The Frost Eater (The Magic Eaters Trilogy Book 1)

by Carol Beth Anderson

  It shouldn’t have taken too long to fly to the warehouse campsite, but Krey could tell that his tired body was expending magic faster than usual. As he reached the suburbs, he once again dipped dangerously low. After recovering, he landed, this time on his feet.

  From here on out, he’d have to walk. Every simmet of his battered body hurt. It would be a long, slow trip.

  “If he doesn’t come back, I think we should still find Zeisha,” Ovrun said.

  “I agree,” Nora said.

  Ovrun watched her pace in a big circle around their campsite, as she’d done for much of the night. “You could sit,” he said, patting the floor next to him.

  She shook her head. “I might fall asleep.”

  “Would that be so bad?” Ovrun was having trouble keeping his own eyes open after returning the orsa and walking hours back to the suburbs.

  “I’d feel like I was betraying Krey if I slept. When you only have two friends, you’ve got to be loyal to both of them.” She let out a short laugh, but Ovrun didn’t think she was joking.

  “So you didn’t have any friends before you met me and Krey?” he asked.

  “Just one.” Her voice was almost too soft to hear. “You know . . . Faylie.”

  “Oh yeah.” Ovrun looked down at his hands, then up at Nora. “Do you mind telling me where she went? I used to open the gate for her and her mom all the time. Then they were just gone.”

  “Her mom quit her job in the residence so they could move to Newland. Faylie sent me a note ending our friendship.” Nora shrugged, but her voice sounded choked. Her pacing had turned to speed walking. “It was so out of character. That’s why I thought she might be in the militia. But she’s not. She just didn’t think I was worth being friends with.”

  Ovrun cursed under his breath. He wanted to tell Nora just what he thought of someone who’d hurt her like that, but he didn’t think it would help. Instead, he said, “I think you’re worth being friends with.”

  Nora’s head was down, her bobbed hair covering her face. She nodded and sniffled. Several seconds passed, and Ovrun added, “We should eat something.”

  “I’m not hungry. You need food though. Sleep too.”

  Ovrun rummaged through his backpack, stood, and approached Nora. He took her hand.

  She stopped walking and looked down at his hand on hers. Then she lifted her gaze to his, and he saw the sheen of tears in her wide, brown eyes. Her lips parted.

  He turned her hand over, placed two pieces of dried fruit in it, and gently closed her fingers over them. Then, with regret disproportionate to the action, he let go.

  “Thanks,” she whispered, her eyes still locked on his.

  He could get lost in those eyes. If only she were just Nora. Not Princess Ulminora Abrios. He let out his breath in a sigh that was louder than intended. “I’m gonna take a nap.”

  Nora nodded.

  Ovrun didn’t know how long he slept, but he woke to the sound of the metal door opening. He watched Nora rush to Krey, who held both his hands up. “No hugs this time, please. I’m pretty sore.”

  Yawning, Ovrun stood and approached. He shook Krey’s hand. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

  “Okay is relative,” Krey said, wincing as he walked forward. “I need to eat something, and then I have to sleep. At least a couple of hours.”

  They all sat. Krey tore into a pile of dried fruit with ravenous gusto.

  “Did you find the militia?” Nora asked.

  Krey swallowed. “I think so.” He took another bite.

  “Come on, Krey,” she said. “Tell us about it.”

  He shrugged and kept eating, not saying a word until he’d finished several strips of dried fruit. Then he lay down and covered himself in blankets. “When I wake up,” he said in a voice that was barely more than a mumble, “I’ll tell you about the dragon.” His mouth curled into a smile, and his eyes closed.

  Krey told his story as they all ate yet another lunch of skewered shimshim—or rather, as the skewered shimshim on their plates grew cold. When someone was describing a dragon, food became an unnecessary distraction.

  Ovrun’s mouth hung open as he pictured the huge beast. When Krey finished summarizing his escape, Ovrun asked, “Have you ever seen any magical creatures before?”

  “Not until today,” Krey said.

  “What about you, Nora?”

  Nora leaned forward. “People say there’s a unicorn in that little forest next to the palace. Once when I escaped for half a day, I thought I saw it from far off. But it could’ve just been a cervida. It looked like it had a horn, but it might’ve been a tree branch.” Cervidas were quiet animals that lived in forested areas. Ovrun’s uncle liked to hunt them for their meat.

  “A lot of people think unicorns are related to cervidas,” Krey said. “Unicorns are much bigger though.”

  “I know, but from that far away, I couldn’t tell how large it was.”

  “Back to the dragon,” Ovrun said. “If that thing is guarding Zeisha and the others, how are we gonna get past it?”

  “We have to get help,” Nora said.

  Krey put his meat skewer down. “Please don’t say we should bring in someone from the damn monarchy.”

  “The damn monarchy is my family!” Nora cried. “Maybe taxes are too high, but we genuinely want what’s best for every citizen of this nation. Whether or not they appreciate it!”

  “You honestly think I hate the monarchy because of taxes?”

  Nora stared at him, eyes flashing, and dropped her voice. “I want to help you, Krey, and the best resources I have are within the monarchy because—news flash—I’m part of the royal family. If taxes aren’t the root of your concern, then get over yourself and tell me what is.”

  “No.” The single word shot out of his mouth like a bullet.

  “You won’t tell me?”

  He shook his head.

  Silence fell, and Ovrun looked back and forth between his two friends. Neither of them seemed likely to budge. At last, he said, “Before we make a plan, I think we should visit the militia site again. We know there’s a dragon, but we need more details.”

  Nora raised an eyebrow. “There are trogs all over the city. How are we supposed to get past them?”

  “We’ll go at night,” Krey said. “I’ll fly us. I think I’m ready to carry someone with me.”

  Nora raised her eyebrows. “You think you’re ready?”

  He shrugged. “Obviously we’ll practice first.”

  “Great idea,” Ovrun said, “except I’m—kind of big.”

  A short chuckle left Krey’s chest. “I noticed. I’ll practice with Nora first. Once I know I can fly safely with her, I’ll practice with you. We’ll go at night so the trog archers don’t see us. I’ll drop off one of you and come back for the other one.”

  Nora caught his gaze. “And when we complete our reconnaissance and realize we can’t break into a dragon-guarded facility, we’ll talk about reaching out to my aunt.”

  Krey sighed. “We’ll see.”

  25

  Sometimes when I place my hands on a plant and make it grow, I believe, just for a moment, that I’m a plant too. My hair feels like tree fronds, and my feet seem to grow roots. At those times, magic feels like bliss.

  -The First Generation: A Memoir by Liri Abrios

  Krey soared in the chilly, dark sky above the warehouse. Nora was on his back, her arms tight around his chest, her legs circling his waist. Flying with a passenger was more amazing than he’d dared hope.

  He’d been practicing with stones and pallets. Every time, he felt united to the object he carried. It was the same with Nora; it seemed she was part of him, rather than being a weight on his back. He could sense her head, her features, her limbs, just as he sensed his own. Her clothes, too, felt like part of him—every fiber of her shirt, the supple suede of her jacket, even the sweat soaked into her socks.

  He supposed it should feel odd to be aware of every aspect of her distinctly femal
e form. It didn’t, though. It was like he’d found the most natural way to understand a woman’s body.

  “This,” Krey said as he spiraled higher, “is incredible.”

  Nora’s only response was a little squeak. He hoped that didn’t mean she was as frightened as she’d been when they took off. As soon as he’d started flying, when all they were doing was hovering over the warehouse floor, she’d demanded he stop. She’d jumped off, saying that while he felt weightless, she did not, and she couldn’t imagine flying above the city like that.

  Krey had assured her it had been weeks since he’d dropped something he was carrying. He’d explained how aware he was of her form, which would allow him to make tiny adjustments to keep her as stable as possible.

  While his words about being connected with her body elicited a creeped-out grimace, his confidence convinced her. “Okay, let’s go,” she’d said. Since then, she’d been silent.

  “I’m headed back,” Krey said. “Don’t want to use up too much of my fuel.” He, Nora, and Ovrun had been collecting feathers from the buildings near the warehouse. After his recent experience running out of fuel, he was determined to build up a large stash. He’d even skipped last Saturday’s New Therroan meeting, unwilling to eat that many feathers.

  Krey flew through the machinery room and into the warehouse. He performed a smooth landing. Nora jumped off his back as soon as he let go of her legs, and he turned to her with an expectant smile.

  Her eyes were wide, and she was panting. That didn’t surprise him; he’d felt her physiological reactions as if they were his own. The flight had been indescribably thrilling. She must be just as excited as he was.

  “That,” Nora said, “was the most terrifying thing I’ve ever experienced, and I’d rather fight a gang of trogs than do it again.”

  Krey laughed before he could stop himself. A silly smile remained on his lips as he said, “Sorry. I hoped you were enjoying it.”

  “I wasn’t.”

  “Clearly.” Another little chuckle escaped. He was still on a high from the incredible trip.

  “I’m glad it’s funny for you.” Nora stomped off.

  Krey sighed and followed. It wasn’t like she could go far in this place. He stayed a few steps behind her, doing his best to wipe the grin off his face. “Hey, I really am sorry. If I’d realized you hated it that much, I would’ve come back sooner.”

  “It’s fine,” she said, her chin high. “The trip to the militia will be a lot longer. I guess I have to get used to it.”

  “Or, you know, train to fight a gang of trogs.”

  She turned and gave him a scathing look.

  “I love this, man!” Ovrun said.

  Krey laughed. “You keep saying that.” He performed a couple of quick dips, eliciting a “Whoop!” from the passenger on his back.

  He’d practiced carrying passengers for a week now, and they’d all agreed it was time to go to the militia warehouse. Since Ovrun had the best bow skills, Krey would drop him off first. Ovrun would wait, hopefully without incident, until Krey returned with Nora.

  The flight felt nothing like Krey’s previous journey into the city. He was well-rested with plenty of feathers in his system, and a small pouch in his sleeve stored additional fuel that he ate on the go.

  As passengers went, Ovrun was vastly different from Nora. He was enthusiastic, and his body was nothing like hers—or like Krey’s, for that matter. When Krey incorporated Ovrun’s physique into his own, he was awed by his friend’s bulk and strength. Krey’s frequent runs kept him in good shape, but he’d never have big biceps or a broad chest like Ovrun. Maybe I should do more push-ups, Krey thought. By the sky, even Ovrun’s neck was thick and powerful, though Krey wasn’t sure how much use a big neck was on a daily basis.

  After a flight they both heartily enjoyed, Krey dropped Ovrun on a rooftop within view of the militia warehouse. It was the tallest building in the vicinity. Good luck finding him up here, archers.

  Krey returned to the dark sky. He hadn’t been flying long when he passed over the thick, metal lines of a Skytrain track. He could live here for a hundred years and never lose his sense of awe. Ordinary people had designed and built that track, those buildings. People like him.

  The world was different these days, but Krey figured their simple society had enormous potential for growth . . . if the right people took leadership. He would be one of those people; he was sure of it. He’d contribute something big, something good, to his world.

  What would that big, good thing be? He wasn’t sure yet. He’d often dreamed of starting a network of public libraries, something larger and more accessible than Cellerin’s hodgepodge of local facilities.

  When Zeisha is safe, we’ll build something as impressive as those buildings below me. Something that will outlast both of us.

  That thought carried Krey back to the warehouse, where he refueled and rested for about half an hour. Nora was quiet, and when he stood, she reluctantly got on his back. They had a silent, uneventful flight to Ovrun.

  As soon as he landed, Nora got down, dropped to her knees, and vomited her dinner onto the roof.

  “You okay?” Ovrun asked.

  She shuddered. “I can’t believe you actually enjoy flying with him.”

  “Give yourself some credit,” Krey said. “Not everyone could’ve waited to puke until they got off my back.”

  “I won’t be so kind next time,” Nora muttered.

  Krey popped another feather piece in his mouth. “I’ll fly down and find somewhere we can hide near the warehouse.”

  It didn’t take long to find several spindly bushes alongside the building. He returned to Ovrun and Nora. “I’ll take you one at a time.”

  “Do you need to rest first?” Ovrun asked.

  “Maybe I should. Wake me up in half an hour, okay?”

  His short nap brought him back to full energy. After two short flights, they were all huddled between the scratchy shrubs and the building.

  “I think we should take turns walking around the building,” Ovrun whispered. “We might all spot different things.” When his companions agreed, he said, “Stay low; someone could be looking out the windows.” He pointed at an eye-level window on the side of the building. Like the windows on the bay doors, it was horizontal and too narrow to crawl through. “I’ll go first.”

  He was back in less than a minute. “Someone holding a lantern just left the front of the building. They’re walking our way. Probably a night guard.”

  “We could hide between the buildings across the street,” Nora said.

  “Okay.” Ovrun crouched and led the way.

  When they’d almost reached the front corner of the building, he stopped. Nora bumped into him with a soft “Oof.”

  He spun around and whispered, “Other way.”

  They all turned and ran toward the back of the building. Once they’d turned the corner, Ovrun said, “The guard was walking faster than I thought. She would’ve seen us.”

  They sprinted all the way around the huge warehouse and straight across the street. Without a word, they huddled between two buildings. They were all panting, the sound intolerably loud in the tight space.

  When their breathing slowed, Krey said, “That was close.”

  A hand clutched his arm, and Nora’s soft voice let loose with an impressive collection of curses. “She’s coming this way.”

  Nora was right. The guard was walking across the street, her pool of lantern light shifting with every step.

  “Come on,” Ovrun said. He moved on quiet feet, leading them farther into the dark space. Within seconds, they reached a fence. “Get into a ball. Hide your head.”

  Sandwiched between a wall and Nora, Krey drew his knees to his chest. Nora was trembling—or was that him? His breaths came even faster as he tucked his chin and tried to stave off panic. I should be facing the fence, not the street! Idiot! Too late to change position now.

  He kept his eyes open, peeking between his knee
s at the ground in front of him. The guard’s footsteps were audible now. Krey tried to slow his breaths.

  Lantern light entered the space between the buildings. Krey stopped breathing, and the sudden stillness told him Nora and Ovrun had done the same. The guard’s footsteps continued to approach, accompanied by the creak of the swinging lantern, echoing off the walls on either side. Yellow light crept closer every second. It illuminated the dirt a met from Krey’s boots, then closer still, until mere simmets separated him from the light.

  The light stopped moving. The footsteps stopped too.

  Then the steps resumed, and the light shifted away from them, retreating toward the street.

  As soon as it was safe, Krey gulped in air. He heard the others do the same. He lifted his head, wiped frightened tears from his eyes, and watched the street.

  “Let’s get closer,” Ovrun said, his voice impossibly calm.

  He led the way, stopping when they had a wide view of the street. Nora’s hand, damp with sweat despite the cold, found Krey’s. He squeezed it in wordless gratitude.

  Krey watched as the guard continued down the street and disappeared in between two more buildings. The pattern repeated a few times before she headed back across the street, toward the warehouse.

  The guard halted.

  “Did you hear that?” Nora breathed.

  “What?” Ovrun asked, just as softly.

  Then Krey heard it too. It was a very loud sniff that could only have come from a very large nose.

  The guard dashed back to their side of the street and extinguished her lantern. Krey silently laughed. Guess the dragon keeps even the bad guys on their toes.

  In the scant starlight that bled through the clouds, Krey could barely see the dragon’s massive form emerge from the warehouse’s open bay.