Cold Front

by Nikolai Joslin

  Cinder took me outside to the courtyard, where I saw young and old mages standing out in the open with fearful looks toward the sky. I couldn’t see any dark elves yet, but they were here.

  “Hey, it’s that girl on the dog!” someone in the distance shouted.

  “She started all of this!”

  “What’s going on?”

  “Tell us what to do!”

  “Who do you think you are?”

  And then everyone was shouting, accusing me or defending me, but all of them asking for guidance. The Temple was focused on controlling a mage’s powers so that they weren’t a problem. They taught some classes on how to use magic to defend yourself, but they didn’t teach classes on how to battle dark elves.

  “Everyone quiet!” I screamed over them. I rubbed my temples with the tips of my fingers while I tried to think. “Freeze a 200-foot radius around the Temple. There’s not enough room to breathe on this damned island, let alone fight. I want to be able to move. Some of you work on repairing walls. There are still people in there, and we can’t have the place coming down around them. Everyone else, start getting ready for a fight. Your best spells, your natural elements, stick to what you know. Do something you can do well rather than something impressive.”

  You’re not going to have them do anything else? Cinder questioned.

  There’s not much else that we can do. Regan is on her way. That’s what matters. She’ll be here soon. Until then we just need to survive, I answered.

  People started moving to the water, freezing small portions and walking out on the newly formed ice to continue.

  The had barely made a hundred feet before another explosion sounded from the Temple. Everyone jumped, and I heard a scream come from the crowd. The people on the ice rushed back, terror on their faces.

  “Where are they?” I muttered under my breath.

  Perhaps they’re—

  Before Cinder could finish, thin, spiraling cones of water shot up from the sea. At the tip of each one, a dark elf stood.

  “Watch out!” I screamed, as a volley of ice shards came toward the island. I drew Life Force to my hand and pulled my hand up to the sky, a solid earth wall following the movement. It shielded almost everyone, but I couldn’t make it all the way down.

  Luckily, I didn’t have to.

  Everything seemed to move in slow motion as I watched a young man, less than eighteen years old probably, leap in front of the crowd. He grounded himself and stretched one arm out to the sea and the other out in front of him. A curtain of water followed the path of his arms and froze when it reached the end of my own wall. I could hear the sound of ice shattering against ice moments after it had frozen solid.

  There was silence for a minute, no one moved a muscle, and then I heard what could only be described as a war cry. And with that one throaty yell, all hell broke loose.

  A young mage ran toward the ice wall, hands outstretched and fire shooting from her palms and melting a hole in the ice just big enough for her. She wasted no time in freezing one of the tall cones to ice, cementing a dark elf’s feet in the water. She turned to do the same to another, but before she could even make a move, gunshots sounded.

  Her shoulder was thrown back, and she collapsed to the ground with a scream. Even from here I could see red blossoming on her white shirt.

  “Morgan!” someone shouted from the crowd. I saw the young man sprint forward, pushing people out of his way as he went, and sliding to his knees near the woman, Morgan.

  “Ken, watch out!” The voice was old, as was the woman it belonged to. I watched the hunched-over woman with white hair hobble forward as two dark elves rushed toward Ken. I wasn’t sure what they were planning, but it wasn’t good for Ken. The old woman stretched one arm to the sky and swung it back down to the ground, a bolt of lightning following the movement.

  The dark elf it struck fell into the sea and didn’t resurface. I took my chance to attack the other while she was focused on the old woman. I jumped off Cinder and scrambled out onto the ice, sliding a few feet, and turned my palm toward where the elf’s feet rested in the water. I clenched my hand into a fist and watched her look down in horror at her feet. The water constricted around the elf, grabbing her by the ankles and refusing to let go.

  She turned her attention from the woman, and I saw a rune on her neck glow brightly. She was trying to break free. I wondered if I was strong enough to hold the elf there.

  I poured more of my energy into the spell. I could feel it begin to waver, but not enough to free the elf. I brought the fist down quickly and watched the column of water sink back into the sea, dragging her with it. I held it there for a minute or so before turning my gaze back to the crowd.

  It was no longer a group of shaking mages watching with bated breath, but a horde of warriors using magic to defend their home. Children rushed to the aid of adults and men and women who looked like the Old Ones, and who used magic in ways I had never imagined. I could see the shock on the dark elves’ faces, unprepared for this sudden rally.

  I saw a mass of black and red fur leap forward and tackle an elf to the ground and a girl, who looked much too young to be fighting, bring shards of metal up through the earth to fling at enemies who drew too close. Everywhere I looked there was chaos, and we seemed to be winning.

  There was a gap in the crowd for a moment and I spotted five or six figures running across the lake, hands splayed out before them as they froze it. Ston and Cam were leading the way with thirty or so soldiers at their backs.

  “About damn time,” I muttered darkly. I started to run toward them, but a dark elf stepped in front of me, blood dripping down his arm that hung limply at his side. He had wild eyes and a twisted grin that spread across his face when he saw me.

  His good arm reached for something behind his back, most likely a weapon of some sort, but I didn’t have the time to let him finish. I lunged at him and wrapped my fingers around his throat tightly, catching him by surprise, and directed Life Force to the palm of my hand. He didn’t even have time to scream before it was over. I had cranked up the heat more than I needed to so I could move on faster.

  Cam and Ston had just finished their ice bridge and the group dissipated into the fighting. Cam briefly made eye contact but nodded when she saw that I was fine, and I lost her in the crowd.

  I then noticed Regan pushing her way through the mob to get to me, not even hesitating to see who was around her or if she were in danger.

  She wrapped her arms tightly around me, pulling me against her and holding me there. I could feel her heartbeat pounding in her chest. “Casey, I’m so sorry. I should have come with you. I shouldn’t have let you go alone. Are you okay?” She pulled back just enough to look me over. She was talking too fast for me to even get a word in. “I was so worried. And then I heard the explosion. I wasn’t sure what happened, I thought—”

  “Regan, this is really sweet, but now is not the time for this.” I pried her fingers off and moved away, gesturing to the havoc around us. “I’m fine. I’m pretty sure everything else can wait until after this.”

  She blinked and looked around, as if realizing her surroundings for the first time. “Right. Of course,” she mumbled.

  “Just be careful,” I warned and kissed her cheek as quickly as I could before brushing past her and slamming my foot on the ground. I watched the ground under a dark elf’s foot shoot up, making her fall forward and allowing a nearby mage to finish the job.

  It looked like we were winning. Dark elves were dropping like flies and with our new reinforcements it seemed like we had it in the bag.

  I looked up, unable to hide my relief. I had thought we would lose this fight, and to lose the first battle would only drag us down. This was good. We stood a chance from here on.

  And then Cinder’s voice echoed in my head. I don’t think it’s over quite yet.

  What do you mean?

  Look to the mainland.

  The battle around me slowed and everyone�
��s attention shifted. I saw Cam’s jaw clench, and then Flick’s wings lifted him off the ground and above the rest of us. He turned to Skye and said, “They’re bringing trolls across.”

  I followed everyone’s gaze and found that he was right. They were coming right across the bridge our reinforcements had made.

  Wulf whistled and said, “Well there’s something you don’t see every day.”

  “Trolls?” a voice piped up.

  “Dark elves weren’t enough?”

  “What the hell is that man doing?”

  “He’s got wings!”

  “What the hell is all of this?”

  Chaos was about to unfold and now probably wasn’t the best time for that. “Listen everyone! We can talk about what is going on and who all of these people are later, but right now we kind of have a more imminent threat. These things aren’t easy to kill. I suggest getting help from those around you! There will be dark elves following. What we just experienced was the first wave. There’s much more to come!”

  Everyone quieted down, and I watched people shuffle from side to side and stand on their toes to try to see what exactly was coming.

  Nobody made a move until they were almost upon us, and then they moved in the wrong direction. They began pushing back, trying to get farther away from the hairy beasts that were sprinting toward us.

  Ston pushed his way through the crowd. At first some of the mages tried to attack him, thinking they had missed one, but he negated their attacks with ease and I called out, “Stop, he’s a friend, he wants to help.” The mages slowly parted, letting Ston through but not without trying to glare him down and the occasional person spitting at him as he passed.

  He held both hands out to the right and stood perfectly still. I could see the rise and fall of his shoulders as he breathed, and I could feel the tension and confusion rising around us.

  And in one swift motion he brought his hands across to his left side and a powerful wave followed. I could see the faint glow of blue against his dark skin on the back of his neck, probably meaning wave or water.

  He dropped his hands and the wave stopped, letting us see what was left. He had taken out the first couple of trolls, unable to get them all, but he had halted the progression of the others for a few moments. They weren’t smart creatures, and now they were scared, but I didn’t give them much time before their fear of the dark elves overruled their fear of us.

  “Quickly!” I screamed, mentally calling Cinder to my side.

  A ball, more like a boulder, of black fur pushed his way through and skidded to a stop beside me. I tangled my fingers in his fur and hoisted myself up onto his back, and he charged forward.

  I held my right arm out to the side and took a deep breath before slowly pushing it down and through my palm. First I focused on creating a metal blade—a simple sword would do. I didn’t need anything intricate. And then I coated the steel in flame.

  The beasts hesitated before one lurched forward to meet me, letting me drive the blade through his chest.

  Once again I heard battle cries behind me, this time getting closer and closer. I cast a quick look over my shoulder to see the mages charging toward us, once again coming to my aid.

  Thank the Old Ones. I wasn’t sure it would work. I sighed heavily as I pulled the blade from the troll’s chest.

  What would we have done, then?

  Probably died valiantly, I replied.

  Good thing it did, then. I don’t think I’m ready to do that quite yet.

  I wouldn’t get your hopes too high. We have a long way to go before even this fight is done, let alone the war.

  Chapter 14

  THE BATTLE was long and went well into the night. We were exhausted. My body cried out with every movement, and then the dark elves turned the tide of the battle against us. We had managed to rally and force the few left to retreat, but it didn’t bring back the lives lost in those hours.

  Everyone had gone back into the Temple except for a few who weren’t too tired to keep watch in case they came back. I was sitting with Cinder on the ground. He towered over me and let me sit between his two front legs and rest my head against his chest.

  So many. Even my thoughts were broken whispers now.

  We knew there would be death here, Casey. They died protecting their friends and family. Honorably. I could tell he ached for them—he couldn’t hide that from me—but his voice was calm and reassuring.

  So many of them were just children.

  Fifteen is a child still?

  Fifteen is too young for war. Too young to die. I swallowed the lump building in my throat and tried to blink away the tears welling in my eyes again.

  There is no good age for war. Taking another’s life will always take a piece of your own, no matter how many years you’ve been on this earth. They have passed, Casey. They are in the Veil now, watching you. Make their deaths worthwhile and do not lose this war. They have already died. Sitting here and grieving them will not bring them back. There will be much more to mourn before this is over.

  They were just kids. I closed my eyes, trying to block out the images of mages falling down around me. How I didn’t stop to help them. How I was too wrapped up in what I was doing to even notice.

  Some. Some of them may have been parents and some had gray hair and wrinkles on their faces. They all gave their lives to protect those dearest to them, to protect their home. They fought for your cause, Casey. They wanted to fight with you. There was an attack on their home. Without you there would be no Temple left. You saved most of these people. Don’t forget that part.

  I should have done more.

  You couldn’t have done more. The dark elves would have come regardless. You saved many mages by being here today. We knew there would be death tonight; you did the best you could.

  It wasn’t enough, I argued weakly.

  Then we will continue to get better until it is enough. But we cannot quit because some of us didn’t make it. If we back out now, there may well be no one left at all. At least this way we can try to save almost everyone. Tonight we will sit with them and cry for them, but tomorrow morning we must be ready for the questions and accusations that will be thrown at us. We must also have some sort of plan in order to take control of the situation. Tonight was our first fight, but tomorrow will be our first battle.

  All I could do was nod in response.

  We sat in silence for a few hours, and finally I sighed heavily and stood up. I ran a hand through my curly brown hair, my fingers catching on knots a couple of times. “We have a lot of work to do for tomorrow. I want to start with a good shower, and then we need to come up with some semblance of an idea on what to do next.”

  Cinder stood and stretched before following me to the large double doors that led into the Temple.

  Regan was sitting on the dark wood floors just inside with her knees pulled up to her chin. I could tell she had been crying. Her eyes were puffy, and I could see where the tears had cleaned away the dirt as they ran down.

  She stood and walked over to me. She tilted my chin to look up at her and gave me a sad smile. “Hello, love.”

  I took her hand and kissed the palm of it gently. “Hello.”

  I’m going to go to your old room. I’ll see you in a little while, Cinder said.

  Thank you, I answered, and he padded away.

  “I’m sorry, Casey. I should have been there earlier. I should have been with you.” I could hear Regan’s voice catch as she spoke.

  “It’s not your fault. We did everything we could,” I whispered, not even sure if I believed it myself. “This is the price of war. We can’t save everyone.”

  “I just wish I were stronger. I could do something then. I could help more. I could have saved more people if I had just been… better.” She let her forehead rest against mine, and I felt a tear land on my nose.

  “Regan, you are strong, just in a different way. Just because you don’t have magic doesn’t mean that you aren’t strong en
ough for this. Magic isn’t everything.”

  “Everyone we go against has magic on their side. You have magic, the pixies have magic. The dwarves may not have magic, but at least they have something to put them on the same level as everyone else. I came here to protect mages, and I can’t even do that.”

  “You did protect mages today. The Temple is still here because you made it on time.”

  “Because the pixies, dwarves, Ston, and Cam made it on time. Maybe not compared to humans, but compared to the enemy, I’m weak. It’s the enemy that matters, Casey. I need to do something. I can’t just keep getting in the way. I need something to put me on the same level.”

  “Regan, there’s nothing we can do. You’re human. We need you as Regan. You’re very useful with the power you have.”

  Regan pulled away slightly and met my eyes. The brown rim around hazel eyes made me instantly feel like I was back home again, getting ready to have dinner with the love of my life. “Clerstan.”

  The word sent ice through my veins. “What?”

  “It amplified Jaysun’s power; perhaps it could give me some. I don’t need much, Casey. I just need enough.”

  I stepped back from her, putting distance between us, and frowned. “How could you suggest that after seeing what it did to Jaysun?”

  She rolled her eyes. “I’m not like him, Casey. I’m better. You know that.”

  Did I? Lately I wasn’t so sure. “Regan, this isn’t up for debate. I’m not helping you become something you’re not, especially when I know the repercussions. Clerstan isn’t an option, and it never will be. It changed Jaysun into a monster, and I’m not going to help you become that.”

  Regan’s body tensed, and she curled her hands into fists. “Casey, I’m not enough like this.”

  “You’re more than enough. Do you really think I need another inexperienced mage to worry about on the field?” I gestured angrily around the large room. “You wouldn’t even know where to start with magic. If it would even work like that, there’s no saying Clerstan would give you the ability to control your Life Force!”