Ice Bear's Bid (Northbane Shifters Book 4)

by Isabella Hunt

  How hard was it to have the girl find the book? Now they’d been delayed months in getting Orion back, not that Norson knew that, or that the Greyclaw were in for a rude change of leadership…

  I came back to myself with a gasp, realizing that Kal was stepping up to Lind and that Xander had fallen back, his entire body taut. What the hell was going on?

  “She’s going to kill him.” My voice was a ragged cry. “You can’t trust her. She’s going to bring back Orion and take over the Greyclaw. She’s-she’s a monster.”

  Lind was white with fury as she stared at me. “How the f—” Too late, she tried to compose herself and then grinned. Xander was moving towards her, but he was too far. Kal pulled back only to be hustled forward by Greyclaws. “Orion was afraid this might happen. Good thing I’m—”

  Her words were lost as a fist connected with her face and Sierra appeared, reaching for Kal’s bonds to rip them off. But Norson shifted and attacked, slamming Sierra to the ground. She hadn’t even had time to shift.

  “Sierra!” Tristan cried, and his grip loosened. “Hey, wait, Iris! No!”

  I ducked through the melee, focused on Kal and the book. He’d been knocked aside by Norson and was now getting to his feet, gritting his teeth in pain.

  Suddenly Lind appeared, face twisted into a snarl, grabbing him, the book held out, and a hooded creature appeared. It took hold of her shoulder in a bony hand, and the woods began to warp away. They were going to leave and kill Kal.

  I reached out, fingers stretching, and managed to catch hold of his jacket as the sounds of fighting vanished around us, and we tumbled into a void.

  Darkness and space and color rushed by, pressing and pulling, roaring in my ears and utterly silent. I couldn't breathe and was sure I was dead or worse, when it stopped.

  We landed on a distant shore, waves crashing and light snow swirling down. I was in front of Kal in an instant, my arms spread wide and head spinning.

  Lind was a few feet away, the augris hovering at her back. She pulled out a knife and eyed me warily. “How did you know?” she asked. “Was Orion right?”

  “Right about what?” I asked and glanced back. The sand under Kal was turning red, and his eyes were closed. “All Orion ever said about me was that I was useless to the Bloodfang.”

  Lind let out a rasping laugh and turned to the augris. "Go get back up." It vanished, and it was the two of us. "Please, Lisay. You could have brought the whole thing down. Secret-Keeper. One of the rarest Riftborns. Takes a special kind of kindness and sorrow, I guess."

  “I’m not…” That was what the Unseen had called me, wasn’t it?

  “I sent in the Unseen to get the damn book, to get you, and they couldn’t do it. Got chased off by Deacon and destroyed by Bane.” She made a guttural, angry sound and began to pace. “Orion was stupid, though. I don’t know why he went the way he did. We could have used you. We can still use you.”

  “As long as you let Kal go,” I said, a modicum of relief piercing through my horror and fear. “And Tiani.”

  “Oh boy,” she sneered. “If you knew how to look out for yourself, you wouldn’t be in this mess, you know that, Iris? Caring too much gets you killed.”

  “What the hell would you know?” I asked. “You’ve never even had a friend.”

  Suddenly, the augris reappeared, with Norson and several other shifters, all looking the worse for wear. Lind barked out a laugh and went over to him. I tried to drop down and free Kal, but she leveled the knife at me.

  “I’m a good shot,” she warned. “I’ll kill him if you move again. The ice bear stays down.” She walked up to Norson and jabbed the knife at his throat, then looked at me. “Did he double-cross me?” I stared at her, shaking my head. “Oh, you know, goldie. Spit it out.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?” Norson snarled and tried to push away, but the augris was behind him, holding him in place with one finger. “He-hey! Let me go!”

  I hesitated, and Lind shook her head, sneering. “Why the hell do you think you were in the right place at the right time, Lisay? We coordinated it, me and Norson. I was supposed to meet you outside of the Greyclaw territory. Imagine my surprise that Billy Sarrow got you first.”

  “We were both surprised,” Norson said, and I saw the sweat on his upper lip.

  “Tell me the truth, or I kill the bear,” Lind said. “And Tiani. Slow.”

  “He double-crossed you,” I said quietly, the truth spilling from between my gritted teeth. “He told Billy Sarrow where I would be, but not what I had. When Sarrow saw, he freaked out and brought me to the auction, trying to buy time. Or see if he could get me and the book off his hands.”

  “You stupid bastard,” Lind said.

  “You’re gonna believe this bitch, Shauna?” Norson asked. “After everything—”

  He didn't finish; instead, he staggered, and I blinked, not sure what had happened. Then I saw the lick of red on Shauna's knife, and Norson dropped to his knees, then keeled over.

  A horrified scream worked up my throat as Lind wiped the knife without concern on her shirt. "I told you not to screw with me, Norson." She glanced at me. "Don't worry—he was terrible. Not at first. No, it took time to get him to give in to his dark urges. But then he became insatiable. I stopped him from torturing your friend, by the way. You're welcome."

  “You killed him,” someone cried out, and a man ripped his mask off. Versk. “What the hell, Lind? This wasn’t part of the deal.”

  “Deal’s off,” Lind said, and they started forward, only to be knocked back by other shifters. “You’re outnumbered, Greys. Stand down, or I gut you next. Or let the augris have some fun.” She looked over at me. “Now, you, Iris Lisay. You’ve worked very hard to be such a positive, righteous little ray of sunshine, haven’t you? Oh, we’ll have fun turning you inside out.”

  “You can try,” I growled, and my fingernails bit into my palms.

  I was wasting precious time—I had to check on Kal; I had to figure out where Tiani was. Pressure was rising in my chest, pumping through my veins, and unfurling into the air. Desperation pitched high in my brain, and my thoughts were in such disarray, it hurt.

  Then, between one eyeblink and the next, I was calm. Centered. Free.

  Who was to say what caused it? The years of self-doubt shattered? Finding my place in Winfyre? Fear of losing Tiani and Kal? Or meeting Kal, taking down my walls, and being brave in ways I didn’t know I could be?

  Maybe all of it. Or maybe just me, finally answering the question in my heart.

  Like the crack of a match, I blossomed.

  I stared Lind down, saw the dark purpose in her eyes, the way she enjoyed watching other people squirm and beg. She was all darkness and in her own personal hell. I almost pitied her.

  But behind me was a wave of breaking light and absolute love. Caring and conflicted, generous and gruff. A warrior, but humble. He knew when to fight and when to be gentle. Observant and oblivious. Rough around the edges, and messy yet a neat freak.

  A contradiction that was all mine.

  Kal. He’d been awake the whole time.

  I knew what to do. I had to get Orion’s book back, stop her, and save Tiani.

  Kal. His presence was so familiar as I reached out for it, it was like I’d been there before. He wasn’t even startled; his reaction was a sigh of relief and an embrace in one. I have a plan.

  Oh yeah? Just the two of us can pull it off?

  I glanced back at him and grinned. You know we can do so much more than that.

  Chapter Forty-One

  Kal

  It had been hard to keep still the last ten minutes, but now it was even harder. I'd thought feigning unconsciousness might be my best bet, especially since Iris had decided to hitch along. But now, with her voice in my mind, it was all I could do to keep still.

  How? I asked and took a deep breath. Also, your scent, why is it a bit different? Spicier.

  Are you smelling me at a time like this? Iris ch
astised, and her thoughts in my mind were like leaping rays of light. It was hard not to be mesmerized. Focus.

  There was a shudder that went through the air, and Iris pitched forward, then back, landing on top of me. I groaned, the cut on my side opening more, and the sprained ribs cracking under her weight. Iris was cursing and scrambled off of me, yanking at the inhibitor bands.

  “Are you okay?” she asked, hair whipping into her face.

  “Yeah. New plan, though,” I coughed out. “Improvise.”

  “You got a knife?” Iris asked as the wind picked up.

  “Can’t cut ’em off—just undo ’em. Yeah, there.” My eyes went beyond her, and I let out a slow, controlled breath. “Hey, Iris.”

  She’d gotten the damn bonds off, finally. “Yeah?”

  “Sorry about this.”

  I seized her around the waist and tossed her out of the way, shifting as a Greyclaw wolf ran me down. He was snarling and snapping, eyes wild. Almost panicked. I slammed him off of me and then knocked him towards the water.

  He reared up again, jaws aiming for my throat, and I heard Iris shout, No!

  The wolf froze mid-stride, and gold symbols etched in the sand. I watched in amazement as the wolf’s eyes closed, and he sighed, shifting back. Versk. Looking at his hands, he lifted his head, and his look was one of utter gratitude. Thank you, he mouthed before collapsing onto the sand.

  “What the hell just happened?” I asked as Iris ran up and punched me on the arm. “Ow!”

  “That’s for throwing me,” she said. “And I think that was me—Versk was in trouble.” Her hair had escaped her bun, and she had a wild, untamed look to her. “We’ll have to figure it out later.”

  “You been holding out on me?” I asked, and the wind screeched more loudly.

  Across from us, Lind had subdued the Greyclaws who’d tried to take her down. The wolves were arrayed at her back, and she nodded, then crooked her finger at Iris.

  “Give it back, Lisay,” Lind called. “I like you, but I’ll gut you if you screw this up again.”

  “What?” I asked, and Iris held out the book. “How’d you get that back?”

  “I’m not sure,” Iris said. “I mean, it’s hard to explain. It was like, I needed you, and the book gave me the right words.” Her fingers smoothed over the cover, and I watched as black peeled away, lifting like ash into the sky. “It’s loyal to me; it’s waking up.”

  “Isn’t that what happened to Orion?” I asked, giving the book a nervous look. “He changed?”

  “He did, but that’s because he corrupted this book,” Iris said. “Wrote over it. I wonder…” She hugged it to her chest and glared at Lind. “Do you have Tiani?”

  Lind smirked. "Shouldn't have shown me your party trick, Lisay."

  “Let me get this straight,” I said. “From what you two were talking about, sounds like you know when someone is lying.” Iris nodded. “Great, that should keep things interesting.”

  “You’re not so much a liar as a hider, Kal. I wouldn’t worry,” Iris replied.

  Suddenly, another augris appeared, and this one was holding the hand of a small, slight form. Almost like a child. Lind took a step back as it looked up at her and over at us.

  I flinched at the dark gaze in the small, gray face and its row of sharp teeth. “Give it back.” The voice was both childlike and guttural, raking through the air, and we both cringed. "Give it back—you’re ruining it!”

  “Give us Tiani!” Iris shouted. “Or I burn it!” The small creature flung out its hand and twisted it in. I saw the book go flying, but Iris snatched it back and tossed her hair. “No. Where is Tiani?”

  “Tiani?” the creature said. “What is that?”

  “What the hell is with all these new Excris?” I muttered as I grabbed Iris’s shoulders as she slid forward, feet digging in the sand. “And damn, I already hate that one.”

  “Kal, I think you should shift,” Iris murmured. I did so, standing at her back and glaring at Lind. Stay close. I think I can get us back to Winfyre.

  What about Tiani?

  She isn’t here. There’s something Lind isn’t telling me. I sensed the sharp panic fluttering under her breastbone, and the ache, too. She might be gone.

  Oh, Iris, I’m sorry.

  Another shudder, and we both looked up. Out over the ocean, the clouds were both peeling apart and feeding into a seam in the sky. A horrible jolt of recognition went through me. There were forms in it, and I wondered if this had been Orion’s plan, to rend open the Rift and let all manner of hell and Excris through. If he was waiting in the wings for his grand finale.

  “Pistris,” Lind said. “Take the page you need.”

  The creature’s face twisted, and again its sharp hand flew out. Before Iris could stop it, a page snapped through the air and into its hands. Inky letters spilled out, nothing like the bright golden ones that had surrounded Versk. These oozed, making me think of blind things deep underwater.

  “Release, summoning, opening,” Iris muttered, and the book in her arms flapped open, pages rifling until they fell open to a page I was pretty sure hadn’t been there a minute ago. “Kal, I can stop it. We can lock him back in. But it requires a shifter to ground me. Stay close.”

  Where else would I be?

  Iris raced forward and stopped short of the water’s edge, her hair whipping around her face. I flanked her, keeping an eye on Lind and the Pistris creature. Hands and claws were reaching out of the seam in the sky, and the dark colors ran together, drenching everything in shadow.

  What’s happening?

  Have you heard of yin and yang? Iris asked, and I nodded impatiently. To grossly simplify it, the energy of the first Rift was the positive; this is the negative.

  She flung out a hand, and gold letters skipped across the water, then died. “Dammit.”

  You can do this, I growled. Come on, Iris.

  With a slow breath, Iris released the book, letting it hover in midair as her hand pressed into my fur, and the other was flung out towards the sky. This time, the letters were gold and silver-blue, twirls of fire and ice that spiraled up. The symbols fanned out, encircling the dark ink of Pistris and the seam. It buckled, and the wind began to die down.

  I heard a shout down the beach and glanced left, seeing several of the wolves coming toward us. But I couldn’t break the connection; I had to stay with Iris.

  You go! Hold them off!

  Turned out I didn't have to. There was a rush of air and then a burst of light. Several figures appeared on the beach, the one in the center hooded, and with a flick of her fingers, she sent the wolves flying back. Then a bear, a wolf, and a tiger took off after them, snarling and flying. A moment later, Reagan was by our side and seized Iris's hand.

  “Whoa!” Iris yelled, and we all closed our eyes against the burst of light from the symbols.

  It’s not closing, Iris yelled. Kal. Any ideas?

  Freeze the bastard?

  Sounds good.

  There was a crack, and the air went icy cold, stealing the breath from our lungs. Then the light faded, and I looked up in time to see a thick pattern of ice and crystals in the sky. I blinked, and it was gone, the storm clouds pulling away and patches of blue appearing.

  “Iris.”

  Reagan’s alarm jerked me awake, and I shifted back, reaching for her. The brunette holding up the blonde, her hand finally slipping off me and the book falling to the ground. It was now splotched with white and glittered like a lost pearl on the shore.

  I ignored that, however, for Iris, who was a bit unsteady, and her eyes were closed. But she was still breathing as Reagan and I steadied her. “Oh, sorry, I’m okay. Feel a bit weird.” She blinked open her eyes, and I pulled in a breath. “What? What’s wrong?”

  "Your eyes," I said. "They're different colors."

  Reagan came around to look at her. “Heterochromia. One is blue, and one is gold.”

  “What?” Iris said and touched her face. “Why?” She blinked r
apidly, and the brown came back, then switched again. “Ouch.”

  “Easy, Iris,” Beylore’s laughing voice called, and we turned. “It’s normal. Sometimes a powerful Riftborn has their powers show up in strange ways. It’ll probably go away.”

  “You still look good, honeycomb,” I said and rested my hand on her curls. “Lor, is it over?”

  “Well, Lind and that little demon got away with the augris, but we rounded up the rest. And, you'll be happy to know, you did it, Iris."

  “I did what?”

  Beylore gestured to the wolf who was sitting up. Versk. This time, Versk gave Iris a look of adoration and gratitude that made me think I should have words with him again.

  “Easy, Ice Bear,” Beylore said. Her green eyes were dancing, and she was bubbling over with glee. “He is the first shifter to be cured of the Bloodlust by a Riftborn.”

  “That’s what it was,” Iris said and slumped against me. “So many spells. For a moment, it was like I could see all of them. And then when Reagan touched me…”

  "Yeah, still having trouble seeing. Thanks for that flash," Luke said as he came up, and Reagan threw herself at him. "Sorry, you didn't get to deck Lind this time."

  “I’ll get over it,” Reagan said and kissed him.

  “Wait,” I said. “They got away? What about—”

  "They don't have Tiani," Iris said. "Not anymore. She got away." Her lips pulled up in a smile. "She's a wily one. I think she's all right."

  Relief poured through me, and I hugged Iris closer. “You saved the day.”

  “Mm-hm.”

  “That’s all you have to say…?” I trailed off as Iris slumped against me, fast asleep.

  “Yeah, she’s gonna be out for a while,” Beylore said. “That was a hell of a lot of work.”

  “Was it Orion trying to get through?” I asked as I swung her up into my arms, and her head lolled against my shoulder. “And how did you find us?”

  “Iris,” Beylore said. “Somehow, she tapped Xander through you. Closed that Rift pocket.”

  “Pocket?” Tristan echoed.