New Title 1

by K. M. Shea

  Rakel turned her back to him. “His indiscretion is our gain.”

  “Indeed.” Pordis tapped her chin. “As it stands, I do believe you will have the Chosen booted from Verglas in another season or two.”

  Rakel winced. “It is to be hoped it doesn’t take us that long.”

  A rumbling boom made icicles hanging from roofs fall, and the ground shuddered. Rakel staggered and looked in the direction from which the boom had come.

  “You think they got out?” Pordis ran her fingers down the flat of her shortsword.

  “It is possible,” Rakel said. To keep the Chosen forces from escaping, she had sealed up the city gates with ice, but depending on which of the Chosen magic users were stationed in Kiby, they might be able to break out regardless.

  Farrin sheathed his sword. “Should we check?”

  “I am reluctant to leave our post,” Rakel said as Bunny—still in her bear body—chased a Chosen soldier past them.

  An arrow shrieked. Farrin tapped his speed magic and was in front of Rakel with his sheathed sword raised—though Rakel’s magic had reacted as well and bubbled between the ex-colonel and herself. The arrow bounced off Farrin’s sword.

  Farrin held out his hand. “Dagger.”

  “It won’t be balanced.” Rakel pressed her lips together in concentration and did her best to forge a dagger that mimicked Foedus.

  Farrin gave the ice dagger a wry smile but took it. His grey eyes traced the rooftops. He flicked his wrist, throwing the weapon, and a soldier crouched in the shadows of a two-story home yelped and fell off the roof.

  Rakel tried to adjust her hair—Phile had twisted it into another strange, warrior-like braid—and melted the ice on the street when she heard hoof beats.

  “Mount up, Little Wolf. We’ve got some runners.” Phile burst on the scene with her horse, Frigid, and a spare horse for Farrin.

  “If you’ll excuse us, Lady Pordis. Tollak and Bunny will guard you,” Rakel said.

  Pordis waved to the trio. “I understand.”

  “Go, go, go.” Phile impatiently turned her horse in a circle.

  Rakel balked at mounting Frigid—it was always difficult to climb on top.

  “No time—the reindeer won’t be able to keep up,” Farrin said. He grabbed her by the waist and lifted her up onto the spare horse, then mounted up behind her.

  “Lady Pordis, if you don’t mind.” Rakel’s voice jarred as the horse started trotting.

  “I’ll watch the reindeer for you. Good luck!” Pordis snatched up Frigid’s reins and dragged him up towards the passageway where Tollak hid.

  “I apologize, Rakel. The saddle is going to make this uncomfortable,” Farrin said.

  “Your poufy dress doesn’t help,” Phile added as they raced down the streets.

  “You were the one who made me wear this poufy dress,” Rakel said with gritted teeth.

  “You should have argued more,” Phile said factually.

  Rakel decided to be magnanimous and ignore the jab. “What happened?”

  “One of the soldiers used Frodi’s power against him and lit a keg of firework powder, blowing a hole straight through the wall. Frodi used up so much energy, he got himself knocked out—though Eydìs was trying to shove food in his mouth when I left.”

  “The hole is still open?” Rakel asked.

  “Nope. Ragnar’s elf-friend is guarding it. A new one.”

  Rakel bounced uncomfortably on the saddle. “Not Genovefa?”

  “Nope. This one is a male.”

  “How many made it out?” Farrin asked.

  “About twenty to thirty soldiers. Not enough to take back the city, but enough to do harm to some of the smaller villages,” Phile said. “A few of our troops are already giving chase. They were on foot, so catching up shouldn’t be a problem. Ragnar—it’s us! Get your elf-friend to move!” They galloped straight towards the dark hole in the wooden wall.

  A dangerous-looking elf clothed from head to toe in armor stood in the center of the hole, with groaning soldiers strewn around him.

  “Let ’em pass, Ysolt,” Ragnar said.

  The armored elf moved aside sedately, barely missing Phile, Rakel, and Farrin as they hurtled through. They had to stop, however, and squint in the moonlight to find the tracks.

  “We should have brought Bunny to track them,” Farrin said.

  “Nah, with that many men, it should be easy,” Phile said.

  “As long as they haven’t split up,” Rakel said.

  “True, but I don’t think they will. This way.” Phile nudged her horse forward.

  Though the daytime weather eased back and forth between freezing and thawing, the night brought out cooler temperatures and cast a silver light over everything. Shouts and the bone-cutting clang of clashing weapons clotted the air, but all the noise came from the city and grew muted the farther they chased the soldiers.

  Phile urged her horse ahead. “I see ’em!”

  Rakel clung to the saddle as Farrin leaped from the horse, tapped his magic, and zipped ahead. She scrambled to use the reins, but thankfully the animal followed after Phile and her mount. When it stopped and tossed its head, Rakel shimmied down—almost falling on her posterior—and ran the remaining distance to the chaotic battle.

  Farrin zipped from soldier to soldier, but it appeared the pursuing Verglas soldiers were outnumbered. Rakel stretched her hand and started freezing the Chosen soldiers from the waist down, immobilizing them.

  Some of the mercenaries panicked and swirled their weapons around them, and a few slipped from her reach and ran—only to be pounced upon by Phile and Farrin.

  When they subdued the last of the soldiers, Rakel released the breath she had been holding and let herself relax.

  One of the Verglas soldiers saluted Farrin and Phile and bowed to Rakel. “Thank you for the assistance.”

  “It was no trouble at all.” Phile tossed Foedus in the air and caught it.

  Rakel offered the soldier a smile. “I’m glad we could be of service.”

  Farrin inspected the Chosen troops. “Is this all of them? I thought the original estimate was twenty to thirty. There are nineteen here.”

  “A few split off prior to your arrival, sir,” the soldier said.

  “Do you want our aid in tracking them down?” Rakel asked.

  “No,” the soldier said. “I imagine you are needed back at the city. Me and the boys can track ’em.”

  Phile swung up onto her horse. “He’s right. We should head back.”

  Rakel reluctantly approached the mount she shared with Farrin. “I suppose so,” she said dubiously.

  Farrin bowed to her. “May I?”

  Rakel let her expression grow pinched. “If you do not mind.”

  “Your education in riding has been sorely lacking,” Phile said. “We’ll have to fix that come summer.”

  Rakel had been rather proud of herself for staying in the saddle and riding Frigid to Kiby, so she frowned at her friend after Farrin boosted her up. “If we do not have greater concerns.”

  Phile swatted her hand at her. “Concerns? Nah! We’ll have the Chosen bagged and kicked out by then.”

  “Tenebris must be taken care of,” Farrin said, sliding into place behind Rakel. “Or he will simply ride right back in.”

  Rakel mulled over his words as she waved farewell to the soldiers. He is right. Tenebris could simply recruit more through the same slimy means he used to recruit Farrin and the others. But how to defeat him personally?

  “Ahh, yes, good point.” Phile frowned and put Foedus away as they followed the trail of churned snow back to Kiby. “If he’s still around in summer, perhaps I should go back to Baris and consult the oracle who gave me Foedus.”

  Rakel raised an eyebrow. “Is that your newest origins story?”

  “I’ve always said Foedus has royal bearings,” Phile said.

  “You daily complain of its ugliness,” Farrin said.

  Phile opened her mouth to reply, bu
t a blue fireball exploded over the city, followed by two crimson ones. The roar and flashing lights of the fire made the horses spook. Phile’s horse pranced a few steps and reared, but Farrin and Rakel’s mount wheeled around and tried to flee.

  Rakel grabbed fistfuls of the horse’s mane, and Farrin snaked an arm around her waist, anchoring her.

  “The city is clear!” Phile chirped when the horses stopped panicking and blew out big puffs of air.

  “I remember the signal,” Rakel said, a little shaken.

  Farrin’s arm was still around her waist, but his grip was gentle. “Shall we head for the front gates?”

  “Sounds good,” Phile said. “We can go back to Tana with the messenger to let Halvor know how it went.”

  “If he’s back from his assault on Dovre,” Rakel said, recalling the general’s other plans. Attacking Kiby was part of a two-pronged assault.

  “He will have returned to Tana,” Farrin said. “His attack was to take place earlier in the day.”

  “Excellent. Let’s get to the front gates, shall we? Though before we leave, I expect they’ll want you to thaw the gates and forge a block of ice to temporarily patch that hole in the wall, Little Wolf.” Phile rode off without waiting for a response, nudging her horse into a trot.

  Farrin didn’t push their mount after hers. “Will you be able to make the patch without tapping enough of your magic to activate your price?”

  “Yes. As Pordis and Phile let us in, I didn’t use much when we entered the city—which is usually when I expel a hefty bit of magic. I’ll be fine.”

  Farrin shifted behind her, but his arm remained on her waist, and his hand clasped her side. Unused to the close contact—hugging her by the waist was something neither Phile nor Gerta and Kai often did—Rakel stifled the desire to shift and wiggle. Though Farrin’s hand and arm were covered with sleeves and a glove, she could feel his heat, and whenever he spoke, his breath caressed her right ear.

  He’s very warm.

  “Can you ride Frigid back to Tana, or should we ask Pordis if we can borrow one of her sleighs?” Farrin asked.

  Disappointment stabbed her through the ribs. Rakel tapped her magic, sweeping away the ridiculous sensation and returning her clarity. “I would like to try patching the hole first and then see how late it is, though I suspect I will be able to ride.”

  “We won’t reach Tana until late in the night,” Farrin said.

  “I am aware of this, but whenever I sit in a sleigh and everyone else walks or rides, I feel…coddled.” Rakel frowned.

  “You cannot help it,” Farrin said.

  “I know, but it still bothers me.”

  “Oi—are you two love birds coming? Or should I ride ahead to give you a moment of privacy—’cause you certainly won’t get that when we return to Tana,” Phile called far ahead of them.

  Rakel scowled at her, but Farrin chuckled. “We’re coming,” he assured the Robber Maiden, though his lips lingered close to Rakel’s ear, and his arm didn’t leave her waist.

  “I’m not saying you have to, I was just asking. As fond as I am of both of you, I’d rather avoid witnessing your tender moments.”

  “Phile.” Rakel growled.

  “Ohh, good job, Little Wolf! That was a decent impression of Handsome Halvor!”

  Rakel held in a groan, but she did rub her forehead. “I am embarrassed to expose public proof of my questionable taste in friends.”

  Farrin chuckled again and nudged their horse forward.

  Someday I will see Phile unnerved. Rakel vowed. Someday!

  Rakel had assumed all but the night watch—and probably General Halvor—would be asleep when they arrived in Tana. It was in the early hours of the morning, but dawn was still a long way off.

  To Rakel’s surprise, the outpost was well lit and bustling with activity. Spotting a familiar face in the chaos, she called, “Knut.”

  “Princess,” he saluted.

  “Did something happen?”

  Knut hesitated.

  “Did the attack on Dovre go badly?” Phile furrowed her brow in worry.

  Knut smiled. “No, it went quite well. The magic users chased the Chosen troops all the way to the Kozlovka border.”

  “Really?” Phile beamed. “Excellent—two wins in a night! That will pull Tenebris’s beard.”

  “Tenebris does not have a beard,” Farrin said.

  Rakel eyed Tana. “If it wasn’t the attack, what is it?” No one was crying, and the air was crisp and clean—not heavy with the metallic scent of blood—but it seemed like all the villagers were up and huddled together.

  Knut’s face lost its animation. “You see, Princess…”

  “Princess!” Gerta hurtled across the village, running towards her with a tear-streaked face.

  Rakel knelt so she could catch her and embrace her. “Gerta, what’s wrong?” Her mind raced with possible disasters. Did something happen to Hilda—or Kai and his magic?

  Gerta gulped. “It’s Kai’s mom.”

  Rakel released Gerta and placed her hands on her shoulders. “Was she injured?”

  “No. She ran away!”

  For a moment, Rakel felt relief. No injuries, no lost battles, no outbreaks of magic…and then her words sank in. She ran away. “With Kai?”

  Gerta shook her head. “She left him.”

  All the muscles in Rakel’s body went numb. She abandoned her child? Just like that? “There must be a misunderstanding.”

  “She snuck out when Kai was sleeping. She took her clothes ’n a pack—she didn’t leave nothing of hers.”

  Phile was incredulous. “And she left Kai behind?”

  Gerta burst into tears, and Rakel wanted to join her. How could she? How could she abandon sweet and gentle Kai? “Gerta, where is Kai?”

  Gerta scrubbed at her face with her mittens and hiccupped.

  “Princess.” Oskar joined the little group. His face was lined with exhaustion and sadness as he bent over and scooped up Gerta in his arms. “She told you?”

  “It’s true? Kai’s mother left?” Rakel asked.

  Oskar nodded. “Halvor sent out some troops with the intension of tracking her, but even if they catch her…”

  He trailed off, and Rakel dazedly nodded. Even if they find her, what can we do? If we force her to take him, how will Kai suffer?

  “Where is he?” Rakel asked.

  “Kai!” General Halvor shouted.

  Rakel shifted her gaze from her attendant to the general, who stood in the center of Tana with Hilda. The little boy was fighting a soldier trying to hold onto him. He kicked the man in the shins and bit the soldier until he was released, then ran out the back gate of the village, tearing into the snow field west of the city.

  Halvor raised a whistle to his lips, but Rakel shouted, “General—I’ll go after him.”

  She gave chase—abandoning her self-taught elegance and formality to run after the boy. “Kai!”

  Phile was on her heels, but Farrin zipped ahead with his speed magic, cutting Kai off. Farrin’s sudden appearance surprised Kai, who tripped and fell face first into the snow.

  Phile and Farrin hung back as Rakel hurried to his side. “Kai.” Relief coated her voice as she knelt in the snow. She placed a hand on his shoulder, but Kai sprang up.

  “Don’t touch me!” he shouted.

  Rakel’s heart grieved for the broken boy. His eyes flickered with pain and hurt, his chin trembled, and his entire body shook. He raised his fists to his eyes and gave a dry sob.

  Rakel reached out again, but Kai took a step away from her. “No!” Kai shouted. “Don’t touch me! I-I’m a monster!”

  “No, you aren’t,” Rakel said.

  “Yes, I am! Mother left me because I have magic. I hate magic! It’s evil! It is wrong! I hate it. I hate it!”

  “Kai—”

  “I was happy until I got it. Magic is wrong. It’s evil! It has to be!”

  “It’s not.” Rakel rolled her shoulders back, working to keep t
he edge out of her voice. It is not Kai I’m furious with, she reminded herself. It seems fearing your own child is something that transcends ones’ station when magic is involved. But royal or commoner, how could any mother ever think abandoning her child as acceptable? I’d like to find that worthless—she cut her thoughts off.

  Rakel cleared her throat. “Magic is not wrong, Kai. Your mother is.”

  Kai cried and dropped to his knees.

  She eased closer to him. “Her actions are wrong and hurtful. You have done nothing to warrant this.”

  “Then why did she leave me?” Kai squinted up at her with tear-glazed eyes.

  When she saw the pain flooding his eyes, her magic roared within her. If I ever find that woman, I will teach her magic worth running from… Rakel flinched. Too much like Tenebris. Enough. She pushed the thought aside and concentrated on Kai.

  “Some people, like your mother, do not understand our powers. They are afraid of getting hurt. It is unfortunate, but again and again you will have to prove that you can be trusted, that you will not abuse your powers.” She hesitatingly tried to embrace him, unsure if he would shake her off again. This time he leaned into her and rested his head against her shoulder.

  “It’s not fair,” he whispered.

  Rakel remembered her lonely childhood and years of isolation. “I know.” She raised her gaze from the shivering boy and saw Farrin and Phile. Standing just past them were General Halvor and Oskar. The sight of the stocky general and the red-headed attendant produced a surge of warmth in her heart. “We are alike, Kai. Our parents abandoned us, but we are not alone. Gerta, Grandmother Hilda, Phile, and I—we all love you! You are wanted—and treasured.”

  Some of Kai’s trembling subsided, but he still clung to her. “Will she come back?” he asked in a small voice.

  Rakel hesitated. “I don’t know.”

  A dry sob escaped him.

  Rakel’s fury rekindled, but she tempered it. What can I do to reach him? Thinking back to her loneliest times, she remembered her books from Oskar, and the steadfast knowledge that Halvor would never sacrifice her when fighting the Chosen.

  She cleared her throat. “Kai, I know I’m not your mother, or even Grandmother Hilda, but I love you. Nothing would make me happier than to call you my family.” The words were out of Rakel’s mouth before she realized what she was saying, but she knew them to be true. “I want you. I see how special and amazing you are. I will stay with you through the good and the bad—no matter what happens.”