The Frozen Beginning (Elemental Diamond Book 1) (22 page)

Uncomfortable under his constant gaze, Glacier shifts her gaze to his hand, spraying the mist directly to his split skin. Fielder doesn’t groan or flinch; just sitting silently on the bed as he observes the healing of his flesh.

As the wounds close, Glacier rests the aerosol on the bedside table. She takes his hand in hers again, watching the repairing skin mend.

“What on earth is that stuff?”

She sighs. Fielder seems to predict her intentions, clasping her hand defiantly when she tries to move away. His warm flesh heats hers like a palm-size sun. But instead of burning her, it is a strong simmer.

Clearing her throat, she is caught off guard by his blatant hand holding, “Uh, my father invented it.”

He seems confused by her answer.

“If your father invented it, then why haven’t you been using it? Does it not heal particular wounds, or…—”

Glacier shakes her head, glaring down to her feet.

“No, as far as I know it’ll heal any injury that isn’t solely internal.”

Again, he seems confused, “Then why haven’t you been using it?”

Glacier is stunned by his question.

“Why didn’t you use it on your cut across your forehead? Why don’t you—?”

She shakes her head again, “It wasn’t made a public invention, yet…”

“So? Why does that matter?”

Why is he asking me so many questions?

“I can’t. With injuries that people can see, it’ll be obvious if they heal overnight. I’d be cheating. I’d be disqualified from the competition.”

Saying the words aloud had her wishing she hadn’t shown him. Wishing she hadn’t brought it with her.

How could I risk bringing it knowing Castor’s life is on the line? What is wrong with me?

After Glacier’s brief explanation, he seems to understand her reasons. His mouth opens as he prepares to speak, when a computerized voice interrupts him.

“Good evening Miss Wardgrave. My thermal sensors detect an anomaly in your room of some kind. Would you like me to contact the lobby to have this issue resolved?” PAM’s voice, her mechanic voice calm. Glacier smiles at the oddity.

There are thermal sensors in my room?

“No, that’s OK PAM.”

Glacier moves away from Fielder, dropping his hand as she retreats to the wardrobe.

“Also, Miss Wardgrave, I have been asked to inform you that tonight’s Gala has been cancelled, on account of Alue Puckett’s passing.”

Alue. That’s the pudgy girl’s name
…

Glacier hurriedly grabs something to sleep in, before returning to the room.

Glacier looks to Fielder, confused. “What does that mean?”

“She was killed today…” He hangs his solemn head, reaching out to squeeze her hand.

Killed? How—

The memory of what the three High Chamber Seats had been talking about outside of her hospice room rears its head.

“What do we do? This year’s competition is already getting out of hand!”

“We do nothing.”

“Sasis, they are getting killed! This is the second contestant–”

“We just need to reiterate carefulness and safety before tomorrow’s battle…”

“I am enjoying this
improved
tournament. It needed more edge, more danger. It keeps the audience on the edge of their seats.”

“Speak for yourself, Hampton. That is because members from the Terra and Pyre teams are now killers! They are only kids, and they have these ideas in their heads to kill one another, like a sport!”

“Gamble killed her in the third battle.” Fielder continues.

Gamble?

Glacier lowers her head in sorrow.

Why is everyone dying? This isn’t how this competition works!

Moving to ring her hands together, she hisses as pain shudders up her arm.

Fielder stands up from the bed, alert, but Glacier quickly steps back into the bathroom before he can approach.

“I’m just going to take a shower…”

He nods his acknowledgement, watching her close the door.

Once she is safely barricaded in the bathroom, Glacier leans back against on the door, releasing a heavy sigh.

~

After showering and dressing, Glacier finds herself staring at her reflection.

The girl that stares back is tragic. Her lips is split in two different places and darkly bruised, as well as the side of her face.

Her hair surprisingly shiny white, its natural frizzy curl already forming into large fluffs.

When she leaves the bathroom, she finds Fielder siting on the other side of the bed, her Memory Wand in his hand.

Glacier suddenly worries about what he has seen.

Those are private memories
.

Walking around the bed to tell him off for snooping, Glacier stills suddenly.

The hologram forms in contrasting shades of purple.

The pixelated movie of her father, younger than she can remember, holding his hands out with a smile on his face burrows into her chest, searching for something deep.

“
Come on, Glacie, you can do it. Come on darlin’
…”

Her father’s smile melts her heart, his eyes glistening with tears. Glacier feels her own swelling tears trailing down her cheeks as the memory of his smile digs through her chest like a vicious animal.

I miss him. I miss him
so
much
.

With her good hand, she covers her mouth, muffling her heartbroken sobs. The image of his face moves slowly, jostling slightly, and his smile widens with pride.

“
That’s it, come on!
” His voice echoes around the room, lingering on her shoulders like a thick mist. The sound of childish gurgling can be heard in the background.

She recognizes the memory from when she was first learning to walk.

“That was my dad.”

Fielder turns around when he hears her voice, his face guilty from being caught. Glacier isn’t worried anymore; just sad.

She moves to sit beside him, leaning her temple against his shoulder.

Being around him transports her back the time they had been
friends
, when they were younger.

“Was?” he questions. Looking over to him with glistening eyes, her throat blocks with grief.

“He was…
murdered
… just before I came here.”

He nods his head solemnly, his eyes swimming with sympathy. They provide comfort.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Glacier shakes her head quickly, wiping her cheeks with her wet fingers.

“That was when I was learning to walk,” she mutters.

Fielder holds the Memory Wand out for her. Glacier takes it into her hands, the projection continuing to run.

“What is that thing?” he asks curiously.

She keeps her eyes glued to the stick as she answers, “It’s a Memory Wand. My father made it for me a few years after I was born. When I place it against my temple and concentrate on a moment in my life, I can store the memory on it.”

She fiddles with it between her fingers, but it doesn’t move the video still playing in front of them.

The image goes hazy for a moment before it clears to another memory.

This time, the image is of Castor. He walks closer towards the pair, the image tilting down to see the top of his head. He wraps his little arms around a pair of legs, whispering,
“You’re the best ever, Glacie.”

Her breath leaves her as she remembers that moment.

“Who’s that?” Fielder asks, his voice soft as he watches her cautiously, waiting for her to finally give up fighting her grief.

“That’s Castor…” The boy in the projection looks up to them. Her stomach heaves with dread.

I can’t let anything happen to that little boy
.

Glacier steps up from the bed, dropping the Memory Wand onto the covers. As it continues to play, Glacier pays no attention.

“Fielder, you need to leave.” Glacier takes a few steps away from the bed, closer to the glass window.

He seems surprised by her sudden impasse toward him. Fielder’s brows furrow with surprise, and his lips part.

“What?”

Glacier moves towards the door, but he advances. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to invade your privacy or anything like that. I just wanted—”

The image on the projection changes to thick white. The picture moves harshly some side to side. Their attention is drawn to the quite, almost inaudible cries from the replaying memory.

“
Don’t be a chicken.”
The sound of Glacier’s younger voice surprises her.

“
I am not a chicken!”
a boy’s voice follows. “
Wait for me!”

“
Come on, hurry up!”
The memory moves through the white, trees bordering either side.

The snow
…

Glacier gasps when she remembers that day. She knows Fielder recognizes it as well.

The two of them watch the memory unfold.

“
I think I see something moving in the snow! Over there!”
A finger points to the right of the projection. Anticipation eats through Glacier’s nerves. The memory continues on, climbing through the icy whiteness. Her younger self stands over a small white blur, moving sluggishly through the snow, crying out helplessly.

“
Look!”
The memory squats down in the ice close to the little yelper, “
It looks like a baby fox
…”

Glacier glances over to Fielder, finding his eyes glassy, glued to the memory. His fists are clenched tightly and his jaw is stiff.

Small hands reach out to the small animal trying to climb through the thick slush. The animal cries out as the small dainty hands rescue it from the snow. It is almost indistinguishable from the slush, with a coat of matted white fur. Glacier can only see it when it moves.

“
Its fur matches your hair
…” There are two different laughters that follow, before the crying animal is brought closer to the body holding it. The small animal cries out louder. Glacier remembers the thought she had contemplated in that moment, like she was thinking it the first time.

‘
Maybe I'm not warm enough
…’

“
It’s so small
…” The image moves to the boy. His light wavy curls and his straight jaw does little justice to the real memory Glacier has of him.

“
I think you should hold it, I’m only making it colder
…”

The image of her arms stretching out to the young boy has her chest constricting tightly. The boy is surprised by her invitation, but holds his hands out for the pup.

The dainty hands holding the small creature move to pass it to the boy. The little fox crawls over into his warm hold.

The small animal curls around in his hands, seeking the warmth he naturally generates.

“
See, it likes you better.”
The boy looks up with a heart-melting smile on his face.

“
I think it’s a girl… What should we name her?”

“You kept this memory?”

Glacier glances over to Fielder, the projection forgotten when she meets his searching eyes.

“Why?”

Moving to the door, it opens when her Passkey becomes within range. It collapses open, something Glacier has become accustomed to now. She steps to the side, giving Fielder room to pass.

“I don’t know why I kept it, Fielder. Please… I just want you to leave.”

The words are almost acidic on her tongue.

Upset by her request, he reluctantly does as she asks. When he is close enough, he pauses at her side. “You kept that memory because you care, Glace.”

His eyes hold hers for a moment before he strides out of the open door with his fists clenched, his shoulders tight.

Just as the door closes, Glacier hears her young voice from the memory.

“
We should call her Mink
.”

FOURTEEN

PANIC

The arrival at the arena is the same as the day
prior. Only today there is pain in every step, turn and twist Glacier makes.

Sitting on her team bench, she is amazed at how clear the arena is – not a spec of ice in sight.

Almost as if what Glacier created yesterday never existed. She notices that Isaac isn’t waiting in his team’s box, which leads Glacier to assume that he is still in the hospice. In total, there are three people missing all from the arena: Care, Alue and Isaac.

Sensing Fielder’s heated gaze burning against her face, Glacier refuses to look up. Instead, she looks down at her palms, and fiddles with her fingers.

Neena asks her a seemingly endless list of questions, from, ‘When did you check out?’ to ‘Are you OK being here?’

Glacier answers every question with either a yes or no, never speaking louder than a murmur. The heavy stares that rest on her itch at her skin.

They loudly wonder why she isn’t in the hospice.

I can’t give the Chancellor
any
reason to hurt Castor
…

Ever since Fielder left her room last night, Glacier has been drumming into her head the
real
reason she is competing.

I
won’t
let anything happen to Castor. Nothing and no one will distract me from winning
.

From Keena, who for the first time intentionally spoke to her, Glacier had been run through the other two battles following hers. The second battle yesterday had been between Aleena and Brogan, the guy with the red Mohawk. Aleena had won after all of the ice had been melted and Isaac carted away to the hospice.

Glacier had noticed a few burns across Aleena’s arms earlier. When the blonde had noticed her stare, Glacier quickly averted her gaze.

The third was Alue and Gamble’s battle, in which Keena described how repugnant and violent her death had been. She has explained the motions, as Gamble threw a large rock against her body, flattening her like a piece of paper.

The rock had squeezed her insides like a grape, until she ‘exploded’.

From the detailed description, Glacier had to race around the side of the building, before vomiting her small breakfast against the grimy bricks.