Frost Fire

by Michelle Howard

  “I have a lot of catching up to do,” Rena said.

  Mari and Shela glared. “We want to have a night together. When are you free?”

  Inwardly, Rena groaned. A night meant they would include a group of males. Flirting would ensue and one by one, Mari and Shela would pair with a male and gradually wander off into the dark not to return.

  If she was lucky, Rena could slip away unnoticed. Most times luck didn’t shine on her and she was trapped with an overeager male Dracol. Not her idea of fun because she didn’t think her heart would ever be free to love another. What had Donal said they called her? Rena the frozen hearted.

  Her heart was far from frozen. Just taken.

  Chapter 4

  The flight to the land of the Black in his shifted Dracol form was made more difficult by the urges working to overtake Faris’ mind. The whispers had continued to grow in small increments over the last month. Word by word they wheedled and burrowed into his brain. A few times he’d been forced to seek refuge and hide in his bedroom for the entire day as the evil slipped past his lips.

  No longer were the ramblings staying in his head. He was vocalizing every malicious thought. While he blocked them as much as possible, it was apparent the dark tendrils were binding themselves to him.

  Simeon was starting to give him odd looks but Faris wasn’t ready to open up and explain yet. Not until he had no choice and wouldn’t send the sect into a panic.

  ‘Rip the flesh. Shred them. Drink their blood.’

  Faris breathed deeply and released the build-up of negative energy through his nostrils in a gust of freezing air that held its form for a beat in time then melted and rained on the ground in a gush of water.

  It took monumental strength, but Faris beat the directives back along with the occasional vivid images that accompanied them. The longer he suffered, the more he worried there’d be no resolution before he was catapulted into the mainstream of madness. There would be one choice left to save his people.

  ‘Crush them! Rule them! Destroy!’

  ‘Crush them! Rule them! Destroy!’

  The commands slammed into his brain more powerful than before and rose in volume. Faris arched his long, scaled neck and screeched. He clenched his claws tight enough to draw blood, but the evil continued to pour into his mind. His wings trembled as he listed to the left, dropping several feet before regaining his balance.

  Teeth gnashing together, Faris pummeled the dark thoughts back with the simple phrase—not my thoughts. He repeated it over and over, pulling on the power of the mantle until the voices cut off abruptly. The silence portended danger in its very stillness.

  Breath shuddering in his chest and much weaker than when he’d left the Silver mountains, Faris shifted from four legs to two on the front lawn of King Rylin’s home. By accident or design, the King of the Black had become the center force for working on the crisis of the madness spreading through their sects.

  Faris strode toward the large home, slashing his hand in the direction of his hips and a knee loincloth manifested about his waist to cover his nude form. He kept himself upright, giving no sign to the internal battle he’d just waged.

  Loud flapping and a deep caw had him glancing up to see a large green Dracol swooping in. It circled twice before hitting the ground at a run, the shift from one form to the other blinding in its speed.

  King Varyk of the Green met his gaze, shoving a swath of green hair over his shoulder. Faris kept his eyes at face level since Varyk hadn’t bothered to clothe himself. Humor glinted as the leader of the Green walked in his direction. Naked.

  “How are things, Faris?”

  The usual caustic tones lacked their typical bite. At the last gathering, Faris had shared the truth of how the madness which plagued their very way of life had infected him. First the Black suffered. Then the Green. Now it was the Silver who had no idea it was in their midst—contained and rotting away the King who should have been immune to such. The King, who the Goddess of Fate herself selected to lead them with strength and confidence.

  “For now, I manage.” There was no other way he could answer. For months Faris had fought alone. Silent. No more.

  Varyk nodded at last covering himself in a slip of green cloth with a wave of his hand. The mantle enabled all of the Kings to use the power of their sect, to draw from the energy of the ones they ruled. It gifted them rare abilities and some unique to their sect.

  The Green could spew a poisonous gas and teleport to anywhere their mind thought of. The Black breathed fire which could incinerate in an instant and harness lightning from the skies above. The Silver controlled the cold element, able to form weapons of ice to do battle.

  The ability probably made Faris a far more deadly foe than any of the other Kings could imagine. He could freeze them in place, rip through their bodies with giant ice blades and they’d have no chance to defend themselves.

  Kill. Maim. Shred.

  Hiding a wince, Faris approached the door to Rylin’s home alongside Varyk. Several guards dressed entirely in black greeted them and stepped aside to let them through the main entrance.

  As soon as they entered, childish squeals and giggles poured forth. Beyond the entryway and to the right, five babies crawled around on a shiny tiled floor while a dark-haired female sat close enough to watch and keep an eye on them.

  Queen Dara, Rylin’s lira, from the planet Earth looked up. Faris had met her a few times though it was only in an official capacity. She rose as soon as she saw them, brushing at her black pants and smoothing out the black shirt she wore.

  “Rylin is waiting for you all to arrive.”

  Faris recognized the two guards in the room. Quinn and Mikal drew closer in a protective stance to their Queen and the babies who continued to roll about and play, secure in the safety of their home. They had not always been safe. A member of the Green plagued by the madness had managed to steal one of the babies. Fortunately, Varyk defeated him and returned the child to her distraught parents.

  They were led to a familiar meeting room where they’d met the last few times. Rylin joined them a moment later. The dark-haired King addressed Faris first. “How are you managing?”

  “I’ve not killed anyone in a maddening rage yet.” Faris regretted the attempted humor as soon as he spoke. The possibility existed he could do the very thing he wanted to avoid and it was no laughing matter.

  Rylin narrowed his gold eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. “How long?”

  “It’s bad.” Faris didn’t know how much longer he could hold out. “I have a secured location to lock myself down if I feel I won’t be able to stop.”

  Varyk arched a brow, his lips curved in their customary smirk. “And you think this will work?”

  “It’s better than asking one of you to kill me.” At the last meeting, the suggestion hadn’t gone over well with their fellow King of the Purple sect. “Where is Kon?”

  It was Rylin who answered. “Not coming. This isn’t a mandatory reglio but I held hope he’d send an emissary in his place. Instead, he’s chosen to ignore the problem.”

  Faris didn’t believe Kon wanted to ignore the problem, but the King of the Purple found it difficult to come to Rylin’s home or anywhere near the Black. The female he’d pledged to take as his lira was from this sect and had mated another without warning.

  Breya never explained her reasons for her sudden change of heart and Kon continued to press for the truth. It was only a matter of time before Kon took action.

  “Lucky Kon,” Varyk joked then sighed when Rylin glared.

  Rylan unfolded his arms and braced his palms on the desk behind him. “No matter. Mikal and I have poured over the historical text but found nothing to help. We went over what Varyk shared from King Uvem and are no closer to resolving why the mantle is failing us.”

  Varyk snort-laughed and slid his hands into the pockets of his black pants as he leaned a green-clad shoulder against the wall in the corner of the room. “It’s obvious
we are the ones who failed. Now we must figure out how to regain favor with the Goddess of Fate.” He tipped his head toward Faris. “Before this one destroys his sect.”

  The thought sobered all of them and the ensuing silence carried a heavy weight.

  Rylin broke it by saying, “Do you have any pressing concerns?”

  “The festival of life is today. I’m required to be there to give thanks to the goddess. The entire sect will be gathered.” Of late Faris tried to avoid any celebration where his presence wasn’t mandated. Huge swells of people in one space caused the madness to exert the most pressure on his mind.

  Sympathy glinted in Rylin’s gaze. “Whatever happens, I will stand by the Silver and help.”

  Though delayed, Varyk agreed with a roll of his eyes. “And I.”

  The rest of the time they covered minor issues, territory concerns and plans to further research the cause of the madness.

  ***

  Music flowed on the air and the sun promised to add a bit of warmth to an already artic day. The festival of life was usually one of Rena’s favorite celebrations. Partly because it involved closing out the summer hunting season and freeing her to focus on her work as a weapons master. Not that she didn’t enjoy the thrill of a good hunt, but it called on a lot of her time since she was designated as one of the four leads on raiding parties.

  She stood on the edge of the dance area observing the others present. Shela and Mari danced by in the arms of two males Rena recognized, both her friends laughing with abandon as they were twirled around along with other partners in the center square.

  “You’re not dancing?”

  Rena turned and bumped shoulders with her mother. Her mood warmed with genuine affection. “Not yet.”

  She’d been asked a few times but refused.

  “Leave her be, lira. Today is to be enjoyed. Rena will be fine.”

  Talya frowned as her father joined them. He winked at Rena then grabbed her mother’s hand and tugged her giggling all the way amidst the dancers. Her mother gave in easy enough, kicking her heels up. Her silver colored skirts flared as she looped her arms about her lira’s neck and danced.

  For the first time, the festive upbeat air left Rena untouched and a bit saddened. How many more of these would she endure alone?

  Shela came bouncing over, out of breath and flushed. Her eyes glowed, part excitement and part drink no doubt. Rena couldn’t help smiling. “You’re starting early, Shela.”

  “Rena, please say you will dance. Don’t stand off to the side this time.”

  The protest formed on her lips to do just that when Shela entwined their fingers and dance-pulled Rena toward the crowd twirling about. Rena gave in with a laugh, her hips finding the sensuous rhythm as the music changed to a slower cadence with a tribal beat.

  Eyes closed, Rena swayed. Tension faded and she found herself smiling as she let the feeling of triumph and success overshadow her melancholy. The season had been good. Friends and family surrounded her. She would have fun tonight. Thoughts of Faris would not intrude.

  “You’re still beautiful.”

  Rena opened her eyes and almost stopped dancing. Hands wrapped about her waist and kept her hips moving in time to the music. The blond giant grinned down at her, the gold of his eyes dark with remembered desire.

  “Slovino.” Her former lover drew them close until their chests brushed.

  Rena had felt the strongest for him. She’d considered asking him to mate when he’d ended things first. His reason had been simple and painful to hear.

  “You love another with all of your heart and I’m not the kind of male who’d ever be content with second place.”

  They’d parted on good terms, but Rena had regretted what couldn’t be. Plus she’d heard the recent rumors. In the spirit of friendship, she said, “None of your flattery. Who has caught your eye?”

  His lips curled. “You know me well. I asked Torine to be my lira and she accepted.”

  Torine was a lovely woman, fiery of heart and sweet in nature. Rena squeezed his shoulders in excitement. “That’s wonderful.”

  “My heart took a while to recover.” He ran a hand over Rena’s hair and she flinched. “You are a difficult female to get over.”

  “I...I—”

  Slovino shook his head. “I’m only telling you because you’re beautiful and still alone which proves what I’d always known. I ended us for good reason if you’ve still never mated, Rena.”

  “I’m sorry.” It was the most she could say. Perhaps she’d been wrong to go into relationship after relationship which led to disappointment when she could never replace Faris.

  “No apology needed. Would you at least tell me who it is and why he’s never claimed you? Does he belong to another?”

  The knot in her throat swelled quickly. Rena blinked, forcing back unexpected pain. “Best wishes with your future lira, Slovino.”

  “In other words, you won’t say.” Regret flashed in his eyes as he heaved a deep breath and brought them to a standstill at the end of the song. “Whoever he is, he must have given you every bit of his heart as well for you to hold on this long.”

  If only that were true.

  Slovino’s gaze grew serious as the dancers around them wandered off and another form of revelry pulled them away. He dropped his hands from her waist and smiled with an incline of his head. “At some point, I hope you find your happiness, Rena. Thank you for the dance and the good wishes.”

  As he walked away, a beautiful dark-haired woman joined him with a shy grin. Slovino picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder. She squealed when he swatted her butt and soon they were swallowed by a cheering crowd.

  Slovino had moved on while Rena continued to spin in place. What did that really say about her?

  Rena the frozen hearted.

  Determined to enjoy the rest of the festival, she straightened her shoulders. Since she’d agreed to perform the fan dance with Donal and Shela, there was no way she could leave early.

  Intent on having mandatory fun, her gaze sought her friends. Lifting her cup, Mari caught her eye and arched a brow. Relief a giddy tumble in her belly, Rena nodded then strode in her direction.

  It didn’t take much once she committed to the decision to relax. Dancing and laughing kept her thoughts free and clear. The drinks helped. Rena was feeling a nice buzz, but still retained her sense of caution.

  “It’s time, Rena.” Mari pulled on her arm and tugged Rena away from the overly flirtatious youth she’d just danced with.

  Rena winked at him, knowing he’d only danced with her because the crowd of his friends stood off to the side staring. As he headed back toward them with a swagger, she grinned at their looks of shock and awe.

  Shela came over and tipped her head from one side to the other, squinting. “Hmm. You seem fine.”

  Indignant, Rena snapped, “I am fine.”

  Donal joined them with three slender rods in his hand. He gave one to Rena and the other to Shela while retaining the last for himself. “Everyone ready?”

  Mari fluffed Rena’s hair, releasing the band she’d use to keep it back. “I wish I’d taken to the lessons as well as you and Shela. I can’t dance the anemi to save my life.”

  The ceremonial dance was a sight to behold and only a few had mastered the beauty and intricacy of the moves. Rena, Shela and Donal were the best and had agreed to perform tonight.

  Rena flicked open the rod Donal had given her and the red colored blades of the spindles flared out in a bright red semi-circle. Donal and Shela copied her actions and their blue fans glinted in the moonlight.

  They would play enemy soldiers attempting to capture Ane-Mi, a woman who’d fled her strict family to be with her true love thus the name of the dance. Rena played the role of Ane-mi. Mari hugged Rena tight, her words a low whisper. “Remember to have fun.”

  She darted away and joined the members of the Silver already forming a circle around the blaze someone had stoked high at the center
of the square where everyone could enjoy. The flames and shadows would add to the intensity of the dance now that the sun had long since gone down. The mock battle with the soldiers would be followed by Ane-Mi dancing in the moonlight as she pleaded with her lover to wait for her.

  Donal squeezed her shoulder, his smile eager. “Ready?”

  Rena inhaled and released her breath in a smooth sigh. She met Shela’s encouraging gaze and nodded. “Ready.”

  Chapter 5

  Halfway through the anemi dance, Rena’s blood pounded in her veins. Sweat beaded her brow as she spun, flipped and dodged the two soldiers attempting to catch her and return her back to her family. Red blades swirled in a zig-zag pattern from the fan as she danced away on the balls of her toes, arms stretched overhead and twirling.

  At one point, she danced back to back against Donal as they pretended to be lovers. Their bodies swayed with the motion in a replica of Ane-mi’s attempts to trick him with seduction. Shela leaped toward them, legs stretched, toes pointed as she challenged Ane-mi. Rena spun away from Donal and firelight glinted off of the fan she flicked high above her head then down with a snap and around her body.

  The crowd gasped as the edge of the blades came perilously close to slicing Shela’s face. Her friend arched backward, torso at an almost impossible angle while her blue fan flailed in a perfect mimicry of fear. Then she recovered and lunged for Rena.

  They twirled, spun and danced to the rhythm, music soaring and rising. Rena let herself get lost in the beat. Eyes closed, fantasy took over and memories poured in. Sensuous heat flowed through her body until her breasts ached in remembered passion. Donal’s rough hands jerked at her hips, but Rena arched into the motion fully immersed in her role as Ane-mi.

  She fought for love, freedom and the right to choose. Donal closed in on her from behind. The pitch of his pants revealing the erection he’d developed. Rena ignored it. There was no way to avoid being aroused dancing the anemi. Her lids flickered as she glanced over her shoulder then swirled away from him.