Icebound (Legends of the Shifters Book 2) (7 page)

-Chapter Ten-

I
narrowed my eyes and turned away as I went back to sit on my bed.

“What
do you want?” I asked, bracing myself for whatever Sir Lochlan had come to say.

He
barged inside, leaving the door open. “How dare you run like that!” he snarled.
“I couldn’t even stay to comfort my family because I was too worried that you
hadn’t returned. Do you know what the king would have done to me if I failed to
bring you back? The future you would leave my fiancée and me?”

I
paled. “You didn’t have to worry—”

“How
would I know that?” he broke in. “All you’ve wanted to do since we took you
from the conservatory is get away from everyone. You went on a walk and got
attacked by bandits. You decided to fly up ahead this morning, which made me
have to keep an eye on you the entire time to make sure you stayed with us. And
now, you run away at the slightest hint of aggressiveness from my brother? He
wouldn’t have even hurt you, nor would he be able to. If you’re not immortal,
you’re nearly there!”

I
balled my fists at my sides. “You of all people should understand why I want to
be alone. You intimidate everyone, and push them away with your miserable
attitude.”

“It’s
my job to intimidate people!” he shouted.

As
soon as I picked up the scent of smoke, I stood and looked back at the bed.
Sure enough, there were two holes burned through the quilt where my hands had
been. I shook with rage as I turned back to Sir Lochlan. “Get out of my room,”
I said, eyes flashing.

He
took one look at what I’d done to my blanket and stepped back, the ire slipping
from his features. “We’ll talk about this tomorrow,” he said warily, and then
strolled out the door, shutting it loudly behind him.

I
sighed heavily, and crawled back in bed. It took a while for my anger to calm
down, but after what seemed like an hour, I started to drift off again.

And
then I heard three more pounds on the door. I threw the covers off and stomped
across the room, ready for another round of arguments with Lochlan. I flung the
door open only to find Grix there. And his face was ashen.

My
anger melted away like the snow. “What’s wrong?”

“There’s
a fire. T-the entire inn is on fire.”

Only
then did the rippling roar of an insatiable blaze register in my hearing. I
nearly tripped over Grix when I rushed out the door, into the smoking hallway.
“Where is Alyss?” I asked.

“I
made sure she was safely outside,” he said.

“And
the prince?”

We
stumbled backward as one of the support beams suddenly crashed down, exposing
the fiery inferno of the third floor. Grix swallowed hard. “Upstairs,” he said,
pointing.

“Make
sure everyone on this hallway and downstairs gets out safely. I’ll go upstairs
for the prince.”

He
nodded, and before I could see where he went, I sprinted to the end of the hall
and bounded up the steps. Already, I could feel the heat getting more intense.
I burst through the door at the top. My eyes and mind focused as the flames
circled around me. All of a sudden, through all that heat and fire, I could see
a figure crouching at the end of the hallway, their arm covering their face as
they tried to get to my end of the hallway. I walked forward, clearing the way
through the flame. Sir Lochlan squinted up at me. Several burn marks were
seared into his hands, and the tips of his hair were singed.

“Ivy...”
he coughed out. “The prince...he’s in the room at the end of the hall. We have
to save him.”

I
looked at the large flaming door. There was no way that Lochlan could save him
now. Only I could. I looked back at Lochlan. Even after everything that he’d
put me through, I couldn’t just leave him in the hallway to die.

I
grabbed his shirt and hauled him over my shoulder.

He
shouted in surprise. “What? Put me down!”

I
cleared the path to the door, and pushed the flame away from it, so that it
wouldn’t hurt Sir Lochlan when we ducked through the frame.

I
turned the scorching-hot handle and swung the door wide. The entire room was
ablaze. My eyes searched the room for Prince Matthias, but all they found were
his empty bed. The blankets, dragged to the other side as if someone had fallen
off. I hurried over and set Lochlan down on the ground. He glared at me through
tired eyes. I could tell he was doing all he could to stay awake after inhaling
so much smoke.

I
hurried to the other side of the bed, tossing aside the covers to see Matthias
hidden partly under the bed, a bloody gash in the side of his head.

“Oh,
no,” I said as I tossed the blanket away. Just outside the door, I heard
another crash and the entire building jolted as if it were on the verge of
collapse.

I didn’t
have time to check the prince’s pulse to see if he was alive. All I could do
was lift his unconscious body and place him next to where Sir Lochlan lay, now
barely conscious.

I
knew we had to escape fast, or else go down with the fiery building. Hurriedly,
I grabbed a blazing chair and swung it at a stained glass window. The glass
shattered on impact, and the firelight twinkled over the surface of the shards
as they fell to the ground. It was simple to shift form when I was surrounded
by flame already. I gripped Prince Matthias with my claws, and pulled his limp
body down to the window. With a great heft of my wings, I dove through the
opening, trying not to catch Matthias’s body on the glass shards that still
stuck up in the frame. From down below, a collected gasp sounded. It seemed
like nearly half the city was up, watching as the greatest building in their
midst burned down in flames.

I
sunk down and dropped the prince to the ground at the edge of the crowd, and a
few people rushed forward to help him.

I
circled back into the window and spiraled through it, landing heavily next to
Sir Lochlan, who had lost his battle to stay conscious.

I
gripped his shoulders tightly, but before I could lift him up, the ceiling
above us collapsed. I stretched my wings out over Sir Lochlan just before a
flaming support beam crashed down on top of me. Had I not had unnatural
strength, Lochlan and I would’ve both been crushed.

The
flames burned hot along my back. If I didn't find a way to get Sir Lochlan out
soon, he would die. I gathered all my strength and threw the beam off of me. It
shifted and rolled to the side, the flames finding the blanket that the prince
had been wrapped in just moments before. I grabbed a hold of Lochlan's
shoulders once again, and pulled him out of the building with me.

The
crowd stared in awe as I came back down, carrying yet another body. I laid Sir
Lochlan next to where I had laid the prince.

When
I looked over at Prince Matthias, my heart sunk with dread. A gray blanket was
covering his body, the sure sign that there was no hope for him. That his heart
had stopped.

I
shifted form, tears already staining my face. "He's dead?" I asked
the woman that stood over him protectively, her face grim.

"I'm
afraid so," she said as she moved over to help Sir Lochlan.

I
stifled a sob. "What will the king do to Sir Lochlan when he learns of his
death?"

The
woman gave me a strange look. "He'll probably just replace the man he
lost."

"What?"
I asked.

"I'm
sure this soldier was a good man, but the king will just put a new one in his
place. When they go to serve the king, they knowingly sacrifice their lives for
him.”

The
meaning behind her words began to dawn on me.

I
reached for the blanket and peeled it back to expose the charred and bloodied
face of one of the guards that had helped escort us on our journey.

I
still felt sadness and horror, but there was also guilty relief. The building
behind me creaked and groaned as more of the roof caved in to the flames.

"Where
was--" I paused and gritted my teeth as a few of my bones snapped
painfully back in place. Slightly out of breath from the pain, I repeated,
"Where was the prince taken?"

"He
was carried off a few moments ago to the healer's house a few blocks from
here," she said.

“This
is his personal guard,” I said, gesturing to Sir Lochlan. “He should probably
go to the same place.”

She
beckoned to a strong-looking man in the crowd who came forward willingly. “Take
this man to Madam La Clair.”

I
nodded a thank you to the woman and then followed the man through the crowd and
past several houses. When we reached a stone building with a small sign that
swung in the wind, the man turned abruptly into an alleyway, and entered
through a green door.

Only
seven beds in the clinic were taken so far. The prince was in one, Grix in
another, and the last five were taken up by men and women that I’d never seen,
all of them victims of the fire.

A
woman wearing an apron was bent over the prince’s face, a damp cloth pressed to
a nasty burn that scarred his cheek.

I
let the burly man carry Lochlan to a bed while I checked on Prince Matthias.
His eyes were closed, but his breathing was steady, if a little raspy sounding.
I sighed in relief. The woman looked up through her long gray hair. “Is there
something I can help you with?”

“When
will he be awake?” I asked.

She
paused what she was doing briefly to study me. “And who is asking?”

The
man called over from Sir Lochlan’s bedside. “That’s the girl who saved him.”

The
woman nodded her head. “So you’re the fire bird,” she said as she went back to
tending the prince.

“When
will he be awake?” I repeated.

She
dropped the dirty cloth in a bowl of reddish brown water and wrung it out
again. “The damage of the smoke to his lungs was minor. He’ll probably have a
raspy voice for a few days, but the only real injuries are the burns on his
face and hand. And the bump on his forehead where it was smashed in.” She
paused. “Tell me, how did that happen?”

“I
don’t know. He was like this when I found him lying on his back beside his
bed.”

“Hmm.
Sounds like the fire might not have been an accident,” she suggested, raising
an eyebrow as she went back to bathing the prince’s wound. “He should be up in
an hour, and we can ask him if he remembers anything. I gave him some medicine
to keep him under so that we can get him clean and comfortable without feeling
much pain.”

I
looked away when a few coughs and a groan sounded in Sir Lochlan’s direction.
His face was screwed up in pain.

I
left the woman tending to Matthias and approached Lochlan’s bed.

Another
woman had come over to take care of him, pushing him back down into a laying
position softly, while setting a cloth and a bowl of steaming water on the
table beside them. Sir Lochlan pushed her away, and swung his feet over the
side of the bed. “I’ll be fine,” he growled. On unsteady feet, he limped over
to the prince.

I
put a hand on his arm, but he jerked it away. “Don’t touch me,” he rasped.
“You’re probably the one who set the fire anyway.”

I
dropped my hand to my side, hurt that he would think that. “I did
not
start that fire,” I said, trying to keep my voice from rising.

“How
can you be sure of that? You don’t even know how to control your power.”

I
blanched, knowing he was right. After all that had happened last night, I was
an emotional mess.

What
if I was the cause of the fire?

-Chapter Eleven-

I
stepped out of the hospital into a smoky, lantern-lit street, crowded with
people like it was market day instead of after midnight. Some were headed back
from the fire, returning to their homes, while others were headed toward it,
eyes wide at the wreckage down the street. I followed the newcomers, back to
the inn which had collapsed in a giant heap of burning rubble.

Some
people were crying, some stood stock-still, and some glared at the remaining
debris. Drawn to the fire, I brushed past the onlookers and almost didn’t
recognize Alyss with her hair pulled back and her face darkened with ashy soot.

She’d
noticed me before I noticed her. “Ivy!” she called. She dodged around people to
get to me. “Have you seen Grix?”

“He
was in the infirmary,” I said, pointing back to the sign above the building.

Her
eyes widened. “Is he okay?”

I
bit my lip.
Why didn’t I go check on him before I left?
 “I think
so…You’d better go see for yourself.” I gestured to a burn on her arm with a
grimace. “Get that seen to while you’re at it.”

She
nodded and took off. I watched her until she opened the door and slipped
inside. That’s when I felt a tap on my shoulder. “Excuse me!”

I
turned, surprised to find a man who stood eye to eye with me, his mouth turned
downward like a toad’s. Usually, men towered over me. “Yes?”

He
scrutinized me. “You are the fire bird? The one who saved the prince?”

I
nodded. “I am.”

His
toad frown became a smile. “I’d like to offer you and the prince and…whoever
accompanies him…a place to stay.”

I
tried, and probably failed, to return his smile. “The prince and his personal
guard might stay in the infirmary until we leave, but I’m sure the rest would
be very grateful to you.”

His
smile faltered slightly. “A shame, since I would gladly show a member of the
royal family my hospitality. But the offer still stands.”

“Where
is it?” I asked.

He
looked down the street, thick eyebrows raised. “Not far from here. Just around
the corner.”

“Would
you show me?” I said, glad to have something to do.

He
puffed out his chest and led me away from the fire. “This way.”

I
followed him closely, and when we turned the corner, the street ahead was much
clearer, but not as well-lit as the last. We came upon a row of tall, connected
houses, gray and looming in the moonlight. The last on the row was the only one
with a sign plastered to the front and glowing windows like cat eyes.

The
man walked up the steps and opened the door, inviting me in. The fireplace lit
up a large common room with three plush sofas, some armchairs, and a long
dining table. A woman and two young girls sat on one the sofas in their
nightclothes, but all three had shoes on. They’d obviously come from the fire.

The
woman looked up when we entered. “You found her. And what about the prince?”

The
man gestured for me to continue in the hallway while he talked to—I assumed—his
wife.

The
little girls watched me with big eyes until there was a wall separating us.
There were four doors in the hallway, each of them open to empty bedrooms. Two
of them were crowded with bunk beds, while both of the others held a larger
bed, plenty of room for Alyss, Grix—if he was well enough—the remaining guards,
and me. The quilts were old and the furniture worn, but it would do.

A
rickety staircase led up to the second floor, but before I could get up the
first step, the man called from the other end of the hallway. “Upstairs is
where we sleep, but all the downstairs rooms are open to you.”

I
looked back at him. “This is very kind of you. We’ll gladly accept your
hospitality.”

He
smiled and let me brush past him on my way to the front door.

“My
family and I are headed up to bed, so make yourselves at home when you get
back,” he called before I shut the door behind me.

When
I returned to the scene of the fire, it didn’t take long for me to round up all
the guards, especially since after I’d found the first one, he helped track down
all the others. Most had been mourning over their fallen comrade, and when they
heard of the place to stay, they followed behind me with the dead body in tow.
The
innkeeper probably won’t like that.

I
was about to check in the infirmary for Alyss and Grix when they walked out. I
waved them over, and they joined our ranks, faces grave when they saw the body.
A couple guards departed from our group and headed into the hospital, no doubt
to check on Prince Matthias and Sir Lochlan.

Grix’s
entire arm, which he held against his chest, was bandaged up and the ends of
his hair had been singed in the fire.

He
noticed me studying him and lifted his eyebrows. “Where are we going?”

I
looked down at my feet as we followed the cobblestone road. “Another inn. We’ll
probably be staying there more than one night so that everyone can recover.”

He
waited a while before he asked, “What happened after we separated?”

I
explained finding Sir Lochlan and the prince, adding that I’d found the prince
already wounded and tucked halfway under the bed.

A
dark look cast over his features. “Sounds suspicious to me. Makes me think the
fire was started to kill the prince…or at least to give us a scare.”

That
was the only thing that kept me from blaming myself. “And what about you?” I asked.

“I
checked all the rooms I could before I had to get out. I only saved two more
people.”

“Thank
you, Grix,” I said. “If you hadn’t awoken me, the prince and Lochlan would
probably be dead right now.”

He
shrugged. “It’s a miracle I was conscious enough to hear the fire.”

*   *   *  
*   *

Later
that night—which I’m sure was actually early morning—I took out the phantom
stone and studied it. Large, dirty fingerprints were still visible on the
glossy surface. I wiped them away with the hem of my dress and decided it was
as good a time as any to check on Kurt.

The
cool chain grazed over my face as I slipped it on and was sucked from my body,
back into the weightless spirit world. I appeared next to Kurt, who was lying
face down in a pile of moldy hay. Through the bloody rips in his shirt, his
back was covered in deep gashes. The sight sent shivers running through my
translucent form.

My
gaze flitted around the room. Instead of the dark dungeon, silvery moonlight
lit up a hexagon-shaped cell. I assumed he was back in the north tower.

I
stared at the motionless figure that was my brother. “Kurt?”

One
tired, green eye flickered open.

I
drifted closer. “Are you okay?”

He
studied me for a moment before pushing himself up onto his elbows gingerly,
wincing at the pain. “I’ve had worse.”

I
bit my lip. “Did you tell them anything about me?”

His
eyes darted away. “I told them that your favorite weapon was the sword.”

True.
I’d never had the same bond with any other weapon. But they’d probably already
known that. “That’s it?”

“No…”
he sighed, his expression haggard as he studied his bloodied and mutilated
fingernails. “Once I let one thing out, they increased the pain levels. If I
could take it back, I would, but I said the worst thing possible. I let them
get the best of me.”

“What
did you say?” I asked, fear rooting itself in my mind.

His
temple pulsed as he gritted his teeth. “I was desperate. I-I told them that you
had immortality running through your veins. That each day you grow more and more
powerful, and it won’t be long before you destroy them… They deserve it, Ivy.
Do you even know what those guards have done to women and children in the
dungeons?”

Chills
wavered through my spirit. “But how can that information be used against me?”

“They
know that I’ve been communicating with someone outside the castle. It’s only a
matter of time before they figure out how.”

It
took me a second to realize what he was implying. “Are you saying that we
should stop communicating?”

He
closed his eyes. “Yes. If they find out about the phantom stone, that puts you
in danger. They’ll use it to spy on you.”

“But
this is the only way I can keep track of how you’re doing,” I whispered. “How
will I know if you’re alive in the future?”

“It’s
better for me to die than the both of us,” he replied. I shook my head in
protest, but he continued on. “As soon as you take it off and return to where
you came from, you need to bury it or throw it in a river. Keep it far from
you.”

My
heart ached, but I managed to say, “What will happen with your pendant if they
find it?”

“Hopefully,
it will lead them to the middle of the forest or at the bottom of a lake. It
depends on where you leave yours.” He looked at the door suspiciously. “You
should go. The sorcerers may be able to sense your presence.”

I
nodded. “You may be right,” I said quietly. I studied his gaunt face one last
time. “Just in case something bad happens… I love you, Kurt.”

His
shaded eyes sparkled with tears as he said, “I love you, too. And Ivy?”

“Yes?”

“Whatever
the prophecy says, whatever you’re supposed to do…I believe in you.”

I
didn’t even believe in myself, but I accepted his words with a nod. Then, I
took off the necklace, and the weight of the world pressed on my shoulders once
again.

I
pushed myself up off the mattress and tip-toed out of my bedroom into the hall,
Kurt’s words still ringing in my head. I peeked into the common room, and when
I saw there was no one, I made my way to the front door. I tried my hardest to
open it softly, cringing when the hinges creaked loudly.

A
few heartbeats later, I slipped outside, shutting the door as quietly as
possible. Out in the open, I breathed a sigh of relief, and started my trek
toward the edge of town, the pendant swinging in my hand as I walked. As soon
as I’d made it onto one of the little farms, I ducked through a fence and made
my way through the long, swaying grass to the middle of the field. I stooped
down and began digging with my hands, unearthing the rocky soil. My nails
cracked and chipped, but they were already healing by the time I’d dug deep
enough. I dropped the phantom stone into the shallow pit. It glinted up at me
in the moonlight.

As
I began to replace the dirt, I suddenly felt as if I was being watched. I
looked up, scanning my surroundings, but I was completely alone. I packed the
dirt down tightly and stood, retracing my steps back to the inn, where I
creaked open the door and slid back into my room, seemingly undetected.