention of leaving Aeris.
Sloane could see her answer was angering Rhyn, so she couldn’t imagine how he’d feel if he knew Earth was screwed and they were looking to colonise a planet in his neighbourhood.
‘You plan to settle there, don’t you?’ he accused.
‘I
never said—’
‘You humans are always the same,’ he continued, cutting her off and ignoring her words. ‘Always taking more than you need. Devastating everything in your path. And you’re telling me you intend to take over a world so serene and old, and ravage it with your parasitic race, simply because you can?’
‘I have no such intentions,’ Sloane responded. ‘I want what’s best for my people, just like you do. If that means setting up a settlement in your precious World of the Woods, then that’s fine by me.’
‘We are nothing alike,’ he said, before swearing in Unfaih. At least, she assumed he was swearing. The way he spat the word in such a passionate way, she couldn’t imagine it was anything else.
He looked like he was about to storm off, but she reached over and touched his arm to stop him.
‘My question,’ she reminded him, earning herself one of the dirtiest looks she’d ever received. It was so epically filthy she was actually slightly jealous. It was the kind of look that burnt a hole into your soul and left you feeling like you’d just been punched in the chest. What she would give to be able to scowl like that.
‘What is your question…’ he asked, through gritted teeth.
‘Have you taken any other human prisoners? Another group of my people?’ The words rushed out quicker than she’d intended, and there had been a tinge of desperation in her voice, which she hoped Rhyn hadn’t noticed.
The scowl dropped from his face and his eyes widened. ‘There are more of you?’ He frowned, and a flicker of worry crossed his features.
‘Don’t play dumb … did you take them?’
‘No, we did not take them.’ His eyes were distant, focused on the dark ravine at the back of the valley. He looked thoughtful, and his mind was clearly troubled as he considered her words.
In Ice We Burn (The Liftsal Guardians Book 1) Page 8