Ice Burns

by Charity Ayres

  Darkness was her cue and Chandra knew it was time to go.

  11

  The moon might have been bright, but no light found the inner hallways of the estate. The darkness was as near absolute as if Chandra tread within the core of a cavern in the center of the world.

  Frostwhite had gone out the window. She assumed that he understood where she was going and would come in through the dome in the courtyard. It was a clear night, so a few of the windows would be cranked open to let in the fresh air. Chandra had peeked in earlier to check how big the windows looked, and they had seemed at least as significant as the casement in her room.

  No sounds curled in the hallways and Chandra fought to keep it that way. Each foot arched under in a curl before round pad and toes touched down with a slowly following heel. Chandra knew her footsteps were soundless but wondered if the sound of her heart echoed in the hallway. She was afraid to take too deep of breath, but seemed only barely to remember to take any breath at all. Now and then, the hem of her trouser would brush against a tapestry as she kept her body angled near the walls. The sound, like someone whispering, set her hair on end, and a shiver of cold air ran down her back. Each time it happened, she had to remind herself what the sound was, but it startled her just the same.

  The large glass doors of the peristyle were open and the night smells ran cool fingers across Chandra's flushed cheeks and forced her lungs to take in air. The air braced her like a splash of unexpectedly cold water on her face in the morning. Her skin twitched, and her body shivered involuntarily.

  She realized she hadn't moved from the doorway and hurried to step inside and away from where anyone in the halls might see. Leaves whispered, and the echoing call of insects seemed to come from all sides and birds called menacingly in response to their noisy dinners. Chandra moved slowly, pushing leaves and branches aside as she pushed forward to the center of the garden. There was a small, columned structure in the heart of the peristyle that she planned to sit behind. It would hide her from view but keep her near enough to the various elemental representations in the garden.

  It took longer to get to the center than she remembered, likely from her measured movements. The structure was there, and it shone like gold in the moonlight. It was twice her height and carved with various patterns and different figures. Some she knew to be gods of the elements worshiped for so long before magic had been tossed away. At the base of each column, the stone turned from marble to pure black onyx that formed circular feet for the structure. They were round like Chandra imagined an elephant's feet to be from the sketches she had seen in a book. The feet reflected the light back at her as though instead of onyx it was a pure diamond, breaking the moonlight and forcing it to dance around the garden like a nymph.

  All call like a hoarse shriek called from above and cool air rushed down ahead of wings. Chandra lifted her arm, and Frostwhite landed there as though they had been made to meet in such a way. She looked at him and stepped counter-turn around the little building. It took her a good thirty paces to reach the back side. Though the columns did not have walls between them, sitting on the ground would hide her from guards or late-night strolls.

  The ground in the central garden was unlike the outer grounds of the estate. It was a moss-covered base that grew tiny white flowers that smelled fresh like clean water.

  Or snow.

  Chandra plucked a tiny flower and smiled. It did smell like snow. She put it in her tunic pocket and slid her fingers into the moss as she closed her eyes. Fresh green and dark soil rose up to wrap the scent around her, and her sense of smell felt bright as though she could feel the living color of the moss coming into her. Chandra wiggled her fingers in the feathery plant that cushioned her. Her body soaked in the cool touch from the ground beneath her and absorbed it through her skin to her bones. Instead of chilling her, Chandra felt her bones melt, and her muscles turn to silken cloth. She could sleep on the bed of moss.

  Keek

  The quiet call made Chandra open her eyes. Frostwhite perched in a white birch tree and watched her.

  Focus.

  Had he said the word aloud, he would not have been any clearer. Chandra took a deep breath in, pulled her hands away from the moss and settled them in her lap, her fingers loose in a curled posture. Her spine straightened, and she took a few slow breaths before closing her eyes.

  The moss was beneath her, but she pushed her focus past it to the soil it clung to. It was thin here; out of touch with the outside world that would build it up and fill it with nutrients. She reached further and found small movements of creatures or insects in the narrow, enclosed world. She nudged at the soil with her mind, imagining that her thoughts were like an earthworm making tunnels. She pushed, but felt nothing in return.

  Chandra pulled back and tried again. She focused away from movement in the dirt and clay and tried to pull with her mind. She imagined the earth rolling up like a tiny volcano to push out rocks and random debris but again felt nothing.

  Okay, if the library wasn't enough, I know that earth is not my elemental power.

  Frostwhite made a sound that strongly resembled a snort, and her eyes opened in surprise. He was just as he had been and she felt something roll off of him like amusement.

  No distractions unless they are necessary if you please.

  She focused on her friend as she thought it and then closed her eyes again. The next element was air and should have been the easiest to touch because it was all around her. As she focused on air, it became a cool touch on her skin. Air became like a friendly caress that drew a slow caress down her cheek while wrapping her in an embrace. The scent that curled into her was suddenly everything and nothing. Air squeezed into her; the embrace became a rope around her neck that pressed in to stop her from breathing.

  Chandra's eyes popped open, and she lost her focus on air as she gulped in a massive gasp to replace breath stolen from her by and element that had seemed friendly for a moment. She coughed as she tried to get her lungs and throat to work again.

  Frostwhite landed in front of her and brushed her leg with his feathers. Chandra stopped fighting and let her body take over. Her fear had caused her to fight her natural need to breathe. Her breathing slowed and regulated, her lungs filling and releasing until her heart rate slowed and she didn't feel panicked.

  Chandra put one hand on her friend's wing and gently touched with two fingers and nodded at him. As she watched, for a moment, it was as though he were a human kneeling before her, reminding her to breathe. The thought passed, and Frostwhite leaped through the air to the birch tree. He settled and turned.

  Chandra nodded and stood. Next, would be water. She was suddenly frightened when she thought about what she had just felt with air. She had so foolishly reached into the storm of water that Master had formed to douse the estate fire. Like air, water had climbed her body until it was able to smother her. Deakon had broken the contact, but who would do so today if the same thing happened?

  Chandra swallowed and stepped to the fountain that was the only water source for the garden. It had once held a statue that sprayed the water from the base up, but now there was nothing more than broken rock where it had been.

  She lowered herself to sit on the wide stone basin that wrapped around the sputtering, bubbling fountain in the center. There was a greenish sheen to both rock and water that looked the same shade she had once after eating one of cook's experimental meals. Her body had purged to food from it for several hours, but it looked as though the fountain and water basin had not had such an opportunity.

  Chandra frowned at the ill-kempt water source in the garden. Few ever found an affinity for water at Master's estate, so it was not surprising that it looked ill-used. She pushed up the sleeve of her tunic and lowered her hand enough so that her fingers slid into the water. She had expected it to feel cold like everything else in the garden. Instead, it was tepid to the point of being as warm as old bath water. She fought the urge to draw her hand back at the idea and
closed her eyes.

  It took longer to focus, but eventually her lungs drew and expelled at a steady rate, and she listened to her heartbeat before she reached out. She struggled with the distractions of other scents and feelings in the garden: small insects and nocturnal creatures that pulled with insistence as much as the moss tried to call her back. She gave a mental headshake and pushed into water, calling for what she knew of the element.

  She thought of the rain that lulled her to sleep despite the insistence with which it tapped against the walls of the estate. She imagined cool water when she was thirsty that almost hurt as it went down her parched throat but filled her with satisfaction. She felt the silken touch of water when she was allowed to use one of the baths at the estate.

  Her fingertips swirled within the basin. The green coating on top pulled away, and she felt the water begin to drop in temperature where the night air touched it. It felt like a gentle caress as though she were twirling her fingers against someone else's fingers. The water gently lapped around her fingers and the rose across her hand. Before fear moved beyond a drop in her consciousness, a gentle calm came over her as though she were swaying in the water. It was as though she was rocking back and forth without feeling worried despite the water climbing further up her arm and soaking her tunic.

  She felt a sharp nip at her other hand and frowned.

  Keek

  Frostwhite was calling to her, but Chandra didn't want to open her mind and lose the contact with the water that whispered in her. It drew back slightly as Frostwhite nipped her again and she opened her thoughts to her friend to find them frantic.

  She saw an image of water rising around her, a perfect Chandra-shaped bubble. She opened her eyes and saw what her friend was showing her, but she was still not afraid. There was something in the voice of the water that was important.

  "It needs me, Frostwhite," her voice was hushed but confident. "Trust me and let me help it."

  She felt fear from the hawk, but he only hesitated a moment before fluttering his wings and moving away. The water tightened around her, wrapping her and soaking all of her clothing, but it didn't touch her mouth or nose. Chandra didn't close her eyes but could still hear it.

  The water still had the greenish color, and it felt warm, but Chandra recognized the warm as almost a feverish warmth. She knew that it needed to be rid of the green, and she felt her breath come out cooler than the water. The night air touched the water now and then but didn't take away enough of the warmth. Chandra exhaled and imagined her breath blending with the water and pushing away the green sludge.

  Snowflakes fluttered in the air in front of her before meeting the water cocoon which shivered on her and released. The water moved into the basin at the same speed cold gravy poured from a dish. Chandra felt a tear slide down her face and hit the water.

  It didn't mix with the water, though, it fell like a diamond shard and began to glow at the bottom of the pool. The garden glowed green from the light in the water as it got brighter and brighter.

  Chandra lifted her hands to shade her eyes but still had to move away and turn from the fountain. It was so bright that it burned shadows into her eyelids that remained the shape of the tear for several moments before fading enough for her to see.

  The light had gone, but it took a while for her vision to sharpen. When she was able to see, she thought she must still be blind. The basin was white instead of the grays and greens of old stone. Her hand came forward to touch the white stone, and she gasped.

  It was frozen.

  "How is this possible?" she whispered. Chandra slid her long fingers over the rock and felt the cold seep into her skin. Her mind drew the image of the water jug frosted over and clinking with ice that had occurred with the waking of her magic.

  She looked at Frostwhite and saw two figures entering the garden through the columns of the stone structure.

  “Time to go!” She rushed away from the center of the peristyle.

  Leaves and branches slapped at her face and pulled at her hair as Chandra hurried through the indoor forest. The noise she made was likely to lead the guards right to where she was and her brain calmed enough to slow her escape. Chandra moved as quickly as possible while pushing her way through the trees. She just needed to circle back to the doorway without the guards taking notice of her.

  Frostwhite had flown out the dome the moment panic had settled into her chest and instinct moved her feet. She knew, at least, that her friend was safe. Chandra was pretty sure that was the only thing that had allowed her instincts to drive her the way they had: fear of Frostwhite's safety.

  She heard the guards talking as she found and followed the outer wall back toward the doors. In the round peristyle, it was hard to determine from where the sound came. Chandra paused and pressed against the wall as she tried to focus on the voices to determine direction. As they were still incoherent to her, she knew she still held distance as a shield.

  It seemed as though the sound was centralized, so Chandra continued to move. Her left hand trailed the wall and drew comfort from the stone carvings. When she felt the air shift from fresh to warm and smelled of people, she knew she was close to the door.

  "... Master Dreys will want to know," one of the guards was asking, and the voices walked toward her through the garden. Chandra froze and pressed into the stone carvings hard enough to feel her skin on her back take on an imprint.

  "But, should we wake him? You know that he punishes us even if it is worth it. Do you remember Markus?"

  "Right. The night of the fire," the other agreed. "Poor guy. And he saved lives by waking Master Dreys and sounding the alarm. Maybe you're right. I know I don't need to be sent off to find a new job when we can't even find an apprenticeship for our eldest."

  "Yeah, that's rough around here. Andre, you think?"

  "For the apprenticeship? I hardly think ..."

  "No," one sighed. "Should we wake Andre instead? He can decide if Master Dreys should know, that way."

  "Good point, but you wake him up. He gives me the creeps."

  "Me, too," the other conceded. Two sets of feet tread with loud clopping noises as the leather tread hit the stone walkway and got louder like someone was knocking Chandra on the ears.

  "I'll flip you for it," the second guard said finally.

  "It's his eyes, right?" One gasped out, and the other made a noise of assent. "I guess we can flip for it ... Oh wait, I outrank you. How's that for flipping you for it?"

  The guard groaned, and Chandra heard one slap the other on the back. A moment later, their laughing forms came into view, and she held herself as still as possible. The disappearing act when Master had been about to catch her came to mind. If fear had caused it, there was no doubt that this time qualified. Her hand was resting against the stone carvings beside her face and remained visible to her.

  It isn't working.

  One of the guards paused in the doorway and looked near where she was standing. Chandra held her breath and prayed that he wouldn't see her. Her hand remained bright and visible to her eyes. She wanted to close her eyes like a child who hoped it would be enough to keep her from being caught, but couldn't. Fear froze her eyes on the shadowed figure of the guard. There was enough darkness on him to prevent her from seeing exactly where he was looking as he stood, rooted to the spot for longer than her normal lifespan.

  12

  "C'mon," the other guard called from the hallway. "You can't avoid talking to Andre forever."

  The guard in the doorway snorted and turned.

  "I could put it off until it becomes your responsibility as the higher rank, though," he grumbled but there was a hint of laughter in his voice. Chandra heard the other guard make a comment as the second one finally stepped through the doorway. She stayed as still as possible, half expecting one of the guards to pop his head back in to surprise her or call "gotcha" or something. Instead, she heard their voices rumbling and laughing until they grew quiet enough to be barely above a whisper.r />
  She wondered if they would be able to do sneaky missions together with the way they bellowed and carried on. How had they not managed to wake the entire estate with their noise at that point?

  Chandra crept back through the halls to her room and slipped inside. The door barely made a whisper, much to her relief, as she shut it behind her. Her breath came out in a gust, and Chandra pressed back against the door feeling overheated and tired. She slid down the door to the cold stone floor and tried to breathe. As she sat, an image interrupted her efforts to calm.

  She saw the fountain in her head, iced over and clear of any green growth from the sludge that had been within it. On the wide-lipped basin where frost had covered the stone and purified it to a clean white that belied its age was her handprint. Chandra dropped her chin to her chest and realized that curiosity might have turned her into the cat.

  Frostwhite swept in and landed on the table. She lifted her eyes to him and pictured the handprint she had left behind. She knew he understood, and she felt a warm flow of emotion from him.

  "I could have just written, 'Chandra was here' in the frost. It would have made it easier," she said. She reached up and rubbed her eyes and the bridge of her nose with her guilty hand. Her left hand still felt cold on her face, and it calmed her a little.

  There were so many students and instructors in the estate that it would be nearly impossible to guess whose handprint was on the fountain. It also might be melted away by morning, or at least enough to lose the handprint.

  Chandra nodded and pushed herself up off of the floor. She was so tired that she knew to move to the bed or face falling asleep on the floor. It was an effort to make it to the bed, but she knew she would feel better for having slept in the comfort of a blanket and thin mattress.

  Chandra curled up under the covers and Frostwhite lifted himself to the rafters above. Her last thought before sleep pulled her into the darkest parts of her mind was that water was her element even though she had never been near any body of water in her entire life.