by Kailin Gow
The Winter Queen said quickly. “As the Queen of Winter, I promise you Winter will aid Summer against the Pixies and the Dark Hordes of Feyland. Without this alliance, Feyland as we know it, will be destroyed!”
I nodded. “Queen to Queen, I trust your word. For the love of Kian, I must.”
I whistled, looking for Coral, the fastest horse in Feyland, but she did not come.
The Winter Queen whistled, and took my hand. “Another way for me to help you…there is a horse, my trusted beloved horse, Snowdrift, the one I rode into battle on. She is fast and strong. She will take you where you need to go.” Out in the forest, a large white horse ran out, galloping quickly over to us.
I had no time to protest. I mounted the horse, laying Kian over the saddle, and kicked my heels. The horse ran like the wind in a few gallops and then before I can blink, we were lifting up off the ground.
Down below, the Winter Queen raised her hand in a gesture of goodwill, then turned to head back to her knights. With a fierce neigh, the horse spread its wings and began to fly – fly high above Feyland. The Winter Queen had given me a Pegasus, a mythical horse with wings. For a second, I thought back to Gregory, Oregon and back to my mother Raine, who had painted a Pegasus years ago, whose image hung in my bedroom at home. Was this the same Pegasus that Raine had painted?
I looked down and gasped. The Summer and Winter Fey appeared to be fighting together. My heart leaped for a second, the Winter Queen had kept her word. But my heart grew heavy again as I saw far along the horizon hundreds, perhaps thousands of Pixies marching to join the fray.
Kian had once said that he thought his mother did not love him, that she believed love to be a weakness, that she would sacrifice him for the good of the kingdom. Now, as I carried Kian across the sky, I knew that it wasn't true. The Winter Queen had loved her son – enough to ally with the Pixies, enough to lie to get me away to the Mountains of Callum. She had loved him as strongly as I did.
Yet she'd never gotten a chance to tell him.
It was too late to return. I leaned my face into the wind and rode East, as commanded, towards the dawn.
Chapter 21
It was late. The stars twinkled overhead, set like diamonds in the black sky. I had left the Pegasus at the bottom of the mountain, and at sunset I had begun to make my way up the narrow path, worn down by footsteps. Kian weighed down on my back, and my shoulders ached and agonized with the tension. But I could not slow down. I could not stop. I had to keep going. I had to save Kian.
I had been climbing for hours now. My feet had blistered and bruised; my hands had grown callused. I had ascended the path and found myself in a place where there was no path, only the tangle of reeds and vines. I heard noises – the howling of wolves, the groaning of ogres – but there was no creature in sight. There was only me, and the mountain was filled with my loneliness.
At last it felt that I could not go on, that I was sure to give way. My feet were screaming out for release, and my shoulders were bent low beneath the weight of Kian's body. My eyes filled with tears. I couldn't fail Kian like this – I couldn't give up! Not after we'd suffered so much together, not after we'd fought so hard for this.
Please, I whispered. I love him. Help me – I love him.
As I collapsed to my knees, I caught sight of a tiny, glowing ball of light immediately before my eyes. At first I thought it was a hallucination, like a mirage in an oasis, but it grew closer to me, brighter and brighter until it touched my nose with a shimmer that tickled me, eliciting an involuntary laugh.
The light dipped further away, now – a playful sort of motion that I knew meant only one thing. Follow me.
The light gave me strength. It gave me courage. With a groan, I heaved Kian back onto my shoulders, and forced myself to my feet. There, in the tangled darkness, I followed the light, which darted about before my eyes. There was hope, I thought to myself. Somebody else knew I was here.
The light led me through the night, up by pools and waterfalls, through woods and then through hot and humid jungles until at last, as the dawn rose in the east, I found my feet at the top of the mountain. It was as the Winter Queen had said – the mountain so high it seemed to reach into the heights of the Summer Sun itself. The mountain came to a rocky point, and on that point there was an orb – barely the size of an antique glob – from which was glimmering an impossibly bright light, a light that stretched around me in all directions. We were in the heart of the sun, and everything was golden; everything was alive.
“Breena,” I caught sight of a woman standing by the orb. She was the most beautiful creature I had ever seen, a graceful woman – she could have been any age, for though her skin was fair and unmarked by wrinkles her hair was white, and her eyes impossibly wise – with translucent skin, surrounded by a white sheen. “I have heard of you. No fairies dare to find this place – but you were able to find it. What have you come for, my child?”
“I've come to heal him!” I laid down Kian's body before her. “My love, Kian.”
“Love,” the woman smiled. “That must be it. I knew there was something special about you...”
“Kian gave me this,” I showed her the snowflake pendant. “And in doing so he gave me his immortality. But I didn't know! I didn't want it! Now I want to give it back – I need to give it back, or else Kian...” I didn't want to believe it. I couldn't let myself say the words.
She took the pendant. “This is worthless,” she said, and before I could stop her she tossed it aside, letting it shatter on the rocks below.
“Wait, no!”
She gave me an enigmatic smile. “If your love Kian transmitted his immortality to you, he did not do it with a pendant. A great magic like that of death and life cannot be confined in such petty objects. It was his love for you, and nothing more, which allowed him to give up his immortality. The pendant was only a symbol of that love – a reminder. The true love is in your heart.”
“I don't understand,” I said.
“Kian loved you so much he was willing to give up his life, his immortality for you. This caused you to become immortal. If you wish to give it back to him, you must do the same thing.”
“But I do love Kian!”
“Enough to give up your life for him?” The woman raised an eyebrow sharply, and I knew what she wanted. I knew what must be done. My life for Kian's life. A fair trade. Giving back to him what he had given to me.
“The laws of magic are not always easy,” she said. “But they are always fair.” She looked at me. “But your heart has not always been undisturbed. There has been another.”
“Logan...” I whispered.
“Kian's heart and love were pure. But your heart is torn, divided. If you wish to restore your love, you must make the ultimate choice.”
As I looked down at Kian's face, still beautiful even in death, I knew that the choice had already been made. I cared for Logan, as I always would, but my feelings for Kian were greater still. What I felt for Logan was attraction; what I felt for Kian was true love. It was Kian I would die for. I had always loved him. I had always been part of him, and he had always been a part of me. My whole life I had dreamed about him, my fairy prince, my intended. I had painted portraits of his face before I even met him. I could communicate with him telepathically, my soul with his.
I only regretted that we would never share the life we had dreamed of.
“Yes,” I said at last. “I am willing.”
“Then it shall be done,” said the woman, coming closer.
“Only...” I took a deep breath. “Tell him – when he wakes up. Tell him not to forget about peace. Tell him he must live on – to make sure Feyland survives with us.” I took one final look at Kian's body, so smooth and still. I took a hesitant breath and said, trying to keep my emotions steady, “Tell him that I will always love him, had always loved him. And please do not be sad when I am gone. He will be a great king one day, and the love he had for me will aid him, not hinder him.” I press
ed my lips to his forehead. “Goodbye, my love,” I said.
“Come,” said the woman. She led me to the edge of the mountain, where a precipice jutted out. I looked down and for a moment, terror gripped me, as I saw the great heights to the bottom – the endless drop from the center of the sun to the depths of the earth. I had always been afraid of heights – now I will die from it. I closed my eyes, said a prayer, and looked up again. “I am ready,” I said.
“Very well.” The woman laid her hands upon my head, and instantly I felt the full force of her magic rush through me – a magic greater and more powerful than any I had ever known, filled with the primal force of the ancient ways, the magic older than that of Fey or pixie, older than Feyland itself the great magic that was at the root of all things. A cloud of white surrounded me.
I felt a sudden jerk backwards and I opened my eyes. The white glow had disappeared and I was alone, my back arched, falling backwards, my body plunging faster and faster down the mountainside, into the abyss.
Epilogue
I could feel myself falling, and my lips and tongue grew numb with terror – but the terror faded. I felt rather as if I were slipping into a dream, into a peaceful mist, where the troubles of war could no longer reach me. I was safe. I was secure. I was free. I thought of my mother, painting in her overalls, and of my father sleeping on his pile of furs, of Shasta and Rodney, who had loved each other so much they were willing to die – or to kill. I thought of Logan, and his last, sad kiss, and of the love I could not give him, and of Kian, who held my love in the palm of his hands.
I closed my eyes. I wanted that image of Kian, pure and perfect; to be the last thing I saw when I hit the ground.
And then I stopped moving. I felt my body rage against gravity, rage against the certainty of its own death. I felt a pain erupt from my back, and then I wasn't falling anymore. I was moving upwards – higher and higher until I was high above the very sun itself.
What was happening to me?
And then I saw, reflected on the mountainside, two great, broad shadows on either side of my body, moving back and forth in perfect rhythm with my heartbeats.
Wings.
***********************************
Breena, Kian, and Logan’s story continues in
Book 5 of The Frost Series
Midnight Frost
Fall 2011
Sneak Preview of the New Dystopian Series
DESIRE
Book 1
kailin gow
Prologue
Perfection. That was how best to described the day. Blue skies with the hint of lilac and buttercream, fat fluffy white clouds gliding by added to the beautiful day. It was the perfect way to end a sunny school day. With my hand nestled warmly in Liam’s, I walked at his side, my face tilted up to the sun, my nostrils breathing in the fresh air that smelled like Spring lavenders and fresh linen. The fragrant air made me think of Spring formals, garden parties, and outdoor barbeques. The day could not be more enjoyable if it’d been planned that way. If I had not grown up anywhere else besides the state of Arcadia, I would have thought this was the way it always was everywhere.
School had gone well, tests and exams had been passed with flying colors and the birds seemed to be singing perfectly. Like every day in Arcadia.
As we approached Nellie’s Diner, I caught a glimpse of myself in a store window and was pleased with the reflection I saw. My long blonde hair cascaded down my back, freshly brushed and tidy. The lustrous locks fluttered in the breeze in a way that always made Liam smile, and it all added a bounce to my step.
That morning I’d chosen to wear my pale green smock dress, the one that he always complimented me on.
“That dress sure does make those hazel eyes of yours pop,” he’d always say.
Always told I was a pretty girl, I never really believed it until Liam and I began dating in high school. At his side I felt beautiful. Was it his striking features that enhanced my sense of beauty or was it simply the look of adoration I saw in his eyes every time he looked at me that made me feel so beautiful?
“How’d you do on your math test?” he asked.
Though I’d always managed to get good grades, I never failed to get nervous and edgy when test time came around. “I think it went well,” I said, smiling at him and adoring him all the more for the concern he always showed for me and my studies.
“I think I pretty much aced that History exam this morning,” he said with pride.
He was so handsome, his fair curls so angelic. It never failed to amaze me how sweet, kind and generous he could be. A guy as handsome as Liam could easily break a thousand hearts, yet he was thoughtful and considerate in the way he treated every woman he met, and he was particularly attentive, loving and caring with me.
“Maybe my Life’s Plan should have been to become a history professor,” he added as he opened the door to the diner, his bright blue eyes twinkling with laughter and amusement.
I shared his hope and promise, and questioned what my own Life’s Plan would be. With my eighteenth birthday quickly approaching, I would know all too soon. It was as though I had been waiting all my life to find out what my Life Plan would be. All of us under the age of eighteen waited with anxiety and anticipation to find out what our Life’s Plan held: our profession, who we would marry, where we would live, and how many children we would have. It would all be written in our Life’s Plan.
“Kama! Liam,” Sarah called from across the crowded diner. “Hey, you love birds, over here.”
I couldn’t count the number of eyes that watched us as we made our way to our table. We’d been voted the best-looking couple in school for two years, and some even said we were the most attractive couple in town. Some claimed I had pale violet highlights that shined in the bright summer sun, though I can’t say I ever really noticed them myself. Some even hinted at the added degree of elegant glamour my recently fashioned bangs gave me. Others were envious of what they call my porcelain skin.
It was all flattering, but it was also incredibly embarrassing. I felt scrutinized and watched all the time. Added to this was the expectation that Liam and I would soon marry. The thought both pleased and pressured me. I’d known Liam since I could remember, but the pressure to marry was sometimes difficult to swallow. I wanted to do this on my own terms, not by everyone’s expectations.
“After you.” Liam gestured to the booth.
“Have you been waiting long?” I asked Sarah as I slid in.
“Just long enough to down one of these.” She held up a tall, long glass of soda then turned to Liam. “You know, I was thinking, next week we could do the party down by the lake if the weather holds up.”
“I’m famished. Have you ordered yet?”
“Two mini burgers with coleslaw and a mammoth burger with fries for Liam.”
“Thanks,” Liam said, obviously anticipating the great meal to come.
“So, what do you think? Sarah asked him.
“I had thought about that, too. Streamers on the trees, flowers everywhere, and maybe even a live band? Or we could do something elegant and classy at my place. The grounds are beautiful this time of year with everything in bloom.”
“I think she would really love that.”
“I just love how you guys go about planning my birthday party as if I wasn’t even there.”
“It’s as close to a surprise party as we can get. You always guess what we’re up to anyway.” Sarah pointed her straw at me for emphasis.
“But the night of my birthday is the same as the Arcades last game of the season.”
“That’s if they make it to the finals.” Liam seemed unconcerned with the turn out of the evening.
“They always make it,” Sarah added.
“Even if they do, everybody’s going to want to come celebrate Kama’s birthday.”
It was just like Liam to be so optimistic. I suddenly thought of the secret wedding plans I’d conjured up for us. As annoying as the pressure to m
arry could sometimes be, the thought that marrying Liam might not be in my Life’s Plan often scared me to death.
“That’s pushing it a bit, don’t you think?” I knew I was popular at school, but for the student body to skip the Arcades’ victory party for my eighteenth birthday wasn’t likely to happen.
“Look,” Sarah said with finality. “The game is at two, will probably end before five, everyone will celebrate ‘til seven and then they can all slide on over to our party for eight. Voila. It’s all settled and everyone is happy.”
I tried to concentrate on what she was saying, but I felt every sense in my body awaken to something I’d never felt before. It was electric, almost painful. Was this what closing in on my eighteenth birthday felt like?
No, it was more than just that. I stared out the window, looking for the source of my sudden distraction. The feeling intensified until the conversation between Sarah and Liam was completely blotted out and all that existed was that odd sensation.
“Kama, did you hear what I said?”
I pulled my gaze away with difficulty and concentrated on Sarah who wove a lilac colored sheet of paper at me
I knew what it meant and instantly felt that jolt of envy. Having turned eighteen a few weeks back, she’d finally received her Life’s Plan.
“I finally got word from the Committee. Can you believe it? I hold in my hand my Life’s Plan.”
“And you managed to hold that bit of information back this long?” I said, teasing her.
“I love you and want this birthday to be special for you, but now that everything is practically settled, we can talk about moi.”
“So, what does the future hold for toi?”
