Icebound (Legends of the Shifters Book 2) (16 page)

-Chapter Twenty-five-

The
next day, I woke up to intense hunger pangs. I sat up and noticed immediately
that any soreness I had felt the day before had since disappeared.
Thank
goodness.

The
fog had already diminished a bit, and the sun was much higher in the sky than I
had anticipated. I pushed myself to my feet.

I doubted
that the woods on this side of the lake would have anything to catch and eat,
as choked as they were by fog, so I shifted into the phoenix and backtracked to
an area where the fog hadn’t affected the growth of the forest.

It
had been a long time since I’d hunted like this, but I was surprised to see how
easy it was to catch my prey. I saw the grouse from far above, and despite its
attempt to escape, I descended upon it and delivered a swift death in seconds.

After
cooking and eating the bird, I tried to find some edible vegetation, knowing it
would be best to store up as much energy as possible. Since the weather had
turned colder, there was really nothing to find except for roots. After
searching for an hour, judging by the sun, I found only parsnips. I’d had
parsnips before, and hated them unless they were masked somehow in a soup.

Nevertheless,
I flew my find back to the lake to wash them, and forced each one down one by
one, my eyes watering at the sharp flavor.

The
fog had diminished to a light dusting on the water, but nothing more. I closed
my eyes, steeling myself to the task at hand.
As soon as I take off, as soon
as I spot the dragon, I could be mere minutes from death.

But
I needed to survive. I needed to help Kurt escape from King Ciaran.

I
spread my wings and began my trip around the island, looking for any camp or
village other than the one Roland died in. I hoped I would never have to go
there again. If I had to, I couldn’t disguise myself. They already knew my
human form, and even if I put mud all over my feathers, the size and shape of
my phoenix form would give me away.

It
wasn’t until I was all the way around the island that I finally spotted
something that looked promising. A cliff rose high above the water, and right
in the center of the rock face, there was a large v-shaped gap, overgrown with
snaking vines and shadows. It was only when I circled back and swooped closer
that I saw the huge hole that had been ripped through the growth.

That
may have been the moment when true, blood-chilling fear settled in. I barely
knew what I was up against, but by the looks of it, it was even larger than I’d
anticipated.

I
pushed down the fear that threatened to choke me and flew closer. I landed on
one of the vines, close to the top of the cliff, and looked down through the
gap. I couldn’t see anything, but with my wingbeats silent, I began to hear
whoosh,
whoosh,
whoosh
.

With
dread, I realized what that sound meant and immediately scrambled deeper into
the vines, hoping the monster hadn’t seen me.

Despite
the noise sounding very close, the dragon was still far away. I studied it as
it drew closer and the beat of its wings grew louder. For some reason, I’d
expected the monster to be dark colored, but instead of a black silhouette,
there was a bright, white figure, the sun reflecting off its form.

I
held my breath as it came close enough for me to see how its icy eyes were
lined with dark blue and how the white, shard-like spikes on its back were
tipped with the same color. I’d thought it hadn’t seen me, that I’d been well
hidden, but just before it was supposed to dive into the
viney
gap, it altered its course and slammed into the cliff beside me, holding on to
the rock with the jagged, white hooks on the ends of its wings and the dark
gray talons on each foot.

It
peered through the vines with one giant ice-blue eye and let out an
ear-splitting roar.

Panicked
and tangled in vines, I let out a blast of fire, scorching the dragon’s eye and
the vines around me. The beast reared back in surprise, nearly tumbling down
into the water.

I
took that moment to dart past it.

To
my dismay, the dragon managed to keep a hold on the cliff. I circled back,
summoned up all my energy, and released a white-hot blast of fire when I got
close enough to do damage. Before the fire hit, the dragon had pushed off of
the wall, and hefted itself up into the air. The blaze managed to hit its
chest, and the winged serpent bellowed out a pained cry, but didn’t let its
flight falter.

I
dove away and readied myself for another attack. If I delivered a blow to its
other eye, it would give me a definite advantage. The eye that I had already
scorched was red and closed. I wagered that the dragon wasn’t even able to open
it, and may never be able to use it again.

I
beat my wings against the air quickly, needing to gain altitude before I
delivered my next blow. Once I felt like I was high enough, I angled my body
down into a dive. An exhilarating feeling of power grew in my chest. I could do
this.
I can defeat this dragon, I can be free from the prophecy and save
Kurt
.

My
fear vanished as I gathered the heat in my lungs for the next blow.

When
the dragon opened up its great maw, I assumed it was getting ready to breathe
fire. I dodged away and sent a blast to its other eye, but it turned its head
just in time and dampered down my fire with icy breath.

I
was taken completely by surprise. I’d thought that all dragons were fire
beings. Not only did the ice freeze my fire into nonexistence, but it went
beyond it to creep across my body, stiffening my movements. I plummeted toward
the water, my eyes frozen open. It took all my strength to break my wings free
of the icy bonds.

But
I was too late. The dragon had already moved on to its next tactic. While I was
trying to stay above the water, flapping frantically to get higher, it dove
right in, soaking me completely. Then, it reared its great white head back up
and wasted no time aiming yet another icy breath in my direction. This time,
the ice was so thick, it was impossible to break free. I skidded down into the
water, and everything started getting darker as I sunk further and my body was
denied oxygen.

A
few shreds of thought came to my mind while I went down into the murky depths
of unconsciousness.

I
can’t die…

Kurt…
He needs me.

-Chapter Twenty-six-

I’m
not dead.

My
body was cold and riddled with pain, but at least that meant that I wasn’t
dead. I lay stretched out on my back on a hard surface, my muscles aching and
sore, a feeling that I hadn’t felt much of since consuming the elixir of the
plant.

Wherever
I was, it was too dark to see anything. Just the fact that I was breathing and
able to move was a relief. I did not expect to be in my human form, but I found
myself absent of feathers, only wearing the red dress of my first form. I
reached for my power, desperate for the warmth, but there was nothing. No pull
of energy, no power running over my palms, nothing.

Frightened,
I imagined the sunrise, but I didn’t shift. It was as if the cold had stripped
away any strength that I had. I fought to stand up and reached for the wall,
feeling only powdery frost. As I felt my way around, it soon became obvious
that I was trapped in a dome of ice.

Shivering,
I sunk to the ground and wrapped my arms around myself. I don’t know how long I
sat there, eyes wide open in the dark, scared that I would starve to death in
the tomblike ice prison. At some point, I curled into a ball on the ground and
let my eyes close. I thought about Roland. How he’d found death on this island,
just like it seemed that I would. I remembered the bright angel, no doubt the
same one he’d seen before he left me. How long would it be before the angel
came for me?

It
was selfish of me, but I wished the angel would come soon so I could know what
warmth felt like again.

Desperate,
I pushed myself to my knees and let my elbows rest on the ground.

Lord,
if I am to die, please…make it swift. I failed to defeat the dragon. I failed
to complete my destiny. I failed to save Kurt.
I paused as tears began to
prick the corners of my eyes. I sniffled loudly.
Just keep him safe. Or if
he is to die in that prison, don’t let his suffering drag on…

“Forgive
me,” I said aloud. The words were not only a plead to God, but to Kurt, Liana,
Ayon, Cecile, and everyone else that would be caught up in a horrible, bloody
war that might not have been had I been able to do what I was supposed to.

I
let the tears run down my face, but the room was so cold that they froze on my
cheeks. Knowing that there was no one here to listen to my sobs, I let them go,
echoing in my ears in a prison that only made them louder.

It
was only when I quieted that I was able to hear a crack. Surprised, I jerked up
into a sitting position, and studied the ceiling, where it seemed that the
sound had originated. That’s when I noticed that I could see a dim light
through a thick layer of frosted ice. A fissure was spreading through the
ceiling. I scrambled into a corner when something dark hit the ice again. The
fissure expanded, snaking out in different directions. It was hit again and the
crack spread even more until finally, it caused the ceiling to come crashing
down. I hugged the wall, escaping most of the falling blocks of ice, except one
that hit me so hard on the head that my vision failed me for a moment.

I
didn’t have time to take in the outside world, though I knew it was still dark.
A hand grabbed my arm and pulled me up effortlessly despite my protests.

“Stop
struggling,” said a gruff male voice. “You’ll only hurt yourself.”

I
let my eyes adjust to the light, which turned out to be a lantern. The man set
a fast pace as he dragged me along. I was barely able to keep up, nearly
falling over rocks that appeared in our path. Still, I was thankful for the
warmth. We ended up going through tunnels that I never would have been able to
navigate without a source of light.

As
we walked, I studied what I could see of the man in front of me. He had black,
glossy hair that hung down past his shoulders, and when he turned his head to
look back at me, I could see the shadow of stubble along his jaw.

"Where
are you taking me?" I asked.

"Where
do you think?" he said.  "To the man you tried to kill
yesterday."

I
swallowed the lump in my throat and narrowed my eyes. "The dragon.”

Maybe
there was still hope after all. Maybe if I just summoned my power. I reached
for it again, but even though I was out of the ice prison, my strength had not
returned.

"Why
can't I feel anything?" I asked, trying not to let the panic seep through
into my voice.

"Feel
anything?" the man asked. He shook his head. "Ask the dragon."

I
kept quiet for the rest of the trek through the tunnels. When there was a light
at the end of the last one, my heart sank. I would face the dragon now, and
what could I do? I couldn't kill him without my power, especially if he still
had his own. I was hopeless.

Before
I was brought out into the light, I could see people milling about among
shelters of sticks and leaves. Up ahead, I saw the gap and the vines running
from cliff to cliff. I was in the dragon's den, but the fact that there were so
many people around him unsettled me. I'd expected him to be a recluse, living
alone, destroying everything in his path.
I guess every monster needs
fearful slaves…

When
the man and I emerged from the cave, everyone suddenly stopped what they were doing
and glared in my direction. One person, a young snub-nosed girl, even spat at
my feet. "Filthy rat," she commented.

I
blushed in anger. We were about to ascend a set of stairs carved into the side
of the cliff when I thought I heard someone say my name. I looked for the
culprit, scanning everyone until I saw her. Her brown hair was cut short, far
different from the long hair she used to have. Roselle knitted her eyebrows in
concern, looking around at the others that all seemed like they could kill me without
regret. All my anger seeped away. Roselle was here and safe and
alive
.

I
tripped over the first step and would've fallen on my face had the man not
caught me. "For goodness sake, girl. Pay attention to your feet," he
growled.

I
swallowed my anger, and started up the steps, my legs feeling like lead. A
domed building, made completely of ice, was frozen to the side of the cliff. I
hated to go back into another ice prison, but I knew with the man dragging me
that I would have no choice. We ducked into the igloo and before I could look
up to see the dragon, I was blindfolded. I fought against it, but the man
twisted my arm behind my back until I stilled.

"What
will you do to me?" I asked, breaking the silence.

The
voice that spoke was silky and smooth. "If it were a fair world, I would
take your eye. You just about took mine." After a pause, he said,
"Tell me, why did you attack?"

I
pursed my lips, and refused to answer. If I told him that it was my destiny, he
would either laugh or kill me on the spot.

"Do
you work for King Ciaran?" he asked.

I
gave a shake of my head, my lip curling in disgust. "Of course not,"
I snarled.

"Do
you work for Queen Valerie?"

"No.”

There
was a moment of silence. Then, he sighed and ripped the blindfold off my head,
allowing me to see him for the first time.

One
thing was for sure. His voice certainly didn't match his face. Like his
comrade, he had long hair. It was blond and curly with a beard almost as long
to match. His left eye was sealed shut, a burn mark still seared on the side of
it, but the open eye studied me curiously, as ice blue as I remembered. While
battling the dragon, I hadn't thought about how much it would hurt, but looking
at another person, I almost felt sorry for what I did.

He
lowered his eyebrows as I studied him. "You're surprisingly young. But
you're powerful. I don't know who you're working for, but I can tell you this.
You're on the wrong side. We're the good guys."

I
snorted. "Everyone believes they're the good guys."

"And
what do you believe?" asked the man with the long black hair. "Do you
believe in death and destruction? Cause we're trying to stop a bloody
war."

The
glower vanished from my face. "How? The kingdoms are pitted against one
another. There is no way out but war."

"I
have a plan," said the dragon. "A plan that involves the death of two
people, and no more."

"King
Ciaran and Queen Valerie?" I asked.

"Precisely,"
he said.

I
thought about it. "It’ll never work," I ended up saying.

He
narrowed his eyes. "Explain."

"Because
to get to them, you must kill. Not only that, but people, loved ones, are
disappearing, and I can't help but think that the war won't stop with just the
death of the leaders. Then there will be a fight for the empty thrones and an
unease against neighboring kingdoms that might still blossom into a war. If
there is no leader, the people will make one."

He
raised an eyebrow. "What would you do?"

I
wanted to come up with a smart answer. Something that would fix everything. But
the fact was... "I don't know."

"Then
my plan it is.” He took a step closer. I backed away and glared at him, still
untrusting. "Now, I'll ask one more time. Who is it that you're working
for?"

"Myself,"
I spat.

He
looked up at his friend, and shook his head. "Okay, Erik, take her back
down if you would. I'll be along shortly to reseal the dome."

I
didn't want to go back there. Panicked, I said, "Wait!"

He
looked down at me, eyebrows raised expectantly. "Yes?"

"I...I
know someone here," I said.

He
and Erik exchanged a look. "And who is that?"

"Roselle,"
I answered. "We went to the same school."

Erik’s
lip curled. "You know Roselle?"

“That's
what I just said,” I replied.

“Change
of plan,” the dragon said. “Go get her, Erik. We need to have a talk.”

A
few minutes later, Roselle entered the igloo, her face pale. “August,” she
said, with a respectful nod of her head.

August
paced closer to her and looked back at me. “This girl tells me she knows you.”

Roselle
looked at me and bit her lip. “Yes...we used to be friends.”

Erik
spoke up. "Is this the girl that caused you to get sent on the
quest?"

She
looked up at him and nodded. "And...I know that her actions were
influenced. I know the headmaster must have put this in her head."

"He
didn't, though,” I said. “I came on my own. I don't belong to the conservatory
anymore."

She
looked at me pleadingly. "Ivy," she whispered with a shake of her
head. She was just trying to help me out by saying that it wasn't my fault, and
in part, it wasn’t. It was the fault of the last phoenix, who wrote the
prophecy. A prophecy I still believed in.

I
turned my attention away from her and focused back on August. "You can put
me in your prison. You can lock me away in a cage of dark and cold, but I will
never change my mind. And I
will
fulfill my duty.”

"To
kill me?" he asked. "Because then your efforts are futile."

"We'll
see," I said.

He
raised an eyebrow. "Yes. You will."

He
motioned for Erik to bring me as he ducked out of the room. "Follow
me." He descended down the stairs, moving with lithe grace. The people
parted for him as he walked past the tunnel opening and around the corner. When
I saw what was hidden behind the stone, my breath was taken away. It was a
temple made completely out of ice, and in the center, raised on a pedestal, was
an orb that held familiar golden flowers.

"The
plant of eternal life," I whispered as we walked up the steps.

August
turned back to me. "But not all of the plant.”

He
was right. The stem was cut short.

August
waited for Erik, Roselle, and me to come to a stop around the plant before he
touched the glass. Almost instantly, a bright light shone on his face, and the
burn mark I'd left disappeared. He blinked both eyes open and met mine.
"Your efforts are futile because you
can't
kill me.”

And
that's when I knew that I was mistaken all along, that something was horribly
wrong with the prophecy.

Because
to get the plant, to come out alive, the heart had to be tested. The heart had
to be pure.