Fire & Ice

by Aurelia Skye

  “Why? I told you I was doing magic with Marek.”

  He waved a hand. “You didn’t say where, and I couldn’t find you. If we don’t hurry, we’ll be late and miss her.”

  Mystified, she shook her head. “You’re talking about Lyssa?” At his nod, she asked, “What will we be late for?” And why was she involved?

  “She’s waiting at the line of demarcation, and she’ll be there exactly an hour. It’s the only opportunity I have to connect with her, because if I don’t show, I’m sure she won’t take another chance on me.”

  North wasn’t convinced that was true, but she wasn’t going to argue with him. “Why do you need me to come along? You need a chaperone?” Her lips twitched with the urge to tease him, but she somehow managed to sound serious.

  “No, of course not. I just need to use you for cover. Will you take a walk with me?”

  “Yes, but I need five minutes.” She ignored his huff of indignation and sped off toward the indoor pool. Eamon was already floating in the water, looking completely relaxed, and she stood over him, admiring his physique for a moment before she remembered why she was in a hurry. She cleared her throat, and he opened his eyes slowly to give her a lazy grin.

  He was more relaxed around her, and his cheeks, but the tips of his ears were still red when he met her gaze. “Water’s perfect. Jump in, and I’ll catch you.”

  She let out a sigh. “I’m sorry, but I need to reschedule for later in the day. Something’s come up, and Milo needs me to do a favor for him.” It was only as she said the words that she realized she probably shouldn’t give so much information, in case Eamon pressed for knowledge about what she was doing for Milo.

  He looked disappointed, but didn’t ask about her plans with Milo. “Maybe this evening then?”

  She blew him a kiss. “Thank you for understanding, Eamon. I promise we’ll spend some time together later today.”

  “Okay. I guess you’d better hurry then?”

  With a nod, she spun on her heel, preparing to run back to where she’d left Milo. Instead, she stumbled for a moment when she saw him standing in the doorway, pressing her hand to her chest to slow her racing heart. “Geez, you scared me.”

  “I apologize for the fright. I figured it would be faster to meet you.”

  “Yes, I guess so.” With a wave at Eamon, she followed Milo from the swimming pool area and back to the main part of the palace. He led her into the cool interior, where the vehicles were parked, and she wasn’t surprised to find them similar in appearance to the fleet of vehicles on Kriss’s side of the world, minus the heat-repelling panels.

  He pointed toward a sleek car that was pale-blue and sparkled like ice. She slipped into the side that appeared to be the passenger side, and he joined her a moment later. “I thought we were taking a walk?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t want to be late, and it’s a long walk.”

  She leaned back and tried to relax, wishing she was with Eamon instead, even though that might be slightly selfish. If she could bring Lyssa and Milo together, maybe it would be the first step toward healing the breach that consumed the entire realm. If she had the wizard in front of her who got the bright idea of separating their world into two parts instead of helping the people come together to find a solution, she might’ve sent a wave his way.

  Milo drove quickly, but also with confidence that suggested he knew what he was doing. It seemed like no time at all before they arrived at a spot that was clearly part of the demarcation line, though she hadn’t been in this area before. They were nowhere near CenterPoint, and there was more ice and snow in this area, since no one had cleared it. Right at the line, she could see lush vegetation, and Lyssa stood on the other side.

  North hung back, allowing privacy for their first moments together. She watched from the front seat, flipping on the heater after finally figuring out how it worked, and waited to see what they would do.

  Their body language suggested they were talking, but they both stood stiffly. Neither one had made any effort to cross over to the other. They were just standing there like a couple of bumps on a log.

  Telling herself she really shouldn’t get involved further, she still climbed out of the car and walked closer to them. It broke her heart to see how stiff they were with each other, and how carefully they maintained a neutral space between them. With a hint of exasperation in her voice, she asked, “Did you come just to stare at each other?”

  “It’s difficult to cross into Celestina,” said Milo briskly.

  “Does it hurt or something?”

  He shook his head at her question. “It’s just forbidden. It’s been taboo for hundreds of years, and it’s hard to breach the gap.”

  She did her best to hide her annoyance with the custom as she turned to Lyssa. “Do you feel the same way?”

  With big eyes, Lyssa nodded. She looked miserable, as though she couldn’t fathom being so close to him, without being able to cross the barrier to get closer.

  To make a point, North stepped carefully on the line of demarcation, then slightly off to the right and left sides, so she wasn’t standing between them while straddling both sides of their realm. “I didn’t explode.”

  Milo snorted with laughter, looking startled. “It wasn’t likely that you would have.”

  “Which means you won’t either.” As she spoke, she put a hand on his shoulder and stretched to put another on Lyssa’s. Slowly, she drew them together, so they were both standing on the line. Once they had taken the first step, she was able to drop her hands, because they did the rest.

  Her eyes widened when their arms wrapped around each other, and they were suddenly kissing. “You are very enthusiastic with your hellos around here.” Sensing they didn’t hear her teasing, and knowing she was no longer necessary, she moved away and returned to the car to wait for Milo as he finished his clandestine assignation with the fire princess.

  As she sat in the seat, she looked up, and her mouth dropped open. They were both radiating power, but it wasn’t confined to either one. It was twisting and tangling around them, streaks of goldish-orange intertwined with silvery-blue until they were both wrapped in what looked like a protective cocoon. With a grin, she leaned back and focused on the light show their magic produced, rather than the embracing couple themselves. It seemed obvious to her that they no longer needed her as a catalyst to bring them together.

  Chapter Ten

  For the fifth time in the last two weeks, North settled in at the Torture Room in the Drakken palace. She was getting tired of shuffling back and forth between the two kingdoms, trying to split her time and remain diplomatic. It was ridiculous, and she was rapidly losing patience for the apartheid that split the realm.

  She was also getting tired of returning to this palace, when it was obvious at least the king and queen only hosted her because it was expected, and not because they wanted to have her around. Neither royal had been particularly open and friendly to her, though Queen Risa was slightly less frigid. King Thorne clearly had no use for her, which undermined her confidence.

  It was no surprise to her that she was doing far worse with fire magic than with water magic. When she was in Haedra, she felt welcome and at peace, as though among friends and family. The only similar feeling she got when she was in Celestina was from Kriss or Lyssa.

  Thinking of Lyssa made her brighten as she glanced at the timepiece on the wall. It told her she had about ten minutes until Lyssa arrived, ostensibly to take her to see the new foals of the fire-wings living in the stables. She’d seen the animals that resembled Earth horses before, but never tired of looking at their flaming wings.

  She planned to spend time admiring the fire-wings and their new babies while Lyssa slipped away to meet with Milo. She didn’t always provide cover for them, but she had been co-opted into accompanying them on more meetings than she’d like. She was happy that they were happy together, but was a little sick of seeing them all over each other.

  Maybe she wa
s just envious. Her own love life, or lack thereof, seemed to have reached a plateau. She had kissed all six of them, and she’d experimented with a few of them in other ways, but Marek only seemed to want to exchange orgasms when they were about to perform magic, which left the whole experience feeling tainted. She’d actually shied away from his offers the last few times, unable to get past the disconcerting certainty that he only wanted to boost their magic.

  It wasn’t quite like that with Kriss though. He’d also discovered the secret of boosting both their magic with orgasms first, but the few times he stroked her to the point of coming hadn’t always led to magic afterward. They were the two she saw most right now, which made sense with being in their realm, and they were trying to teach her their magic. She was feeling a disconnect from the others, but they were nearby and always available if she needed them. She just didn’t like the circumstances in which they were all currently trapped, feeling watched and desired only for her magic.

  When there was a frantic knock at her door, she shook off the thoughts depressing her to cross the room. Lyssa was early and clearly antsy to get underway. She opened the door with an indulgent smile, about to tease her friend over her eagerness, but Lyssa pushed past her and closed the door before locking it. There was a sense of panic in her motions, and she collapsed against the door.

  North tensed, instinctively feeling for the thrum of the fire element in the air as she prepared to defend herself from the as-yet-unseen threat. “What’s wrong?”

  “This.” With a wail, Lyssa removed the headscarf she’d worn, which covered her previously pristine dark-auburn hair. Now, it was shot through with strands of silvery-blue.

  She shook her head in confusion. “Is it from age?” That didn’t make sense, since Queen Risa had only an occasional strand of white through her red hair, and King Thorne had none visible at all in his dark-brown strands.

  She shook her head, clutching her hands together. “It’s his magic fusing with mine.” Lyssa blushed, looking downward for a minute. “Last night, we…” She trailed off.

  “Oh.” She scrunched her brow. “How was it?”

  For a moment, Lyssa’s panic faded, and she got a dreamy expression on her face. “It was amazing. I’ve never experienced anything like it, but then when I woke up, it was like this.” She pointed to her head again before removing a portacomm from her pocket. That was what they called a cell phone here, and though somewhat different, they were essentially the same. Her fingers seemed to fly as she unlocked the screen and pulled up a picture. She thrust it at North a second later. “See?”

  It was a picture of Milo, and he looked as startled and fearful as Lyssa. His hair was also shot through with streaks of orange-red. He looked different, but it was surprisingly harmonious. She handed back the portacomm and took a step closer to her friend. Hesitantly, she reached out to touch a strand of her hair, one that was heavily silver, but could detect no difference in the texture from the auburn strands surrounding it. “It’s beautiful.”

  “It’s a disaster. Everyone’s going to know.” Lyssa wailed again before clamping a hand over her mouth. She took several deep breaths, clearly trying to regain control. “Sorry,” she said a moment later. Her voice was far leveler. “It’s just—I don’t know what they’re going to do. My father might lock me in the dungeon and never let me out to see Milo again.”

  North frowned. “I don’t know much about such things, but I don’t think he can actually do that. Could he?”

  Lyssa threw up her hands. “I don’t know. As far as I know, this has never happened before.”

  “Is it common for your magic auras to merge?”

  Lyssa shook her head. “Not that I know of. The history is a little fuzzy and wasn’t all written down before Balthazar split the realm, but I don’t think it was even before then. Of course, fire and ice beings tend to stay with their own elements. This must be why.”

  Judging from the creeping panic in her expression, North braced herself for another wail that didn’t come. She breathed a sigh of relief before putting a hand on Lyssa’s shoulder. “Maybe it’s for the best. It’s not like you could hide it forever, could you?”

  “I didn’t want to think about it,” said Lyssa as a tear trailed on her cheek. “It felt like every meeting was our last, and I couldn’t bring myself to think about the future.”

  North frowned. “Do you want a future with him?”

  Lyssa’s expression softened, and much of her fear faded away. “More than anything. I think he feels the same way too, but it’s impossible.”

  “Why is it impossible? Give me all the reasons why, and maybe we can find a solution to each one.”

  “For one thing, he lives in Haedra, and I live in Celestina. Our groups don’t really interact.”

  “We’ve proven that you can. Nothing happens when either one of you crosses into the other’s side of the realm. Nothing happens to Kriss or Marek when they accompany me to the other’s side. Once upon a time, the realm was a harmonious mix of fire and ice. It could be that way again.” She said the last sentence with less confidence, not entirely sure magic was capable of physically reunifying the realm, and certainly not able to ask anyone at the moment, under the circumstances.

  “I’m the heir to the throne. I have to abdicate to be with him.”

  “Marek told me he’s stepping aside to come with me—if I choose him,” she said softly, almost reluctant to share the information he’d mentioned a few days ago in passing, as though it was no big deal that he would give up his position in line to stay at her side. She’d been touched then, and slightly reassured that he wanted her for more than a power boost. She wasn’t sure she should tell her friend, in case it added to Lyssa’s fear, but figured she needed to know.

  Lyssa paled and sat down on the floor, seeming not to care about the flounces and folds of her dress that crumpled underneath her. “That’s just perfect. He’s the heir then—I mean if Marek really steps aside.” She swiped at her cheeks, unable to hide her tears.

  “Then maybe it is perfect. You’ll be Queen here, and he’ll be King there. You just have to marry and reunify your kingdoms.”

  Lyssa started to shake her head, but then froze. She looked up with a hint of hope in her eyes. “Do you think that could work?”

  North didn’t know, but her friend needed a dose of confidence, so she forced herself to sound assured. “I don’t see why not. Once you’re both reigning rulers, you can pretty much do what you want, can’t you?”

  Lyssa clutched her hands tighter together. “Sort of, but there are councils and parliaments to deal with. The High Council could veto it too, I suppose.” Hope faded, and her expression crumpled again. “We’ll probably have to run away to Earth and live in exile.”

  “If that’s the choice you have, you’ll make the best of it.” With a sigh, she sank down on the floor beside Lyssa and took her friend’s hand. “You know you would like part of it. I have no doubt you can become a famous designer on Earth, and Milo would find something to keep himself busy as well. It’s probably not going to be necessary, but at least you have a backup plan if it does. What’s the worst that can happen?”

  “Never seeing him again.”

  She squeezed Lyssa’s hand. “Exactly. So you know that’s the thing you don’t want to happen most of all. The rest are just details that we can handle.”

  “I still don’t know how to proceed. My parents are going to hate me.”

  “If you stop seeing Milo, would your hair go back to normal?” When Lyssa lifted a shoulder in a shrug, she said, “If it did, we can assume not instantaneously. They’re going to find out either way. You don’t have to spring it on them right this minute, but you don’t have to hide how you feel about Milo either. There’s nothing shameful in it. You love him, and he loves you, and if others can’t handle it, that’s their problem.”

  Her words were originally meant just for Lyssa, but they resonated deep inside her, pointing out she had been holding b
ack with all six of the men in her life partially because she was still acting under the Oracle’s prediction that she would pick one of them as a husband. She was holding back her desires, afraid what it would mean to have a relationship with six men.

  After spending her life in total social isolation, aside from her father as her only companion, she craved human contact and the ability to move among people freely. They were sure to receive a fair share of disapproval if she claimed all six of them as her husbands, and now she realized she’d allowed that influence her. When things got too intimate, she was likely to flee before they could progress.

  She was just as much, if not solely, responsible for the standstill that had occurred in her relationship progress with all six of them. She’d spent the last two weeks shying away from anything truly serious that threatened to make her feel deeply. Flirting with the idea of keeping them all and actually going through with it were two different things. Apparently, her subconscious had been fighting both positions all along. Only now, as she spoke the words to Lyssa, she realized how freeing it would be to admit she was falling in love with all six of them and focus on building a relationship that was strong enough to encompass each of them.

  “I don’t have to tell them today though, right?”

  She couldn’t help a small smile at Lyssa’s hesitant question. “No, of course not.” She looked at the timepiece. “Should we leave to meet with Milo now?”

  That perked Lyssa up, and she bounded to her feet a moment later. Her dress was crushed apparently beyond saving, but she didn’t seem to care. “Let’s go.”

  North barely had time to slide her feet into sandals before Lyssa disappeared through the doorway.

  Chapter Eleven

  There was a new lightness to her step when she followed Lyssa to the stables. Embracing how she felt and making the decision to try to convince all six of them to be with her had freed her, though it certainly complicated her life too.