Spring Frost (5 page)

          “Breena is now the Queen of All Feyland,” Kian insisted, “she cannot have an aversion to Winter – it's part of her kingdom, too.”

          “Now, now,” the Duke said. “Please, do not panic. It may seem like these side effects are severe, but we have the best alchemists in the land working on Breena; we are working to cure her and to reverse the effects as swiftly as possible. But if she was poisoned by the Dark Sorceress as you said...”

          “Uncle!” Alistair's bright, clear voice called out through the doorway. “If I may – if you don't mind – I would like to take a look at Breena myself. She's been asleep for a few days and so we haven't really been able to see the effects of the poison until now. I, too, have been feeling affected – but I was able to read some of the Book before it poisoned me. Maybe the book has the clues we need for understanding the Sorceress's magic.”

          Alistair had the book under his arm. He walked towards me, putting out a hand to feel my forehead. But no sooner had he come near me than I began to feel a sudden, horrible chill, a sickening feeling at the pit of my stomach.

          The second Alistair touched me, I felt a rush of dark energy coursing through me – a transference of power between Alistair and myself. Darkness seemed to fill my veins to bursting; darkness was all around me. Alistair had been able to withstand the magic of the Book somewhat – his alchemical training had strengthened him – but somehow the Book’s proximity to me was enough to send me reeling. I felt as if I had been hit by a tidal wave of magic. I started shaking.

          “Breena? Breena, what's wrong!” Kian called. But I was writhing, convulsing violently.

          The last thing I saw was a puff of black smoke surrounding me, and the astonished faces of Logan, Kian, Alistair and the Duke.

          And then they were gone. Or, more accurately, I was gone. I was in an unfamiliar room, staring at an all too familiar face.

          “Hello again, Breena, my dear.”

          Clariss was sitting calmly before me, my crown glinting on her head. “We're going to have a lot of fun together, you and I.”

Chapter 5

         
I
was reeling. Smoke was all around me, clogging up my nostrils, filling my field of vision. I staggered backwards, coughing. I put a hand to my mouth as I looked up, waving away the smoke with my other hand. Where was this place? I was in a dark stone room, the only source of light a glimmering candle that shone with a green flame. I felt my stomach drop. My blood was burning; I felt dizzy – nauseous – ill. What was going on?

          “Breena, Breena, Breena,” Clariss turned to me with a wicked smile. “It looks like you have recovered from my…what’s the word? Welcome embrace?”

          I jumped in surprise. How had Clariss gotten hold of me? What was I doing here? I swallowed hard, trying to keep my fear off my face. “If you call stabbing me with a poisonous dagger your brand of a welcome embrace, then spare me from getting to know you better.” Clariss smiled grimly. “Clariss, what’s going on? Why did you bring me here?”

          “What can I say?” Clariss laughed. “I’m a show-off, Breena! I wanted to show you just how easy it is to control you when I want to. See? I took you out of your supposedly safe circle of friends back there in Autumn Springs, plucked you out and put you here in front of me. At my mercy. I could stab you, you know. If I wanted. Or worse. I’m trying to think of something worse – but you see, Breena? I don’t have to.”

          Her eyes travelled down to my wrist; I followed her gaze. I gasped in shock. My skin had gone pale, pallid white, and through the skin I could see that my veins had turned indigo. A chill travelled through me. “I can see how my poison is affecting you, Breena,” Clariss smiled. “You’re freezing, aren’t you?”

          “Freezing?”

          “Blue blood. A mysterious chill. And you haven’t figured it out? Silly girl. You and your supposedly clever magical friends – the Duke of Autumn Springs. King Kian himself. And none of them can figure it out.”

          I said nothing, although my heart was pounding. I wanted to hear more, but I wouldn’t give Clariss the satisfaction of knowing that I was interested in what she had to say.

          “But I know more than any of you. My magic stems from the very beginning of Feyland itself, stretching back to its very core. I am possessed of the kind of ancient Fey magic that was strong enough to create the seasons for all the world. Summer, Winter, Spring, Summer. Not just in this world, but in the mortal world.
Your
world,” she spat. “You do know that the Fey control both seasons – including the seasons of your precious Gregory, don’t you?”

          I had heard legends that the Fey had power in the Land Beyond the Crystal River. I nodded slowly. “What does this have to do with the poison you have in me?” I sighed. “And in Alistair?”

          “What matters,” said Clariss lightly, “Is that there is no amount of magic that your Fey friends can have capable of curing the poison. The only way to cure you is if I
choose
to remove it.”

          “I’m listening.” I glared at Clariss. She licked her lips and sat down by my side.

          “Now, why should I remove it, you may ask?”

          “I didn’t,” I muttered.

          “Now, now; don’t sulk,” Clariss laughed. “I’ll tell you. I’m not going to kill you, Breena. Not now, at any rate. I like making you weak. I like watching you squirm, watching your fear. I like making it impossible for you to lie alongside your love, to be in his arms, without your blood freezing within your veins. Soon you’ll have to be far away from him – even his touch will cause you to cry out in agony.”

          I gulped. So it was true. Clariss’ spell would make it impossible for me to touch Kian. I looked up at Clariss and choked back the rage within me. I wanted to hit her, to strangle her, to choke her life out. But I had to stay calm – to bear through this chaos – in order to get answers. What was this poison? And why was Clariss here?

          I decided to play along, although it took every ounce of my self-control to do it. “That sure was clever, Clariss. I should have known. You were always so smart. Perhaps that was why I was so jealous of you all along.” I swallowed, trying to arrange my features so that this appalling lie took on something of the character of truth. “You’ve always been so smart, so pretty…”

          Clariss’ expression softened, briefly. Her smile became almost genuine.

          “What do you want me to do, Clariss? Why do you want me? Why am I here?”

          “What a fool you are!” Clariss rolled her eyes. “You’re Queen of Feyland and you don’t even understand. You don’t know what it’s like to be Fey. You don’t even know the ancient Fey lore – everything the Queens knew for centuries: Feyland is ruled by the seasons, Winter Fey, Summer Fey, Autumn, and Spring. The seasons are controlled in Feyland and Gregory by what? You should know this.

I tried to think. “The Fey,” I said.

Clariss roared with laughter before sneering, “You’re a disgrace to your kind, a miserable half-breed…”

          “You’re one to talk!” I couldn’t resist snapping back. “You’re not even Fey at all, are you?”

          “I’m not! I’m…” Clariss stopped, her lips curling into a dark smile. “I’m something higher than that, a kind you could never even dream of. But I won’t tell you. I won’t give away the secret. Not yet. You’ll have to figure it out for yourself. I gave you one of the biggest clues already, but you’re too stupid to figure it out.”

          I cursed inwardly. “If you’re not even Fey,” I asked, “then why come here? Why try to rule over us? What can you possibly get out of it? Why not just…find power in our world?”

          “Because, Breena,” Clariss looked frustrated, as if she were explaining this to a kindergartner. Good, I thought. Let her think I’m dumb. Maybe then she’ll talk. “Although I am not Fey, as you say, I am from here. But I don’t see why I should waste my breath explaining all this to you. Let it suffice to say that this is why you’re here with me right now. To present a challenge to you and your friends. I heard you thought you were a pixie, stupid girl! Pixies’ blood is green – but yours is blue. You think you’re clever – defeating my Dark Hordes, bringing back the Twin Suns of Feyland when I had my Hordes squeeze them out like shrivelled oranges – but you will not dare to defy me this time. I want Feyland. And in order to get that desire, my dear friend Breena, I want you. So let me tell you my plan, which you – if you want to live – will help me with. I will rule on the throne of Feyland, with Logan the Wolf Prince as my Consort. The people of Feyland – although who knows why? – love you. They respect you. They listen to whatever you have to say. So, Breena, when I arrive as a guest in your kingdom, you will welcome me with all the warmth and hospitality your foolish little heart can muster. You will make the people love me. And then
I
will be Queen of Feyland.”

          I looked at Clariss in shock. My mouth dropped open. Could she be serious? Could Clariss really think that I would be willing to help her take over my kingdom? “I would rather die!” I spat.

          “I can grant you that wish, Breena,” sighed Clariss. “But there’s no need. You’re dying already. The blue-green tint in your blood proves that: it shows the poison coursing through your veins. Once it turns black, you see, you will be nothing more than a shadow figure, one of those Dark Hordes, under my command. And then I’ll control you anyway.” She smiled sweetly. “You see, Breena, you have no choices. Heads, I win. Tails, you lose. But you have a way out here, don’t you see that? You could help me. If you help me get the people of Feyland to accept me as their Queen, we can avoid so much
unnecessary
bloodshed, don’t you think? I can help to restore your land, to make it beautiful again, to restore all the darkness that has destroyed it. I can also save your friend Alistair, keep his mind from being devoured by the poison he has consumed. He is a strong one – that’s why he was able to read the book in the first place – but he is no match for my dark magic. He will go mad, Breena; mark my words.  He will go mad if he does not a get a cure from me, and once he goes mad he will become so wild, so dangerous that you will have no choice but to slay him. To murder your own friend in cold blood. And how would pretty little Rose feel about that? It would break her innocent little heart. So I am giving you a choice, Breena. Because I am kind. Because I am merciful. Either you pave the way for me to smoothly take over Feyland, allowing me to save Alistair’s life and – if you’re
very
good – your own. You can go back to your mommy. You can go quietly. Or else you can die, and become one of the mindless Dark Hordes that do my bidding.” She chuckled. “Guess you didn’t expect that out of me, did you, Breena? But I tell you – being me has its privileges!”

          I sat quietly, taking Clariss’ words in. I knew in my heart that I had only one option. No matter the costs, I would have to stay strong. Better to die loyal to Feyland than to live having betrayed it. This was my country – my land. These were my people. They depended on me. I looked up at Clariss, my crown glittering and glimmering on her head. I sighed. No, Clariss could never be allowed to rule Feyland. All that talk about restoring the land’s beauty was, I knew, a lie. She could never be trusted. But I’d have to play along. I’d have to outsmart her. Before the poison took over me.

          “You’ve always wanted what I have,” I said softly. “Logan, my power, my title. But I didn’t need it. I don’t need it – not any of it. Logan loved me before I ever came close to a crown. My friends respected me no matter what. I don’t mind giving up Feyland to you. I don’t need Feyland to make me happy. And, of course, you do deserve it more. You were always more powerful than I was. More beautiful.”

          I could see Clariss’ thin veneer crack. “Really?”

          “Of course,” I said. “I always thought this crown should go to someone like you – you deserve it much more than me. If you get me back to my friends, I can start preparing your entrance. I’m not stupid, Clariss. I know when I’m beaten. Just let me live – me and my friends – and Kian and I will find someplace quiet to live in Gregory and never bother you again.” The words were like ashes in my tongue. I didn’t mean them, but the very act of pretending to acquiesce to Clariss’ request made me ill. I wanted to tear her hair out. Yet another part of me pitied her – pitied the look of genuine joy in her eyes when I told her that she was prettier than I was. Could Clariss really be driven by such base motives as jealousy?