In Ice We Burn (The Liftsal Guardians Book 1)

by Alexandra Moody

  ‘Rhyn was looking for me?’ she asked, trying to change the subject.

  ‘Yeah, he came after you when you ran…’ Emha’s voice trailed off as she caught sight of Sloane’s expression.

  Sloane’s lips were pulled tight and the corners of her eyes were creased in pain. She reached down to her left leg, grimacing as she tried to massage her calf. The skin on her leg felt like it was on fire, and there was an all too familiar ache throbbing through her muscle. All of the pain was radiating from the spot where she’d been scratched by the Braky. As she realised what was happening, she stood straight, a cold chill running down her spine. One of them was close.

  ‘Is something wrong?’ Emha asked.

  Sloane glanced around, trying to figure out where they were, but she couldn’t be certain. ‘How much further is it to the great hall?’ she asked, attempting to keep the panic from her voice.

  ‘It’s just a little further,’ Emha responded, frowning as she looked closely at Sloane’s face.

  ‘We need to be quick,’ Sloane said, urging Emha forwards. She didn’t want to worry her, or cause her to panic, but they needed to get back to the safety of the hall and fast.

  They’d only gone a few steps when Sloane faltered and let out a small cry of pain.

  Emha grabbed her arm for support. ‘What’s wrong, Sloane?’ she asked.

  The colour drained from Sloane’s face as she looked at her leg again. The pain was become excruciating, just as strong as it had been when the Brakys advanced on her outside the castellum walls. She couldn’t run on the leg, and it took everything in her just to stand on it. She had to tell Emha the truth; it may be the only way to keep her safe.

  ‘The Brakys are here,’ Sloane said, her voice only slightly louder than a whisper.

  ‘What? How do you know that?’

  ‘I just do.’ Sloane swallowed back a groan as the pain in her leg flared. ‘You need to run back to the great hall and warn everyone. You’ll be safe with the other Unfaih.’ She bent down and retrieved the two daggers she had stashed in each of her boots. The shiny blue metal caught on the light as she brought them out from under her skirt. She knew the blades could kill a Braky, but they wouldn’t be much help if she were faced with several at once.

  She passed one of the daggers to Emha. ‘Take this and go,’ she said to her.

  Emha held the dagger in front of her, staring down at the blade with fear. She looked so incredibly young and innocent. The girl didn’t know how to fight; she was only a child. If she faced a Braky there was little chance she could defend herself. But arming her with the blade was better than nothing, and she needed to warn the others and get to safety before it was too late.

  ‘I’m not leaving you,’ Emha said, looking up from the blade to stare at Sloane, determination in her eyes. ‘You’re limping. You need my help to get back.’

  ‘Please Emha, you have to go.’

  ‘I won’t leave—’ Emha’s voice was cut off as a low, menacing growl reached their ears. Emha’s gaze fixed on something behind Sloane, and she let out a whimper, her eyes widening and her skin turning chalky pale.

  Sloane spun on her heel, one hand pushing Emha behind her as the other held out her dagger. Blood red eyes looked at her hungrily from the end of the corridor, and only then did she hear the horns blaring out a warning to the rest of the castellum. They were already too late though; the Brakys had breached the walls.

  Sloane wanted to urge Emha to run, but she worried there could be more of the monsters inside the walls. ‘Just stay behind me, Emha,’ she said, trying to keep her voice from faltering. She wanted to protect the girl, but she was filled with a fear of failing like she’d never felt before.

  The Braky slowly moved towards them, and Sloane continued to stagger backwards, biting down on her lip to stop herself from screaming out from the pain she could feel in her leg. She couldn’t let this thing get past her. She couldn’t live with herself if something happened to Emha. Sloane knew she was going to have to kill it if she wanted to save her.

  The creature sprang forwards, moving into a run. It was quick, but not as quick as the ones she’d fought the other day. She’d been training with Rhyn, who was just as fast, and she was ready when it lunged at her.

  Its mouth aimed for Sloane’s neck. She saw its move and twisted her body away from the beast, kicking into its gut so it slammed against the wall. It hissed as it hit the thick wall of ice, causing shards to crumble away from the blow.

  In the blink of an eye, the Braky was back on its feet. With one powerful swing of its arm it backhanded Sloane across the face with such force her whole body flew backwards and she toppled into Emha, who stood behind her.

  Sloane ignored the pain in her face and stood up, bracing herself for another attack. The Braky swiftly kicked out at her stomach, effectively winding her. She gasped out for breath and staggered further backwards.

  She waited for the creature to move against her again, but it took a step back and stood tall. Darkness gathered around it like a cloak, and the room turned even colder as it stared her down. ‘Come with me, Sloane,’ it hissed. Its voice was raspy, and each word was an icy caress that sent shivers down the back of Sloane’s neck.

  ‘How do you know my name?’ she whispered, shock registering on her face. She didn’t know the things could talk, and the way it looked at her right now, she desperately wished it couldn’t.

  ‘Come,’ it said, holding one of its hands out to her, its long claws curling inwards in invitation. Its voice was slippery and edged with wickedness. Going with it was the last thing she wanted to do.

  Sloane snuck a glance at Emha, who was cowering against the wall. She was glad to see the girl hadn’t been hurt when she’d fallen into her, though she could see her elbows had been grazed. Emha’s eyes were on the beast, and she looked as confused as Sloane felt at its words.

  Sloane focused back on the Braky. ‘Why would I come with you?’ she asked, her voice steady despite her fear. ‘What do you want?’

  It let out a bitter, heckling laugh and threw a scrap of material onto the ground by her feet. With her eyes still narrowed on the Braky, Sloane reached down and slowly picked the scrap up. She risked a glance down at it as she slowly clambered to her feet and found a torn shred of white material with the three-starred emblem of the Explorer stamped across it. She stopped cold as she stared at the emblem, but it was the name inscribed below it that caused her heart to shudder to a halt within her. A. Avery. She was holding a piece of Ash’s landing suit.

  ‘If you ever want to see him again, come find us…’ the creature hissed.

  Her eyes whipped up to the Braky, but only dark shadows greeted her and the corridor before her was empty. Her stomach twisted in a tight knot. The Brakys had her brother.

  ‘Is it gone?’ Emha asked.

  ‘I don’t know,’ Sloane replied, her voice quiet and filled with concern. She clenched the scrap of material in her fist, and her mind whirled as she tried to understand what had just happened. The Braky knew who she was and had a piece of Ash’s uniform. The creatures must have taken him and his crew. If she didn’t go after him, would she ever see him again? If she found him, would he still be human?

  She swallowed tightly and tried to ignore the hollow pit in her stomach. She wanted to chase the Braky down and force it to tell her more, but she couldn’t leave Emha so exposed. If they had Ash, it was probably already too late for him.

  ‘Sloane?’ Emha asked, tugging on her arm and pulling her from her thoughts.

  Sloane glanced down at the girl. Her eyes were wide with fear, and she seemed even smaller than usual. She couldn’t waste time considering the Brakys when Emha was out in the open. Her leg continued to throb painfully, so Sloane knew there were still creatures nearby. She needed to get the two of them back to the others before they ran into another one.

  ‘Why didn’t it kill us?’ Emha whispered.

  Sloane stilled, the question causing a chill to creep up her sp
ine. The Brakys were notoriously bloodthirsty, but this one hadn’t seized or injured either of them when it easily could have. It wanted her to follow freely, which troubled her more than anything.

  ‘We need to get back,’ she replied, leaving Emha’s question hanging in the silent air.

  ‘Can you walk?’ Emha asked, her gaze dropping down to Sloane’s leg.

  ‘I’m fine,’ said Sloane, as lightly as she could manage. She didn’t want Emha to worry. She’d slow them down with her limp, but it was better they stay together.

  The two of them were quiet as they moved through the castle. Sloane would pause at every corner and they would freeze upon hearing the slightest sound. She could feel a million questions bubbling beneath her cool exterior, but they would have to wait for later, once they were safe.

  ‘How did it get in?’ Emha asked.

  Sloane shook her head and gently pressed one finger against Emha’s lip to quieten her as she cocked an ear to listen. She could hear heavy breathing, though she could not tell whether it was an Unfaih or a Braky, or where it was coming from.

  Keeping close to the wall, she slowly moved up to the next corner and then stole a look down the corridor to see what was there. The darkened hallway was empty.

  Sloane reached behind her and grabbed Emha’s free hand. The girl’s fingers were cold and her hand was so small within Sloane’s. She gave it a reassuring squeeze before they set off around the corner.

  She was still limping as she walked, but she hobbled quickly down the corridor. Emha was alternating between a walk and a slow run to try and keep up. She was doing well, keeping it together, and Sloane was surprised she hadn’t screamed or wept after their confrontation with the Braky. She kept glancing at her to make sure she was okay, but Emha’s eyes were serious and her lips were tense. Emha was brave; Sloane had to admit that.

  The corridor was silent as they walked, not even their footsteps making a noise against the hard, icy floor beneath them. Sloane swore she could still hear breathing though. It was a deep, harsh noise that raised the hairs on the back of her neck. But, every time she looked over her shoulder, there was nothing behind them. She hoped she wasn’t going crazy or having another side effect from the Braky scratch.

  As they turned to hurry down another corridor, something cold and wet dripped down the back of Sloane’s neck. Her hand automatically lifted to wipe it off, and she slowly looked up. High overhead, clawing onto the ceiling, a Braky stared down at her.

  Their eyes locked and froth gurgled from its mouth as it worked itself into a frenzy. It let go of the ceiling, hurling itself towards Sloane. Emha screamed, but Sloane braced herself, ready for the creature’s attack. She pushed Emha away and, with as much strength as she could muster, she put all of her body weight behind her dagger as she pushed it up and into the falling creature’s chest.

  Sloane’s body collapsed beneath the weight of the Braky as it came crashing down upon her and she dropped, slamming her head against the ground. The Braky lay on top of her, convulsing and retching as it oozed its thick, black blood onto her. She could feel the life draining from the creature, and she knew it was dying, but its face was so close to hers, and with one last effort it opened its jaw to bite her.

  Her arms were wedged beneath the Braky, and it was so heavy she could not move it. Despite her struggles, there was nothing she could do beneath its weight. She had no strength left to fight it, and she was struggling to stay conscious after knocking her head on the ground.

  All she could think as it reared its ugly head back, ready for one last attack, was that she hoped Emha would get away.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Rhyn was walking back to the great hall when the horns sounded overhead. The deep, resonating noise was unmistakable. It echoed through the corridor, its warning cry ricocheting off the icy walls.

  He cursed and set off at a run towards the outer walls. He was in one of the rarely used corridors of the castellum searching for Sloane, though she was nowhere to be found. It was like she had evaporated into thin air the moment she left the hall. He would have ordered some of his men to help search for her, but he could manage the girl and didn’t want to ruin their enjoyment of the night. Disruption was a certainty now.

  He couldn’t believe the Brakys had chosen tonight of all nights to attack the castellum. It was unfortunate they would ruin the choosing ceremony, but the villagers would be safe from them within the castle walls.

  He was almost to the front of the castellum, when the horns stopped. After the constant sound of the blaring noise ceased, it was unnervingly quiet without it. Rhyn continued forwards without missing a beat. The horns only ever sounded for a few minutes in warning, there could still be a battle before him tonight.

  A high-pitched scream tore through the air. The sound was filled with such terror that Rhyn abandoned his route towards the wall and took off after it before his mind had even registered the sound. It came from down a corridor he’d passed only moments ago.

  The scream came again and he hurried faster, his feet flying beneath him as he sprinted towards the cry. He started getting nervous when the sound didn’t echo down the long hallway again. The voice was female, and he panicked about what he would find when he located its owner.

  As he veered around the corner, what he saw made ice surge through his veins and fury swell in his gut. A Braky was lying in a pool of its own blood, dead on the floor, and Emha lay several meters away from it, her head slumped against the wall.

  He rushed to the small child. ‘Emha, are you okay?’ He gently lifted her head causing her to groan. ‘Emha?’ There was a small amount of blood caked in her hair from where she had hit the wall, but the gash thankfully wasn’t deep. ‘We need to get you to my mother,’ he muttered. He went to gather her in his arms, but she lifted one of her hands to stop him.

  ‘Is Sloane okay?’ she murmured.

  ‘What do you mean? I haven’t seen her.’

  Emha’s large blue eyes blinked open, and she nodded her head to the Braky. ‘I stopped it. Please, is she okay?’

  Rhyn looked over his shoulder, his gaze following Emha’s towards the creature. Its hideous black body was lumped on the floor and thick black blood pooled around it. He stood and took a step closer to it, and as he neared he saw Sloane’s long blonde hair flowing out from under the other side of the beast.

  ‘Sloane!’ he yelled, running towards the Braky and shoving it off her, as though the thing weighed nothing at all.

  She was out cold and her body was covered in the Braky blood. ‘Sloane?’ he gently lifted her onto his lap and cradled her in his arms. Her skin felt incredibly cold, but he couldn’t see any injuries and when he checked her wrist, her pulse was strong. ‘Please be okay,’ he whispered down to her.

  ‘Is she alright?’ He could hear Emha trying to get up.

  ‘Emha, don’t move, you’ve hit your head. I think Sloane’s just been knocked out. What happened?’

  Emha didn’t respond. Instead, the small girl started to cry.

  ‘She was trying to protect me,’ she said, between sobs. ‘She stabbed the Braky, but it fell on her. It was going to bite her neck, so I jumped on its back and used the dagger she gave me to stop it. It threw me off, but I think I stopped it. I stopped it, right?’ Her voice was quivering as she tried to stop the tears rolling down her cheeks. He could clearly hear the fear in her voice that she had failed Sloane.

  Rhyn pulled a lock of Sloane’s hair away from her neck and sighed gratefully when he saw her skin hadn’t been punctured. ‘It didn’t bite her. You saved her Emha.’ He glanced over his shoulder to give her a reassuring smile.

  ‘How did they get in here?’ she asked him, after a moment.

  Rhyn shook his head and looked back to Sloane. ‘I have no idea.’ But he would find out. A Braky had never breached the walls of the castellum before, and he’d be damned if it was going to happen again. First, he was going to have to find a way to get the two girls to his mother. They b
oth needed looking at.

  He heard movement and shuffling as Emha came over to sit next to him.

  ‘Do you feel well enough to walk?’ he asked.

  ‘Yes,’ she said, with a roll of her eyes. ‘It’s just a little bump on my head, and you can’t exactly carry us both.’

  Rhyn clenched his teeth. He didn’t like the idea of Emha walking, but she was right; he couldn’t carry them both.

  ‘Let’s get the two of you to my mother,’ he said. ‘It’s not safe for you here.’

  Rhyn gently put his arms under Sloane and lifted her to his chest. He cradled her carefully as he rose to his feet and began to walk down the hall. Her head was tucked into his chest and her hair smelt so sweet he wanted to bow his nose closer to it and smell it properly.

  He glanced down at Emha as the thought entered his mind and quickly decided against it.

  ‘How are you feeling?’ he asked her.

  ‘I’m fine Rhyn,’ she chided. ‘Stop worrying about me.’

  He nodded and continued walking. They weren’t far from the great hall, but they were far enough that Rhyn fretted every second as they made their way towards it. With Sloane in his arms, they were like sitting ducks if a Braky attacked them. The castle had fallen so silent the hairs on Rhyn’s arms stood on end.

  Only when the soft sound of voices met his ears did he relax. There were no screams of terror or sounds of fighting. The Brakys had not attacked the villagers in the great hall; at least that was one blessing.

  The whole room turned to them as they entered, and already Rhyn could see several people rushing over. They didn’t appear worried—this wasn’t their first Braky attack after all. They would be after an update though, and he didn’t have time to give one right now.

  He spotted several of his men hovering near the doorway, and he signalled them over. ‘I want you to barricade this door,’ he said to them, quietly. ‘Nobody comes in and nobody goes out.’