by Tom Hansen
Despite the power difference between the two, the Queen, in a lot of ways, acted like a petulant child. Because she never had anyone more powerful than she was smack her down a time or two, she had nowhere to go to learn lessons of life.
Like when your eight-year-old sister beats you so soundly and so quickly you’re left bewildered how she managed to do such a thing.
Ynya grit her teeth.
Running away didn’t work. Meki beat her every time when it came to ranged combat.
One would think that a matchup between a fire and a frost mage would be exciting, and if Ynya could launch her fire through the air, she supposed it would be, but Ynya’s inability to shoot fire and Meki’s propensity towards ice spikes meant Ynya was constantly on the run.
So stop running, you stupid girl.
Was it that simple? Maybe it was time to try something drastic. As far as she knew, the Queen wouldn’t allow her to do anything else until she won.
“Again!” The Queen’s snappy voice cut through the air.
Meki opened her eyes, still sitting in the same meditative position.
Ynya ran around a pillar, hoping to draw Meki in like last time. Two spikes slammed into the ground just to her side. She darted left, her shoulder brushing against the large stone pillar. Another spike slammed into the ground just in front of her.
How is she seeing me around the pillar?
They were under instruction to try to avoid harming one another, which Ynya was happy to follow, but Meki apparently didn’t know what that meant, or had been given overriding directives.
Ynya couldn’t be entirely sure, as she hadn’t been given much of a chance to properly speak with her younger sister. She needed to know why Meki so willingly did these actions for the Queen. Had she been tricked, or did she genuinely believe the Queen was her mother? Perhaps the Queen had cast a spell on the poor girl to manipulate her memory, or force her to say those things.
Perhaps it was all a cruel joke put on by the Queen to make her feel more important than anyone else.
Either way, Ynya needed some alone time with her sister.
Three more spikes slammed down. Two in front of her, and one to the right. She dodged left, just as three more came down in front of her.
Pillar to her left, three spikes in front, one to the right, she turned.
Slam!
And just like that, she was trapped.
Dammit!
“Again!”
Three tries later, Ynya decided sneaking was no good. She also surmised that Meki used the light dusting of snow over the entire room to track her.
It was the only thing that could possibly allow her to sense Ynya from the other side of the pillar, unless Meki had some other unknown ability in that regard.
Ynya couldn’t keep doing this all day long. It was time to start trying new things and hope she made progress.
This time, when the Queen yelled for the match to start, Ynya ran, but instead of running away from Meki, she ran toward her.
Straight toward her.
Meki froze for a full second at the sudden change in tactic, and that was all the time Ynya needed to close significant distance between the two.
By the time Meki had recovered and cast her first spell, Ynya was only a few feet away.
Spikes slammed down into the ground, but Ynya bent down and rammed into them with her shoulder.
The ice shattered into thousands of pieces, spraying Ynya’s face with dust, but she continued to pump her legs directly at her little sister.
Meki must have expected her to dodge sideways because more spikes slammed down into the ground behind and to the left of Ynya.
Too little, too late.
Ynya jumped, reaching out and grabbing onto her sister at full-speed. She realized her size and weight could have caused serious harm to the little girl, but she was beyond caring at this point. The Queen would have probably yelled at her for slowing down anyway. This wasn’t a game of tag, it was a true fight with stakes that would leave at least one of them trapped or injured.
As she sailed through the air, Ynya pushed heat into her extremities. She wrapped her arms and legs around her sister and held on for dear life.
The sooner she satisfied whatever twisted outcome the Queen wanted, the sooner she could move on from this.
Both girls fell to the floor, but as Ynya held on tightly, she whispered in Meki’s ear.
“Our Mama was killed by the Queen, and I am here to take you back to your family.”
Chapter Eighteen
“And why did you think you won the last three times as opposed to the first dozen or so?”
Ynya stood straight and tall. “I used the element of surprise to my advantage.”
“Yes, but why did it work three times in a row?”
Ynya looked over at Meki, who’s eyes were wide with a mixture of confusion and worry. Each time Ynya managed to get in close to Meki, she had continued to tell her things that she needed to hear. Ynya supposed that the shocked Meki was simply distracted by the things Ynya told her, so that she hadn’t been able to concentrate properly on the matches.
Either way, it was accomplishing two things; Ynya was winning, which seemed to please the Queen, and she and Meki were finally able to communicate in private.
Even though it was a one-way conversation.
Still, Ynya had a lot to say to her long-lost sister.
She told Meki that Synol’s husband had been a tyrant and Synol had killed him for his abuse. She told her that Finny had been with Meki the whole trip after their capture, but they got separated when they got to Reyoarfjell, as well as telling her that Finny has been seriously abused and changed permanently because of all the hurtful practices of the Frost Queen.
Each one rattled Meki more than Ynya expected. While she felt bad that he had to tell these horrible things to her youngest sister, she found it effective in pulling her away from the Queen’s sinister clutches.
Sometimes, the hard truth is the best truth.
She’d lucked out with her decision to tackle and talk rather than hide and lose.
She replied to the Queen. “Each time I varied the method for getting in close. Since I do not have the ability to use fire from range, I must get in close in order to apply heat directly to the target.”
Ynya looked at Meki once again. “Your Majesty.” It still churned her stomach to even talk to the woman who had killed her parents, but she was in the den of the bear, and she had to tread lightly in order to escape. “Meki seems a little rattled, and I would like to try out this meditation stuff she’s been doing between matches. Do you mind if she and I meditate?”
Ynya waved her hand at the soldier who had been standing for well over an hour at this point. “You could address this man’s scroll or something.”
The Queen turned her head, acting like she had just noticed the young man for the first time. “Oh, well, yes. Soldier, what news have you?”
Ynya walked to Meki and took her hand to lead her away.
Meki pulled her hand away. “I will not hold your hand. You are the enemy.” Her voice wasn’t loud, but it wasn’t soft either. Luckily the Queen was focused on the scroll the soldier had handed her.
Ynya lowered her voice and spoke to Meki. “The Queen said we were to meditate, so we’re going to do that.”
She grabbed Meki’s hand again and took her a dozen more feet away before sitting down.
Meki closed her eyes and placed both hands together.
Ynya followed suit.
“Meki, I know the Queen has poisoned you against me, but I’m not here to do you any harm. I wasn’t lying about all the things we’ve gone through trying to get to you. Synol killed her husband, Finny’s been tortured, I’ve been stabbed and had my magic taken away more times than I can count. We did it all to come get you. We are here to rescue you from the Queen and take you back home.”
Meki ignored her.
To the side, the Queen threw down the scroll. “
Gods Below!”
The Queen’s rage peaked and blasted the area around her with a gust of frigid wind.
Icy cold rain pelted Ynya, but she turned her heat up to counteract the cold. Inside her skin, she was safe and warm, and despite being this close to the Queen’s temper tantrum once again, she was the closest she’d been to her sister for more than a few moments since this whole mess started. She didn’t know how they were going to escape, but she was making progress.
It’s just a matter of time.
Meki whimpered.
The Queen continued her tirade. Each time the Queen swore or pushed frost magic into the room, Meki flinched.
Each time, Ynya felt Meki’s magic surge from her to the Queen.
Ynya scooted closer to her youngest sister. She was so small and fragile. Her once-rosy cheeks had lost some of their color, and her bright red curly hair was covered in a slight dusting of frost. Despite her innate frost magic, Meki shivered.
Ynya wasn’t sure if it was from the cold or from the connection the Frost Queen had to her magic. Either way, Ynya was here to comfort her baby sister.
Ynya grabbed Meki’s hands and poured a moderate amount of heat into the girl. Meki didn’t pull away this time. In fact, she met Ynya’s eyes, a pained expression on her face.
“I can’t believe the incompetence going on in the front lines!” The Queen was on her feet, screaming at the young man. “We are on a timeline here, and we cannot deviate from this no matter what! The window for this is incredibly tight and we cannot afford any delays!”
The Queen stomped again, sending out another wave of frost.
Meki flinched.
Ynya squeezed harder. “It’s okay, little sister. I’ll find a way to ensure the Queen can’t hurt you anymore.”
The Queen finished, jotting something down on the back of the scroll and handed it back to the solider, who quivered a few feet away. His face was turning blue from the frost, but he hadn’t moved from his spot the entire time.
“Get back to the Feond and tell my army that any delays will be dealt with swiftly and painfully. If I have to wait for the next Transference, I will personally torture every soul for the duration!”
Ynya dropped Meki’s hands after giving her another squeeze and scooted a few inches away.
She wanted to make sure the Queen’s wrath didn’t transfer to her, or worse, Meki.
Meki was scared. That was clear, but she also was brainwashed into thinking that her sisters were her enemy.
At least Ynya knew what the problems were, and understanding your enemy turned out to be quite helpful.
“Enough meditating, let’s go again!”
Meki and Ynya stood in unison.
Chapter Nineteen
The four sisters had been left to eat by themselves, strangely enough, without Captain Nora, their constant shadow. Even Meki had been left behind while the Queen and Nora were away “dealing with business.”
Ynya figured it was just a ruse for Nora to tell the Queen everything they had been doing.
Ynya used the opportunity to do the same thing with Synol. She also wanted to know what Synol and Finny did while she and Meki sparred. She started with what the Queen had said to the soldier.
“What do you think she’s working on?” Synol asked in a hushed tone.
Ynya shrugged. “I’m not sure. I’ve heard the term Feond a couple times now, but I’m not entirely sure what it means. Have you ever heard that term?”
Synol shook her head. “Sorry, I don’t know what it means.”
Ynya indicated Finny. “And how are things going with her?”
Finny hadn’t eaten much, instead she had watched Meki with a somber expression for five minutes before moving a few seats closer to her younger sister.
Synol frowned. “She spent more time with that…creature again. She even has a name for him.”
“Let me guess, Firtze?”
Synol’s eyes scrunched in confusion. “Actually, she calls him Pain, but that name sounds familiar. How did you know that?”
Ynya’s heart ached at the memory. “Firtze was one of the mages who was trapped in the caravan. He helped me escape that one time before I came back for you. He helped Joanne and Tyrain survive before they were captured and taken to Reyoarfjell. He was with the Translator before Finny.”
Synol sucked in air, a stark expression on her face. “God’s Below. That was all before we got there?”
Ynya nodded, suddenly not hungry. “I didn’t put it all together until I saw him down in there, but he looked at me with familiar human-like eyes. I remembered what Joanne had told me and realized that he was the one they said had been carted off by Nora back here, to this castle. Finny might call him Pain because I think that part of his soul died to create the monster. He might have been called Firtze before, but Pain is just as good a name I suppose. It’s probably more accurate than Firtze.”
Ynya shuddered as a thought came to her. “I hope that’s not how Finny thinks of herself.”
Ynya grabbed a roll and stuffed it into her pocket. She wasn’t sure why it felt so good to have a roll on her, but it did. Maybe it was the two months of living in the cold and sleeping on the ground that had gotten to her, but knowing she had another meal available in the future helped ease her worry now.
She glanced down the table at the two girls.
“What is it?”
Synol’s voice was strained as she tried to keep herself from bursting into tears. “I’ve seen her change to that beast before.”
Finny generally changed out of view of the camp, but a few times Ynya had been awake for it. She hadn’t known that Synol had seen it. “I thought you were asleep?”
Synol tucked a lock of Ynya’s hair behind her ear. “Sweet Ynya. I know you haven’t slept much these last few weeks. I don’t know what’s keeping you up at night, but you not sleeping means I wasn’t able to sleep myself.”
The terror that had gripped Ynya’s heart relaxed, replaced with a warm love toward her sister. “Don’t worry about me, let’s just get the girls out of here safely. That said, I’m curious what the Queen is planning. She indicated there wasn’t much time until she arrived at whatever this Feond is, which troubles me. Maybe whatever she’s working on will keep her distracted enough that we can find a way to escape.”
Synol nodded. “Let’s just take it one day at a time, then. We can’t exactly walk out the front door, so playing it safe is probably the better option. If she takes us to the Feond, then we might be able to slip away in the chaos of traveling, just like you and I did last time.”
Ynya frowned. “I don’t know that it will be easier this time. I’m sure they will chain me like they did last time, and not make the same mistake again. In fact, I’m surprised the Queen allows me to keep my magic.”
“It’s because she isn’t afraid of us.”
Ynya nodded. “I figured. She’s foolish, but I can’t complain too much. It’s nice not being so cold all the time. As long as we don’t rock the boat and follow all her directions, I think we’re in the clear. We just need to figure out what the Feond is, and where, so we can figure out how to escape.”
Finny spoke up. “The Feond is a spell that seals the Queen away in the Frozen North.”
The older sisters exchanged a look before glancing down the table at their younger sister.
“How do you know this?”
Finny frowned. “She told me. She told me that Pain and I will be an integral part of the plan.”
“She told you her plan?” Synol stood.
Finny shook her head, her eyes not leaving Meki. “All I know is that Pain and I will be part of it, as will you two, and Meki here.”
Meki’s eyes flinched at her name, but she focused on the food before her.
Ynya strode over to Meki’s chair and knelt down. “Meki, dear sister. Do you know anything about what the Queen is planning?”
An icy voice from behind them filled the room. “Why don’t you just ask me
yourself?”
Chapter Twenty
Ynya turned.
The Frost Queen stood a few paces into the doorway, with Captain Nora by her side. Both women held themselves with poise and forbearance, each bearing their own brand of condescension gracing their faces.
“Well, come. Sit and eat with me. I assume you have a lot of questions.”
The Queen took three steps forward and sat in her chair at the head of the table.
Ynya glanced at Synol, who grimaced and raised her eyebrows.
Ynya took her seat next to the Queen, followed by the rest of the girls.
The Queen picked up a chicken leg and narrowed her eyes at it. “I see you’ve spent most of your time talking rather than eating, but I suppose that is to be expected. Go on, if you have questions, ask them. Nora here will be happy to answer the easy ones while I eat. I daresay I am quite famished.”
She bit into the chicken. Juices from the meat squished, splashing the table.
“What is the Feond?” Ynya finally managed to get out, the meat juices distracting her.
Captain Nora took a step forward. “The Feond is a barrier created by the Queen’s father to trap her in the frozen north.”
Ynya glanced at Finny, whose somber expression hadn’t seemed to change at all with the Queen’s presence.
Synol spoke up, her face exhibiting a curiosity Ynya hadn’t seen in a while. “So there is a King?”
The Frost Queen stood and screamed. Icy frost pummeled everyone at the table.
Meki screamed as well, but it wasn’t a rage-filled scream like the Queen, it was the scream of a young girl being hurt for her magic.
Ynya felt the flow between the two, she could almost see it through the mist emanating from the Queen.
Ynya’s heart slowed, as she took in the scene. She watched everyone’s expressions go from nervousness to terror.
Then, it was over. The Queen panted, her hands on the table before her. She spoke with a biting anger. “He is no king of mine. He is nothing but a traitor to his race. He locked me away up here when my brother and I rebelled against him and his traitorous ways. My brother died saving my life. I have been left all alone up here, trying to figure out a way to get across the barrier.”
