Icebound (Legends of the Shifters Book 2) (17 page)

-Chapter Twenty-seven-

August
dropped his hand from the orb, studying my expression. "You seem to know what
this means?"

"Your
heart was…” I paused and narrowed my eyes, not ready to give up everything just
yet. “You consumed the plant.”

"Most
of it," he said. "I was told to put the rest in the orb. I hadn’t
known then how it would affect the area around me.”

I
crossed my arms, somewhat jealous that he’d been given something more than I’d
gotten; knowledge. “And how is that?"

"It
gives me an advantage over people, as long as I'm within range. It gives me
power over who can shift."

I
studied him, eyebrow raised. "Then why didn't you just take my power when
I was attacking you?"

"That's
the strange thing," he said, knitting his eyebrows. "I tried.
Somehow, you resisted me."

I
looked over at Roselle. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was closed tight,
something I never knew her to be good at when we were at the conservatory.

August
stepped past us, the heels of his boots clicking as he descended the stairs.
"Erik, I'll meet you in the tunnels.”

Erik
took a hold of my arm, but before he could drag me back down to the cave, I
lunged forward for the orb. Even if August had a pure heart when he got the
plant, I knew that hearts could change, especially hearts that are given power.
Just before I touched it, the plant was grabbed out of the way by August, who
had moved abnormally quickly to get it.

"Don't,"
he said, eyes flaming with anger. "If you touch this, you’ll die."

"Will
you kill me?" I asked, flinching at how hard Erik gripped my arm.

August
took in a deep breath. "Anyone who touches the orb will die unless their
heart is pure."

His
words pitted my own thoughts against myself. I had just said that hearts could
change. Who's to say that mine hasn't?

"Maybe
we should let her touch it," muttered Erik. "I won't have to keep
running through the tunnels to get her either way."

Roselle
slapped his arm. "Erik! Even after everything she’s done, she doesn't
deserve to die."

I
studied Roselle. She must have lived with these people for more than half a
year and she’d only known me for a week. I didn’t like it, but it made sense
for her to question me.

August
set the orb back down on the pedestal. "Touch it if you want, but you do
it at your own risk.”

I
studied the orb, but didn’t move a muscle. Then, I looked up into his blue
eyes. “I’ve gone through the test before. I consumed the plant, too. That’s
probably why you couldn’t take away my shifting ability.”

August,
Erik, and Roselle were struck speechless. "You went through the
trials?" August asked. "How long ago was this?"

"Less
than a month ago," I answered. "I was sent on a quest to get the
plant and bring it back to the headmaster. Roland and Kurt came with me,"
I looked at Roselle. "Kurt—my brother—was captured by King Ciaran, and the
natives killed Roland. On my way back to King Ciaran's castle, I landed clumsily
and the stem of the plant was punctured."

Roselle
shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe all that's happened to you
since the last time we saw each other. Kurt is your brother?"

I
nodded. “And he's still in the hands of King Ciaran.”

August
put his hand on Erik's shoulder. "Let her go, Erik.”

Erik
released me, and I stumbled away from them, unable to keep a sour expression
from my face.

"Now
that you know who I am, what I'm capable of, do you still think you need to
attack me?" August asked.

I
waited a moment before answering, "I'm not sure.”

"We're
going to keep you separate from the others, for your safety, but you won’t need
to go back to the cage," August said.

"Then
where will I stay?" I asked.

"We'll
make a shelter for you, but you'll have guards at all times," he said.

"For
keeping me in or keeping them out?" I asked.

He
raised an eyebrow. "What do you think? You tried to kill me, and even
though I heal quickly, I'm not too fond of pain."

He
began to lead the way back toward the main area. "How long will you keep
me here?" I asked bitterly.

"Until
King Ciaran is dead," he answered.

I
clenched my jaw.

Erik
pushed me forward.  "Just because you told your sob story doesn't get
you off the hook. You're still accountable for your actions."

Roselle
narrowed her eyes at him. "Even so…Shouldn't we do something about her
brother?"

He
shrugged. "That's up to August. But in my opinion, we can't afford to try.
If we alert Ginsey that we exist, all our plans will be ruined."

As
we rounded the corner, I hoped that I'd be able to stay in a shelter or tent,
and not some igloo. If anything, ice would only weaken me further.

From
behind me, Erik spoke up. "Roselle, go see if Aryl can gather people
together to find supplies for another hut."

Without
questioning him, Roselle hurried away to complete the task. The people didn't
crowd me as much on my way back through them, but I still received threatening
glares and angry mutters.

When
we reached the farthest possible point in the gap, we found a small clearing
large enough for another hut. “Looks like you’re running out of room,” I mused.

 “Only
out here,” he replied. “We can expand into the tunnels if needed.”

“Why
haven’t you?” I asked.

“August
likes to keep an eye on us. To make sure we abide by his rules.”

"What
gives him the right to rule over all of you like this?"

He
looked at me as if the question were stupid. "Have you seen his second
form? He's a force to be reckoned with and a protector to all who live
here."

"Have
there ever been any threats besides me?" I asked.

"Well,
of course," he said. “There are spies from Ginsey and Pira looking for us.
They would attack if he didn't keep us safe. Plus the natives aren’t the
friendliest of people, as you can tell by what happened to your friend.”

"The
natives aren’t that bad. The girl that works as their healer is from the same
school as Roselle and me."

"Oh,
we know some of them are not from here," he replied. "But they
brainwash them to think the same way. To wear funny clothes and paint their faces
and act like savages."

A
snort came from behind us, and I looked back to see a woman with wispy blond
hair tucked up into a hair tie. Her face was creased with shallow wrinkles,
mostly frown lines. "Have you ever even seen one of the natives?" she
asked. "How would you know any of that?"

"From
what you and some of the others have told me."

"They
may wear funny clothes and paint their faces, but they are not savages,"
she said. "They're unhappy that we've taken up residence on their island,
but they are not unreasonable. As long as we stay on our section, they won't
cause any trouble."

"Only
because they know August is one of us," Erik said, still unwilling to
change his way of thinking. "They know that he can freeze every one of
their villages if it comes down to it."

She
shook her head. "Whatever you say.” Then, she turned to me and grimaced.
"We're only building you a shelter to keep you in," she said through
bared teeth. "Otherwise, we'd let you sleep on the rock, exposed to the
cold winds."

I
looked away, thinking it best not to reply. I only looked back up when I heard
more footsteps coming closer. There were two women and a man bringing over
wooden beams, rope, and a stack of palm fronds.

"Is
this the last of it?" Aryl asked.

The
man nodded as he set an armful of things down on the rock.

She
rubbed her chin. "We'll have to get August to take us back out tomorrow. I
don't like being out of supplies."

The
man started to set up the beams, fastening them together. The women waited to
the side until the frame was built, and then started weaving the rope from beam
to beam, creating a net that would hold each of the large leaves in place. The
little hut took less than an hour for them to make.

When
they were finished, Aryl kicked my shin and pointed to the shelter. "Get
inside," she said, her dark eyes narrowed. "And be thankful. August
could have just let you die in the ice dome. I know I would have."

I
dug my nails into the skin of my palm, trying to calm myself. I had already
caused enough trouble without having another riot right here where people could
see.

I
ducked my head and crawled into the small shelter. There was no pillow or
anything to rest my head on. The rock was hard and bumpy, but I was still glad
to be somewhere other than the ice cage. Aryl let me get situated before she
slammed the door.

“Don’t
get any ideas,” Erik said to me from outside. “You’re powerless here.”

I
hugged my knees to my chest and rested against the wooden frame. It moved
backward a little. “Stop moving,” he snapped.

I
scoffed. “You know, I don’t get the point of this,” I said, peering out through
the cracks. “How is this shelter supposed to keep me in?”

“You’ll
stay in there if you know what’s good for you,” he said.

I
stayed quiet for a moment, and then adjusted into a cross-legged position. “And
what do I do if I have to…relieve myself?”

He
sighed. “Then I’ll get Aryl or one of our other strong women to escort you into
the caves where all the rest of us go.”

“Okay,”
I said, an idea forming in my head. “Well, I have to.”

He
groaned. “Why did I get put on babysitting duty?” he muttered under his breath.

“Aryl!”
he shouted. I heard the woman’s footsteps, and peeked out to watch her come
closer. Erik explained my predicament and Aryl griped about it just as much as
he did.

Then,
she opened the door. “Get out of there, girl. Let’s make this fast.”

I
crawled back out and stood up. She reached forward to grab my arm, but before
she could get a grip, I darted away, sprinting as fast as I could toward the
edge of the cliff, where I heard the sound of rushing water. Behind me, there
was shouting and running footsteps, but I didn’t care. I leapt from the edge,
only hoping that I didn’t land on the rocks.

Down,
down, down I fell, and just when I thought I would plunge into the water, my descent
suddenly stopped.

I
was floating in midair, still shaking with the adrenaline of the fall. A mix of
questions flew through my head, but it only took one answer to still them.

“You
shouldn’t have done that,” said Roselle.

-Chapter Twenty-eight-

“Please,
Roselle,” I said, staring at the invisible point where I’d thought I’d heard
the voice. “Please just let me drop.”

“Pull
yourself together,” she whispered fiercely.

I
didn’t have time to say anything more since she’d already lifted me to the top,
where not only Erik and Aryl stood, but just about everyone in the gap. August
was pushing through them to get to me.

“What
happened?” he asked, his eyes narrowed suspiciously.

“She
jumped off the cliff, sir,” reported Erik.

“Using
her bodily functions as an excuse to make a run for it, I might add,” said
Aryl.

My
face reddened.

He
pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. “For goodness sake, woman.
Why would you do that?”

“My
brother,” I answered.

“Your
brother?”

Roselle,
who had taken her visible form again, cleared her throat and spoke up. “I
assume she wants to break him out of prison.”

I
looked back at August, and for a moment, I thought I saw understanding in his
eyes, but it was quickly replaced by annoyance. “And you thought that suicide
would help him somehow?”

“Believe
it or not, I heal quickly when I’m out of your range,” I said. “Even if I
accidentally hit the rocks, I would’ve been fine moments later, and then I
would be able to leave.”

“You
would only be fine if I let you be fine. The river below is in my range. But
assuming you escaped, then what would you do?” he asked.

I
shrugged. I didn’t really know. I didn’t want to hand myself over to King
Ciaran so that he could work his blood magic on me, but at the same time, I
didn’t have a much better plan than the first time I’d tried to storm the
castle on my own.

August
looked around at his people. “As you were,” he commanded.

He
took me by the arm and pulled me out of earshot of everyone but Erik, who
followed us. “If you’ll stop acting unreasonably, maybe we could work out a
deal.”

I
crossed my arms across my body. “What sort of deal?”

“If
you become an asset to us, I’ll help you find your brother.”

The
deal seemed almost as bad as what King Ciaran was offering. Joining the enemy,
joining a man that the prophecy said I was supposed to defeat. However, at this
point, I had no other choice. I was at his mercy.

With
a nod of my head, I replied, “Fine. Deal.”

He
pointed to the shelter that had been made for me. “Then go where you’re
supposed to.”

Reluctantly,
I did as he said, and got in the shelter before shutting the door behind me
without having an escort. "Watch her, Roselle," I heard him say.
"And Erik you stay with them. This shouldn't be hard."

I
folded my arm under my head and listened to the chatter of the people outside.
The voices sounded angry at first, but as time passed, they got less so. Soon,
I began to hear laughter, the lighthearted shouts of children, and their
parents calling after them when it came time to eat. Just the smell of whatever
they'd cooked made my stomach rumble. I tried to ignore the feeling of hunger.
When I had my power, hunger rarely plagued me, but being without it, I was a whole
lot more vulnerable than before.

I
closed my eyes and tried to sleep, hoping it would ward off the uncomfortable
feeling, and it did.

But
then I woke up with the same pain and a parched throat. Darkness had crept up
on me while I slept, but I still could smell food. I felt around the rock floor
of the shelter, but there was nothing. No food, no water. I stayed awake for a
while, listening to the sound of people winding down for the night. I figured I
would chance peeking out of the shelter to see who I could ask to escort me to
the caves. Through the leaves, I thought I saw Aryl and some other woman
sitting with their backs against the stone wall, whispering among themselves so
quietly even I couldn't hear it.

"Hello?"
I said.

Aryl
stopped in midsentence and turned to me. She pushed herself to her feet, eyes
glinting. "Well, now, look who finally woke up. What is it?"

“I
need to go to the caves.”

She
leaned down closer to the cage and lowered her voice. “If it were up to me, you
would live with yourself and your filth in there. I’m only letting you out
because I know that August would disapprove.”

I
heard a lock click the door opened. I tried to crawl out, but she pushed my
head back inside forcefully.

"Ah,
ah, ah. Hands first," she snarled.

I
didn't want to make the wait any longer, so I stuck my hands out while she
roped them together tightly, pinching my wrists. She kept a tail of the rope
for herself and dragged me out, keeping up a fast pace even though my muscles
were still getting used to walking after being cooped up in the shelter for so
long.

 On
my way to the tunnel entrance, I saw August from afar, talking and laughing
with an older woman. Everything that he seemed to be went against everything I
thought I was going to do. I was supposed to destroy this man who seemed so
kind and perfect, whose own plans aligned with my own more or less? It just
didn’t seem right.

While
I watched, he glanced at me and the smile left his face. He said something else
to the old woman and turned away, heading back up the stairs to his igloo, all
the while with a dark expression cast upon his features.

*   *   *  
*   *

I
spent five days in that cramped shelter, receiving only one meal and a pitcher
of water a day. If I needed to go to the caves, my hands were always roped
first and I had an escort. The only way to pass the time was to watch the
village through the cracks. Sometimes I would see August out there, talking to
people, helping with various tasks. Other times I would only see his dragon
form flying to and from what I suspected to be hunts, most of the time with
people on his back.

He
never talked to me again, which made me angry. We had made a deal that if I
cooperated, he would help me rescue Kurt. I wondered if he was waiting for me
to break so he could go back on his deal.

After
five days, I was beginning to grow restless. Why were we wasting time? If we
didn’t act now, the war would start. And if he didn’t let me out soon, I would
attempt to escape again. I could already tell that Aryl and Erik and the other
guards were getting more careless each time I went to the caves. I decided on
the fourth day that I’d had enough, that I’d try to escape the next day after
they brought me my meal.

Then
the fifth day came. I waited in the shelter, expecting my meal at noon, but as
I watched out the crack, the cook never came with the tray. I was beginning to
worry that they had forgotten to prepare me something and I’d have to leave on
an empty stomach. After a few more hours with nothing, I suddenly saw August emerge
from his staircase. To my surprise, instead of conversing with his people, he
made his way straight toward me.

I
straightened my dress, wide eyes staring through the cracks in anticipation.
August motioned for the guard to open the door and let me out. I was
embarrassed that I was covered in filth and probably smelled terrible, but I
didn't know why it mattered. He was the one keeping me this way.

Once
I was out and had dusted myself off, he said, "I bet you're wondering when
we are going to leave for the castle."

I
nodded wordlessly.

"We've
decided to go next week, as long as preparations are put in order on time and
everything goes well," he said.

In
other words, he was telling me to behave myself.

"Since
you've stayed in that shelter for five days without fighting, I've decided to
give you a little freedom. You'll be staying in Roselle's tent. She volunteered
to keep you."

I
smiled, relieved. "And will I still have guards with me everywhere I
go?"

"Do
you want help rescuing your brother?" he said.

I
nodded hesitantly.

"Then
no, you won't have guards. But if you do something irresponsible or
destructive, I’ll be forced to put them back in place, and I fear that your
brother might stay in prison until everything is over."

I
narrowed my eyes. "Then you can trust that I will be on my best
behavior."

"I
believe you," he said, and then he turned and walked away.

Aryl
followed after him, and I was left alone, facing a whole community of people
that probably would've rather seen me hung up in the stocks.

I
walked through the crowd, feeling small and defenseless more than I felt free.
Instead of the hostile glares five days before, the people either ignored me or
frowned as I walked past. After such an uproar on the first day, I was
surprised that no one acted out against me. Maybe as I watched August walking
around and talking to everyone, he’d mentioned the plans concerning me. Among
the shelters, few of them were tents. I was lucky that Roselle’s was the first
one I came across.

Unlike
the other people, who dressed warmly, she’d shed her coat and rolled up her
sleeves as she stacked wood from a makeshift wheelbarrow against the wall
beside her tent.

“Shouldn’t
the men do all the heavy-lifting?” I asked.

She
looked up at the sound of my voice. “He finally let you out, huh?”

I
nodded, looking down at my dirt-covered dress.

She
went back to stacking. “As for the wood, it’s up to everyone to do their own
share in the gap. The men are the ones that go out and get it, with August’s
help, of course.”

“Sounds
like all of you depend on August too much.” I paused. “What if he died out
there? You would all be stuck.”

She
raised an eyebrow. “I’m the backup. If I see anyone fall, I catch them. If
anyone has permission to get out, but August is busy, I take them up to the top
of the cliff.”

I
felt stupid for not thinking of that before. “Right.” I paused. “August said
I’ll be staying with you.”

“I
know,” she said with her back turned. “Despite all that’s happened, I still
count us as friends. But there’s one condition.” She hefted the last log onto
the pile and turned to me.

“A
condition for our friendship?” I asked.

She
set her mouth into a firm line. “You have to stop finding ways to hate August.
I don’t know what you’ve been told, but he’s not a bad person. He’s a good
leader…a kind leader. All of us would follow him into battle if he gave the
word.”

She
watched me, waiting for an answer.

It
was an inward struggle, but eventually I said, “August and I worked out a deal,
and I intend to keep my end of it… But I don’t know if I can ever trust him.”

She
gave a nod. “That’ll work.” She shrugged her coat back on and pulled aside the
fabric of the tent. “Welcome home.”