‘Why did he bring me here at all then,’ Sloane protested. ‘I have only seen your world because he showed it to me.’
‘Are you suggesting you wouldn’t have told your people about the rift you found? Once you had discovered it, Rhyn’s only options were to kill you or bring you here.’
Sloane held her hands up to her mouth and blew her warm breath onto her chilled fingers as she considered Kai’s words. Maybe he was right, and Rhyn didn’t have any other choice. But that didn’t mean she had to like it.
‘How is it that you’re so much older than Rhyn and yet he’s the one in charge?’ Would her current predicament be any different if Kai was the one calling the shots? She didn’t think so. He may be nicer than Rhyn, but she imagined he would also put the best interests of his people first, no matter what the outcome for her.
‘I was never very good at being a prince. At least, not the type our father wanted. So I chose a different pathway to leadership. You may not have noticed, but our people don’t frequently have children. It was a miracle when my mother gave birth to Rhyn. To have one child was incredible, but two is almost unheard of. I’d been training to follow in my father’s footsteps, but when Rhyn was born I suddenly had the chance to follow my calling.’
‘Which is?’ Sloane prompted.
‘I am a magus.’
Sloane frowned, completely at a loss. ‘And a magus is…’
‘The spiritual leader of our people. Being a magus is an important role in our society. There are only three magi in all the surrounding villages, and I had to leave our people for years to study with the magus of another clan.’
‘Is this some sort of cult thing?’ she asked, worry touching her voice.
Kai smiled and shook his head. ‘No.’
‘Do you believe in God?’
‘No. God is a human manifestation of what we call the ætherial, which is the balance that must be kept.’
‘Right,’ Sloane responded, though she didn’t understand. She’d never been able to believe in anything intangible and wasn’t about to start now. ‘And how exactly do you keep the balance?’
Kai chuckled at the scepticism in her voice. ‘There are many ways, but mostly we focus on ensuring the spiritual wellbeing of our people. We perform various rites and ceremonies, like bonding ceremonies and the coming of age ceremony. I cannot touch people without requiring a cleansing ritual, as the touch of another affects my ability to connect with the ætherial.’
‘So that’s why you ran the other day…’ she replied softly.
He nodded. ‘Yes, I’m sorry about that.’
‘It’s fine,’ she said. ‘Though I’m glad I understand now.’
They walked in silence for a while until they reached the edge of the valley. The frozen sea stretched out far below them, the frosty blue water sparkling under the sun. Overhead, towering jagged cliffs shot up into the sky.
Sloane noticed a small pathway that led away from the valley, cut into the sheer face of the cliff. It was more of a goat track than a pathway, and the edge of the path plummeted sharply to the sea below. It was perilous at best. Kai wanted her to walk that?
‘Still no problems with heights?’ Kai asked.
Sloane could already feel the wind buffeting at her, and knew it would only get worse so close to the edge, but she wasn’t afraid.
‘Nope,’ she answered, though she decided it was probably best to stay as far away from the edge as possible. It was, after all, a long, long way down to the frozen ocean below. ‘Lead the way.’
The path wasn’t wide enough for them to walk abreast, so Kai took the lead as they walked along the trail. The rock was uneven beneath their feet, and Sloane kept one hand against the cliff wall and her eyes trained on Kai. She refused to tempt fate and look over the edge of the path. She was good with heights but didn’t feel the need to prove her bravery by checking out the drop off.
‘Do you have snow like this on Earth?’ Kai asked, peering at her over his shoulder.
Sloane pursed her lips. He didn’t seem to be fishing for information to use against her, so she answered him. ‘Not that I’ve ever seen,’ she replied. ‘I lived in a very different place. It was a desert, so it was very hot and dry.’
‘Did you like it there?’ Kai asked.
She paused as she considered her answer. She had mixed feelings about the place she’d left. It had taught her the skills she needed in life, but it was hardly a likeable place to live. ‘Yes, though it was hard,’ she replied.
‘How so?’
She shrugged. ‘I was in my final year at the Academy before I left. All I did was train, which didn’t leave much time for friends or other hobbies.’ Not that she had wanted friends or hobbies. She had even hated taking time off to sleep every night.
‘Why did you do it if you didn’t like it?’
She shook her head. ‘Don’t get me wrong. I liked it. It was just hard work.’
They paused as they reached the end of the path, which connected to a stone staircase that was carved into the face of the cliff. It climbed up impossibly high and looked like it ventured to the top of the cliffs that looked down upon the village.
‘Do you miss Earth?’ Kai asked.
‘Sometimes,’ she replied. She missed it more than she was willing to admit, but there was no returning, and even if she could go back she probably wouldn’t want to. Even before the latest war broke out, it was no longer a viable place to live. She sighed and looked out at the frozen sea below them. ‘That’s if there’s anything left to miss,’ she muttered to herself.
As they reached the end of the path, Kai stumbled over the first step. Sloane caught the movement out the corner of her eye, and her arm whipped out to steady him. She was a hair’s breadth from touching him, before her hand jarred to a stop as she remembered his aversion to her touch. Her hand lingered there as he righted himself, and only when he set off again did she let the hand fall.
She bit her lip as she watched him slowly taking the stairs. It was the first clumsy move she’d seen one of these people make, and she wondered what had caused someone so graceful to falter that way. Looking closer at the stairs before her, she thought she could tell why—the sharp angled steps were treacherous. One wrong move, or misplaced footstep, could be deadly.
After a moment’s pause, she began the hike behind Kai. The precarious steps were terrifying, with loose gravel over the narrow treads and tall, sheer rises that were a stretch to reach. Some of the sections were so covered by ice, Sloane was convinced their journey wouldn’t end well.
By the time they neared the top, Sloane was filled with shame. She was puffing slightly, and her legs were tightening up. No matter how dangerous and steep the stairs were, she should have breezed up them, not struggled. Her lack of training was really beginning to show, and she needed to get back to it fast.
Kai turned to her as he got to the top. ‘You ready?’ he asked.
Sloane puffed out a long breath and nodded, clambering up the last few steps. She froze as she reached the top of the staircase. Up ahead, she could see the mountain peak towering high above them, swathed in a thin wisp of clouds. The jagged snow-capped peaks hardly looked real against the deep blue sky behind them.
A wide and snow-covered plateau lay at their feet. It extended to the base of the peak, where it met the sheer, rocky cliffs that loomed above. Her eyes narrowed as the sun glinted off something at the foot of the cliffs. As she focused on it, Sloane realised she was looking at a castle made completely from ice. It was settled into the side of the mountain, like the icicles that formed the fortress were embedded in the craggy rocks.
She stared openly at the incredible structure, her eyes widening as she took in its beauty. The castle’s high ice walls shone with an intense shade of cerulean blue, and where the sun hit the top of the wall it was almost completely clear.
Over the top of the walls Sloane caught glimpses of towers that reached up to the sky. Their turrets caught rays of sunshine and
reflected a rainbow of colours, as if they were made from diamonds rather than ice.
‘What is this place?’ she murmured, awe hushing her tone.
‘It is the place most treasured by our people and most heavily protected. Some of our fighters dedicate their entire lives to manning the walls of the castellum. It is what our people live for.’
‘Why is it so important?’ Sloane thought it was incredibly beautiful but couldn’t understand why someone would spend an entire life dedicated to the protection of one building. There must be something of great value stored inside.
Only these people didn’t place value on material possessions. They didn’t need money, or food. They didn’t wear jewels or need big houses, or fast cars. There wasn’t anything they wanted for. Perhaps they were protecting something even more unique and special behind the castle’s icy walls? Could they be guarding the rift to Aeris?
Kai smiled at her indulgingly. ‘There is a story told, that long ago when our planet was still young, a star fell from the sky.’ He looked up at the sky, his voice soft as he began his story. ‘The star was moving at such speed, that when it landed it plunged deep into the ground and dropped into a small underground lake.’
Sloane followed Kai’s gaze from the sky above to the mountain that rose up behind the castellum. His eyes searched the craggily rocks like he was looking for the crater the star had made upon landing.
‘Lying beneath the cool water of the lake, the star’s light began to dim and it eventually fell into a deep slumber,’ he continued. ‘For years the star slept, its twinkling light slowly becoming a sad ember. Then, one night, the moon and the planet aligned just right and it shone down through the hole in the rock and into the lake where the sleeping star lay.
‘When the moon’s light touched the star it awakened and the whole cavern glittered with the star’s energy. Though the star’s light faded again when the moon disappeared from view, every few years when the planets aligned the star would sparkle once more.
‘They say that our ancestors stumbled upon the cavern where the star lay, and were so in awe of the star’s beauty that they built this castellum to protect it from any who dare disturb it.’
Sloane raised one eyebrow at Kai. It was a lovely story, but it didn’t explain why this place was so important. ‘So, the castle protects a star?’
He pulled back his head and laughed at the dubious look on her face. The sound was so joyous and natural that Sloane almost wanted to smile in return.
‘Something like that,’ he responded, still grinning down at her.
She felt like a part of Kai’s story rang true. Maybe his ancestors had stumbled upon something within the mountain and built a fortress to protect it. She didn’t know how rifts were made, but perhaps they had something to do with fallen stars. When she’d seen the rift on Aeris, the glowing orbs had kind of reminded her of stars. She felt like she was onto something and was certain that the castellum held the key to her escape.
‘Can we go inside?’ she asked eagerly.
‘No, I can’t imagine Rhyn allowing that. I’ll be in enough trouble for bringing you here as it is. I had to do something to make up for my poor behaviour the other day though.’
‘I understand,’ Sloane responded, though she struggled to hide her disappointment. ‘It really is beautiful. Thank you for bringing me.’
‘It’s my pleasure. I’m just not sure how I can top this for our next outing.’
‘I’m sure you’ll think of something.’ She secretly hoped that something was a rift that looked onto Aeris. She highly doubted he’d ever show her that though.
‘Do you think there’s any chance that Rhyn will lift my house arrest any time soon? I miss running and training; I’m going crazy cooped up inside all day.’ Sloane knew she was pushing their tentative friendship by asking for Kai’s help, but she was desperate for even just a tiny piece of freedom.
‘I’ll talk to Rhyn about it for you.’
‘Thanks,’ she responded, giving him a genuine smile, to which he smiled cautiously back. ‘How—’
The rest of her question was drowned out by the loud sound of a horn being blown. The noise rolled across the plateau to them, filling the plain with its deep, brassy call. The smile on Kai’s face dropped, and he looked quickly from the castellum to the stairs that led back to the village.
The horn blew again and he launched into action.
‘We have to move,’ he said, his voice panicked. ‘We have to get out of here now. Run!’
He set off at a sprint towards the castellum, and Sloane raced to catch up with him. Her heart hammered fiercely, and her body stayed tense as she tried not to stumble while running across the icy plateau.
‘What’s the horn for? Why do we have to run?’ she yelled.
‘Just trust me. If we don’t find cover before they get here, we’ll die. Quickly.’
‘Before who get here?’
‘The Brakys,’ he replied, fear coating his words.
Sloane wanted to tell him that she wasn’t afraid. She was a fighter and would face anything that came at her. But the look on Kai’s face stopped her bravado, putting fear into the depths of her belly. Something truly terrible was coming.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Kai urged Sloane to run faster. She could tell he was holding back for her and could go much quicker if he needed. She gritted her teeth and pushed herself to keep up with him.
Despite Kai’s obvious fear, Sloane secretly relished the feel of running. It had been such a long time since she’d stretched her legs in this way, even if it was just to run and hide.
The castellum was about a kilometre from the top of the steps, so it took the two of them a few minutes to reach the vast wall that surrounded it. The entrance to the castellum was blocked by heavy wooden doors, which stood so tall they seemed like they were made for giants rather than men. The doors were slowly beginning to close as they approached, but Sloane could still see the castle grounds that lay beyond. The place was a hive of activity, and men who were fully armed in battle metal were rushing for the walls.
Hardened leather covered their arms and legs, and metallic chest and back plates protected their upper bodies. The plates looked quite fragile, but the metal they were made from was strange. Under the sunlight the armour shone with an unexpected shade of shimmering blue. It was similar to the metal on the glacies’ beaks and claws, and she wanted to get a closer look.
‘Sloane, you need to hurry!’ She hadn’t realised she’d slowed while staring through the entrance and quickly rushed to catch up with Kai. The doors were nearly closed by the time they reached them. Kai sprinted through the open gap, and Sloane leapt through the opening after him, before the massive wooden doors shut behind her with a resounding boom.
They had arrived in a large open courtyard that looked onto the ice castle. The castle was larger than she had expected, and she had to reach her head right back to take in the tall towers that spiralled up to the sky. They glittered in the sunlight like they had captured the suns’ rays and trapped them within their icy spires. Frozen blossom trees with sparkling white berries lined the pathway to the front doors, and frosted grass covered the gardens. Fountains that contained twinkling pools of water decorated the path to the castle’s main entrance, and ice sculptures stood proudly in the frozen gardens.
Sloane was herded towards the castle, and it was clear Kai didn’t want her to be noticed. She could also tell he was concerned about her seeing the inside of the castle from the troubled looks he kept shooting her. He needn’t have worried about guarding castle secrets. She was too busy eyeing the men carrying spears, swords, and bows and arrows as they raced for the tops of the walls. She desperately wished she were one of them. With all her pent up tension over the last week, she was itching for a fight. Instead, she found herself railroaded inside.
Kai led her down several hallways before finding the door he was after. ‘You should be safe in here,’ he said, pushing it open.
> She followed him in and was surprised to find she’d been brought to a bedroom. ‘What’s going on Kai? Why are we being attacked?’ she asked, turning back to look at him.
‘I don’t have time to explain to you now. Just know that we have something important that the Brakys want. They’ve spent centuries fighting us for it, and we’ve spent just as long defending this place so they won’t get their hands on it. They won’t get through today, but we must still defend against them.’
He glanced back to the door. ‘I must go and help the others.’
‘You’re leaving me here?’ Sloane accused.
He nodded. ‘You shouldn’t be here at all, and Rhyn will never let me hear the end of it when he finds out.’
Sloane’s shoulders slumped. ‘Can I at least have a weapon?’
Kai shook his head vigorously. ‘No, you won’t need one in here. I will see you when the fight is over.’ He turned and quickly pulled the door closed behind him.
Sloane rushed to the door to open it but found she’d been locked inside. She slapped her hand against the hard wood and then rested her head against it. This was the most insulting moment of her life; being herded into a room and locked inside while there was a fight going on outside.
She turned to look back at the room. It was cosy, despite the floors, walls and ceiling being made from ice. In fact, it wasn’t cold at all. Curious, she put her hand against the wall and found the ice was cool but not cold. Not even slightly. She shook her head at the wonder of it all and hoped the castle wasn’t about to melt down around her.
The room didn’t have a window or any direct source of light. Instead, light spilled in from every angle, refracting through the frozen walls. She could just make out blurred objects through the icy floor below her feet and in another room high above her head, though she had no idea what they actually were. It was also clear there was no one in the hallway she’d entered through, because she’d be able to see if there was any movement out there.
In Ice We Burn (The Liftsal Guardians Book 1) Page 11