Wrath (5 page)

*EXCERPT from TRIALS BY FIRE AND ICE

TRIALS BY FIRE AND ICE

K.T. Aphrodisia

Copyright © 2008

Chapter One

She was once mortal. That was her problem.
She kept her mortal form and now her powers had grown too great for
her physical body. Too powerful for her to control, the winter
storm that she commanded was now in her very touch, numbing her
skin and any feeling she felt.

She couldn’t feel anymore. There was no pain,
but there was no pleasure in not feeling. She was too cold inside.
She could feel nothing but the never ending coldness that
surrounded her. That was the price she paid for her immortality and
for being the Ice Queen.

Absentmindedly, she ran her fingers over the
metal amulet she wore.

If only she had not accepted it that day, if
only she had chosen another path. Things would be so different now.
In a fit of sudden rage she pulled it from her neck and threw it
across the room. But removing the amulet did not take away this
weakness. She had tried it before. If only she had made another
choice, she would not be the monster she was today. Her vision
clouded and she wiped at her eyes, finding a tear on the tip of her
finger. Fascinated, she watched as the drop of water hardened into
ice. She dropped the glasslike pearl to the black marble tile, and
smashed it beneath her sharp heels.

The sound of a door opening breaks in on her
thoughts. Her ever loyal house troll Devlyn knelt at her feet.
“Mistress Glacia, the fates are here to see you.”

Ah yes, the legendary sister fates. She had
not thought to call on them before, but she had never been so
desperate as she was now. She felt like she was losing herself.
Every day she lost a little more. She feared there would be nothing
left soon.

The three sisters entered. Their wizened
faces, wrinkled and pruned, once held a great beauty, but the years
had not been kind. Their eyes still twinkled with laughter, their
smiles held seductive secrets, but it was all Glacia could do to
not cringe when she first saw the hag like ladies, with their long
white hair that fell to the floor.

Thank the Gods that time had not been as
cruel to her, Glacia thought. She was over two thousand years old,
and at least her youth and timeless beauty had been frozen. She had
not lost her looks. It seemed every gift had it’s price, but Glacia
had been spared her beauty.

“Sisters! Thank you for coming.” Glacia
feigned a smile. This was the third time she had seen the sisters
fates, but she never could remember which one was which.

“It is--” One of the three sisters began
talking, and as was their habit, another of the sisters finished
the sentence. “-our Pleasure.”

“Do you know why I asked you here?”

“Of course.”

“We know all that the future will hold.”

“We know about you and your problems.”

“Then you must know what’s wrong with
me?”

“We do.”

“Yessssss.”

Patience wasn’t a strong quality of Glacia.
“Then tell me, because I have not been able to figure it out.”

“It’s your magic.”

“Yes the magic has grown too powerful.”

“Too strong.”

“Your body has grown weaker, fighting that
which grows within it..”

“Soon.”

“Very soon.”

“You will become ice.”

**If you liked the sample excerpt, please
consider buying your copy today. Thank you for purchasing
Wrath.