Frozen Vengeance

by Evi Asher

  A necromancer named Lazarus, how ironic. Athera almost laughed.

  Laz stopped chanting.

  He nodded his head. “Balthazar.”

  “You have bested me again, and forced me to rise from the grave you put me in. What do you want, fellow necromancer.” The creature turned his head with an audible squishing sound.

  Athera felt bile rise in her throat, and then almost burst out laughing when she heard Trinity mutter, “Dead and dry is one thing, dead and wet…eww.”

  “Who are these people? You never call for me when others are near.”

  Athera was bursting with questions—Who was the creature—or would zombie be a better word—and why did he call Laz his fellow necromancer. She kept her questions to herself for the moment, but she was going to ask as soon as she could, since curiosity was one of her biggest failings.

  “These are the Outsiders. They have come to me for help,” Laz said in a voice that sounded tired.

  Balthazar snapped his head back toward Laz. “And you have disturbed my rest again, necromancer. Best you ask what you need before I grow strong enough to break your hold on me.”

  Laz laughed and Athera shuddered at the cold calculation in the sound. “You will never break my hold on you, Balthazar, you are too weak, and you always were.”

  A wet growl filled the room and Athera sensed, more than saw, Scarlet move closer to Archer.

  “We need to track a Phoenix that is on this plane.”

  Balthazar laughed and it sounded like a lung cancer patient coughing up phlegm. “I was wondering when you would figure out we have a phoenix on this plane, but why track another. There are two in this room alone.”

  Laz’s gaze flashed to Trinity, a question in his expression. She nodded her head and the movement was almost imperceptible.

  “The ones here don’t matter. You will provide me with a way to find the one that is not here.”

  Balthazar looked like he was fighting the order in Laz’s words, but in the end, he extended a hand that were finger bones covered in rotted flesh, and muttered a few words that Athera couldn’t make out.

  There was a spark and a flash, and something appeared in Balthazar’s hand.

  He turned his hand over catching a thong as it dropped to dangle in midair.

  It was a glass orb attached to a worn piece of leather.

  “Let someone who loves the one you seek hold this, and it will point you in the right direction.” With a fluid motion, the zombie tossed the necklace at the necromancer.

  Laz grabbed it out of the air as it crossed the outer line of the circle.

  “May I go back to my rest now?”

  Laz started chanting and the ground under the zombie’s feet opened up and sucked the creature down into the depths. The sand closed over it, settling down as if nothing had ever come out of that hole. Laz stopped chanting and pinned Trinity with a glare.

  “Two phoenix?”

  “I’m the other phoenix,” Scarlet said. “Don’t blame Trinity. Archer told her to keep it quiet.”

  Laz did not look happy. “I don’t like surprises, and I really don’t like it when Balthazar one-ups me, so don’t ever withhold information from me again. Not if you want my help. Got it?”

  Trinity rolled her eyes. “Oh, keep your panties from twisting up your crack, Laz. It wasn’t a big deal.”

  He was across the room in a flash with one hand wrapped around her neck before anyone could stop him.

  “My life is on the line every time I call Balthazar. You know that better than anyone else does. The smallest advantage, and he will break free of my thrall, and when that happens, I’m a dead man. Don’t fuck with me like that again, Trinity.”

  Archer moved to pull Laz off, but Trinity held up a hand to stop him. Then, she glared at Laz until he let up his grip enough for her to speak.

  “In my defense, I didn’t know you had Balthazar—the most powerful Necromancer who ever lived—buried in your basement. If I’d known you had such a powerful soul, I would have warned you.”

  Laz released his hold on her throat. “You have a point.” He stepped back. “Come, let’s go find a map. I have a feeling we have to scry with this thing.” He lifted the glass orb up and let it swing from his hand.

  They followed Laz to an upstairs study filled with books. Athera looked around the room as Laz searched for something on the shelves. Shelves were built up against every wall, sagging under the weight of books. Two wing-backed chairs filled the middle of the room around a small coffee table. The chairs looked comfortable and the side tables next to them held Tiffany laps. Athera wouldn’t have minded spending some time in here with a good book or ten.

  “Knew I had one.” Laz pulled an atlas out of the shelf and moved over to the coffee table. He shoved some papers out of the way and opened the atlas to a world map.

  He dangled the orb across the page and waited.

  Nothing.

  With a muttered curse, he moved it away from the page, then moved the sphere back above the page. It stilled after a moment and didn’t move again.

  “It’s not working,” he hissed. “Fucking asshole, Balthazar.”

  “Didn’t he say someone who cares about Angelica has to use it?” Trinity pointed out.

  Laz groaned, “Duh, I’m an idiot.”

  “Not arguing with you there.” Trinity smiled. “Give the orb to Athera.”

  He held the orb out, dangling on its leather thong and Athera stepped forward, taking it. She was nervous and her hand shook a little when she took the globe from him.

  Athera stood with the orb dangling over the map and waited.

  Nothing.

  “So much for that theory. Balthazar fucking tricked us.” Laz reached out to yank the cord from Athera and the orb went wild as soon as he touched her hand. They both stopped moving, watching as the orb spun around the map.

  A force pushed from the top of Ath’s hand and she wasn’t sure if it was Laz or something else, but the orb settled down onto the paper.

  “Well what have we here?” Trinity said. “Pack your go bags kiddies. Looks like we are taking a trip to Alaska.”

  * * * *

  They were walking in the snow, Colt a little ahead of Angelica, when she spotted wolves.

  “Colt, watch out!” Angelica screamed as two large wolves came from behind to jump Colt, taking him to the ground.

  Her heart beat wildly in her throat. Her palms were wet with sweat and she was terrified that he would get hurt. She was contemplating jumping into the middle of the fray when she realized that Colt was…laughing?

  He was fending off the wolves as they rolled around in the snow, but he wasn’t hurting them and they weren’t trying to tear into him and bite him. They were licking him.

  Angelica’s frown deepened. “Some explanation would be good,” she said in an irritated tone.

  “Enough,” he ordered while laughing and pushing the animals away. “I missed you too, you crazy dogs.”

  Dogs?

  “These two are Disco, and Nanook. They are the lead dogs on my sled team. What I don’t know is what they are doing out here.” He affectionately ruffled the fur at the dog’s necks as they sat, panting next to him on the snow. “

  Angelica wasn’t even going to ask why he’d burden a dog with a name like Disco.

  He got up and looked down at the dogs. “Did you slip your chains?”

  A new voice answered his question. “I had to let them off the chains. They were going crazy, so I thought I’d follow them and see why.”

  Angelica spun, but didn’t miss the beaming smile on Colt’s face when he saw who had spoken.

  The woman Angelica was looking at was old, her hair as white as the snow around her. Her face was leathery with age, and wrinkled in deep furrows with laugh lines around her eyes. She leaned on a cane, and had more fur wrapped around her than Angelica had ever seen in one place.

  “Sarah.” Colt took too large steps and picked the old woman up in a bear hug
.

  “Careful, boy, you will shatter these old bones with that strength of yours.”

  Colt put her down with the gentleness Angelica was sure he’d show a new born. It was obvious he cared for Sarah. “I missed you so much, and I worried about you.”

  “Pish! You worried about me? You’ve been gone over a week. I worried about you. We all did. When the team came home without you, we sent out search parties, but there was no trace of you.”

  She seemed to be scolding Colt and Angelica’s theory proved correct when Sarah waggled an arthritic finger at Colt.

  “Where have you been, boy and why didn’t you let us know. Jericho has been making us all insane with his daily ranting and searches.”

  Colt’s expression became hard. “I was captured by her people.” He jabbed a thumb in Angelica’s direction. “I managed to escape and take her prisoner.”

  “And now that you have her, what do you plan on doing with her?”

  She could see the anger in Sarah’s face, and for some strange reason, it upset Angelica. She didn’t want this sweet old woman angry with her, or hating her. She wanted the same affection that Colt received. Angelica didn’t understand why, but it seemed important that Sarah liked her.

  “That is my business, Sarah, but I will get revenge.”

  Sarah’s eyes snapped up to Colt’s face. Then, she stepped around him and approached Angelica. She reached out her hands and Angelica felt compelled to lift hers as well.

  As the old woman’s gnarled fingers wrapped around Angelica’s, there was a shock that passed between them. Not the same electric sizzle she got when she touched Colt, more like a deep recognition.

  “What is your name, child?”

  “Geli,” Colt answered for her, which earned him a glare from Sarah.

  “When I’m talking to you, boy, you will know.” She turned her face back to Angelica.

  “Your name?”

  “Angelica.” There was some kind of magnetism in this old woman. It was as if Angelica had no choice but to answer.

  “You aren’t human.” It was a statement, not a question, so Angelica didn’t answer.

  “No, you are something warm, something our little village needs.”

  The old woman nodded. “Welcome home, Angelica.”

  “Don’t be getting any fancy ideas, Sarah. Geli is my prisoner, and I will decide her fate.”

  She let go of Angelica’s hands and turned to Colt. She ignored his words and said, “Come, boy, it’s getting late and my old bones don’t like the cold. The village will be happy to have their leader back. Let’s go.”

  Colt tried to scoop Sarah up in his arms, which earned him a slap across the back of the head. “Put me down, you oaf, I’m old, not crippled.”

  Angelica couldn’t help but smile. She liked Sarah, and appreciated the way the old woman bossed Colt around as if he was a young boy.

  They walked in silence until they crested one last hill. In the valley below, Angelica could see a village that belonged on the front of a post card. It was small, maybe a dozen houses in all. With a bigger building she thought must be some kind of town hall or meeting place.

  Deeper into the valley was a river, not a large one, not much more than a stream really, but it must have been enough for the needs of the village.

  She could see children playing in the snow, their squeals of delight traveling on the still air to her ears.

  The village shone like a beacon to her. She felt like she belonged there. It was so beautiful and so peaceful, and Angelica wished she’d been born in a place like this.

  Her heart ached for what she’d missed out on because of the sterility of her own upbringing. She’d been taken away from her mother at birth, as was the phoenix custom and raised in nursery of other babies by a group of phoenix.

  She hadn’t’ known love except for those girls she became closest to in her childhood, then, even they were taken away and placed in different dormitories.

  That was when Angelica met Ath, Kell, Dani, and later Scarlet.

  She’d found friendship and a sense of kin with them. They became her whole family and she loved them all. Together, they’d explored the Earth plane through the viewing mirror. However, it was a blessing and a curse, because they all came to realize what they missed, and what they would never have.

  The fact that their friendship and bond would be taken away again was ever present. Angelica knew nothing good lasted.

  Someone was always going to snatch it away from you at some point.

  Angelica stared down at the picture perfect-village and felt the hot burn of tears in her eyes.

  No

  She was not going to be that person. She was not going to whine, and snivel about what she’d missed. She was going to move forward…with caution because everything was fleeting.

  One of the children playing in the snow noticed them and stopped playing. The little boy stared up the hill for a moment, then started yelling, “Colt is back!”

  The other children stopped, turning toward the hill.

  Angelica could see their broad smiles from where she stood and couldn’t help but smile in response.

  “What are you waiting for, Dane. Go tell the grownups. Colt is back!” the biggest child—probably the eldest—ordered to one of the other children.

  Dane turned and ran for the nearest house yelling at the top of his voice. “Come everyone, Colt is back!”

  Chapter Ten

  They didn’t even manage to make it down the hill before villagers swarmed them. Colt smiled and took the back slaps and ignored the questions about where he had been.

  He grabbed onto one of Geli’s hands and kept her at his side, making sure the crowd didn’t separate them and give her a chance to escape.

  She hasn’t tried to escape yet, his inner voice told him.

  It’s only a matter of time, especially after she sees what I have planned for her.

  Jessup grabbed Colt in a bear hug. “We have been so worried. I speak for everyone when I say we are glad to have you back, Colt.”

  Colt hugged his old friend back with one arm, not letting go of Geli’s hand. “Thanks, Jess, glad to be back.”

  Jess slapped his back. If he wasn’t as tough as he was, Colt would probably have had bruises on his back. The thought caused a smile to curl on his lips. It was good to be home.

  The village children were playing around the reuniting adults and the squeals of delight made Colt’s ears ring.

  Jessup stepped away from Colt, wincing at a particular shrill screech from a child. “Jake, keep it down to a bearable decibel, would you?”

  The little boy nodded, then attacked his friends again, squealing even louder.

  Jessup shook his head and sent a grin in Colt’s direction. “Kids.” As if the one word explained everything. “We need to have a council meeting. I’m sure everyone wants to know where you went and what happened, and who you have with you.”

  Colt wasn’t listening. He was scanning the crowd for one person in particular.

  “Where is Jericho?”

  “He is out searching for you,” Jessup answered. “He has been every day since your dog team came home without you.” He looked off into the distance. “He’ll be back well after sundown.”

  “I hate to interrupt your conversation,” though Sarah didn’t look like she gave a damn about interrupting the chat the men were having. “It’s cold out here, and this poor child…” She pointed at Angelica. “Is shivering, plus my old bones want my hearth and some warmth.”

  “Of course, old Mother.” Jessup bowed his head and started leading the way back to the village.

  They reached Sarah’s house, while most of the people went back to their own homes. There was always work to do in a village like this and people were conscious of getting it done before the sun sunk below the horizon.

  The house was small, no more than a few rooms, but Sarah refused to move into a bigger place. She maintained that small was what she liked, n
o matter how many people nagged her.

  It was in good repair with everything neat and tidy. Colt knew that Sarah took pride in keeping it that way. She had a host of children and grandchildren who helped her.

  “Bring some more wood in, Jessup,” Sarah ordered.

  “Yes, ma’am.” Jessup went to the large woodpile on the stoop and collected some logs into his arms.

  “Come in, Colt. Help Jessup with the wood and bring him in, too. We need to talk.”

  “I will be here in a few minutes, Sarah. I need to take Geli to my house first.”

  Sarah’s glower told Colt better than words that she did not like that plan, but he pretended he hadn’t seen her expression.

  He tugged on Geli’s arm and forced her to start moving. He didn’t miss her look over her shoulder at Sarah as if pleading for help. It infuriated him, so he tugged her hand harder to get her moving faster, but she tripped over her robe and landed on her knees in the snow.

  “Colt.” Sarah’s voice held a wealth of warning. “If you abuse this woman I will make sure you regret it.”

  He was already helping Geli up, but he looked at Sarah. “With all due respect, Sarah, she is my prisoner and what I do with her has nothing to do with you. Are we clear?”

  Sarah’s expression formed into the stubborn look he knew so well, but she didn’t answer him. He knew she’d fight him on Geli’s treatment, and he was ready for the battle.

  With his prisoner back on her feet, he tugged at her again and led the way to his cabin, which was on the outer edges of the village, away from the other houses. Colt liked his privacy. In such a small community, it was hard to come by.

  “You don’t have to drag me around,” Angelica said in a grumpy tone. “I can walk without you latching on to my wrist like a vice.”

  “Oh, she has a voice. You didn’t use it much when everyone else was around, but you are pretty good at the pleading looks thing.” He looked back over his shoulder at her and scowled.

  Angelica didn’t say anything.

  They reached his cabin and he led her up the stairs. Someone had been keeping the place neat while he was gone. There was no snow on the stairs and none on the stoop either.