by Linsey Hall
Broken?
Trembling, I tried to stand. It took all my strength to drag myself to my feet using the giant rock for support. By the time I was upright, sweat dampened my skin.
The moment I put pressure on my leg, it flared with gut-wrenching pain, and I stumbled to my knees. Icy ground met my palms, and I knelt in the snow, gasping.
This was bad.
A low growl sounded from behind me. I stiffened, goosebumps prickling my skin.
Slowly, my head light, I turned.
Two pairs of glowing red eyes peered out of the mist, stalking toward me. For a second, my heart leapt. Hellhounds! I was saved.
But no.
They didn’t have the irises of flame that hellhounds possessed. No, these eyes were stark red. Their bodies began to appear out of the mist when they were only a dozen feet away.
Huge white wolves with shaggy fur, they were as tall as horses and elegant in a terrifying way. Unlike the friendly, rounded faces of the hellhounds, these dogs had sharply angled faces that complemented their long fangs.
I scrambled back, panting. I couldn’t run. Not a chance.
So I called on my Phantom magic, letting it flow through me with an icy chill.
My limbs turned blue and transparent as the magic took over. The wolves hesitated at the sight, then prowled closer. I could hardly breathe as I dragged myself backward through the snow, away from them.
They stalked forward. When a massive paw landed on my uninjured leg and pinned me to the ground, I almost screamed.
He shouldn’t be able to make contact with me in Phantom form! I wasn’t protected.
Immediately, I pulled my sword from the ether and pointed the blade at the hound.
“One step closer…” I said.
The wolf growled, flaring its nostrils. Then it stopped abruptly, sniffing the air. The snarl faded from its face, and it bent to sniff my knee. Then a long tongue lolled out of its mouth and its eyes warmed.
Huh?
“Who are you?” I asked.
The wolf plopped its butt in the snow. The other sat beside it. They both grinned at me, massive white snow monsters on four legs. Trembling with the strain of adrenaline, I lowered the sword and reached out for their magic, trying to get a feel for what kinds of animals they really were. Because they were no ordinary wolves—not if they could touch me while I was in my Phantom form.
I got a hint of something familiar, though it was hard to define. The wolves didn’t smell like brimstone like the hellhounds did, though I couldn’t help but think they were some kind of Underworld wolf. Their magic had that feeling to it—like it was from another world. Or they walked between worlds.
“Do I know you guys?” I asked.
They just smiled.
Well, this had improved. I may have a broken leg and be lost in the mountains, but at least they weren’t trying to eat me.
“Can you guys help me stand?” I asked.
They stayed seated, uncomprehending, so I shifted toward them and put a hand on the nearest one’s back, struggling to stand. An involuntary cry escaped me when I put weight on my injured leg.
The closest dog’s head whipped up toward me, concern clear in its red gaze. I’d always had an affinity for animals, but I’d never been able to identify outright concern in their gaze before. But these guys were special. Like Pond Flower.
I was the freaking Snow White of devil dogs, apparently.
The wolf looked down at my injured leg, sniffing it. I flinched when he pressed his nose to my shin, but the pain began to fade.
“What the heck?” I muttered.
The pain continued to dull, fading away to nothing. When the wolf removed his nose, I put my weight on the limb.
No pain. I tried a few steps. It worked just fine.
I turned back to the wolf, who sat a few feet away. His head was level with my chest. His buddy was identical, and though I couldn’t see a difference between them, I could feel it. Their magic was slightly different.
“You healed me,” I said. “Thank you.”
The wolf just stared at me.
“Will you help me find my friends?” I didn’t know what magic they were capable of, but if healing was in their repertoire, maybe understanding English and tracking were.
But the dogs did nothing.
Damn.
A few moments later, they stood and trotted away. They stopped after about ten feet, looking back at me expectantly.
“You want me to follow?”
They smiled toothily, though I didn’t think they understood me.
I talked to them anyway. “I can’t go that way.” I pointed back up the hill. “My friends are that way.”
They didn’t move, so I waved and turned, starting the long climb up the hill. I sheathed my sword in the ether as I climbed, having to use my hands to scramble up the steep parts.
I followed the tracks I’d made when I’d tumbled down. Cold numbed my nose and chilled my lungs as the rest of me sweated up a storm in my snow gear. About halfway up, the two massive dogs joined me, plodding along like it was a walk in the park. By the time I made it back to the top, I was panting.
“Cass! Nix!” I squinted into the mist. “Roarke!”
Nothing.
Shit.
It wasn’t unexpected, but disappointing anyway. I was going to have to get clever. If they couldn’t hear me, maybe they could see me. I called on my magic, shifting into Phantom form and letting my blue glow light up the mist around me. It worked, a bit like how a car’s headlights lit up the fog.
I chewed my lip as I waited.
Come on.
I squeezed my eyes closed and focused everything I had on trying to sense what was around me. The fresh scent of snow, the bite of the cold wind, the sound of nothingness. I prayed to hear footsteps.
Instead, I felt the strangest connection through the ice at my feet. Like it was alive almost. Strange. I’d never had that power before.
“Del!”
My heart leapt as my eyes popped open.
“Nix! Where are you?” I spun, searching the mist blindly.
A second later, Nix slammed into me. Shocked, I hugged her. She winced a bit at my Phantom touch, but didn’t pull away. For some reason, it didn’t hurt my deirfiúr as much as it hurt the demons I touched.
“How’d you find me?” I asked.
“Your blue glow! You’re lit up like a beacon.”
I grinned. “Awesome.”
“Let’s wait for the others. Maybe they’ll see it too. What have you been doing all this time?” Her gaze dropped to my side and widened. She jumped back. I grabbed her hand before she could get too far, not wanting to lose her in the mist.
She pointed to the dogs. “Watch out!”
I glanced down at the dogs who sat at my side. “Oh, they’re my friends.”
“Yeah?”
I nodded and reached out to touch the head of the big white beast closest to me. His fur was icy soft. Not an ounce of warmth—not like you’d find on a real, living animal.
Definitely Underworld dogs.
“They helped me when I broke my leg,” I said.
Nix’s gaze darted down to my feet. “Are you okay?”
“They healed me. But where were you?”
“Wandering around this mountain.” She glanced around. “It’s been a while. I’d have thought they’d have found us by now.”
“Me too.” Worry niggled in my chest. This had been my only idea.
Except…
The snow below my feet still felt weird. Alive, almost. With energy.
“I’m going to try something.” I called on my new ice power, letting the chill fill me. But instead of powering up an icicle, I focused on the ground below. The magic in the snow intensified, like a living thing. “I think I have some power over the snow. From the ice demon’s gift that I stole.”
Nix’s brow wrinkled. “That makes sense. What can you do with it?”
“I don’t know.” I
closed my eyes and focused on the magic beneath me. The ice felt like a living blanket—which sounded weird, but it was the only way I could visualize it. Off to my left, I felt the tiniest bit of warmth.
“We need to walk.” I moved toward the warmth, opening my eyes and walking across the snow while following the weird map within my mind. I pulled on Nix’s hand and she followed. “I may feel them.”
“Feel them?”
“Yeah.”
The dogs went ahead of us, hopefully to scout it out and keep me from walking off a cliff. I held tight to Nix’s hand, not wanting to lose her. The mist was so thick that I couldn’t see an inch of the ground in front of me. As the dogs walked, I realized that the mist cleared around them, allowing me to see the snow.
“The dogs keep the mist away,” I said.
“Thank magic.”
“I’m definitely getting a better handle on my ice powers,” I murmured as I followed the map in my mind. Occasionally I had to reach out and nudge one of the dogs’ butts to keep them going in the direction I wanted, but they complied.
“Forced into it,” Nix said. “Fastest way to learn.”
“Ain’t that the truth. And I’ve never been surrounded by so much snow.” I focused on my magic, making sure not to lose my connection with the ice. “We’re close.”
A moment later, the dogs pulled up short. Ahead of them, two shadowy figures appeared out of the mist. Immediately, Aidan stepped between Cass and the dogs. She prodded him aside.
“Cass! Aidan!” I cried.
“Del!” Cass started to dart around the dogs, but Aidan threw out an arm and stopped her.
“Stop!” he said. “Those are the Cŵn Annwn. Wolves from the Welsh Underworld. But they’re said to be deadly. They kill any trespassers on their land.” His gaze met mine. “At least, they’re supposed to. They seem to like you.”
I reached down and scratched the head of the one nearest me. “I like them.”
“Good. Because without you, they’d probably have eaten the rest of us.”
“Eaten? They aren’t that big,” I said.
“But they’re fierce,” Aidan said. “My father used to tell me about them. They obey you, though.”
“Kinda?” I scratched the other one’s head. “They aren’t going to kill anyone.”
Aidan nodded and slowly lowered his arm. Cass walked around him and approached, throwing her arms around me, wincing slightly at my Phantom touch. “We were so worried.”
“So was I.” I released her. “We have to find Roarke.”
Something bumped into me from behind. I stumbled forward. Strong arms reached around my waist. I stiffened before recognizing the touch.
“Roarke!” I spun to hug him.
Relief was stark in his gaze. “Are you all right?”
“Fine. How’d you find me?”
“Followed you. I can sense you, remember?”
Oh, right. He’d mentioned something about being able to do that. It was weird, but handy.
“Though I was held up when I walked off a mountainside,” he added.
Thank fates it wasn’t only me. That fog had been thick.
“Were you hurt?” I asked.
“No.” He squeezed me tight to him, murmuring in my ear. “I’m glad you’re all right.”
“Me too.” I returned the hug, then pulled back.
“Now what?” Nix asked.
Roarke gripped my hand. “Stick together.”
“Hold hands and stay with the dogs.” I called on my dragon sense, seeking my family’s home base. It tugged at me, thank fates. “I can lead us there. But the dogs will make sure we can see each other through this mist.”
Now that I’d found my friends, I let my Phantom glow fade. We joined hands in a line and began to walk, following the two hounds. The closer we drew, the faster they walked.
“I think the dogs know where we’re going,” Roarke said.
“Yeah. They must live here,” I said.
“Does anyone else?” Aidan asked.
“I don’t think so.” I could feel no more warmth through the ice, like I had with Cass and Aidan. And Flora had said my family was dead.
The mist cleared abruptly. We all pulled up short, silenced by the sight ahead.
“Holy shit,” Cass said. “This is your front door?”
“Are you sure you didn’t grow up in Lord of the Rings?” Nix asked.
She had a point. It was pretty fantastical.
A massive stone bridge crossed a great gap in the mountain ahead. Ice coated the whole thing. At the other end, a massive stone wall hulked between two giant boulders. I caught glimpses of the fortress beyond. It was built into the mountain, making use of the outcroppings of rock.
No wonder my dreams of the past had been dreary.
“Let’s go.” I didn’t want to dwell on anything except our goal. I released Nix’s and Roarke’s hands and started toward the bridge.
The dogs preceded me, looking right at home as they trotted over the ice bridge. I swallowed hard and followed, careful not to lose my footing. The gate at the other end was a monstrosity of wood and iron.
How the hell were we going to open that thing?
We moved silently across the bridge. Once, I almost lost my footing on the slick surface, but Roarke caught my arm.
When we reached the gate, the dogs stopped and looked up at me expectantly.
“What am I supposed to do?” I whispered to them.
They turned their gazes to the gate. I examined the ornately decorated surface, taking in the swirls and angles of the iron that coated the surface.
“Impressive workmanship.” Nix reached out to touch a particularly swirly bit of metal. When her gloved fingertips made contact, the metal sizzled and she yelped, jumping back. “What the hell!”
“Did it burn you?” Cass demanded.
“Yeah.”
I glanced at the wolves, whose gazes were still going back and forth between me and the gate. It was pretty clear what the wolves expected me to do.
Open the gate.
But how?
Warily, I glanced at Del, who was still shaking her hand to cool the burn. It’d burned right through her glove. But something inside me screamed to touch the gate. Tentatively, I reached a fingertip out and pressed it to the wood.
“Careful!” Cass cried as my fingertip made contact.
It didn’t burn, so I moved my hand to the metal. That didn’t burn either. It was just icy cold.
A memory flashed in my mind, something that had been locked up for a long time. Riding on a horse behind my father, crossing this bridge, and watching him press his hand flat to the big metal rose in the center of the gate. He glowed a bright blue in his Phantom form.
My heart thudded. This flash of memory was the first time I’d ever seen my father. He was a big man with a hard face and a long beard. Was he full Phantom or just half, like me?
His face faded from my mind almost as quickly as it’d appeared.
I called upon my Phantom form, letting the cold flow through me. Once I’d turned fully, I raised my hand. The rose looked out of place amongst all this ice, but I tried it, pressing my gloved hand to the flower.
Nothing happened. No burning, but it also didn’t open. So I yanked off my glove and pressed my bare hand to the metal. Cold iced my palm, but magic sang up my arm.
A blue glow raced from the iron rose across all the swirls and straps of iron that decorated the gate. It glowed brilliantly for a moment before the metal and wood began to creak and groan.
“It’s working!” Nix cried as the gate slowly lifted.
I removed my hand and stepped back, heart in my throat. Slowly, the massive gate opened to reveal a barren courtyard paved in gray stone. Ice dripped off the walls within, a creepy decoration for a place frozen in time. In the middle of the courtyard sat a large fountain that spewed frozen water. On the other side, a grand building sat, built into the mountainside. The glass windows were all blown out, a
nd the gaping spots stood out starkly like blackened eyes.
Behind it to the left was a tower. My tower. A path led toward it. Answers would be there. I knew they would.
But we had to go through the main entrance. My dragon sense tugged that way.
“I think Draka may be here,” I murmured. “Through the main door.”
My dragon sense had picked her up as soon as we’d gotten close. I forced myself to step through the gate. Energy sparked through my veins as the residual magical power left in this place bombarded me.
“Feel that?” Cass whispered.
“Powerful magic,” Aidan said.
“Decayed magic.” Roarke parted his lips as if to taste the air.
He was right. It was just like the magic in the artifacts we found. Old and decayed. Abandoned.
“What happened to them all?” I whispered. Everyone who’d once lived here… They were all dead.
Cass and Nix each reached for one of my hands. I gripped theirs tightly and sucked in a ragged breath. However I’d ended up with the Monster when I was a teenager; maybe it had saved my life. Because whatever had befallen my parents’ old stronghold—it’d taken everyone.
I could’ve tried to turn back time to see, but I didn’t want to get caught in the middle of whatever had wiped them all out. Honestly, I was scared. I didn’t want to witness the catastrophe that had taken this place.
And Draka waited. She needed us
“We need to move,” Roarke said. “This place is abandoned, but the magic that remains here is dangerous.”
He was right. I nodded and set off across the courtyard toward the building on the other side. As I walked, I thought I caught shimmers of something in the air. But when I turned my head, it was gone.
Going crazy.
But still… “I can’t shake the feeling that we’re not alone.”
“Draka is here,” Roarke said. “Is it her that you feel or something else?”
“I don’t know.”
Ahead of me, the wolves stiffened. Their big heads swung left, and their red eyes stared hard at the ice-covered wall. Their lips peeled back in a snarl, and deep growls rose up in their chests.
Instinctively, I called on my sword, drawing it from the ether. The blade glowed a bright cobalt, a slice of blue flame against our stark white and gray surroundings.
