Cold Front

by Nikolai Joslin

  “Your blood will be seen by all for the darkness that it is.” He hissed as he touched her with the claw as well. Regan fell to the ground beside me and made a strangled cry of pain. “Any power you may have possessed has been locked away for this world’s safety.” He then stretched out his wings and turned his attention back to me. “Do not call upon me again, human. I wish to rest in peace until the end of this world’s days.” With those words he shimmered and faded away.

  I crawled over to Regan and entwined our fingers. “I’ve got you, baby, don’t worry,” I whispered.

  “Someone, help bring them back, we can figure out what to do from there.” I couldn’t tell who said it or where the voice came from, everything was distant and foggy. I wasn’t sure of anything.

  Ston and Wulf walked over to us. Wulf knelt down and picked Regan up in his arms, and just as Ston was about to do the same for me, Cam stopped him.

  “I’ve got her.” She picked me up bridal style and whispered, “I’ve always got you.”

  “Cam—”

  “Don’t say anything. I’m just being a friend,” she insisted as she shifted her hold on me and started following everyone back.

  I had never realized how strong she was. This was something I expected of Regan. From Cam I expected sweet jokes and loving glances, not a show of strength like this. And she did it so effortlessly, like I weighed nothing to her.

  She carried me back. She started to take me inside, but I wasn’t in the mood to be in the cramped indoors. I needed air and moonlight. “No, I want to be out here.”

  Cam frowned, but set me down beside the tree anyway. She straightened up and shoved her hands in her pockets. “I’m glad you’re okay. You looked pretty bad for a minute there. So yeah, it’s good that you’re okay now.” She looked down at her feet. “I should go inside. You probably want to be alone.”

  “No, don’t go. Being alone is the last thing I want.” I sighed and let my head rest against the trunk behind me. I was feeling drained, like today had been one of the longest days of my life. But as exhausted as I was, I still felt strangely charged.

  Cam flopped onto the ground next to me. “Regan is resting, I think. She didn’t look so good from what I could tell.” She hesitated and I looked over to see her chewing her lip. “What did he do to you?”

  “I don’t know yet. I just feel different. I wouldn’t say I have more power going through me, just… different power perhaps.”

  “You said the word.” It wasn’t a question.

  “Yeah, I did.”

  “You called Karath, king of the goddamn dragons, from the dead.”

  “Guess so.” Karath. What an odd name for a dragon. A dragon. I had just seen a dragon. Strangely it wasn’t that surprising. Lately I’d seen quite a few things I would never have believed to exist.

  “Why did you do it? I told you not to say it. I told you it wasn’t worth it.”

  “I didn’t even realize it until you told me about it. And with all of this dealing with the underfae and traveling around, I’ve been feeling it grow stronger, begging to be said. I barely even realized I was saying it until it was already out.” It was the partial truth.

  We were quiet for a while, Cam stewing in her emotions. And then she said, “Regan won’t be happy.”

  “No, she really won’t be.” All Regan had been wanting was to be stronger. Today she found out she had a chance, and in the same breath it was stolen from her.

  “Why did you ask for him to do that? We did just fine without whatever he did. You don’t know what it is or how it will affect you. It could be really bad. Case, what were you thinking?”

  “Excuse me?” I looked over at her so quickly I was afraid of whiplash.

  “I didn’t mean it like that. I’m just saying you didn’t even ask what he was doing. You just blindly accepted it.” Cam raised her hands up, as if to act as a shield. Good. She would need all the defense she could get.

  “Cameron”—she flinched at the use of her full name—“what is it I’m doing right now?”

  “Case, don’t—”

  “No. Say it. What am I doing right now?” I snapped.

  She looked away and bit her lip. “You’re fighting a war.”

  “I’m running a war,” I corrected. “I know you and Regan just see a cute girl who can’t protect herself, but I assure you, I am one hundred percent capable of taking care of myself. I do not need some guardian angel. I do not need a knight in shining armor to come and rescue me, though you’re almost right about one thing. You think I’m a princess, and you’re close, but—” I stood up and balled my hands into fists. “—I’m a goddamn queen!” I spun on my heel and stalked off, ignoring whatever Cam was saying.

  Damn, Cinder said as he trotted up, falling into step beside me. He must have been in the house with Regan until he realized what was happening with Cam and me.

  What I did was my call. I don’t know what it is with those two, but honestly, they act like I should go to them for permission and to ask them to help me open a pickle jar. It’s like they forget that I’m not just some pretty girl.

  She did have a point. I’m not saying that she’s right, he hurried out before I could snap at him too. I’m just saying that we don’t know what Karath did or what it will do to you.

  Whatever it is, it was worth it. I have to make sacrifices and take chances and be willing to do just about anything to win, Cinder. I have to be the one who is willing to do anything because I am the one asking people to go out and die for me. I am responsible for everyone, which means I have to go the extra mile. I have to be more so I can protect more. I have to be better than this. I don’t care if whatever he unlocked in me kills me. I needed it.

  I could tell Cinder was coming up with a response, but he didn’t get the chance to say it. Instead we were interrupted by an elf with panicky eyes.

  “You’re Casey Kelley, right?” he asked.

  “I am,” I said as I tried to mask my confusion.

  “King Liam asked me to find you. There are people at the gate. They’re looking for the dragon.” He whispered the last word, like he was afraid Karath would come back at it.

  “Thank you for telling me. I can get there on my own.” He looked positively terrified. I didn’t want to put him through any more today.

  “Thank you, Miss Kelley.”

  “Casey is fine, really. Go home and get some rest, it’s been a long day.”

  He nodded and rushed off. “Thanks again!” he called as he went.

  “Now, let’s see what’s happening up there,” I said quietly to Cinder.

  We walked over calmly and when we arrived at the gates they opened quickly for us. Liam, Zera, and Maya were standing in front of five robed figures. All five were bald and had a refined look to them, something you would expect from a monk. The one who seemed to be in charge was the monk we had met earlier, dressed in gold robes with red trim. I now realized they were based on Karath’s gold scales and red eyes.

  “Dragon worshippers, I can see why you would keep that quiet. Must be an unpopular opinion,” I said as I walked up.

  “Was it you who called the king back?” the gold monk asked.

  “What is it you want?” I asked coolly.

  “We want to see where the dragon landed,” an old woman in solid black robes said.

  “No.” They didn’t need to know that he landed outside of the city, that if they walked a little farther they’d see it. That was private information. At least for now.

  The man in gold forced a smile and said, “We haven’t been properly introduced. My name is Cole.” He reached a hand out.

  I thought about rejecting it, but decided against it and shook his hand. “Casey.”

  He didn’t seem to hear it, though. Instead he was looking intently at my wrist. “Lonni, look at this.”

  A girl in her early teens sighed heavily. “Cole, they don’t want us here. You kicked them out against the rest of our wishes, and now you’re paying for
it.”

  “Lonni,” he hissed.

  She rolled her eyes, but stepped forward anyway, the teal trim of her red robes brushing against the ground. “What?”

  He turned my wrist over so that she could see it better. We all leaned forward to find out what was so fascinating about my arm. Lonni gasped when she saw it, and I snatched my arm away, rubbing at the veins in my wrist. Where they once had been faint blue showing through the skin, they were now shimmering gold.

  “You’re kin to him, aren’t you? To Karath?” Cole asked.

  “Yeah,” I said absently as I rubbed my wrist, trying to get it to come off.

  “You idiot,” the old woman said, reaching up and slapping Cole on the back of the head. “Come here,” she said, crooking an ancient finger to me.

  “What?”

  “I said come here. James and I are going to have a look at you since Cole is obviously incompetent.”

  I didn’t fight her; I just walked forward until I was less than an arm’s reach away. While I was standing there, a young boy jumped forward, making explosion sounds as his feet hit the ground. He was dressed in dark purple and gray robes.

  “James, you shouldn’t do that and you know it,” the old woman scolded lightly.

  “A child?” I frowned and looked to the woman in black for answers.

  “I wouldn’t underestimate him. The five of us represent a dragon. We are all related to one, though very distantly. James here has the strongest connection. He is related to Paku, who fittingly enough was the youngest of the five who became kin with us.”

  The boy held out a soft, pudgy hand. “I want to hold your hand,” he said with one of the biggest smiles I’d ever seen.

  I smiled and took his tiny hand in mine. The second my hand closed around his I felt like electricity was traveling between our hands. James scrunched his face up and pulled his hand away from mine. “Are you a dragon?” he asked innocently.

  “James!” the woman in black scolded.

  “She’s got a lot of him in her is all I’m saying… she also feels a bit like Lonni. I’ve never met anyone who feels like two of us.” He crossed his arms over his chest and looked up at me with a frown. “You feel different.”

  Cole grabbed my wrist and pointed to the gold veins. “What is this? What did he do?”

  I tore my arm from his grip and rubbed my wrist while I glared at him. “He said he was going to be helping the war, unlike you guys. Said something about unlocking some type of power.”

  “Hey! You get away from her!” Regan snapped as she jogged over to us. She stood between Cole and me and touched my face, looking deep into my eyes. “Are you okay? Wulf tried to keep me from coming, but I didn’t want you alone with these guys.”

  I pulled her hands away. “I’m not alone. I’m surrounded by very capable elves, and I myself am also capable of handling a few monks.” Something caught my eye, and I turned her hand over to look at her wrist.

  “I don’t like her,” James whispered as he grabbed the old woman’s hands.

  “What’s going on?” Regan asked, trying to tug her hand away, but I wouldn’t let go.

  Where my visible veins had turned gold, hers had become black. Thin dark lines had taken place of blue ones, contrasting greatly against her pale skin.

  “And you shouldn’t, James,” Cole hissed while he glared at Regan. Lonni stepped in between Regan and James.

  I spun around and jabbed a finger into Cole’s chest, taking him by surprise. “No, you do not get to say that about her. Karath came down and bestowed a gift on me and stole any chance she had away from her. He took away any possible power she may have had on the mere possibility that she isn’t everything I know her to be. She is kind, passionate, caring, determined, and most of all she is good. She is a good person. We didn’t even know about this until hours ago! You don’t get to accuse her of being a horrible person for a history of such a miniscule piece of her that she didn’t know about until earlier today!” Cinder stood and a low growl came from his chest, like he was agreeing with me.

  “Do you know half of what her ancestors did?” he shouted, pointing to Regan, who was still looking down at her wrist.

  “Her blood doesn’t change who she is. She is a good person. She always has been, and the sudden discovery of who her family is won’t change that. Ston, take them to where the dragon came down. Go back to your monastery when you’re done here. We don’t want your help,” I snapped before turning my back on the small group and walking off.

  “Casey! Casey, wait a second!” Regan yelled after me as she chased me down. I didn’t even pause. I was too furious to stop moving for a second. I heard Regan catch up to me, and she grabbed my shoulder. “Casey, stop.”

  I clenched my jaw and turned to her. “What?”

  “I just want to know what is happening. Everything has been moving so quickly, and I feel like I’m completely lost. Just talk to me, please,” she pleaded.

  “You want an explanation? You want me to give you answers to all of these questions you have?” I wasn’t sure why I was taking out my anger on her. It was just coming out. “There was a chance for that special power you were so desperate for, you had a chance. Granted it was a small one, miniscule, but it was there. And that fucking dragon took it away because once upon a time a million years ago, someone related to you did something they shouldn’t have. And those monk assholes are now also blaming you for that shit too. They’re acting like you did something wrong, but I know you. I know you, Regan. You’re not who they think you are.”

  Regan looked down at her wrist. “So I’ve got bad blood.”

  I shook my head and took her hand in mine, pulling it away from her. “You’ve just got blood. It doesn’t change who you are. Regan, you’re exactly who you were before finding out that one of your ancestors made a stupid decision.”

  She sighed heavily and nodded. “Yeah. Nothing has changed from yesterday.”

  “Come on, it’s been a long day. Let’s just go back and go to bed and forget what they think. They don’t know what they’re talking about anyway.”

  “All right.” She didn’t seem to be paying much attention. Then again, she also had a lot of people telling her that she was a bad person, so I could understand why.

  I held her hand as we walked back and tried to start small talk about our wedding, which would normally make her giddy with excitement, but now I barely got a response. I hoped this wouldn’t last long.

  “WAKE UP.” A soft voice sounded in my ear.

  I groaned quietly and opened my eyes to see Regan slipping on her shoes. “Regan?” I asked, checking my phone for the time. It was 1:53 in the morning. Where could she be going?

  She jumped and looked over her shoulder at me. She smiled weakly and said, “Hey, babe, I’m going out for a walk. I promise not to go far. I just need some air, is all. Get some sleep,” she said before standing up and walking out of the door, closing it behind her.

  Jaysun appeared, leaning against the door. “Thought you’d want to see that.”

  “Where is she going?” I tried to keep my voice down. I didn’t want to wake anyone up and have to answer questions.

  “You heard her, out for a walk,” Jaysun replied casually.

  Cinder let out a small bark in his sleep and his foot scratched against the bed once before he settled back down.

  “Then what was so important? Why did you need to wake me up for that?”

  “I just assumed you’d be curious about your woman leaving in the middle of the night. It seemed like the friendly thing to do.” I couldn’t read him. It was dark and his face was emotionless.

  No, there was a reason, there had to be. I started getting out of bed, but my feet hadn’t even touched the floor before Jaysun grabbed my shoulder and said, “Oh no, no, no, you need your sleep. Don’t want you overexerting yourself.”

  My vision swam and I fell back into a deep sleep.

  Chapter 19

  IT HAD been two months sin
ce we left the elvish city and went back to the Temple. Liam put Jahk and Zera in charge of Haven while he was focused on the war to help bring the two communities together. He hadn’t come back yet and was still trying to help with the transition, but he texted me this morning saying he would be back around dinner.

  I hadn’t seen Regan much in the last few weeks, and when I did see her, it was a surprise. She had been holed up in her room for days now. Occasionally she’d go down to the library to grab a book or two but would return to her cave right away. She had been like this ever since we returned. She hardly ate. She was either sleeping all the time or hardly ever. I wasn’t sure because she refused to sleep in the same room now. Every time I’d seen her, she was irritated and angry, just yesterday she was grabbing a yogurt from the fridge, and she slammed the door shut and threw the spoon in her hand at the wall because they only had blueberry and not strawberry. She wouldn’t talk about what was wrong and just got pissed off when I tried to help, so eventually I had to stop asking.

  I was looking out of the window in my room, while I thought about how Regan had changed. Frost clung to the grass in the early mornings now. Though it was late summer it should have been almost hot still, and definitely not dropping below freezing some days. It was off, and I suspected it was the dark elves. It was bringing down morale. Soldiers were constantly cold and instead of seeing it as magic being used against us, they saw it as punishment from the Old Ones for something they’d done wrong. Every day it got colder, and I wondered how much longer it would be until the first snowfall. Regan would never have stayed home in the snow. She was in love with it. She used to take me outside just to kiss me in it and build snowmen. She organized snowball fights in our neighborhood. Perhaps the snow would bring her back to me.

  “Casey, we have a little bit of a problem.” Cam. She had acted as my rock for the last two months. Everyone else shied away and avoided talking to me when possible now. You’d get different answers depending on who you talked to. I heard that I was related to demons, that I had been possessed, that I was a dark elf sympathizer, and that I was a dragon in the body of a human. Word traveled fast. It only took a few days for the whole army to know that I wasn’t just a mage but something a little more, though they all argued on what that was. It didn’t matter what they thought, though. They tried to avoid me regardless.