Cold Front

by Nikolai Joslin

  “No, I don’t want anyone to know that there might be something going on. A group of what appear to be mages and a dark elf going to Lino right outside the Temple? And then a few days later a full-blown attack? I don’t want to bring attention to this right now. We’ll take cars later. It’s a few days walking and camping. Come on, it’ll bond us together.”

  Do you ever get tired of walking for days on end? Cinder asked, a raspy laugh echoing in my head.

  Let someone else tell you you’re funny before you start laughing at your own jokes, you big doof.

  Skye started laughing and said, “I thought he was funny!”

  “I forgot you could hear us.” I was finally starting to feel relaxed again, not that I had much of a reason to.

  “Well, Cinder is pretty loud. You’re a bit harder to hear, but sometimes it’s easy. Most of the time I can ignore the two of you. I don’t like listening in on private conversations, but when you both are so close, it’s a little harder.”

  “What is she talking about?” Wulf sounded like he was getting irritated at being left out of most of our conversations.

  “Cinder is my spirit animal. We have a connection on a very deep level and are able to communicate through thought. Skye is a pixie, one of the underfae I was telling you about, but don’t worry, she’s on our side. She is able to listen in on some of our conversations since Cinder is obnoxiously loud and irritating,” I said playfully while I scratched behind one of his ears.

  “I don’t even know why I ask these questions when I’m only going to get ludicrous answers,” Wulf groaned.

  I pulled out my phone and checked the time. It was seven in the morning. “We have to get going. I need to talk to the Council and try and get them to listen to me before the attack. Perhaps they can evacuate the children and enlist the help of some of the more proficient mages.”

  “Do you really think they’ll listen? Everything you told me about them makes them sound like they don’t care about what goes on outside of the Temple. I doubt they’ll listen to you.” Ston folded his arms across his chest. “I’m just not sure how much we should tell them if they’re not going to listen.”

  “They’ll listen. My grandfather is still on the Council. He’ll listen. He’s an influential member of it. I’m sure he’ll be able to get something done. We have to at least try. Even if it’s just to evacuate. Our best chance is if I tell them everything I know, see if they believe me, and give them time to prepare,” I argued.

  “All right, all right. I understand. You’re right, then. We should leave now. We’ll need as much time as possible to try to convince them,” Ston agreed.

  “One thing first, actually,” I said, my face heating. “I really want a shower.”

  “Really? Now? Just about to hit the road in no time?” Ston’s head fell back, and he let out an exasperated groan.

  “Oh thank the Old Ones,” Cam moaned. “I haven’t had a shower in over a year now.”

  I couldn’t help but burst out into laughter, the entire room looking at me like I had lost my mind while I doubled over in the bed laughing.

  What’s so funny? Cinder asked as he cocked his head to the side.

  Because she’s been dead for the last year. My laughing got louder and more out of hand as I thought about it. Dead. And now here she was, and the thing she wanted most was a shower. She sounded like she had been craving a shower of all things the most for the last year. She hadn’t been able to shower once since she came back. None of us had been able to because we’d all been too busy recruiting armies and hunting down strange men.

  “Go ahead; I think you need it more than anyone,” I said, holding my sides as my roaring laughter subsided to a series of giggles.

  REGAN HAD set up a small camp in the forest that overlooked the island the Temple sat on. I found her sitting on the rocky shore, looking at the tower. Cam saw me watching her, my heart aching to go to her but at the same time afraid to talk to her after our last argument. Had that even been an argument? I wasn’t sure anymore.

  “Come on, you guys, let’s get acquainted with everyone and figure out what our part in the plan is,” Cam said, leading everyone away from me, even Cinder. She cast a look over her shoulder at me and nodded, as if saying I’d be okay.

  I took a deep breath and made my way over to Regan. I stood there awkwardly for a few moments before clearing my throat.

  Regan jumped slightly and looked back at me. “Hey you.” Her voice was soft, and I could see the hurt behind her eyes.

  “Hey back.” I sat down beside her and looked toward the Temple again. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen this place.”

  “Me too. They don’t even know I’m alive, and I’m trying to figure out how to save their lives.”

  “We’ll have to tell them. I’m planning to go over there in a few hours. I would like to do it alone at first. I think my grandfather may listen to me, and it will seem less threatening to them if I go alone.”

  “Threatening? You’re trying to save them. How is that threatening?” Her voice had gone from soft to angry in moments.

  “You know the Council—they’re proud, but worst of all is they are fearful. They hold mages back from the world because of it, and if we go in there screaming of attacks and war they will panic and shut us out. We have a few extra days before the attack. I overheard a dark elf, who must be in a high position, say they were going to push the attack back to try to catch us after we let our guard down.”

  “We can’t trust that.”

  “No, we can’t. We still need to be on guard, but I feel safe enough to go in and talk to them alone. I’ll be all right, Regan. You know I can handle myself. And you can’t come with me. I need to explain that you’re still alive. I have to explain a lot to them that they’re not going to want to hear. Just keep an eye on the Temple from the outside, until I can get them on board.”

  Regan looked away. After a few moments, she sighed and said, “All right. I trust you. After last year I should know that you can handle almost anything. Dealing with the Council isn’t something you need help with. But we’re going to be on guard. I don’t care what anyone says; we’re going to be prepared for whenever they come.”

  I smiled and reached over to touch her hand. She held it tightly, entwining our fingers together and bringing my hand up to her lips. “I love you,” I whispered.

  “I love you so much.” She closed her eyes, and I watched her visibly relax as she said it.

  We sat in comfortable silence for a while, her arm around my waist and holding me close to her. Eventually I had to stop pretending things were normal and go back to trying to stop the human race from being killed. “I should get going.”

  “Take Cinder at least. I know you can handle yourself, but he could be a second set of eyes. You haven’t been there in a while. You don’t know what could have changed.” I could tell Regan was afraid to fight with me again over this.

  I smiled weakly. “Of course I’ll take him. You’re right, he could be useful in there.”

  She let out sigh of relief. “Thank you,” she breathed.

  Cinder, we’re going to the Temple, get ready.

  How’d it go with Regan?

  Like you don’t already know.

  I don’t want you to feel like I’m intruding on your personal life.

  Cinder, we are connected. You literally feel what I feel all the time. We have the same dreams, including those ones where you chase rabbits in the forest, and you’re always in my head blathering on about some fun game you came up with to play with the kids. I don’t think I have a personal life.

  Those are the best dreams. Don’t even try to deny it.

  Oh, just meet me at the ferry already. A smile spread across my face, and I shook my head at him. I couldn’t be mad at him for always being in my head: not only did he not have a choice in the matter, but I wanted him there. It had been a year since we met, and he had entered my head and never left. Without him it would probably be
too empty and lonely. No, Cinder finished me. I had been an incomplete person before I met him. He was my best friend and constant companion.

  On my way. Also, you mean a lot to me too. Even if you’re only a mage and not an awesome cinderwolf, guardian of mankind and born from volcanoes and sent by the Old Ones to protect your sorry ass, like I am.

  I rolled my eyes and stood up. “I’ll see you soon. Skye, Ston, Cam, and Wulf are in the camp so you should probably bring them up to speed.”

  Regan nodded. “Be safe.”

  “I will.”

  THE FERRY ride was short, and the same middle-aged man who had taken me to the city when I first left the Temple, who had taken me back to deliver the news of Regan and the necromancer, and who had dropped me off in Lino again to live the rest of my life in peace was still complaining behind the steering wheel. It made me smile to see that some things didn’t change.

  Two knights stood by the large double doors into the Temple.

  “Sorry ma’am, no one is allowed into the Temple without an invitation,” one of the knights said in a gruff voice. He held a gun in his hands, and his Kevlar-covered chest was puffed out in what was probably pride.

  “My name is Casey Kelley. I was a mage of the Temple. My grandfather is Elloberer. I’m here to deliver very important news to the Council. This is a life or death matter, so you’ll do well to let me pass or you’ll be responsible for what happens if you don’t,” I warned as Cinder let out a low growl.

  He cast a quick look to the other knight before clearing his throat. “Casey Kelley?” I nodded. “I, uh, I suppose I can let you in temporarily. But you have to leave before six when my shift ends.”

  “Thank you.” That gave me two hours. Not that they would give me much grief when they found out what was going on.

  The doors opened, and Cinder and I walked through them. I was hit with the smell of home: old paper and magic.

  Cinder and I walked through the halls slowly as I drank in every memory of the place—where my classes had been, where friends and I had broken rules. Martun was everywhere. Martun, who had appeared so happy and full of life, was in every room and good memory I had. And yet he was the one who gave Jaysun his power, who helped him find me, who did everything he could to hurt me.

  I closed my eyes as we passed my old room. I didn’t expect this place to be so painful. Every part of my body ached, and I felt heavy with emotion.

  “Come on, Cinder. Let’s hurry up and get out of here,” I whispered.

  We made our way to the Council room, where there was bound to be at least some, if not all, of the members. I didn’t knock; instead I just opened the door and strode in, trying to command the attention of the room and seem important. I needed to be in charge of this, or they would just shrug away anything I said.

  I had been right in thinking the entire Council would be here. Not much had changed about this place at all it seemed.

  “Casey?” someone to my right gasped.

  I turned to see who it was, and of course it was my grandfather. His eyes were wide in shock, but he pulled himself upright and shut his mouth quickly. “Hello, Grandfather.” I turned to the rest of the room. “And to everyone else, of course.”

  “What are you doing here, Miss Kelley? You know that after your Proving Journey you are no longer a mage of the Temple and are forbidden to just waltz in here like this,” an old woman huffed.

  “I apologize, Senior Laquin. I would not be here if I felt the need wasn’t strong enough. However, outside of the Temple trouble is brewing.” I paused, making eye contact with everyone in the room. “The dark elves are resurfacing—”

  “Yes, yes, we know. This is old news, but we have determined it is not our place to worry about this,” someone said.

  I cast a dark look in that direction and continued. “They are coming back for a reason. And it is to start a war. They wish to take control of the surface again, either killing or enslaving the human race, mages included.”

  “Nonsense, Casey. Where did you hear this?” my grandfather scolded.

  “From a dark elf who knows somebody involved in the first attack. Which is why I’m here. In a few days’ time, the dark elves will attack this Temple as a show of their power. They will be using creatures you have never encountered, creatures who were banished to the underground along with the dark elves long ago. They are called the underfae. And you are not prepared to fight them. Nobody is. I’m here to tell you to evacuate your young mages, get them away from the fighting, and lend me the aid of the rest. On the mainland I have dwarves and pixies willing to lay their lives down to help fight this first attack, but not many, so I require your help as well. We don’t have much time to argue about this. I am telling you right now to evacuate those who can’t fight and have the rest prepare to go to war.”

  “Underfae? A dark elf war? Have you been reading too much, Miss Kelley? I know your Proving was quite the tale, necromancers and the like, but these things don’t happen very often. A war with the dark elves has never happened. And even I have never heard of these underfae you’re talking about. I think you need to go, Casey. We will not be listening to your fanciful tales of war. Even if there were to be an attack, why would they attack us? No, they will attack the humans, to whom we do not owe our allegiance. If there is to be a fight, it is their fight to have. You are dismissed,” Senior Laquin finished, waving her hand toward the door and beginning to go back to whatever she had been writing.

  “No!” I shouted, slamming my foot into the ground and cracking the stone floor. I took a few deep calming breaths. This is exactly what I had wanted to avoid. “No,” I tried saying again. “You don’t understand. They are coming here to test their power. A dark elf who has very good connections, who I trust with my life told me they plan to attack in just a few days. We have to start coming up with a plan. We desperately need your help to protect everyone who studies here. I would not be here if I didn’t think this was a credible threat. You know how badly I wanted to be rid of this life and to live normally. You know I wouldn’t come back if I didn’t have to. Please. Listen to me,” I pleaded.

  Nobody answered. Instead they all looked away, avoiding my gaze.

  “Grandfather, please.”

  “Casey,” he started tentatively, “I think you should leave. Come back tomorrow, and we will talk more on the subject after we have discussed this amongst ourselves.” He was sending me away but still trying to tell me he would talk on my behalf.

  “No, this isn’t something you can shut me out of. I’m supposed to be leading the men and women who are fighting to protect a place they had never seen before a few days ago. Many of them will probably die protecting you. I need to know you are on my side for this.”

  “Casey, you have to understand, this just isn’t something we can readily believe. Dwarves? Pixies? Underfae? A war of all things? What’s next, dragons?” He reached out to touch my shoulder, but I jerked away.

  “I’m not lying to you, Grandfather. I’ve seen these things with my own eyes.”

  “I’m not saying you’re lying, I just—”

  Suddenly we heard glass shattering as it fell to the floor, and the whole building began to shake violently. Screams came from down the hall, and the door was flung open once more. A small, thin silhouette stood there, panting and visibly shaking.

  “The-there’s something going on outside,” he stammered.

  “It is just an earthquake, child,” Senior Laquin answered, a fake smile plastered on her face but fear in her eyes.

  “No, it’s not. It-it’s magic. They bl-blasted a hole in the wa-wall. There a-are dark elves everywhere, ma-ma-ma’am.”

  I spun on my heel to face her. “I wasn’t lying.”

  Chapter 13

  SENIOR LAQUIN’S eyes were wide, and her mouth hung open. “What do we do, Elloberer? This is unprecedented.”

  I didn’t even wait for my grandfather’s answer, which would likely be one that diminished the danger we were in. I
had learned long ago that the Temple would rather suffer through a problem than handle it. Instead I decided to take charge myself. I turned to the boy and said, “Take everyone younger than you down to the basement with two professors. Everyone else you meet on the way, send them to find me.”

  He nodded and furiously rushed away, yelling for everyone to come outside of their rooms as he went.

  “This isn’t your place, Miss Kelley. You are no longer one of us. You don’t get to order us around,” Senior Laquin snapped.

  “I’m the only person who has any idea about what’s going on right now. You can either sit back and let me take control and maybe we’ll win, or you can fumble your way through this mess and probably die in the process. You decide.” She pursed her lips into a thin line, and I nodded. “That’s what I thought.” I pulled myself onto Cinder’s back and slid my leather gloves over my hands. “Bring everyone you can downstairs to the courtyard,” I ordered before Cinder ran out of the door and down the hall.

  Regan and everyone should be on their way. We just have to hold them off until they get here, I told Cinder as we sped through the building.

  They weren’t supposed to attack today. Even if they hadn’t pushed back their plans, they were supposed to be attacking the day after tomorrow.

  They must have suspected us when they saw us in Scanton and changed their plans. It’s okay. This is why Regan wanted to be ready. We knew this could happen. I tried not to worry about how wrong I was right now. I could do that later when I had time to think about what I could have done better. She’ll be here soon.

  The halls were crowded with confused children and panicked adults. Cinder slowed to a stop in the center of a particularly large crowd. “Anyone thirteen and under must go to the basement! It will be safest for you there. Everyone else, go to the courtyard. We are under attack! Begin protection and defense spells!” I shouted.

  Some of the teens began herding children together and taking them down the stairs; I tapped a few young men and women on the shoulder to go with them, hoping they would be able to protect them if I couldn’t.