Wings of Frost

by J. D. Monroe

  He approached Devi. Her face was flushed, but she appeared unhurt. “Are you all right?”

  Her gray eyes were narrowed in anger. “I’m fine. What’s going on out there?”

  “We’re not sure,” Velati said. “Where are the other healers?”

  “Two are resting,” she said. “Sumenda is in the back to keep Kohra calm. She’s afraid they’ll take her. I’m assuming this is the Chosen.”

  “We won’t let that happen,” Velati said. He raised an eyebrow. “Can you really stop someone’s heart?”

  “Hell no,” Devi said. “But she believed it.”

  “Nicely done,” he said. “We’ve got your back. Stay here.” With Marlena in tow, he hurried back to the double doors and closed them. “We keep this place locked down until it’s over, or we get different orders. Got it?” She nodded. He braced his hands against the doors, releasing a wave of ice to seal them and slow down anyone who tried to get through.

  Lightning flashed in the dark cloud of smoke billowing toward the throne room. A pair of men in black emerged from the smoke. One had a gun leaning against his shoulder, while the other wielded fists wreathed in flame. The distorted voice rang out once more, like someone had hijacked the speaker system. “Give us what is rightfully ours, and this can end,” he said. “Send out Marlena Nightrunner, and we’ll leave.”

  Marlena stared at him in horror. “I told you. This is about me. This is my fault.”

  “And I told you that I’m not letting go of you. I will fight for you.” She caressed the back of his neck gently, then tilted her head up for a kiss. This was hardly the time, though the realization didn’t stop him from opening to her, tasting the sweetness on her lips. Then her hand tangled painfully tight in his hair, and he realized what she was doing. “No,” he said, trying to twist away from her. Her green gaze slammed into him with the force of a punch. He instinctively reached for the amulet, only to find his chest bare. “Don’t!”

  “Let me go.” Her voice echoed in his head, vibrating down into his bones. “Stay here. Protect your people. Let me walk away.”

  Desperation welled up in his chest as he tried to break her hold on him. Her gaze was like a cage, and he couldn’t tear his eyes away. “Marlena, don’t do this to me, I’m begging you. I trusted you.”

  Her eyes glistened. “I know you did, and I’m so sorry. But I can’t let anyone else get hurt because of me. This ends now.”

  “No. Stay with me. Let me fight for you,” he pleaded, grabbing her slender arms and squeezing tight. His head was filled with the hot, prickling sensation of her power, stinging his eyes and stabbing down his throat.

  “I’ll be all right. Let me go.” At the firm command, his muscles went loose and rubbery. She extricated herself from his grip and walked away without even looking back.

  Come on! He took two lurching steps after her. But his mind took over. That’s not what she said to do. And that simple thought shut him down, took all the strength from his muscles. He had his orders.

  “Marlena!” he bellowed. No response.

  He watched in horror as Marlena raised her hands in a sign of submission. Through the roaring of blood in his ears, he heard her speak quietly. “I’ll go with you. Please don’t hurt anyone else.” The man with the flaming hands grabbed her roughly, yanking her hair back to expose her throat. The other stabbed a needle into her neck, and she went limp, falling into their arms.

  “No!” he bellowed, still rooted to the ground.

  They looked back at him, then turned away, taking Marlena with them. A gruff male voice said, “We have the package. Move out.”

  Rage boiled over in him as he fought against her commands, trying desperately to get his legs to move toward her. Stay here. Protect your people. The two men dragged her around a corner, and she was gone. He tried again to run after her, but made it only two steps before he stopped, hearing her voice echo in his head. How was she that strong?

  Behind him, the double doors rattled. Devi’s voice was muffled through the ice. “Rimewing! Let me out! They need me in the queen’s chambers.” He whirled and shattered the ice, freeing the doors. The frantic woman ran out with a bag over her shoulder. Her face was distraught. “Someone managed to call my phone,” she said. “People are hurt.”

  “What about your patients?”

  “Sumenda’s here. The queen takes priority,” Devi said.

  “I’ll get you there,” he said. “Come on.”

  “Where’s Marlena?” she asked. He ignored the question, pulling a blade of ice into each hand. Two guards lay dead at the open doors to the throne room. A human in tactical gear lay between them, his head turned around entirely.

  Splatters of blood formed a gory trail down the center of the throne room. At the back, where a narrow hallway led to the queen’s gathering room and then to her quarters, two Kadirai lay dead, their nude bodies speared with silver-coated blades. Nearby were the corpses of two mangled intruders, with a third coughing violently.

  This happened on my watch, he thought, horror-struck. Velati knelt over the living one, putting out one arm to bar Devi from getting closer. “Why are you doing this?”

  “We’re reaping the harvest,” he said through bloody lips. His chest was caved in, and the left side of his body was charred by flame.

  “Some sooner than others,” he said. With a savage shout, he gripped the yielding cartilage in the man’s throat and ripped it out, leaving him shuddering in silence through his final moments.

  More bloody footprints weaved down the hallway past the queen’s private sitting room. Past the door, a set of narrow stairs led up to her bedchamber. Velati took the stairs two at a time and froze at the landing. A slim black cane was discarded on the stone, amidst a pool of blood dripping over the stair.

  Adrenaline surged through him as he sprinted to the top. The large double doors to the queen’s chambers were open. Another body lay there in the open door. It was Rosak’s assistant, Piryne. Her throat was slit, her dark eyes wide and unblinking.

  The smell of blood and gunpowder battered him. Still in her orange nightgown, the queen sobbed as she held a bundled sheet to her husband’s still form. The white fabric was soaked through with blood. She raised a hand, wreathed in flame.

  “It’s me,” he said, showing his hands. “It’s okay.”

  She just let out a keening wail. Her eyes drifted to the floor, and Velati followed it to see an impossible sight. Sohan lay on the stone floor, hands pressed to his belly. Blood spread in a pool around him.

  Devi Mara stood in the doorway, eyes flitting between the two wounded men. With a look of anguish on her face, she ran to the queen’s bed, practically pouncing on the bed to get her hands on the king.

  Velati’s heart froze as he dropped to his knees next to Sohan. “No,” he murmured. “Hey, you’re fine. Come on, I’ve got you.” He slid his arms under Sohan’s back to lift him, to carry him to safety, but his friend let out a sharp cry of pain that twisted a knife into Velati’s chest. Blood sprayed over his lips. No, no, this was bad. This was death on the battlefield bad.

  “It’s okay,” Sohan murmured. He smiled weakly. “You made it.”

  “I should have been here with you, I should have—”

  “I told you where to be. Even you can’t be everywhere at once.” His hand fumbled at Velati’s shoulder, like he was searching. Velati grabbed his hand and squeezed hard, like he could keep the blood in his veins if he only held on tight enough. His friend’s grasp was weak and cold.

  “Devi, please!” he said, his voice cracking.

  “Don’t waste her energy,” Sohan said.

  “Just hold on. You’ll be fine. She’s the best,” Velati said. Blood gurgled deep in Sohan’s chest. His black shirt was punctured, one in the center of his sternum and two more down low, targeting the delicate organs. “Devi!” Warm light pulsed around her. Her face was creased with the strain of healing Eberand.

  “It’s okay, brother,” Sohan said.

/>   “Fuck,” he murmured. “You can’t do this to me. What happened?”

  “Everything’s gone to shit,” Sohan said. He laughed, then groaned in pain. “Should have known that skinny bitch was dirty. She didn’t want us questioning anyone. Now I know why. At least I took her with me.” Velati stared back in horror at Piryne’s corpse. She was Rosak’s right hand, and she’d killed the best of them.

  “You have to finish!” the queen protested.

  “He’s stable!” Devi snapped. She dove from the bed and crumpled to her knees next to Sohan. Her slender hands pressed to his face, then to his chest. Her eyes glinted with light as she inspected him, but she was shaking her head even before she spoke. “I’m going to try.” The familiar light of healing surrounded her, and Sohan’s body arched into her touch.

  He’d be fine. Devi would fix it. She fixed Marlena. She could save him.

  The glow faltered, and Devi drew a shuddering gasp. Sweat trickled from her brow. The pained look on her face said everything. “It’s too much,” she whispered, barely audible.

  “Sister, go tend to the king. Make sure our queen doesn’t lose anything else,” Sohan said calmly. “Sometimes you have to know when you’re fighting a losing battle.”

  “I can try again,” she said. “I’m not quitting on you.”

  “That’s an order,” Sohan said. “Go now. You have my thanks and my blessing.”

  “Yes, kordari,” she said, tears streaming down her cheeks. She kissed his forehead and let out a hitching sob as she rose and returned to the king.

  “The fuck is wrong with you?” Velati stammered. “I’ll get someone else.”

  “It’s okay,” Sohan said. “Tell Kaldirah I love her. The same now as always. And I love you, brother.”

  “Don’t be so dramatic,” Velati said, trying to hold on to the last shred of hope. “You’re gonna be fine.”

  “Don’t bullshit me,” Sohan said. “When you see the others, tell them I kept my oath until the end. You tell them that.” His gaze was unfaltering.

  “I will.” With that simple promise, Velati accepted the inevitable.

  Sohan clutched Velati’s hand tight as his spine arched off the stone. “It’ll be okay. I’m going to fly again, brother.” Despite his calm words, pain and fear etched his handsome face. “Just don’t leave me. Send me home.”

  Velati pressed his forehead to Sohan’s as he prayed, the way his mother had taught him when he was a boy. It took every bit of willpower he had to move his lips, to summon words from a throat that wanted to close off. “Blessed Skymother, hear my plea. Prepare your halls for one of your faithful. Set your sights on the horizon and watch for his coming.” The faintest hint of breath tickled his cheek as Sohan murmured the prayer with him. “Lay out a feast and sound the triumphant call as he enters your halls. Welcome him with rejoicing, and when he stands before your holy gaze, see that his heart was pure, his deeds honorable, and his soul eternal. Blessed Skymother…”

  The tight grasp on his hand loosened. There was only silence in that proud chest. With dread washing over him, Velati stared down at his oldest friend, his mentor, his brother. He wanted to take comfort in the thought of the great Shadowbane soaring through the skies once more, his great black wings cutting a shadow across the afternoon sun as he followed that final path home, but there was no comfort. No peace.

  His voice trembled uncontrollably as he kept his promise. “Blessed Skymother, embrace your beloved child and give him rest in the light of your gaze. Let him sleep in peace, knowing that he has served you well and that your favor ever rests upon him.” The final words fell out of him in a cry of anguish.

  There was nothing left for them to take.

  When Marlena awoke, she instinctively rolled over, eager for the sight of that familiar face, thick lashes fluttering faintly as he breathed evenly. But her body didn’t respond. She opened her eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling, stark white. The cool air reeked of disinfectant chemicals.

  She tried to sit up but got nowhere. Thick straps secured her to a cold surface, like the dragons in Henderson. “No,” she murmured. Panic swelled up in her. Her head swam in a frantic blur. The last thing she remembered was—

  The attack. Choking smoke in the air. Gunfire and screams of pain. And the utter betrayal in Velati’s eyes as she broke her promise and violated his will. Her stomach lurched. The spark of her power was distant, and she twisted her wrists to find the metal cuffs that had limited her before. She let out a shout of frustration and pulled in vain against the merciless bindings.

  A familiar voice spoke. “Now, now,” he said. Ice trickled down her spine. Looming in her peripheral vision was a distinguished older man in a tailored black suit. A red pocket square with two fang-like points emerged from the breast pocket. “You’ll hurt yourself, Marlena.”

  Master Sidran.

  Her heart stopped. He was the mastermind behind it all, the one she’d betrayed. He looked concerned, which was somehow even more frightening than finding anger on his face.

  “This is a misunderstanding,” she said. Her tongue felt thick and heavy. “I was gathering information for you.” Tubes extended from her arms to a large pump mounted on a pole. Several large bags hung on the pole, filled with blood. Why were they taking from her?

  He shook his head, dark eyes creasing gently. “No more tricks,” he said. “I know they seduced you.”

  “No,” she protested.

  A warm hand covered her mouth gently. “Don’t play me for a fool,” he said, leaning close enough that she could smell the cool mint on his breath. Don’t panic. She focused on breathing through her nose. “Despite your foolish attempt to deny your destiny, this will work out fine. Even the rebellious can be forgiven by Vystus. Your repentance will be to serve the Chosen.”

  A muffled sound of protest escaped her. Raising his eyebrows, he moved his hand. “Just kill me,” she said.

  His expression was shocked, like she’d offended him with the suggestion. “Why would I kill you? After all the work I’ve put into you, that would be such a waste.”

  “I’m not going to hurt people for you,” she said. “I know what you’ve been doing to innocent people. All you want is power.”

  “Everything I’ve done has been for the greater good.”

  All her fear of facing him had suddenly come to fruition. She’d thought it would be difficult to face him and acknowledge her betrayal, but it was easier than she’d imagined. She was exhausted and afraid, but she wasn’t ashamed of betraying them. It was the single greatest thing she’d ever done.

  “Fuck your greater good,” she said. His gentle expression sharpened. She fixed her gaze on him, reaching for the tendrils of his mind. “Let me go.” But her power slid over him, finding no purchase. He wore an amulet. Of course he did.

  “Oh, sweet girl.” He gently stroked her brow. The overly intimate touch would have been comforting once upon a time, a symbol of his approval and feigned affection. Now it made her skin crawl. “We’ll finish you up, and once you transform, none of this will matter. I will burn the rebellion out of you. Soon there will only be an empty vessel for the will of Vystus. You will serve and it will please you to do it.”

  Consciousness came and went as the machine drew blood from her. The slow, rhythmic clicking of the pumps grated her nerves until she wanted to scream. Her body was cold, with uncontrollable shivers rocking through her. She gave up pulling against the restraints, instead closing her eyes as she tried to center herself.

  He’ll come for you.

  Except that she’d told him to let her go. She’d given him no choice in the matter. That was the whole point, wasn’t it?

  She should have known they wouldn’t just walk her in the front door. They wouldn’t risk her slipping away again. But in the moment, she hadn’t thought past her desperation to stop the assault on Skyward Rest. If they’d told her to kneel and take a bullet right then, she’d have done it. If it would stop the screams, if it would mean that Vela
ti was safe, then she would have given everything.

  A shrill beep pierced the dull haze in her mind. Something jostled her arm, and she managed to turn her head enough to see a young woman in red scrubs fiddling with the tubes taped to the crook of her elbow. “Stop the pump,” she said. She carefully hung two large bags of glowing purple liquid on the IV pole, then attached the tubing to the lines already in her arm.

  “No more,” Marlena murmured. Her body didn’t seem to be under her control anymore, her limbs heavy and useless. The woman ignored her, pressing a series of buttons that elicited a whirring noise from the pump.

  “Start the infusion,” a familiar female voice said. Marlena strained her neck to look down. Catrina stood at the end of the bed, arms folded over her chest. Her sharp features were fixed in a scowl.

  With a rhythmic series of beeps, purple liquid surged through the tubing toward her skin. “Don’t,” Marlena pleaded, watching it crawl through the clear channel, closer and closer.

  When the elixir entered her bloodstream, a thousand teeth bit into her veins at once. She groaned, clamping her lips together as the caustic liquid burned into her. Biting insects crawled through her veins, up her arm, across her chest, and into her organs. Her breath hitched, but she held back. Don’t you dare fucking cry in front of her.

  “You can go,” Catrina said. The nurse left them alone. Marlena’s heart pounded as Catrina bent over her, filling her limited vision. “How could you do this to me?” She grasped Marlena’s face, squeezing her jaw painfully tight. “How could you make such a fool of me? I treated you like a daughter. I chose you.”

  She couldn’t form words, not with the excruciating burn of elixir flowing through her. It took every ounce of strength she had to breathe. Every time before, she’d been given a small injection right before the marks were done. That had been painful enough, but this was a hundred times as much. And now she knew what it was; this was the life of innocents, condensed into this glowing, burning liquid.