“How are you?” he asked, in a tone that told her it was a real question, not an inane attempt to make small talk.
“Don’t you need to pick up Ovrun?”
“He can wait. How are you?”
She examined his face in the golden lantern light, expecting to see smugness there. King Ulmin himself had proven that the monarchy was untrustworthy, just as Krey had always said. But there was no superiority in his expression. Instead, it was twisted with what looked like grief.
Nora took a deep breath. “I don’t know my father at all. Maybe I never have. I’d already lost one parent; today I lost the other one!” Tears pressed at her throat, but she held them at bay. “Do you have any idea what that’s like?” Immediately, she realized what a stupid question it was. “Krey, I’m sorry. Of course you do.”
He moved the lantern to the side, got up, and sat right in front of her, folding his legs and resting his hands in his lap. He was close enough for her to see the film of moisture shining in his eyes. “I do know, and I wish no one else ever had to go through it. I’m sorry.” His voice cracked on the last statement.
Nora reached out and took one of his hands. “How’d you survive when your parents died?”
He squeezed her hand. “I’m still figuring that out. But it’s gotten easier.”
They sat silently, hands still clasped together, until Nora urged Krey to fly to Ovrun. When she was alone, she slowly chewed dried fruit and contemplated what she’d learned.
My dad is controlling minds. Such a reality was unthinkable. In this corner of the postday world, Nora’s ancestors had served as mayors, legislators, and, for the last two generations, monarchs. Through that time, they’d built a tradition of benevolent leadership. Nora’s father had often pointed out that he was a king, not a dictator. Lies, all lies.
Filled with sudden ire, Nora stood. She wanted nothing more than to throw balls of ice from her hands, fueled by snow and fury. While she had plenty of the latter, she had none of the former. Instead, she sprinted through the warehouse and skidded to a stop near a metal wall. She swung her foot back and kicked, hard.
A loud twang sounded, and a jolt of pain traveled into Nora’s toes and up her leg. She repeated the gesture, pairing it with an angry roar. “Why?” she screamed. “Why would you do this?” She kicked the metal wall one more time, even harder, grunting as it bruised her toes through her boots.
She flopped down to the hard floor, lay on her back, and gave in to weeping, despite her intention not to. “You’re the king,” she cried. “That should’ve made you think twice. And even if it wasn’t sufficient, you’re my father. Couldn’t that’ve motivated you to do the right thing?”
Her choice was heartbreakingly simple. She could return to her father, give him her loyalty, and forget about the militia members whose lives he’d stolen. Or she could fight for a bunch of strangers and permanently rip apart her relationship with her dad.
It wasn’t a decision any daughter should ever have to make. Regardless of what she chose, she didn’t know if she’d ever forgive her father for putting her in this position.
“Dad,” she said through her sobs, “I don’t want to hurt you. But you’re the one who taught me to fight injustice. What am I supposed to do when you’re the cause of it?”
As her crying slowed, the answer became clear. If I go back to live with my father, I won’t be able to live with myself. Nora had taken the first step away from him when she’d chosen not to tell him about Krey breaking into the records hall. She’d moved farther away when she’d continued helping Krey. And she’d created a huge gap when she’d left the palace.
This last step, though, would be the worst. She wouldn’t be creating more distance between her and her dad. Instead, she’d move in close and confront him—not to reconcile, but to stop him.
The decision felt like a knife in her heart. Despite everything her father had done, Nora knew he still cared about her. Even his treatment of Krey proved that. Back in Tirra, he’d probably wanted to put the talented double lyster in his militia. But he’d known his daughter needed a friend. When she’d invited Krey to the palace, he’d humored her—because underneath it all, he loved her. Her resistance would hurt him. She’d be taking the knife out of her own chest and thrusting it into his.
How did it come to this point? Nora had gotten involved in Krey’s quest to find Zeisha because she’d wanted an adventure. Then she’d made friends with both Ovrun and Krey, and she’d grasped onto a dream of finding Faylie. It had become even easier to take risks and give up privileges. For a while there, it had all been so fun.
“I like to dance and kiss and throw magical snowballs,” Nora said to no one in particular. She wiped her hand across her runny nose. “Nothing in my life has prepared me to rescue a group of mind-controlled lysters and confront my father. On top of all that, I’m supposed to save two dragons? I’m a princess, not a warrior.”
Cannot you be both, Nora-human?
The dragon’s voice, rich and deep, acted like a balm to Nora’s grief. At last, she stopped weeping. I don’t know.
I have never met a dragon speaker who was not fiercely strong.
Nora took his words in, savoring them like they were made of sweet, edible gold. Fiercely strong. She’d never thought of herself in such terms. Could it possibly be true? I’d like to be strong, she thought.
You are, Osmius echoed.
Nora looked across the room at the glowing lantern and nodded, embracing both the mission and her grief.
31
At first, survivors used a barter system. By the time I was a teenager, however, our town had a basic bank, run by my parents and three other trusted families. They issued handwritten bank notes, making trade even easier.
Our community’s first bank-note counterfeiter was my youngest sister. The rest of us kids had to hold back laughter as our parents confiscated her smudged, messy BANK NOOT.
-The First Generation: A Memoir by Liri Abrios
When Krey and Ovrun stepped into the warehouse, Nora rushed up to them. She’d lit two more lanterns, and Krey squinted. The brightness didn’t bode well when all he wanted was sleep. All the flying had sapped his strength.
“Come sit down.” Nora beckoned them to follow her. “We need to talk about what’s next.”
Krey was too tired to argue. He sat on the floor, resting his elbow on his knee and propping his chin in his hand. Ovrun sat nearby, and Nora plopped down, facing both of them.
“I’ve been thinking,” she said, “about how we can . . .”
That was all Krey heard until a sharp, “Krey, wake up!” jolted him out of his nap.
He lifted his head, blinked, and yawned. “What?” He figured he couldn’t have dozed for more than a minute, but his voice was already low and groggy.
Ovrun said, “Nora thinks you should take her to talk to her aunt.”
Krey’s eyes, which had been threatening to fall closed again, snapped open wide. “Why the hell would I do that?” His voice reverberated through the big room.
Nora released a loud sigh. “You are the most predictable person I’ve ever met. I knew you’d get pissed off before I got a chance to explain.”
“All I did was ask why!” He was still yelling. In his sleepy haze, he couldn’t find any motivation to stop.
She rolled her eyes. “Oh yes, the way you asked it was so open and diplomatic. I can tell you’re ready to have a calm, mature conversation about this.”
Krey gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and drew in a long breath through his nose. He dragged his eyelids back open and met Nora’s gaze. “Sorry. I’m exhausted, but I really want to understand—by the stone, Nora, your aunt is probably in league with your father. Why would we go to her?”
Her dark-brown eyes flashed with anger, but her voice was level. “I know my trust in my father was misplaced, but I’m even closer to Aunt Dani than I am to him. I could be wrong about her, but I don’t think I am. And it’s not like we’ll be stu
pid about it. We’ll fly straight to the residential building at night. If she’s not on his side, she could be a resource to us. She might even be able to tell us how my father got this mind-control faculty.”
Now that was almost tempting. Krey was dying to know the source of Ulmin’s talent. He could only think of one thing that could give someone the ability to control minds: a talent he’d read about in an extremely rare book. It was a dark, dangerous magic that usually didn’t work, had terrible side effects, and would never work on so many people at once. That can’t be it, Krey told himself. Ulmin must’ve discovered something new.
“What are you thinking?” Nora asked.
He shook his head. No way was he going to be the group’s conspiracy theorist, bringing up an old magic no one had even heard of. “I get why you want to talk to Dani, but if she’s in on this and we confront her, she’ll know we’re getting close to the truth. It’s too risky.”
“We won’t tell her we know about the militia unless we’re sure it’s safe!” Nora was talking quickly now. “We’ll tell her we’re still looking for Zeisha. She’s got to be worried sick about me. If she’s not on my dad’s side, she’ll give us any information she’s got, just to get me to come home. If she does anything suspicious, we’ll fly away. Nobody will be able to follow us.”
Against his better judgment, Krey found himself considering the proposal. Dani was smart and capable; she might have information that could help them. Plus, learning that Ulmin was the general had changed everything. They’d never be able to stop the king unless they allied with someone inside the palace. He turned to Ovrun, who was already watching him. “What do you think?”
“I think it’s worth the risk. I’m just trying to figure out if there’s a way for all three of us to go. It seems safer.”
Krey nodded slowly. “If we walk instead of flying, we can all go. Then I can fly you both inside the residence fence separately. It’ll be tougher if we need to escape, but I think it’s worth it to have us all there. Nora needs to talk to her aunt, and Ovrun can fight if anything goes wrong.”
Nora’s mouth broke into a small smile. “So you’ll do it?”
“Yeah.” He yawned again. “But if either of you wakes me up in the next ten hours, all bets are off. Can you please collect feathers while I sleep?”
Without waiting for a response, he grabbed a pillow, lay down, and tuned out the world.
Nora looked at the small stash of food Krey was putting in his pack. It was all they had, and they’d need more—sooner, rather than later. “How much money do we have left?” she asked Krey.
“About twenty quins.”
Her eyes widened. She had underwear that cost more than twenty quins. “We’re gonna need food,” she murmured.
“We should also replace the bow Ovrun had to give to the trogs, but we can’t afford to.”
Ovrun slipped his pack on his shoulder. “If we really get desperate, I can pay my mom a visit. She’ll help us out if she can.” He shrugged, but his brows were furrowed.
Nora knew Ovrun had taken pride in using his guard wages to help support his family. The last thing he’d want to do was ask his mom for money. She thought about her favorite shoes in her closet back home. They’d probably cost at least 150 quins. Warmth entered her cheeks as she recalled how she’d complained when she’d gotten them, because they were a darker gray than she’d requested.
“Let’s go,” Krey said.
Outside, the early evening sky was still bright. It was a chilly day, but as they walked briskly, Nora still felt a layer of sweat collect under her arms, in her socks, and beneath her hat. She was so tired of having only two sets of clothes, neither of them ever really clean. What will Dani think when she sees me?
Darkness fell as they traveled. Krey had gotten to know the terrain well, due to his flights to and from the city. He led them through the wilderness, far from the road. As the sun set and stars emerged, they discussed the militia.
“Something’s been bugging me,” Krey said. “The king somehow shares his mind-control talent with this Overseer woman. But he was gone for over a month during the two-hundredth anniversary tour. Could he have shared his power over such a distance?”
Nora stepped around a tree as she mulled over the question. “I don’t know. There’s so much of this that doesn’t make sense. I’ve never even heard of someone sharing their faculty.”
“Yeah, neither have I,” Krey said with a sigh. “Any ideas, Ovrun?”
“Hey, if the two of you don’t know how this magic works, imagine how clueless I am.”
They continued to chat as they walked, but with so little information available, it was hard to come up with any good theories. After hours of travel, they skirted Cellerin City, walking well north of its outskirts. They all got quiet, except for occasional bouts of contagious yawning.
The sight of the woods east of the palace perked Nora up. They navigated carefully through the thick, dark trees. As always, Nora watched for the unicorn that was said to live there. She didn’t catch any glimpses.
Soon, the tall palace fence came into view. Nora fought off a silly urge to run and kiss it. I guess I’ve actually missed this place.
“Guard,” Krey whispered. The three of them hid behind trees until the guard passed. “Nora, let’s go,” Krey murmured.
She got on his back and squeezed her eyes shut as he took to the air. When they got close to the residence, she murmured, “Hello, friends,” knowing the caynins’ sensitive ears would hear her. Krey soared over the residential fence, landed by the icehouse entrance, and set her down. Two caynins approached, wiggling with delight. One of them sniffed at her sleeve, then backed away. She stifled a giggle. Even the caynins think I stink.
Without a word, Nora pulled out her key. It was difficult to use it in the dark, and for a minute or two, she feared her father had changed the locks. But it slid into the keyhole, and when she rotated her wrist, she heard a satisfying click. After closing the door behind her and Krey, she turned on the light.
Thank the stone, one of the chests was full of ice. They both fueled up in case something went wrong. Then Krey whispered, “I’ll get Ovrun.”
“Okay.” She turned off the light and walked out with him, waiting quietly as he flew off. Before long, Krey and Ovrun were in sight. Nora made a quiet clicking sound with her mouth, and two caynins came running. “It’s okay,” she whispered soothingly. When Krey and Ovrun landed, the caynins didn’t make a sound. Nora scratched behind the animals’ ears and led her two friends through the icehouse and into her rooms.
Nora drew in a deep breath, savoring a scent that was as familiar to her as her own skin. She loved everything about her rooms—the fireplace, her soft bed piled with warm linens, her closet full of gorgeous clothes. More than anywhere else in this big palace complex, these rooms were home. To her horror, a little yelp-sob exited her mouth.
A hand grabbed hers, and Ovrun’s warm breath hit her ear. “You okay?”
“Mmm hmm.” She forced herself to stop crying and whispered, “Let’s go.”
It must be past two in the morning. No one should be up. Still, Nora’s heart threatened to burst from her chest. She led both her friends through her dark rooms and opened the door to the hallway. It squeaked, the sound echoing in the late-night hush. She gritted her teeth, but no one came to investigate. They took silent steps toward Dani’s rooms, which were next to her niece’s.
Nora released Ovrun’s hand and opened her aunt’s door. After leading her companions through the dark sitting room, she entered Dani’s bedroom alone. As expected, her aunt was asleep, snoring softly. It was too dark to see much of anything, but Nora made her way to the bed, found her aunt’s mouth, and held a hand over it. “Aunt Dani,” she whispered, “it’s me.”
She had to repeat the message twice, accompanying it with a shoulder shake the second time. At last, Dani woke and gasped. Before her aunt could cry out, Nora’s hand came down on her mouth. Dani tried to push N
ora’s hand off.
“Aunt Dani, it’s me,” Nora whispered. “Don’t say anything, okay?”
When she felt Dani nod, she removed her hand. Dani’s promise not to say anything lasted less than half a second, but to her credit, she kept her voice low. “Nora! Are you safe, sweetheart?”
Happy tears filled Nora’s eyes. “Yes. Let me turn on the light.” She flipped the switch. Squinting at the sudden brightness, she returned to the bed. “Krey and Ovrun are with me. Can we talk to you?”
Dani answered by pulling her niece into a tight hug. She spoke right into Nora’s ear, in a bare whisper. “If those two boys abducted you, just say, ‘Yes.’ ”
Nora pulled back, the question erasing her tears. “No, Aunt Dani, they didn’t abduct me!” From the bedroom doorway, Krey snorted a laugh.
Dani stepped out of bed. Her wavy, brown hair, usually pinned up, hung down her back. She walked to the door. “If either of you hurt my niece, I will find you and make you wish you’d never met her.” She only came up to Ovrun’s chest, but she tilted her head to glare at him. “I don’t care how big you are.”
Ovrun cleared his throat. “I understand, ma’am.”
“Very well. The two of you can have a seat on the couch. Nora, please fetch my robe.”
Nora crossed to a hook on the wall to retrieve her aunt’s robe. As soon as Krey and Ovrun had left the doorway, Dani turned and murmured, “Now, be honest. Are they holding you against your will? Blackmailing you?”
Nora tried not to laugh. “No, Aunt Dani. I’m with them because I want to be.”
Dani let Nora help her with her robe. “Well then, we’d all better have a good chat.”
They all sat, Krey and Ovrun on a couch, Nora and Dani across from them in two adjacent chairs. Light from Dani’s bedroom spilled into the room.
The Frost Eater (The Magic Eaters Trilogy Book 1) Page 26