The Frozen Beginning (Elemental Diamond Book 1) (17 page)

“It would be an honour to have your first dance, Miss Wardgrave.” He outstretches his opposite hand as invitation.

Such a gentleman
.

Despite her weary mind and her dozing body, Glacier reaches her arm across her body, placing her hand in his. He helps her from her seat and guides her towards the centre of the dance floor.

Sasis and Julieen are already flitting around the floor in a friendly embrace, charming smiles adorning their faces. There are a small number of couples dancing around the room, including Gamble and Alidia, as well as Branch and Neena.

Karn smoothly pulls her closer, to a more suitable distance. His large hand softly rests on her waist, and his hand continues to hold hers in a gentle grip. Glacier places her free hand on his shoulder and at the same time her father’s words resonate through her mind.

‘
Now, you must always allow the man to lead. Give them control
.’

Squaring her shoulders and jutting her chin, she allows Karn to lead her around the room in a gracious flaunt. His posture is relaxingly straight, and his mannerism is polite. Glacier discreetly gazes around the room for an unmistakable pair of orange eyes, but he seems to be undiscoverable.

“Looking for anyone in particular, Miss Wardgrave?”

Her head snaps back to Karn. She stumbles slightly from surprise. He manages to brush off her stagger and carry on gliding her back and forth.

“You seem distracted.” She shakes her head in response, studying their joined hands to save her from looking into his eyes. Their pair float around the floor effortlessly, the dance similar to her father’s teaching.

“You dance beautifully, young lady.” Despite Karn saying it as a compliment, Glacier flinches as though it were an insult. He doesn’t seem to notice.

“Thank you.”

“Where did you learn?”

She swallows the thick lump in her throat before strangling out her answer, “My father taught me.”

Karn smiles widely at her answer, “What a brilliant father you have. Every young girl should learn to dance,” he muses, his smile shrinking to a modest smirk.

I don’t have a father anymore
…

As the song draws to an end, Glacier watches a large finger tap Karn’s shoulder lightly. Karn halts his movements smoothly, turning his head to the interrupter.

Gamble stands there with his arms taut and a lazy smile on his face. “Mind if I have her next dance, Chamberman?”

Karn smiles modestly, shaking his head shortly, “Of course not. I believe I owe Emilia a dance anyhow.”

Glacier’s eyes widen and her heart quickens at the thought of being alone with Gamble Kidman. Karn takes Glacier’s hand that he is holding and passes it into Gamble’s waiting one.

Before stepping away and leaving her with the young earth elemental, he quickly adds, “Be gentle with her. She is my champion.” Karn’s teeth gleam as he teases.

Gamble nods, his eyes wide, “Of course. You don’t have to worry about this one.” Glacier rolls her eyes.

Yeah right
.

Karn strides off, weaving between the elementals slowly filling dance floor. Gamble pulls her closer. His chest is firm and his hands large. His fitted jade button-down hugs his figure, tucked neatly into his dark grey trousers. His thick russet hair is groomed into a tidy bun at the back of his neck, and his eyes gleam with arrogance and male pride.

“Hello there, little Ice Princess.” His cheeky smirk grinds her nerve endings. He guides her in a simple dance once the next song begins.

Glacier says nothing, dancing soundlessly. Keeping her eyes trained to the centre of his chest, she silently prays to escape this uncomfortable confrontation.

“Guest of honour. Wow, that’s amazing. Not sure I remember the guest of honour ever being one of the volunteers.” He continues. Glacier gives him no response.

Just until the song is over
.

“Not going to talk to me then?” Still she says nothing. This seems to irritate him further.

He discreetly hanks her hair back, and her head resounds with pain. Glacier sucks in a breath of air and groan as the painful tug pulls her still fresh scar.

“Don’t ignore me.”

I knew he wouldn’t be gentle
.

Glacier tightens her lips and stare back wordlessly. He seems to be brimming with annoyance. Gamble pulls her hair harder, pulling strands from her scalp.

“You think you are above us, don’t you? You think you are better than everyone in this room.” His eyes are hard, his teeth snarling at her. “Understand this, freak. You have
nothing
that anyone could
possibly
envy. You have an ugly scar that dements your face. You have too much flesh here.” As he speaks, he grabs her curved hips, squeezing painfully. “And you have
far
too much here,” his hand suddenly grabs her rear, squeezing again.

Her dress lifts slightly, but the loathing that settles in Glacier’s stomach blurs her attention. A strong hatred grows with Gamble’s name. Her self-abasement mounts like a dark shadow.

All of the self-deprecating thoughts that Glacier has ever had about her body return, like a thousand ghosts taunting her. Never having been comfortable with her body, Glacier’s fear of others disproval rockets.

Her body shakes with her discomfort; his remorseless touch is unwelcome on her skin.

“Let go of me!” she mutters harshly, her voice sandy. She tries pushing back, but he only grips her firmer.

Gamble sneers down at her, his eyes evil and his grabby hands still grabbing to the parts of her body that have always made her insecure.

“Do you mind if I cut in?”

Her eyelids drift closed, straining a tear from her eyes. Glacier sighs in relief. Her hard thumping heart slows at the sound of his voice.

Gamble looks over her shoulder, followed by a lip curl, “Yes I do. The song isn’t over.”

Fielder steps close enough for his scorching chest to brush against Glacier’s shoulder. The heat that emanates past his shirt is hot enough to boil water.

“It’s over for you. Step away.” Every word is punctuated with anger. His patience is noticeably non-existent at this point. His anger radiates like powerful warnings, brewing an inkling of fear within her.

He won’t hurt me
.

“Back off, Halen. You can wait your turn.” Suddenly, the heat doubles behind her, and Glacier’s body starts to boil. The people dancing around them slowly stop to gawk at the scene they are causing.

“Is there a problem here?”

Oh crap
.

Brink stands to her side, eyeing the earth elemental with an annoyed scowl. Gamble’s features contort with fury at Brink’s nearness.

“You! Because of you, that girl on my team can no longer compete! She has to undergo surgery, so now we are down a contestant!”

‘
That girl on my team
…
’

Did he even know her name?

Despite his vicious words, Brink shrugs. When he speaks again, he sounds deathly serious. “Let her go or you’ll be in the same condition as your teammate.”

Gamble looks around, finding every eye watching for what will happen next. Instead of staying to continue his childish tantrum, he drops his grip on Glacier and submerges himself in the crowd of dancers.

Glacier winces, rubbing the back of her head where he had tugged her hair. Her hand comes back slightly wet. Her heart races with fright.

Turning back to the men waiting on either side of her, a grimace twists her eyes and mouth. Brink stands back and watches her with curiosity, while Fielder approaches.

“Are you hurt?”

Glacier pulls her hand back and drops it to her side. Brink is quick to speak, “Careful Farmer. Can't be caught fraternizing with the wrong element.”

Fielder’s jaw tightens, “It’s
Fielder
.”

Brink shrugs his shoulders, “Same thing.”

Ignoring Brink’s attempt at humour, Fielder asks Glacier once more if she is hurt. “No, I’m fine.” She tries to hide her hands, but she isn’t fast enough.

Fielder’s eyes catch the redness trickling from her fingertips. He grabs her arm gently, pulling her away from Brink, in the direction of a pale door at the back of the room. Glacier says nothing as they weave between the onlookers, all watching with curiosity.

He pulls her through the threshold and Glacier realizes they have stepped into a bathroom. There is a short wall to shield anyone who uses the toilet, as well as a long bench with a single basin and vase of lively green flowers.

“Come here.” His voice is merely a whisper.

He softly tugs her over to the basin, his hands trembling slightly. Glacier follows wordlessly, her small heels clicking on the shiny tiles.

Blood runs down her neck in a thin, slow stream, sending an uncomfortable shiver down the centre of her spine. Glacier quickly swoops her hand under her hair to stop it with her fingers. When her fingers touch the tender spot where Gamble pulled, her eyes squint with pain.

Fielder drops her arm when she stands beside the basin, and quickly strides over to the hand towel dispenser, where he pulls a few papers. When he returns, he runs them under cold water. His brows are furrowed with concentration as he watches the water soak the paper. He shuts off the tap and turns back in her direction.

“Come here, Glace.”

He did it again. He called me Glace
…

Her heart picks up rhythm when he grabs her wrist, pulling her near him. Fielder turns her until her back faces him, sweeping her hair over her shoulder. During the movement, his fingers brush over her skin. Her breath falters from the sudden lick of heat against her sensitive flesh.

Fielder gently wipes away the blood on the back of her neck with the wet paper. He carefully cleans across her neck, his fingers trailing behind the damp parchment to warm her skin from the dampness of the paper. His following touch soothes her mind into a lulling stupor. When he realizes how relaxed she is, he presses his fingertips firmer against her pale flesh.

Glacier hums her approval, enjoying the warm his fingers offer. His searing touch contradicts every other time hot water has had an overwhelming effect on her skin. Glacier doesn’t feel faint or burnt. Instead, she feels comforted, pacified.

“Glace…”

Glacier turns to face Fielder. The look in his eyes transports back to the day Glacier first met him.

ELEVEN

FIRST MEETING

Glacier looks up to the enormous concrete wall
that
had once trapped her.

The wall seems so much higher out here.

She looks around and all she sees is a thick grouping of pine trees coated in dense snow. Glacier has always loved venturing out in the snow.

Glacier approaches the tree line, scoping what she can see. When she doesn’t see anything dangerous, she continues on ahead. Her bare feet trek through the icy thickness coating the forest floor. She is unfazed by the tiny icicles that slowly melt against her flesh.

She grips her hair, ringing as much water as she can from it. She squeezes and twists her white locks, drying to lighten her heavy head. When she hears something odd in the distance, her body stiffens. Her body stands submerged in the unknown woods, wearing only a dripping t-shirt and long trousers.

The noise sounds familiar, like the music box her father had made her when she was four. She cannot identify where the sound is coming from, but biting curiosity has Glacier pining for its location.

Fear instantly grips her throat, her heart held captive.

The need to know what makes the sound out in these isolated woods, where no one should be, burns in her veins like hot water. In this moment, Glacier finally understands what her father has always meant every time he told her ‘curiosity killed the cat’.

Glacier’s palms touch the bark of the pine trees that broaden into the thick forest that surrounds her. Glazed with a sheer coat of ice, creating a slippery barrier against the aged wood. Glacier walks through the purest of white, leaving deep footprints in her place. The soft wind carries the sound to her. Every tune and every note is heard.

The breeze blows her curly white mane across her nose, sending water dripping across her cheek. The melody guides her to secrets that are begging to be discovered. The frigid air holds no value against her flesh as she follows an unmarked path between the trees.

It is a long walk. The melodic tones pass through her entire body, surging her on. The sound grows the further she walks. Glacier enjoys the soft sound. The snow crackles beneath her feet like crinkling paper, seeping between her toes like shredded mud.

When she notices something odd in the distance, Glacier stumbles into a slow jog. Each step brings her closer, and as they do it becomes easier to distinguish what the odd shape is.

It looks like a building, no a house. No, it’s a shack, a small brown shack.

The wooden panels of the shack are rotten. There is an apparent smell, almost distinguishable. The decking is broken and bent with gaping holes scattered like booby traps. The steps leading up to the wide open door are shattered into slivers of broken wood. The roof is layered with a thicker sheet of snow than the ground, and the windows are glassed with a frozen aura. Scorch marks aimlessly stain the wooden exterior of the shack, as though–

Glacier quickly scopes her surroundings, noticing the black burns stained to the tree trunks of nearby pines. The soft melody continues on around her, emanating from the worn ruins. Despite her mind and body throbbing on high alert, her curiosity continues to outweigh her caution. Glacier brings her focus back to the shack, when she realizes there is no immediate danger. There is a small whispering voice in her mind, cautioning her.

Don’t go in the cabin. Don’t go in the cabin. Don’t go in the cabin.

Despite her better judgment, Glacier proceeds with small steps towards the remnants of the broken house, lured by the peaceful song.

Glacier watches her feet as she tests the stability of the aged wood. Her toes press against the boards, the coarse wood prickling her sensitive flesh. The planks support her weight, but release a small squeak. Glacier quickly moves to the next plank, stepping around the dangerous gaping hole.