by Tara West
“Enough!” the king hollered, shaking his staff at Zier. “I will not abide you challenging our laws. Your offspring are welcome to stay in the hold, but if you continue to argue, they may stay elsewhere.”
“Papa, it’s okay.” Sofla led him away from the shadow of the king’s large son.
Zier frowned, swiping tears. “It’s not right.”
“We don’t mind staying in the hold.” Sogred grabbed his other elbow while deftly burping her infant on her shoulder.
When Borg set King Furbald on the ground, the dwarf ruler marched toward Dianna with purpose in his stride, his tall staff striking the cobblestones, creating sparks like flint striking tinder. “Dianna of Adolan. I’ve come to ask how long you and your party will be staying.”
She could tell by the king’s tone he did not relish playing their host. She met his direct gaze with one of her own. “We will not impose on your hospitality another day. We leave on the morrow.”
“Impose!” Zier threw up his hands, stomping a foot. “You’re not imposing. You killed Eris, for Elements’ sake! Surely you’re entitled to a few days’ food and rest.”
“I’m sorry, but I cannot dally a moment longer.” She offered Zier a weary smile. “If the cold is as your daughters say, then Adolan will succumb next, and it will continue to spread as Madhea gains power. She must be stopped.”
King Furbald’s bushy brows dipped low over his eyes like angry white caterpillars. “And you think you are the witch who can stop her?”
“I know she is,” a familiar voice boomed. “She’s defeated one goddess. She can defeat another.”
Simeon stood behind her, legs braced, arms folded, his golden eyes as unwavering as stone.
“Aye,” the king answered, mistrust showing in his drawn mouth as he leaned against his staff. “But Eris wasn’t her mother.”
She flinched, then stiffened, regretting that the king witnessed how much his words stung. “Madhea is no mother to me. She is a danger to civilization and must be defeated.” Would she forever be compared to that curse of a mother?
“So you say.” The king chuckled. “But you are young and not familiar with Madhea’s persuasive powers.”
“For the love of my family and friends, I will not let her persuade me.” Her gaze swept the throng before settling on the king. “I swear on all that is sacred.”
He flashed a sideways scowl. “Let us hope that is true, for the future of humanity depends on it.”
Chapter Four
Markus held tightly to Ura’s hand, willing his pounding heart to slow as Chieftain Ingred Johan glared at them over her beak nose. Rather than feasting with friends and celebrating their nuptials, Markus and Ura had gone before the Council to warn them of Madhea’s impending attack. He fought a shudder as he looked over his shoulder at Jon, who was standing stoically behind him, along with Odu and the rest of the wedding guests, come to offer their moral support. The Council chamber was especially frigid today, if for no other reason than the cold reception they’d received from the members, who’d glared at them when Jon requested they grant his children an emergency hearing.
“Ura and Markus?” The chieftain drummed long, bony fingers on the armrest of her chair carved of gnull bones. “What are you doing here? I thought ’twas your wedding day.”
Ura cleared her throat. “It is, Chieftain, but we wanted to tell you of a disturbing vision we saw in the mists.”
“Disturbing vision?” She slowly sat up, her neck elongating like a slog trying to reach a pocket of mites. “During the ceremony?”
Ura and Markus shared a look and then Markus nodded. “Aye.”
The chieftain assessed them for a long moment. “But the mists only reveal favorable outcomes to wedded couples.”
Ura stiffened beside him. “The mists showed us Madhea in Ice Kingdom.”
The crowd behind them gasped, and the Council members flanking the chieftain erupted into hushed whispers, sounding like hornets buzzing a nest.
Ingred leaned forward, her thin brows dipping low over her eyes. “Surely you’re mistaken.”
When Ura swore under her breath, he knew he had to act before his new bride said something they’d both regret. He forced back the knot of panic that welled in his throat. “We know what we saw.”
He found himself caught in the crosshairs of Ingred’s beady-eyed glare. “And we are supposed to trust you, land dweller,” she spat, “after you claim to have survived a battle with Madhea and then lost our sacred stone?”
He fought back the urge to match his wife’s colorful words with a few of his own. From the moment he’d returned to Ice Kingdom, the Council and their chieftain had been after him about the stone, summoning him to their chamber no less than seven times, asking him to answer the same accusations. Why would you give your sister our stone? How can you be sure it had a goddess inside? What if your sister uses the stone for evil? When has she promised to return it?
“I didn’t lose it.” He groaned. “I have already told you my sister is borrowing it.”
“Ah, yes.” Ingred tossed back her head and laughed, a grating sound punctuated with whistles from her wide nostrils. “The sister you say flew off with the ice dragon and our warming stone.”
He bit down hard on his lip, trying to rein in his temper. Ura leaned into him, holding his hand, the only source of comfort.
“Again, ’tis more than a warming stone,” he growled.
Ingred tossed up her hands, her voice turning shrill. “Even more reason you should have brought it back.”
“That stone belonged to my family.” Ura turned up her chin. “The argument has already been settled between Markus and my father.”
Ingred narrowed her eyes at Ura before nodding to Jon standing behind them. “And yet your father was fool enough to allow you to marry this land dweller after he discarded our heritage’s greatest treasure.”
“Chieftain,” Jon boomed so loudly, Markus nearly jumped out of his boots. “About the vision.”
“What about it?” Ingred’s thin lips twisted in a scowl.
“The Elements have warned my daughter and son-in-law.” Jon’s voice dropped to a normal volume. “Why would the Elements lie?”
“I didn’t say the Elements lied.” Ingred shot up from her chair, wagging a finger at Jon. “Your family has a history of deceit. Your son convinced my son and our other young men to travel on a dangerous quest in search of the melting ice. Where is this melting ice now?” She motioned to the frozen cavern around them. “The river drops daily while the ice hardens.”
What kind of a fool was the chieftain to have forgotten that just a fortnight ago, the ice had been melting at an alarming rate?
“Your ignorance will be the death of the Ice People.”
Ura’s warning came before a growl so low, Markus thought he’d imagined it, but when he saw she was brimming with fury, he knew she’d spoken the words aloud.
Ingred’s blue skin had turned an alarming shade of fuchsia. “Insolent child! I ought to have you outed for speaking to me that way!”
Markus held his bride’s hand and took a step back. “Ura, please,” he whispered. “Don’t anger her.”
“Go ahead.” Ura said, heedless of Markus’s pleas. “I’ll be safer on the surface than down here.”
Shadows fell across the chieftain’s eyes as she looked down at Markus, reminding him of a predatory bird preparing to strike a rodent. “Land dweller, it would serve you well to keep your wife in line.”
“Ura,” he said through clenched teeth. “There is no use arguing.” He remembered too well the way the chieftain had easily outed her own nephew Bane Eryll, and he’d no wish to have his young wife forced to the surface. With no goddess stone to shield them from Madhea’s eye, they were sure to be caught.
Ura looked at him. “But everyone will die.”
Determination hardened his spine, and he pulled her through the throng and out of the chamber. “Not if I can help it.”
EVEN
THOUGH DIANNA was to bed with Mari, she’d followed the men into their hut. With distended bellies full of scraps, the dogs curled up by the fire, snuggled together like best friends. Dianna, Ryne, and Alec sat around the hearth on oversized comfy benches padded with downy feathers and covered with smooth leather, swapping stories about their journey.
She was painfully aware of Simeon quietly sitting beside her, sipping his tea and observing the others. She wondered what made him so reticent and realized he probably wasn’t used to camaraderie with men. He most likely spent his evenings in the company of women. The thought made her heart twist with jealousy, though she did her best to put it out of her mind. Instead, she focused on Des, who had fallen asleep with his head in her lap. She ran her fingers over his scalp, loving his sweet smile as he softly snored.
They shared a good laugh when Alec recounted the tale of Gorpat sneezing and coating them with layers of snot, but then everyone hung their heads as they recalled Ryne’s three fallen companions, two of whom had been eaten by sirens and the other mortally wounded in battle. Dianna sensed Ryne wasn’t looking forward to returning to Ice Kingdom with the news that their three sons had perished.
After a long and awkward silence, Alec pulled a scroll from his pack, flattening it on the floor beside the hearth. “We need to plan our days ahead.”
She slipped off the bench and knelt in front of the map, amazed at the details, from the Werewood Forest, which took up most of the bottom third of the map, to Aloa-Shay, a few smaller villages at the southeast tip, and even the giant colony northwest of the woods. Toward the top of the map was Adolan, which was northeast of the forest and south of Madhea’s mountain, and then Kicelin, now a tomb of ice, situated almost at the base of the mountain. Even more impressive, the dwarves had labeled a variety of routes, from the fastest to the most dangerous.
“Where did you get this map?” she asked her brother.
“Zier gave it to me,” Alec said with a smile. “Ryne and I have plotted our route from here to Aloa-Shay, where we will leave Mari and Des. Then we will travel directly through Werewood Forest. This straight route is the fastest.” He pointed to the lines that were labeled the most dangerous, with skulls and crossbones. “’Tis the route the dwarves take, with a wide path carved by the giants, so the dragons can take off and land as they please. Because we will have two dragons with us, we need not fear any woodland creatures.”
Though she didn’t wish to take the most dangerous route, with the freeze approaching, they’d have little choice. They had to make it to Ice Kingdom before the path was impassable, if it wasn’t already. The dragons had gone hunting in the Werewood Forest and were to return on the morrow. If Tan’yi’na felt it was too dangerous, certainly he’d tell her.
She sat back on her heels, contemplating their journey. She was impervious to the Elements, and years ago her father had taught her how to scale ice. Though it had been a while since she last wielded a pick and rope, she’d remember fast enough. But what about Simeon and Alec? Would they be able to keep up with her and Ryne? She feared they would impede their journey.
“It appears you’ve thought of everything,” she said, forcing a smile as realization hit her. She must leave Alec and Simeon with Des and Mari in Aloa-Shay. She didn’t know which was more unsettling, telling her brother and Simeon they must stay behind or traveling alone with Ryne. Though he was hard-headed and not particularly pleasant, she couldn’t deny he was attractive, tall and lean with a square jaw, full lips, and piercing silver eyes. She’d be more comfortable traveling alone with Simeon. He was flirtatious and sometimes crass, but he had an ease of manner that made her feel comfortable. Ryne was as cold and aloof as he was blue. Though he was only a few years her senior, he gave the impression that he was far older. He was a natural born leader. She didn’t know whether she should admire or resent him for that.
When Ryne knelt beside her, and Simeon flanked her other side, she felt trapped by the tension radiating off them. She stole a sideways glance at Simeon, who was like his own personal sun, melting Ryne with hot looks. A quick look at Ryne revealed a block of ice, reflecting that sun with frigid glares. Mayhap it was best she traveled alone with Ryne, for she didn’t know if she could stand the two rivals together much longer. She looked over at Alec, who flashed an impish grin. Good thing someone thought this was amusing.
Ryne pointed to the edge of the forest that bordered on expansive grasslands. “We shall leave the dragons in the forest with instructions for them to wait for our return.”
She stared at Ryne a long moment, waiting for him to ask her opinion. Did he just think to leave the dragons in the forest without her consent? When he said nothing, she cleared her throat. “We haven’t discussed the option of leaving the dragons.”
Ryne frowned. “That’s because there is no other option.”
She fought to remain impassive, though inside she was seething. Last she’d checked, nobody had elected Ryne the leader of their quest, yet he’d assumed the position.
Before she could respond, Simeon placed a hand on her knee, giving her a knowing wink. “We need to let Dianna decide what to do with the dragons.”
She appreciated Simeon’s support, but she didn’t know why he thought she needed him to speak for her—or for the dragons, for that matter. She was sure Tan’yi’na would have plenty to say on the matter.
Ryne chuckled softly, a low dark sound that matched the look he shot Simeon. “And risk Madhea spotting us, or worse, risk her reclaiming Lydra?”
Curse the Elements! He was right. One look at Alec confirmed Dianna had no option other than to trust Ryne.
“No, Simeon.” Dianna heaved a frustrated groan. “We must leave the dragons behind, though loath I am to do it.”
Rather than agree with her, Simeon engaged in a stare-down with Ryne. The tension between them was as thick as churned butter. She suspected they were competing for her favor, which was ridiculous. She didn’t want any man’s favor. All she had to do was recall images of Feira spoon-feeding her corpse husband to know what lay in store for her should she ever allow a man to steal her heart.
“Back to the map,” she said, hoping to break through the fog of male ego. Her gaze shot to a big X through an area marked Empire of Shadows in the center of the grasslands. “What is this?”
Alec shrugged, and Simeon held up his hands.
Ryne carefully studied the spot on the map. “We will pass it on our route. It’s a haunted place. It’s best we skirt around it.”
“You’ve been there?” Alec asked.
“I’ve seen it, but only from a distance.” Ryne shivered as if recalling a nightmare. “’Tis not a place I’d wish to enter.”
She wasn’t so sure she liked the idea of passing a haunted place, especially as the dragons wouldn’t be accompanying them on that portion of the journey.
“Once we reach Ice Kingdom,” Ryne continued, “we must persuade my people to flee before you battle Madhea. If her mountain were to fall, as did Eris’s volcano, my people would be crushed under it.”
Dianna agreed. “I cannot possibly battle Madhea with the Ice People living below her.” Besides, she wanted the Ice People’s three other stones before she engaged in a fight with the Sky Goddess. If ’twas true that Madhea’s powers were strengthening, then Dianna would need more than three goddess stones to battle her mother.
“What about the people of Adolan?” Alec asked, pointing to a spot by the Danae River that was near Alec’s home, or what was left of it.
“The cold will drive them away soon enough, just as it did the people of Kicelin,” Ryne answered.
Adolan wasn’t much more than a day’s journey from Kicelin. She worried for the people of Adolan, her people. Had they already fled their homes in search of warmer weather?
“How do we know the Ice People haven’t left already?” Simeon asked.
“We are called Ice People for a reason,” he said to Simeon, clearly not bothering to mask the derision in his voice. “W
e thrive in the cold.”
“Do you think they will want to leave their kingdom?” Alec asked.
Ryne shrugged, dark lines tugging at his angular features. “They won’t have a choice, will they?”
Suddenly it hit Dianna that she was about to displace an entire race of people. She had no idea their number, but Markus had said they were in the thousands. Mayhap it was wise if Ryne led their mission, for he would be the best person to be responsible for their safety. No wonder he was always so severe. He had the weight of his people’s survival on his shoulders.
A feeling of hopelessness washed over her. How would the Ice People react when they were told they must relinquish their stones and their kingdom?
“Where will they go?” she asked Ryne, hoping he’d already thought of a plan.
“I’m not sure yet,” he answered plainly.
Her heart sank like a stone.
“Mayhap we can convince King Furbald to allow them in the hold,” Alec suggested.
Ryne frowned at the map. “The hold isn’t big enough for everyone.”
She noted how Ryne answered Alec without venom in his voice, as opposed to when he addressed Simeon. If Ryne and Simeon were truly at odds over her, they were in for a sore disappointment.
Simeon pointed to a patch of unmarked land across the ocean. “What about Kyanu?”
“In the Shifting Sands?” Her hand flew to her throat. Relocating the ice dwellers to a new land seemed like such a daunting task.
“Yes.” A wide grin split Simeon’s face in two, reminding her of Des after he’d taught Brendle a new trick.
“You want to take my people from the ice to the desert sun?” Ryne snapped. “They will perish in the heat.”
Simeon responded with a smile so smug and patronizing, she feared the two would soon come to blows. “Do you have a better suggestion?”
Ryne and Simeon locked gazes like two rutting elk fighting over cows. Stupid, stubborn slogs!
“Simeon has a point,” she interjected, hoping to diffuse the mounting tension. “The Shifting Sands will be safest and farthest from Madhea’s wrath.”