“And this reason you have for going to Iceland, does it have something to do with everything happening around here?”
Patrick nodded. “Aye. Going there could stop it.”
“Bollocks,” Seamus repeated.
“So you’ll help us?” Xander said, stepping up beside Patrick.
Seamus nodded. “Aye, I’ll help you, though I must be daft for even considering it. If we’re going to Iceland, you’re going to need some warmer clothes.”
“I always thought Greenland had more ice than Iceland and Iceland was greener than Greenland,” Sean said from behind everyone.
Seamus arched his eyebrow. “True. But three might be a bigger number than two, but it’s still a right wee number, isn’t it?”
Sean shrugged. “I don’t really know what you just said, so maybe?”
“Come on,” Patrick demanded. “Let’s find some coats and get on the boat.”
Sammy’s room had been stripped of all its furniture. Her desk and chair were missing. Even the bed frame had been stripped from the room, leaving only her hard mattress resting on the floor.
The Fire Warrior shoved her roughly inside. As she struggled to maintain her balance, she heard the door behind her slam shut and the external bolt thrown across. Aside from stripping her room of any semblance of comfort, it had clearly been converted into a prison cell.
Sammy collapsed on the mattress and brought her knees to her chest. She rocked in silence. Once she was sure she was alone, she let the tears fall from her face. All the pent-up stress and worry flooded out of her as her shoulders shook uncontrollably. She had tried to keep a brave face in front of General Abraxas. She didn’t want him to see her break down or give him the satisfaction of seeing her fear. Alone, she had no such reservations.
When the tears finally dried, she forced herself to stand and walk to the window. It was far too narrow to climb out of and too high up to try to climb down, even if she could get out of it. The view only offered her a brief escape from her prison.
Sammy looked down on the courtyard far below and laughed sadly to herself. She was a trapped princess, high in the lone tower in the evil castle. It was a fairy tale, except she didn’t remember ever reading such a dark ending to any of the normal fairy tales.
Her story did have a dark ending. She knew it from the moment Abraxas kidnapped her in the swamp. There was no way to tell what the Fire Elemental had in store for her—or her father, for that matter—but she knew it could only end one way. For a moment, she remembered standing at the gap in the bridge and wondered if she should have just jumped.
She turned back to the room and chewed on her lower lip. Whatever was going to happen, Sammy wished there was a way to speed it along. Patience had never been her strongest virtue. It was a trait of the Fire Caste. It was as hereditary as the blonde hair on her head.
She heard the bar slide back on the door and foolishly thought for a moment that her prayers had been answered. The door opened only a narrow crack, just far enough for a Fire Warrior to slide in a bowl of food and a small glass of water. As quickly as it had opened, the door was slammed shut and locked again..
Walking to the door, she picked up the meager meal and walked back to her hard mattress. Despite the grumbling in her stomach, the food seemed horribly unappetizing. She took the metal spoon and pushed the gamey meat and mushrooms around the bowl but didn’t bother taking a bite. With a sigh, she sat it down beside her and instead just took a sip of water. With the dryness gone from her mouth, she sat the glass down as well and simply lay back on the bed. She stared up at the ceiling and tried to count the obsidian stones above her. Many of them were lost in the shadows but she frowned just the same. She used to know the numbers by heart, when she was a little girl. Now, though she struggled to remember the exact count, the number wouldn’t come to her.
Her stomach rumbled again and she looked back over to the bowl of food. A debate raged in her head. On one hand, not eating would be a silent protest toward her unwanted captivity. Knowing what was to come, however, she wondered if it would be more worthwhile to have her strength.
Begrudgingly, she picked up the bowl and shoved a mouthful of the stringy meat into her mouth. The meat was from a lizard, many types of which lived in the warm tunnels around the main cavern. She smiled as she realized that Xander and the other Wind Warriors wouldn’t believe the meals that she considered normal. She had a far harder time finding her palette for beef and pork when she was acclimating to the surface.
Thinking about Xander made her heart ache. She knew all the doubts they shared about their connection to one another. They were both the youngest of their respective castes to ever activate. While she didn’t share Xander’s obvious affinity with his elemental power—he wielded the wind power as though it was an extension of his body—she knew they were meant to be together from their first date. She missed him more than she thought she would and she had to force back the tears that felt overwhelming once again.
The lock was thrown again, startling Sammy. She quickly set aside the half-eaten bowl of food and stood, intent on meeting her visitor eye to eye. As the door opened, Sammy was staggered by who entered.
“Hello, Sammy,” Lord Balor said.
A female Fire Warrior followed him into the room, carrying a chair. The woman set the chair across from the mattress and then she stepped out of the room again, closing the door behind her.
“Aren’t you worried I’m going to attack you now that we’re alone?” Sammy threatened.
“You’re not going to attack me,” her father said confidently.
Sammy placed her hands on her hips. “I burned your General. Don’t underestimate me.”
Lord Balor laughed as he took his seat in the chair. “I’ve never underestimated you in your entire life. Sit.”
Sammy refused to move, standing defiantly in front of the room’s only other piece of furniture.
“Please, Sammy.” The tone of his voice changed to something resembling sympathetic and apologetic.
She looked at the mattress behind her and sighed. She sat down and looked at her father. She immediately regretted sitting. She was significantly lower than Lord Balor was and he was looking down on her from her seat.
“I’m sorry it had to come to this,” he said. “This isn’t what I wanted.”
“It doesn’t really matter what you want, isn’t that right, Father? You’re just doing what you’re told.”
Lord Balor furrowed his brow. “I don’t know what—”
“Don’t,” she interrupted. “I’ve seen it. That thing you have hidden behind your throne. I know what it is and I know that it wants me brought back to it. Why don’t you just stop wasting both of our time and take me to it.”
Her father looked legitimately shocked. His surprised expression quickly dropped away and he looked legitimately crestfallen. “You don’t know half of the truth.”
“Then tell me,” she cried as she stood again. “Tell me the truth.”
Her father looked away and stroked his chin thoughtfully. “I didn’t want this for you. I was disappointed when the flames called to you so early in your life. I honestly expected—”
“Stop,” she interrupted. “Just stop. Don’t give me some thoughtful diatribe. Don’t go off on some narration that you think is going to make me feel sorry for you. I won’t. Whatever is happening—especially between you and that creature—there’s nothing benevolent about it. You’re not the victim. You’re an accomplice.”
Lord Balor nodded as he slowly stood. “It seems like there’s nothing I can say to convince you. You may not believe it but if there were a way to protect you, I’d do it. There just isn’t a choice available.”
“You know what I learned from my time with the Wind Warriors? There’s always a choice. You just have to be man enough to make it.”
“When they come for you next, they’ll be taking you in front of our master. No matter what, don’t let it see your fear.”
“Will that help?” she asked.
Her father paused momentarily. “No.”
He walked stiffly to the door and knocked loudly. The door opened and the Fire Warriors stepped aside as he departed. The same female warrior reclaimed his chair and gave Sammy a scowl before leaving the room.
As the door closed behind the Fire Warriors, Sammy was left alone again in the relative darkness.
She reclaimed her spot on the mattress and brought her knees back up to her chest.
Sean stood on the bow of the ship, staring at the boiling, swirling clouds. Though he knew they were still hundreds of miles away from Iceland, he could already feel the tug of the enormous super storm. The waves had become steadily choppier since they set sail from Ireland. The gently rocking waves had quickly grown taller than the ship. They rolled up the leeside of the waves before plummeting back down into the valleys between them. The horizon disappeared, leaving only the storm cell itself as the only point of reference on the angry ocean.
Xander approached him from behind and whistled softly at the hurricane. Sean glanced quickly over his shoulder at his friend. Behind Xander, he could see the other Wind Warriors talking quietly but nervously amongst themselves on the deck. His eyes hovered for a second on Jessica, who sat alone near a coil of ropes. Her blonde hair was tied into a tight bun on the back of her head but the wind still tossed about tendrils of her hair that had already pulled loose. The bun was practical but Sean doubted it would hold in the coming storm.
He turned his head back to the sea. “Are we really going to sail right into that thing?”
Xander took his place beside his friend and watched the distant storm grow in size as they crested the next wave. “It looks that way. Doesn’t really look like we’re all that welcomed, huh?”
“Like someone’s telling us that nobody sees the Great Oz. Not nobody, not no how. This is suicide, or as close as we’re likely to get. Can you and your people really keep us safe?”
Xander wanted to reassure his friend but didn’t want to lie. “I don’t know, Sean. We’re going to try. Trust me, if we had another choice, we wouldn’t be sailing right into this crap. There’s just no other way, not if we want to stop the Fire Caste.”
Sean nodded. “If there’s a way, I believe you’ll find it.”
“I wish I shared your confidence,” Xander laughed. “I don’t exactly have the best track record for swooping in and saving the day.”
“You’ve never given yourself enough credit,” Sean said humorlessly. “You’re a good man, Xander. You always have been. No matter how self-depreciating you may get, you always find a way.”
Xander arched an eyebrow. “Are we about to hug it out? Open up about our feelings and share a latte over a pedicure?”
Sean smiled and turned back toward the ocean. “You just don’t give yourself enough credit. That’s all I’m saying.”
“You’re starting to freak me out a bit. Are you okay?”
Sean shrugged. “I’m not trying to be pessimistic, just realistic. We’re flying into a hurricane that’s big enough it should be featured on a really crappy, made-for-TV movie. There’s a strong chance that we won’t make it to the other side. I just thought you needed to hear the truth. I love you like a brother, man.”
Xander threw his arm around Sean. “I love you, too. Are you planning on sharing your feelings with everyone else on the ship?”
Sean looked over at him. “What are you talking about?” he replied innocently.
“Don’t hand me that,” Xander teased as he shoved his friend. “What’s going on with you and Jessica?”
“Me and the Hound of Baskerville? No, there’s no me and Jessica.”
“You’re so full of it. I see the way you look at her. You make fun of her the same way a sixth grader punches a girl in the arm to let her know that he’s interested.”
Sean laughed. “You think she’s noticed?”
Xander shrugged. “She’s a little thick. You may have to punch her a little harder.”
“You’re an idiot.”
“See,” Xander remarked. “You’re even starting to talk like her.”
“Nah. We just happen to agree that you’re an idiot.”
Sean leaned over the railing and watching the churning ocean as it was carved by the front of the boat. “She’s hot, don’t get me wrong. I’ve actually had a pretty good time hanging out with her. But she wouldn’t go for a guy like me. She likes your type: athletic, ruggedly handsome, absolutely no motivation to do anything other than hang out with her and be at her beck and call.”
Xander laughed. “Thanks for the backhanded compliment.”
“I just don’t see her going for me.”
“Buddy, it’s the apocalypse. You’ve never had a better chance with a shallow girl like Jessica. If sailing into this hurricane doesn’t work out like planned, you can even be the first guy to actually use the ‘what if I was the last guy on Earth’ line correctly.”
Sean and Xander laughed heartily as they both settled onto the rail. They pulled their thick, fur-lined coats closer around their bodies as the biting wind cut over the tops of the waves. The sea spray struck them in the face and ran off the treated coats before pooling on the ground.
“We’re going to find her, you know?” Sean asked solemnly.
Xander didn’t have to ask to know whom he meant. Sammy had been on his mind since they left the United States. It was one of the reasons he was so eager to risk his life by plunging into the hurricane. Finding the Wind Elemental was the best chance he had of getting her back.
“I know,” he finally replied.
Sean stroked his chin thoughtfully. He had a scraggly start of a beard growing along his jawline. It would never be a rugged look on his face but it did make him look a little older.
“The sea’s getting rougher,” Sean remarked.
“We’re getting closer.”
“Not that close. If it’s this rough already and we have a couple hundred miles to go, this isn’t going to be a fun trip. I should have warned you ahead of time that I don’t do well on roller coasters or spinning rides. I have a horrible tendency of blowing chunks.”
“See,” Xander chuckled, “this is why we don’t hang out more. Just when I thought we were having a moment, I have the sudden urge to run far away from you and give you your space.”
“Get out of here,” Sean chided. “I’m sure you have plenty of prep work to do anyway. Go talk to your siblings, or whatever the heck you call them.”
“Take care, brother,” Xander said, patting Sean on the back. “I’ll see you on the other side.”
“I hope you mean Iceland and not the other ‘other side’.”
Xander didn’t reply as he walked away to rejoin the other Wind Warriors. He paused briefly by Jessica and pointed toward the bow of the ship. Sean frowned as he noticed their conversation. Curiously, Jessica climbed unsteadily to her feet and walked toward where Sean waited.
When she reached the front of the ship, she leaned against the rail beside Sean, taking the place in which Xander had recently been standing. Unlike Xander, she clung to the railing tightly until her knuckles were white and bloodless.
“Xander said you needed to talk to me?” Jessica asked. Her voice sounded as unsteady as her legs had been.
Sean felt the sweat bead on his brow and he silently cursed his friend. “Yeah. No. It’s, uh, some crazy weather we’re having.”
“Sure,” Jessica remarked. “Crazy weather.”
Sean leaned against the railing and turned toward Jessica. “You didn’t have to come with us, you know. It’s going to be really dangerous. You probably would have been safer back in White Halls or even in the town in Ireland.”
Jessica shook her head as she glanced toward the heavyset man. “You guys keep telling me that nowhere is safe from these Fire Warriors. I figured the best place to be would be with the people trying to stop them.”
Sean shrugged. “I just wanted to make sure you were
safe. I don’t know if we’re actually going to make it through this sailing trip alive. It could be the last thing we all do together. I just didn’t want things left, you know, unsaid.”
Jessica arched an eyebrow but her gaze didn’t seem full of condescension like he was used to seeing. “Why, Sean, what exactly hasn’t been said between us?”
Sean flushed a brilliant red that was visible even through the gloomy darkness of night. “It’s just that… well… um…”
“We’re going to be hitting the edge of the storm soon,” Patrick said as he approached the pair. “It’s going to get really rough so you both might want to head below deck while we try to ride this out. It’ll probably be the safest place.”
Sean sighed, though he wasn’t sure if it was from relief or disappointment. “Yeah, let’s go ahead and head there, for safety.”
Jessica smiled at Sean. “Mind if I lean on you for support? I haven’t quite found my sea legs yet.”
“Of course,” Sean said, brightening considerably.
He glanced over his shoulder as they crested another wave. The storm looked ominous, even in the darkness. The brilliant lightning flashes split the night sky like rumbling warnings that they, much to Sean’s chagrin, obviously weren’t going to heed.
The lock was slid aside on the door and it swung open. The light from the torches in the hallway was temporarily blinding and Sammy raised her hand to cover her eyes. Dark shadows stepped in front of the light and she squinted to make out the features.
“It’s time,” her father said.
A pair of Fire Warriors entered the room and pulled Sammy to her feet. Their traditional, dark leather armor had been replaced by ornately carved leather breastplates and brilliantly dyed, fur-lined sashes. Whatever the end result of her meeting with the Fire Elemental, it was clear this meeting would be a ritualistic event for her former clan.
Sammy didn’t offer any resistance as they led her out of her cell and down the spiral staircase. She knew the stairs would end near the formal exterior hall that led to the throne room. From there, her path was one she’d traveled once before and dreaded ever since.
Flame Caller Page 19