Icebound (Legends of the Shifters Book 2) (5 page)

-Chapter Seven-

I
got to my feet and backed away, struggling to find words.

Sir
Lochlan continued. “He wrote me a letter, telling me that he was going on a
quest to the Isle of Ginsey. I already knew of his condition, of course.”

“His
condition?” I rasped.

“The
dark magic that had been planted in his mind by King Ciaran.”

I
stared at his ashen face. “You knew about that?”

“I
was the only one he ever told. And luckily, I'd heard of a way to cure him. At
least, I thought it was luck at the time. I didn't know that the natives would
kill him.” After a few seconds, he turned back to me, his normally emotionless
eyes glistening with unshed tears. “We’ll be passing through my hometown. My
parents and siblings deserve to know what happened.”

I
looked up at the white sails, finding it hard to meet his eyes.  “Before
Roland died, he asked me to pass a message on to his family—that he’d seen what
was to come after life and that he's in a place without pain or fear.”

Sir
Lochlan formed his lips into a hard line. “He was wrong. There is no
afterlife.”

I
studied him. “Where do you think we go when we die?”

“We
just...end. There is nothing more. There is no
after
.”

I
shook my head. “I can’t believe that. Not after all that I’ve seen.”

“What
have you seen?”

I
sat back on my hands. “When I went to retrieve the plant, there were four
trials that I had to undergo,” I recalled.  “In the last, I was in a
spiritual realm where angels were fighting demons. When a demon tried to attack
me, the most powerful angel protected me and tested my heart to see if I was
worthy to continue to the plant.”

 “Which
you obviously were,” Sir Lochlan said. “But that doesn’t prove anything. It was
probably an illusion, like the trials we go through for our second forms or the
survival tests that Roland talked about.”

“No,
this was different,” I said. “I was able to take the plant, and you can’t take
anything out of an illusion.”

He
crossed his arms. “You can’t persuade me, and Roland couldn’t either. He’s
already tried.”

I
pressed my lips closed, irritation choking out my thoughts like dark vines. I slid
down from the barrel, but before I turned, Sir Lochlan spoke up. “You can still
tell my family what Roland wanted you to say when we reach Redrune tomorrow.
You should just know that they probably won’t take it too well, either.”

Tomorrow?
So soon?
I struggled to keep the bitterness out of my voice as I replied,
“Thanks for the warning.”

I
walked to the hatch and stepped down the ladder into the darkness below, mind
spinning.

All
the cots were occupied by guards, most of whom were snoring loudly. Alyss and
Grix sat across the room on crates, talking quietly. They looked up as I came
down the steps.

I
must not have hid my emotion very well because Grix asked, “What's wrong?”

“Oh,
nothing. Just a discussion with Sir Lochlan,” I said, trying to keep my voice
nonchalant.

“Seems
more like you had an argument,” said Grix.

I
shrugged. “You can hardly talk to Sir Lochlan without a fight. Anyway, how has
your journey been?” I asked, changing the subject.

Alyss
glanced up. “I'm not really used to riding horseback.”

“That's
an understatement,” Grix added, stretching out his legs slowly, his face
scrunched in pain. “We can barely move.”

I
blushed, embarrassed that I hadn’t thought of their comfort before now. “I'll
ask the prince if you can ride in the carriage next time.”

“Please
don't,” said Alyss. “I don't want to be a burden.”

I
almost laughed. “You aren’t a burden. And it might give me more chances to
fly.”

She
looked away, a crease forming between her brows. “I hope you’re right.”

Grix
slid his legs back and shifted forward on the crate, curiosity sparking in his
eyes. “By the sound of it, you didn’t get too much sleep last night. What did
the bandits do to you?”

“Well,
they were trying to steal my pendant and my sword. I couldn’t leave without my
things…so I took a beating.”

“You
had to fight them?” Alyss squeaked. She studied my arms and legs. “I don’t see
any marks.”

“They
healed before I got to camp. Without the plant, I would’ve died.”

“The
plant?” Alyss said, her head tilting to the side.

My
mouth hung open wordlessly. I’d forgotten that I hadn’t told them how the plant
had affected me.

Grix
sat up straight, eyes wide. “The plant of eternal life? You told me you’d
burned it in front of the headmaster.”

There
was no turning back now. “I-I consumed it by accident on the way here…but not
all of it. So I don’t think I’m completely immortal.”

“How
did it happen?” Alyss questioned.

Reluctantly,
I dove into the story, explaining how the serum had gotten into my system and
made its mark on my shoulder, and how it affected me physically in the fight
afterward. I left out the part about killing the man. It wasn’t something I was
proud of.

Alyss
and Grix listened without interrupting, and when I’d finished, they sat for a
while longer, speechless. At last, Grix shook his head. “To think I thought I
could beat you on your first day at the conservatory. And now you’re the most
powerful creature in the world.”

I
snorted. “I’m not the most powerful.”

“Then
who is?” Alyss asked, thin eyebrows raised. “Who else has a trace of immortality
in their blood?”

“There
are sorcerers out there who can do some pretty powerful things. Healing
themselves could be one of them,” I said.

Grix
let out a long whistle. “One thing is for sure—those bandits chose the wrong
girl to mess with.”

“To
tell the truth, I don’t know what would’ve happened if the prince and Sir
Lochlan hadn’t shown up when they did,” I confessed.

I
looked toward the cots when a guard snored loudly, then decided to change the
subject. “How long do you think it’ll be before the guards let one of us
sleep?”

“Some
of them have shifts coming up above decks. We’re close to pirate waters, after
all,” Grix said.

Alyss
whipped her head toward him. “We are?”

Grix
gave her a reassuring half smile. “I don’t think they’ll attack us. When they
notice the royal crest, they’ll know that they’re no match for our trained
fighters.”

“Or
they’ll just think we have more valuables,” she mumbled.

Grix’s
smile slipped. “Or that.”

“Do
you know how long it will be before we reach the shore?” I asked.

“I
think I heard someone say it would take six hours,” Grix said.

I
sighed in relief. “Good. I’m starting to feel the effects of a sleepless
night.”

Luckily,
only an hour passed before some of the guards started to pry themselves from
the cots and armor back up. I’d begun to doze off, so when Alyss and Grix
insisted that I take the first cot available, I was grateful.

How
will I tell Roland’s family what happened?
I thought as I drifted off.
What
can I say that would soften the blow?

*   *   *  
*   *

I
slept as much as I could before we had to get off the ship at around noon. When
we docked, I made sure that Alyss and Grix got their turn in the carriage and
promptly took off into the air afterward. We camped in a field that night, and
though I wanted to put the pendant back on to check in on Kurt, there wasn’t
one moment that the prince didn’t have someone watching me, whether it be Sir
Lochlan, Grix, Alyss, or one of the other guards. I decided it would have to
wait for the next day, perhaps after Sir Lochlan and I visited his family.

The
next day was much the same, although the trees grew fewer, replaced by rocks
and cliffs and the greenest of grass. The sight was spectacular from my vantage
point in the clouds.

And
then my eyes clapped upon Redrune and my flight faltered.

Statues
that were carved into the mountain surrounded the city. Each one, dressed in
heavy battle armor, stretched high up into the clouds, their heads barely
visible through the mist. I swooped downward to get a closer look when I noticed
that the road snaked up a hill to go right through the mouth of one beheaded
statue. I shivered.

A
shrill whistle sounded from below. The carriage had stopped and Sir Lochlan was
waving me down. I dove and shifted form after landing.

Before
I was fully restored to first form, Sir Lochlan was already lecturing me.
“We're going through the tunnel, and the prince and I agree that you will be a
lot safer in the carriage than in the sky. There could be spies in the big
city.”

“Okay,”
I said. “But I could just ride one of the spare horses.” I strode to a chestnut
mare and patted her shoulder.

Sir
Lochlan stopped me from swinging myself up with the warning in his tone. “The
prince thinks it safer for you to be in the carriage. The tunnels of Redrune
are plagued with bandits and beggars. Sometimes they're desperate enough to
threaten a large party, like ours.”

I
sighed as I stroked the horse's velvety nose. “What about Alyss and Grix?”

“Alyss
will stay in the carriage with you and the prince. Grix is going to ride up
front with me and half the guard.”

I
looked back at the carriage to see Grix already stepping out and walking toward
us. Sir Lochlan led the mare away by the halter and passed the reins to Grix,
who clambered up, obviously still sore from the last time he rode.

“Are
you okay with this?” I asked as the chestnut horse danced a little, testing the
experience of her rider.

“Of
course,” he said, jaw set. “I’ll do whatever it takes to protect the prince and
you girls.”

Another
guard led a blue roan to Sir Lochlan, who swung up easily in the saddle after
grabbing the reins.

I
watched for a moment as they guided their horses forward toward the tunnel.
Only then did I realize that people were streaming out of it, dressed in rags.
Desperate people.

And
desperate people were dangerous people.

I hurried toward the carriage, w
here Alyss
leaned out the door, her long black hair flowing in the wind as she stared
after Grix. I watched her suspiciously. It seemed like the two had grown
awfully close. When she heard me approach she ducked back inside, a rosy pink
tint blooming on her cheeks.

I
climbed up beside her and shut the door, finding myself face to face with
Prince Matthias. “I was worried you wouldn't come down,” he said. “Sir Lochlan
whistled at least five times before you heard him.”

“I'm
sorry,” I said as the carriage jumped forward. “I can fly lower next time.”

The
prince waved his hand idly. “It doesn't matter, as long as you make sure to
keep an eye on us. Perhaps on cloudy days like this one, you should ride in the
carriage.”

I
tensed, but nodded anyway. He hadn't taken away my privilege, only limited it.

Prince
Matthias turned to Alyss. “What were we talking about before the carriage
stopped?”

“The
inn in Redrune,” she answered.

I
tuned out their conversation as I glanced out the window. It was only seconds
before the scenic view of the misty mountains gave way to rocks, and then
darkness as we entered the tunnel. The people streamed by the window, dozens of
gaunt faces molding into a shadowy blur. I could hear the echo of the rattling
carriage and the clopping horse hooves against the hard rock. My heart raced as
the echoes gave way to shouting voices up ahead. The carriage slowed. Alyss
clutched my hand with her small, cold one, worry creasing her forehead.

I
glanced back out the window, straining to see what was ahead, but all I saw
were the men, women, and children. Most of them were watching the commotion up
ahead with dead, unfeeling expressions. But one little girl, her hair framing
her face in greasy brown spirals, stared right at me with pleading blue eyes, a
small wooden bowl clutched in hand.

I
was pitched into a childhood memory, one where I was a little girl, holding an
empty wooden bowl. Unlike the memory of holding my mother's hand in a meadow,
this one was something I'd remembered since the day it happened. When the
caretaker of the orphan girls had been Madam Lorraine, a ruthless woman with a
permanent gash of a frown, straight, bone-white hair, and irises such a light
blue, they nearly blended in with the milky whites of her eyes.

The
orphanage was new to me. New and cold and frightening. The creak of the
floorboards, the screaming winter wind outside the window, and the hunger that
gnawed at my empty belly kept me awake at night. I always imagined that the
shadows were more than shadows. That they were watching me, waiting for my eyes
to close before they would grab me and drag me to the dark depths from where
they came.

Every
morning, after those sleepless nights, the other young girls and I were sent
out on the streets to beg for money. Sometimes people felt sorry for us and
took us into their homes to warm up, but most days, we stayed outside until we
reached our quota of three coins. On one of those days, many of the girls had
already received their quota and gone back to the orphanage. The only one left
besides me was another young girl about my age. Helen.

We
clutched each other for warmth, our bowls placed down in the snow, slowly
sinking deeper as fresh flakes fell from the sky. At one point, they were
buried so deep I had to bend over and dig them out. I had handed Helen her
bowl, while I held mine in my icy fingers, the melting snow already seeping its
way through my mittens. People sought refuge in homes and taverns, and I knew
we would have to return to the orphanage without the rest of our money.