The Frost Eater
Book 1 of The Magic Eaters Trilogy
Carol Beth Anderson
Contents
Characters and Places
Map
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
In the Dark: 1
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
In the Dark: 2
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
In the Dark: 3
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
In the Dark: 4
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
In the Dark: 5
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
In the Dark: 6
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
In the Dark: 7
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
In the Dark: 8
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
In the Dark: 9
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Epilogue
A Note from Beth
THE VINE EATER: Book 2 of The Magic Eaters Trilogy
Acknowledgements
About the Author
The Frost Eater by Carol Beth Anderson
Published by
Eliana Press
P.O. Box 2452
Cedar Park, TX 78630
www.carolbethanderson.com
Copyright © 2020 by Carol Beth Anderson
Excerpt from The Vine Eater by Carol Beth Anderson, Copyright © 2020 by Carol Beth Anderson
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permissions contact:
[email protected]
Cover Design:
Mariah Sinclair (thecovervault.com)
Map: BMR Williams
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-949384-05-5
First Edition
To my husband, Jason, a guy who loves me, loves our kids, and loves sci-fi TV shows. How did this girl get so lucky?
Characters and Places
Characters
Nora Abrios (AH-bree-ose), Princess of Cellerin
Ulmin (ULL-min) Abrios, King of Cellerin
Mayor Ashler, Mayor of Tirra
Ovrun (OV-run), royal guard
Kreyven (KRAY-ven) West, goes by Krey
Minona (mih-NO-nuh), goes by Min, Krey’s aunt
Evie, Krey’s aunt
Zeisha (ZAY-shuh), Krey’s girlfriend
Isla (EE-sluh), Zeisha’s friend
Faylie (FAY-lee), Nora’s former friend
Dani (DANN-ee), Nora’s aunt and Ulmin’s sister-in-law
Minister Sharai (shuh-RYE), Cellerin’s Minister of Lysting
Hatlin (HAT-lin), New Therroan activist
Wallis (WALL-iss), New Therroan activist
T, New Therroan activist
Cage, dragon speaker
Osmius (OZ-me-us), dragon
Jushuen (juh-SHOO-en), royal guard
Taima (ty-EE-muh), dragon
Eira (EYE-ruh), trog
Liri (LEE-ree) Abrios, Nora’s ancestor
Places
Cellerin (SELL-err-in), kingdom centered around Cellerin Mountain
Tirra (TEE-ruh), town on the southwest side of Cellerin Mountain
Cellerin City, capital of Cellerin, on the east side of Cellerin Mountain
New Therro (THAIR-oh), province on the north side of Cellerin Mountain
Deroga (der-OH-guh), large, preday city
Newland, nation northwest of Cellerin
1
Two years after the world ended, I was born.
-The First Generation: A Memoir by Liri Abrios
“Darling, your crown is crooked.”
Nora turned to her father. “You’re always telling me it’s not a crown, it’s a headdress.”
“When it’s just the two of us, it’s a crown.” His brown eyes twinkled as he pointed to the band of gold around his head. “One day, you’ll wear the real thing.”
Nora was only seventeen; she wasn’t ready to think about the day when she’d become an orphan and a queen all at once. “That won’t happen for a long time. Straighten the headdress for me?”
He grasped it with both hands, shifting it to the left. It scratched Nora’s forehead, eliciting a wince.
“Sorry. Does it feel secure?”
“As secure as it gets.” The headdress was crafted of fine silver, with delicate filigree extending high above Nora’s head. She usually loved wearing it. But after weeks on the road, she had pimples from the molded metal that rested on her forehead. She couldn’t be happier that they were approaching the last stop on their tour.
Unseen people began chanting, “Cell-er-in! Cell-er-in!” The open-topped steamcar was having a tough time making it up a steep slope. Beyond the hill lay the town of Tirra, where crowds awaited their king and princess. Nora wished they’d harness a couple of orsas to the car and let the beasts pull it up the hill, but that would ruin the effect of them rolling into town in the most modern vehicle available. Most rural residents had never seen a steamcar.
“Almost there!” the driver called over his shoulder.
“Thank you.” Nora’s father returned his gaze to her. “Chin up.”
Before he could finish his admonishment, Nora did it for him. “Smile big.”
Her father winked. A gust of chilly wind blew Nora’s straight, dark-brown, chin-length hair into her face. She peeled a few strands off her glossed lips and curved her lips into a smile she hoped was sufficiently regal.
Windmills rose up on either side of the road as the steamcar puttered to the top of the rise. Chanting people came into view, hundreds of them, lining the road all the way down the hill and into town.
Nora and her father waved, and the chants turned into cheers. The rush of support filled Nora’s chest and tugged her mouth into a wider grin.
Eight guards riding orsas surrounded the steamcar. Between them, Nora glimpsed a little girl perched on a man’s shoulders, wearing a headdress made of—what was that, corn husks? Whatever the material, it was molded to look like Nora’s. She blew a kiss to the cheering girl.
It didn’t take long to arrive at the bottom of the hill. They drove a few blocks and pulled to a stop in a quaint town square. A wooden stage awaited them, decorated with large, fabric bows in blue and black, Cellerin’s royal colors. A woman who introduced herself as Mayor Ashler showed Nora, her father, and several guards onto the stage. When the crowd calmed, the show began.
Nora awarded the town with a Cellerinian flag that had flown at the palace. Then King Ulmin began speaking, and Nora instantly grew bored. It was the same talk her father had given in every town they’d visited, except that somehow it got longer each time. He spoke of The Day, two hundred years earlier, when billions of humans on their planet, Anyari, had died. Then he looked up to the sky and said, “But we thank God that four hundred thousand people, one in ten thousand, survived. They were your ancestors and mine. And they rebuilt civilization.”
Nora had to admit, her
dad cut an impressive figure. He was tall, with a broad chest and slim waist. His beard, more silver than brown these days, was perfectly trimmed. Autumn sunlight reflected off the gold of his crown and the silver streaks in his hair as he continued his speech, extolling the nation of Cellerin that had risen from destruction. He praised his grandmother Onna, Cellerin’s first monarch, who’d ended a terrible war.
At first, Nora’s father’s speeches had inspired her. Now, three weeks into their tour, she was sick of the stories. She tried to keep her face pleasant. At least her clothing was thick and warm, protecting her from the late-fall chill. Her blue-and-purple outfit—more of a costume, really—had belonged to her mother. The shirt and pants were crafted of high-tech, preday fabric that had been made to last for centuries. It was layered and molded into a structural wonder that hugged Nora’s long legs, curvy hips, and slender torso. A massive collar of sorts, shaped like flower petals, extended up from her shoulders in front and back. The fabric was a visual reminder of the old days, and the collar represented Anyari’s people, who had bloomed from devastating tragedy.
“Princess Nora.”
Nora jolted but quickly recovered. Her father was facing her.
“The people of Tirra have a gift for you.” He beckoned her forward, and Nora saw that Mayor Ashler had joined him onstage.
Nora raised an eyebrow. Going off script, Dad? That’s not like you. The crowd cheered as she stepped to the front of the stage and waved.
“Princess Ulminora.” The mayor had a closed wooden box in her hands. She was beaming. “We heard you ran out of ice on your journey. I’m an ice lyster too, and I just returned from the mountain last week to retrieve fuel for myself.”
Nora’s eyebrows shot up, and her gaze found Cellerin Mountain, which loomed in the distance. The mayor had climbed its icy heights herself, rather than sending someone else?
Mayor Ashler answered Nora’s unspoken question. “I grew up climbing Cellerin’s slopes, and I can’t seem to break the habit.” The people cheered, and the mayor continued, “Your Highness, we grow both grapes and bollaberries in our town greenhouse. I’d like to introduce you to one of my favorite things: shaved ice with bollagrape juice.”
She opened the hinged lid. The box was thick, clearly insulated. Inside was a mound of shaved ice, colored with pale-purple juice.
The mayor handed Nora a silver spoon. “Care to try it?”
Nora grinned. “Thank you, Mayor.” Year-round access to ice was one of the perks of being a princess. However, a few days into the trip, Nora had eaten the last of the ice from her personal ice chest. She’d then discovered that they’d left behind the large chest they’d meant to bring. It was the first time she’d ever gone two weeks without doing magic.
She dipped the spoon in the snowy concoction and brought it to her mouth. Instantly, she knew she’d have to beg the chef back home to find a source of bollaberries. The combination of the berries, which originated on Anyari, and grapes, which originated on Earth, was perfect. Like so many mixtures of Anyarian and Original produce, the flavor was complex and surprising, both sweet and tart.
Without thinking, Nora dipped the spoon in the ice again. She halted and flicked her eyes up to the mayor’s. “I’m sorry—do you mind me going back for seconds?”
Laughter and cheers filled the square. The mayor’s eyes crinkled. “Have as much as you’d like.”
Nora ate several more bites, then turned to her father. She lifted her hands and wiggled her fingers. “May I?”
He nodded.
She took a step toward the edge of the stage, held her arms out wide, and turned her hands toward the sky. The crowd’s murmuring stopped, the hush only broken by a baby’s cry. Nora’s arms, fingers, and throat started to tingle, the sensation delightfully chilly. She brought her arms in front of her and held her palms toward the crowd. With a bright smile, she pushed magic through her hands, shooting two puffs of snow over the front rows. The crowd cheered.
Nora took a deep breath, lifted her chin, and blew snow from her cold mouth. It arced into the air, then fell on a dozen grinning townspeople. She laughed, basking in the crackling energy of the masses. In a thousand ways, she dreaded becoming queen. But she savored moments like these, when she forgot the stifling responsibilities ahead of her and simply enjoyed the people of Cellerin.
Then, all at once, the crowd’s gazes shifted. Fingers pointed high and to the right. Excited murmurs grew louder.
Nora lifted her eyes to the sky. When she saw what was distracting everyone, her focus broke, drying up the flow of snow. She dropped her arms to her side.
A man was soaring through the pale-orange sky, swooping up and down like a drunk bird. This little town has a feather lyster? And he chooses this moment to put on a show? She shouldn’t be surprised; the feather lysters she knew were the vainest people in all of Cellerin.
Two royal guards were standing in front of the stage. One drew a pistol. The other lifted his bow and nocked an arrow. Both aimed at the flying man.
At the same time, the six guards who’d been standing at the rear of the stage rushed to surround Nora and her father. They faced outward, weapons pointed at the flying man. “Let’s get you two off the stage,” one of them said.
From outside the circle of guards, Mayor Ashler said, “I assure you, he’s harmless. He’s a show-off, but he won’t hurt anyone.”
“Let the mayor in,” Nora’s father said. Two guards moved apart, and the mayor joined the cramped circle. King Ulmin’s authoritative voice boomed in the tight space. “I’m staying here. I want a guard on either side of me. The rest of you, take Nora off the stage.”
“My office is next to the stage,” Mayor Ashler said. “I’ll take her there, and we’ll lock the doors.”
“Dad,” Nora said, “the mayor said that man is harmless. He doesn’t even have a weapon. Should we really run from him?”
“I’m not running. I’m keeping you safe.”
Nora rolled her eyes as everyone followed the king’s instructions. Two guards held her elbows. Another stood behind her, hand on her back, and the fourth positioned himself in front of her. Nora was tall, but the guard in front of her was practically a giant, his shoulders even with her eyes. His name was Ovrun, and he was the youngest guard, only nineteen. His muscular shoulders, clad in black livery with blue epaulets, distracted Nora as the guards rushed her across the stage, down a set of steps, and into a dark building.
Mayor Ashler locked the door. “My deepest apologies, Princess Ulminora.”
“It’s Nora.”
“Pardon me?”
“No one calls me Ulminora.”
The mayor flipped a switch. A light bulb came on, illuminating a small lobby with a large, curtained window.
Enough wind power for lights in public buildings. This town’s doing pretty well. Nora took off her heavy headdress and set it down. She approached the window, but Ovrun and another guard were standing in front of it, their arms folded. A third guard stationed himself at the far edge of the window and pulled back the drapes just enough to look outside.
Nora gave Ovrun her most dazzling smile, and the corner of his lips quirked up. “I appreciate you trying to keep me safe,” she said. “All I want to do is peek between the curtains. Please?”
The guards exchanged glances, and then Ovrun parted the curtains just enough for Nora to peer out with one eye. The lyster was still flying. Nora watched for any signs of his magic waning, but he was soaring in confident arcs. Must’ve eaten plenty of feathers. The crowd cheered as he flew in ridiculous figure eights, nearly hitting the tops of buildings every time he reached the bottom of the shape. Nora rolled her eyes. Show-off.
Finally, the flyer ended his flamboyant display. He stayed in the air, however, hovering over a three-story building that faced the square. Nora was close enough to discern a rough outline of his face. He looked like a teenager, but he couldn’t possibly be that young. It took feather lysters decades to perfect their magical f
aculty.
His dark hair was long enough to cover his forehead, but the wind was lifting it into a messy mop. Despite how ridiculous this made him look, he beamed as he waved at the crowd. Then he alighted on the edge of the roof and dropped to his hands and knees.
Nora squinted, then gasped. A thick ribbon of smooth, white ice flowed from the man’s hands, extending off the roof. He’s an ice lyster, too?
The ice grew at an unbelievable pace. Within a minute, a gorgeous, curving ramp with banked edges extended from the roof to the ground. Nora’s jaw dropped. Despite years of training (focused on one faculty, not two), she’d never made that much ice at once.
The young man sat on the ramp and grinned once more at the crowd. He pushed himself forward until the ramp grew steep enough for gravity to take over, sending him sliding at a dizzying speed.
Nora had just enough time to think, I’ve got to learn how to make one of those ramps! when the lyster reached the slide’s halfway point, and everything literally fell apart. The entire slide broke into at least a dozen pieces. The young man’s hands flailed in the air as he tumbled down, his fall cushioned only by massive, jagged shards of ice.
The Frost Eater (The Magic Eaters Trilogy Book 1) Page 1