The Frozen Beginning (Elemental Diamond Book 1)

by Daphne Robynson

  There are audible gasps and flashing pauses, before everything erupts into louder shouting and seemingly brighter flickers.

  Fighting against her natural instinct to tuck her head down and hurry into the building, Glacier patiently walks at Brink’s pace.

  He walks down the carpet with a confident stride, occasionally stopping to take photos at his pleasure. Glacier’s eyes follow what she compares to a nucleus of the three elementals, which floats above their head. Like she is seeing it for the first time, the spinning wheel of earth entrances her.

  She watches the circling dirt with extreme fascination, as she wonders how the dirt is spinning in the air. The calls of the press fall upon uninterested ears as Glacier’s focus remains on the dirt. It isn’t until Brink is tugging her in the direction of the building that she tears her eyes away.

  Once they are inside the building, Glacier hands begin to sweat profoundly and her heart races with dread.

  I don’t want my team to see me with him.

  As they continue walking with their arms linked, Glacier tries to pry her hand from his grasp. When he notices what she is trying to do, he holds tighter. Brink looks down at her in annoyance, his lips tight.

  “Stop. We are entering together. You are my date, so behave like it.” His persistence irks her, but she says nothing.

  Why do I even care if he does something to someone else on my team? It’s not like they like me anyways…

  But Glacier already knows that isn’t who she is. She knows that she would protect a stranger if the situation arose.

  Gritting her teeth in anger, she continues into the room with her arm laced with Brink’s. Her dress flows around her ankles like a soft curtain blowing in the breeze. The dress is beautiful, something Glacier’s father would have loved to see her wear. Hot tears gather in her eyes at the lost feeling that settles in her chest. She turns her head so Brink doesn’t see her tears.

  Once they finally enter the ballroom, the pair slowly descends the stairs. The loud murmurs echoing around the room hush, as everyone watches in astonishment.

  Glacier keeps her head low, watching her toes peep out past her hem with every step. Once they reach the bottom of the steps, Brink whispers in her ear, “I’ll be coming for a dance after dinner. Make sure you aren’t preoccupied.”

  His words are assertive and firm. Glacier glances at him furiously.

  He is enjoying this far too much.

  She is about to tell him where to stick his demands when he suddenly releases her from his strong hold, and waltzes away. The crowd parts for him like splitting earth, watching the two unique elementals acutely.

  The music continues to play gently in the background as the onlookers start to shift away from Glacier’s stiff form. Many of them mutter to one another, their eyes occasionally returning to where the ice elemental stands uncomfortably.

  After deciding that sitting in her seat for the rest of the night is probably her best option, Glacier heads in the direction of her team’s table. When she reaches it, she finds three of her teammates talking quietly to one another, their stances tense. It is Branch who is first to notice her approach.

  He immediately stops the conversation that he, Aleena and Tric were having before she appeared. Branch’s eyes are heavy with a loathing that pierces her heart like a dagger.

  Not him… He was the only one who was nice to me…

  “What the bloody hell are you doing here with him?” Branch demands furiously, his blue eyes burning hot with rage.

  His nostrils flare wildly and his fists are clenched tight at his sides. Glacier doesn’t move as her eyes flicker between her few teammates. Tric has the same look and stance as Branch, whereas Aleena is wearing smug smile.

  Glacier’s immediate thought is to tell them the truth. That Brink blackmailed her into attending the gala as his date. That he threatened to seriously injure one of them if she didn’t. But then Brink’s words in the Hover float through her mind, silencing her.

  ‘Do not say a word to anyone about why you have accompanied me tonight, Glacie. I will know if you do …’

  Instead, she shrugs her shoulders carelessly, a blank expression on her face, “Because he asked me.”

  It isn’t a lie.

  Branch has a look of pure betrayal, before it is masked by a disgusted sneer. “He asked you? And after what he did to Neena today, you said yes?” His tone is angrier than she thought he seemed.

  An outsider would think he is containing his rage well, but from the side of her eye Glacier notices the glasses of water that shake as the liquid splashes violently against the crystal.

  She takes a cautious step back, her eyes wide with panic. Her heart begins to beat frantically as she is suddenly thrown back in time to her darkest days.

  The memory of water filling her lungs and suffocating her of oxygen and dignity becomes her freshest fear. Her eyes cloud with thick tears, reminding her of the blurriness of the water encompassing her head completely like a helmet.

  “Leave me alone…” she whispers, her eyes glazing over as she looks at nothing in particular. The overwhelming surge of anxiety surges through Glacier’s veins as she tries to take deep, calming breaths.

  Don’t think about it. It’s not happening. You’re safe. Branch wouldn’t do that to you… He wouldn’t…

  Her breathing becomes erratic as she begins to doubt her trust in her teammate. Branch doesn’t seem to care about her internal battle with her youthful traumas. Instead, he storms off in another direction away from her, his shoulders hunched and his face angry. The water in the glass goblets stopped at his departure, slowing to a settling sway.

  Glacier manages to control her breathing, quickly retreating to the bathroom at the back of the room. Once she locks the door behind her, she sinks to the ground and rests her face in her hands. And then she lets everything out.

  Everything.

  Mr Michaels’ death. Her father’s death. Castor’s imprisonment. Mills’ disappearance. The blackmail. Electrocuted at every opportunity. Care’s death. Alue’s death. Neena’s death. Her team’s hatred. Fielder.

  She sobs for what feels like hours, but strangely no tears fall. Just dry, gut wrenching sobs leave her. Her shoulders shack and her mind turns to sludge as she finally tries to control herself. Her sobs become powerful hiccups that jerk at her chest, and her head pounds from the heavy cries.

  Get it together. You still have a Program and the Deliverance to win. Don’t lose it now, Glace.

  Sluggishly climbing to her feet, Glacier makes her way over to the mirror above the sink. Her appearance seems to look the same, apart from her slightly creased makeup. The scar on her forehead seems to have healed nicely, but still gives a harsh appearance to her young face. Still hiccupping every few seconds, Glacier takes a few breaths in-between.

  Go out there and pretend nothing happened. Pretend that nothing is different. Nothing has changed.

  She relaxes her shoulders before finally unlocking the door and exiting the bathroom. Immediately Glacier hears loud music sounding in the room, she knows she has missed the dinner.

  I’ll just order in at the hotel…

  She slowly walks around the room, scoping for any of her teammates as she goes. The last thing she wants is another sour encounter with her team. She accidently walks into someone as she is looking around, and immediately turns to apologize. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going…”

  A blonde wearing a beautiful emerald green dress, laced and strapless with a heart shape corset turns to the girl who stumbles into her. Her eyes light up with apprehension as she watches her curiously.

  She smiles kindly, despite her caution, “Don’t worry about it. No harm done.” Bronze’s straight teeth gleam a brilliant white, her green eyes sparkling.

  “You did amazing in the Harvest today, Glacier. Your element is absolutely spectacular. I wish I could do something as spectacular as that.”

 
; Bronze’s words are complimenting, stunning Glacier with her kindness. Glacier reflects on Bronze’s behaviour throughout the competition, and cannot remember a single rude or condescending moment shared between them.

  She has been supportive, kind, honest, and unbiased. Despite Glacier besting Isaac, Gamble and Bronze herself, the earth elemental does not seem ill-willed or angry. Instead, she seems impressed, and on some odd level, jealous.

  For the first time this evening, Glacier feels like there is someone who doesn’t despise her.

  Her eyes swell with the tears she could not shed earlier, and her heart beats with pride for herself, something she has never felt before.

  “Thank you,” she manages to croak out, as her throat fills with emotion.

  Bronze seems surprised by her emotive state, but smiles at her encouragingly. She gently rests her hand on Glacier’s shoulder, unflinching when she feels her cold skin.

  “Stop hating yourself for what you can't control.”

  Bronze gives her a knowing look that has Glacier spluttering for a reply.

  “Isaac told me what you said in the Seeding. And after today’s battle, I understand what he meant.” Bronze gives her shoulder a delicate squeeze, eyes sparkling with support, “You can't control it at all, can you?”

  And with those words, Glacier’s defence rises. Her eyes widen to saucers, and her mouth gapes like a fish. Without giving Bronze any farewell, Glacier bolts in the other direction, heading towards the stage. Once she is a safe distance from the earth elemental, she takes a deep breath to calm her nerves.

  No one can know. No one can know!

  The sound of a throat clearing has Glacier immediately glancing up to the stage, where she finds Hampton waiting for the audience to settle.

  “Fellow elementals, as the speaker of the second to last gala for this tri-annual tournament, I would like to announce that the time for Harvest Winner’s Dance has come. The three winners of this year’s Harvest battles please step forward with your dance partner.”

  Glacier momentarily freaks out as she looks around the crowd with fright.

  What dance? They have a dance for the winners?

  All of a sudden Glacier’s hand is captured, but one with hot skin and large fingers. “There you are, my lovely date. If you didn’t hear, we have a dance in which we must participate.” His smile is sly, and his hand is burning hot as it holds hers tightly.

  Without a moment’s hesitation, he drags her to the centre of the dance floor where Aleena is already waiting, with an unfamiliar boy in a green shirt at her side. The instant the two of them are standing at the centre of the room, the soft music begins to play.

  Soft gasps are heard around the crowd that has gathered to surround the dance floor. Brink wraps his warm arm around her waist, and with his free hand he holds hers shoulder level. Glacier stands at the very least, 10 centimetres below his shoulder, so he keeps their hands to her shoulder height.

  As the music guides him, Brink moves the two of them around the floor gracefully. Glacier falls into step, dancing with ease, but still distracted. “I still don’t understand why you asked me to accompany you tonight? What do you have to gain from this, Brink?” His evil grin widens at her question. With that smile, she realizes that he has been waiting for her to ask it all night.

  “I was wondering when you would finally ask. And to be honest, you won’t like the answer.” Glacier tenses as his remark, but she continues to move across the floor without much assistance.

  “I don’t like anything you say or do. How would this be any different?” Her words are vicious, and her heart beats as fast as a bee’s wings.

  Brink looks around the room for a second before his eyes rest on something behind Glacier. As they move gracefully around Aleena and her partner, Brink discreetly nods his head in the direction he is looking,

  “Look at his sad, pathetic face…” Glacier turns at his words, and finds the dejected orange eyes that belong to the boy whose heart she had broken only a few nights earlier. Fielder’s face holds a large level of anger, but the betrayal burns brighter in his eyes.

  Brink pulls Glacier tighter as he spins the two of them around. “He is why I asked you.”

  Now confused by his words, Glacier turns back to face Brink with angry and frustrated eyes, “What is that supposed to mean, exactly? Stop speaking in riddles!” Her tone is monitored as she glares at the lava elemental crossly.

  Why is nothing easy with him?

  Brink seems momentarily thrown off by her abruptness, but quickly cools his features. “Farmer has been giving you the sappy love-sick eyes since the introductions, and it has been bugging me. Why not mess around with the guy a little bit?”

  Glacier gapes at the boy guiding her around the dance floor effortlessly, shocked by his hurtful intentions.

  He’s doing this to spite his own teammate? And why does he call him Farmer? Fielder isn’t a hard name to remember.

  She shakes her head to clear her racing mind, “Why? Why would you do that? What do you have to gain?” The song drawls to an end, and their dancing feet slow to an almost immobile stance. Brink gazes down at the small girl, his eyes continuing to gleam with mischief and trouble,

  “Because, Glacie, I love that I can do whatever I like. And what is better than another guy getting the girl?”

  Disgusted by his words, Glacier barely refrains herself from hissing at him like a wild cat.

  She blanches back, deeply offended by his words, “You did not get the girl! You have absolutely no idea how much I despise you.” His lips quirk up despite her venomous words, seemingly unfazed by her opinion of him.

  “It doesn’t matter how much you despise me. All that matters to me is that you are here tonight, with me. That you are dancing, with me.”

  The song finally ends, and Brink presses a light kiss to his dance partner’s forehead, “Thank you for the dance, Glacie. I will be seeing you tomorrow at the arena for the first and final Program.”

  And with that, he waltzes away in the direction of the entrance. Glacier stands at the centre of the dance floor as the audience surrounding them in a circle applauds. Glacier’s mind rings with his words as she is left staring after him in shock.

  ‘…All that matters to me is that you are here with me…’

  Glacier quickly spins around in search of Fielder, but is meet with his retreating form as he heads towards the back exit. Torn between leaving him to walk out and following after him to explain herself, she watches with an aching heart. Glacier remembers back to the other night when she told him to never speak to her again, and her chest continues to constrict.

  Don’t be soft now. You wanted this distance. You told him you didn’t want him around…

  Glacier holds her breath as she turns in the opposite direction to Fielder, and walks away.

  Two more days… Two more days, and then Castor is free.

  Two more days, and then I am done with this horrible nightmare.

  TWENTY

  THE LABYRINTH

  The arena is different this time.

  Instead of a tunnel that leads to the ring below ground, it directs them to the glass above the arena, where fifteen long operation-style chairs are perched in a circle formation, facing out towards the audience. Momentarily freaked by the strange chair set up, Glacier pauses. She closes her eyes as she tries to pep talk herself into moving.

  It’s just a Program. It’s only in the mind. It will only be a few minutes…

  Opening her eyes, she wills herself to keep moving, her eyes trained to the floor as she nears the seats. Beside every chair is a small hovering tray with a thin headpiece on top. The silver headpiece has a large circle at each end, either glowing a light green, a pale yellow or a faded blue. In the middle of the circle of chairs is a large, blank globe-like sphere. The remaining competitors find a seat closest to their tunnel, and sit.

  Glacier squirms in the barely cushioned seat, u
ncomfortable with being presented to the audience so openly. She takes a quick glance around the chairs, finding every contestant either confused or exhausted.

  Glacier rests her head back against her headrest, her frizzy hair cascading down past her shoulders to hang behind her. Without moving her head, she gazes around at the audience, who despite her not being underground, still seem to sit well above all the contestants.

  She wiggles around on the chair trying to get comfortable when she suddenly hears one of the High Chamberman’s voices.

  “My darling children,” Sasis speaks, “we have come to our first and last Program of the thirteenth tri-annual tournament. And as with every tournament before this, the location of the Program’s base has been developed to test the minds of our contestants. It will test their reflexes and problem solving skills.

  “For those who have forgotten, the two Programs we used in the last tournament were obstacle courses. Through the consistent monitoring of the competitors brain activity, we discovered that the further they are pushed, and the more they fear, the better they perform. Under insistent yet moderate stress, they can overcome whatever problem they are faced with. So this year, the High Chamber has decided to have something very similar to an obstacle course.”

  Sasis turns to the contestants, just as the Team Supervisors walk down the tunnels towards them. The Supervisors move around the circle, placing the headsets around the competitors’ heads. Glacier looks for Tanner, but she is instead approached by a blonde woman with her hair pulled back into a slick and tight bun at the back of her head.

  The blonde steps behind Glacier’s chair, picking up her headband and whispers, “Lift your head.”

  As Glacier raises her head, the woman slips the headpiece around the back of her head, resting the blue glowing ends against either side of her temple. A small shock resounds through her brain, alarming her.

  Glacier feels herself slipping down her seat from the thin sheen of ice coating the surface. She looks around to see if any of the other competitors felt the same electric shock that she felt, but none of them seem startled by anything.