In a low voice, Krey said, “You saw my skills. You really think I need to study under a so-called master?”
Nora’s jaw dropped, but she recovered quickly. “What I saw today was someone with sufficient skill to make an ice ramp and insufficient focus to keep that ramp together long enough to slide to the bottom. And speaking of bottom”—she pointed at his backside—“you okay after falling on all that sharp ice?”
His jaw tightened. “I’m fine.”
“I bet a master lyster could help you develop your focus.”
He swallowed, looked away, and sat in his chair. In a low, strained voice, he addressed his next question to the king. “Would this apprenticeship be in Cellerin City?”
Nora’s father seemed to have recovered from his shock over his daughter’s offer. His eyes were dancing as he looked between Nora and Krey. “Yes, I suppose it would.”
Krey returned the nod, and his face relaxed a little.
Nora sat, then said, “Apprentices pay for their training by working for the government. We could find somewhere in the palace for you to work. Right, Dad?”
“I’m sure we could arrange that.”
Krey stared at her with cold eyes, and Nora wondered if she’d gone too far with the impulsive offer. But she was already dreading her return to the palace, where the modicum of freedom she’d enjoyed on this trip would be gone. Surely the strictures of palace life would be more bearable if she had a friend her age . . . one who could teach her to make an ice slide. If only Krey shared her enthusiasm.
“I’ll do it.”
His voice was so quiet, Nora wasn’t sure she’d heard it right. “Pardon me?”
Krey squared his shoulders. “I’ll do it.”
Nora examined him. He’d acted like a carefree kid on that slide, but since arriving at dinner, he’d been surly and rude. Who are you, Krey West?
The king’s voice, stately and official, boomed across the table. “Very well. You’ll travel to Cellerin City with us.”
4
One day, a scavenger came to town, trying to sell a hover scooter and a stash of new batteries. He demonstrated the vehicle, and I begged my parents to barter for it. Mom said we’d have to trade our whole house for it, and I don’t think she was joking.
What I wouldn’t have given to hover above the ground in that scooter just once before all the batteries in the world went bad. Sure, I could make plants grow, but to my eyes, a floating scooter was true magic.
-The First Generation: A Memoir by Liri Abrios
Ovrun pulled a piece of hallep meat off its skewer. He let out a low groan as he chewed. It was tender, juicy, and seasoned just right with herbs, salt, and pepper. The food on this trip was the best he’d ever eaten. He’d expected their travel food to consist of dried meat and vegetables. He hadn’t known the king would bring his personal chef along.
King Ulmin and his chef were sitting across the campfire from Ovrun, both of them laughing. At the palace, the king was usually hurrying from one responsibility to another. On this trip, he’d been much more carefree.
Ovrun took another bite and shifted his eyes to Princess Nora, who sat by her father, thoughtfully chewing her own food. Did she have any idea how lucky she was to have a dad she could depend on? Ovrun had never even met his father. Maybe lucky wasn’t the right word, though. The princess had lost her mother years ago.
Before the queen’s death, Ovrun had seen her at public events. She’d had glossy, black hair and a friendly smile. Queen Ambrel had been lovely, but her daughter was nothing short of stunning. Right now, Princess Nora didn’t seem to notice Ovrun’s attention, so he let it linger. The firelight flickered off her smooth, brown skin, shiny hair, and big eyes. Those eyes were spectacular—surrounded by dark lashes, with irises colored a deep brown that made Ovrun want to dive in.
He liked her eyes almost as much as her full lips, which he liked almost as much as her small waist, not to mention those rounded hips—Stop. He tugged his gaze away from her, but a few seconds later, it wandered back, settling on the forefinger of her right hand, which was currently tucked in between her pursed lips as she licked some food off it. Was she trying to torture him?
Of course she’s not. She wasn’t even aware of him, which was the problem. It hadn’t always been that way. After Ovrun had started working at the palace a year ago, he’d often had short conversations with the princess. Then, a couple of months back, she was wandering the palace grounds at night, unable to sleep. He was on a night shift, patrolling. They started talking, then kissing—perfect, slow kisses under the bright stars. He’d always liked her, but after that, he was done for.
It wasn’t like he’d never kissed a girl before. Nora was different, though. It was like tasting the chef’s amazing food after a lifetime of eating plain bread. He didn’t just want to kiss her again; he wanted to know her—her dreams, her pain, what went on behind those compelling eyes.
He’d tried to orchestrate more meetings with her, but after they kissed, she avoided him. Maybe, he’d thought, this trip would be different. He’d caught her looking at him plenty of times, and he could swear he saw admiration in that gaze, but they rarely talked, and when they did, it was always about his guard duties.
Nora’s head swiveled in his direction, and their eyes met. She bit her bottom lip, which sent his mind spinning, then turned away and looked down, letting her straight hair cover her face.
“That dinner was amazing!” Krey’s voice broke Ovrun’s entrancement.
Ovrun turned to his new friend, who was just finishing up his skewer of meat. “I know. The chef’s cooking is almost enough to make me wish this trip would last longer.”
Krey scratched behind the ears of one of the guard caynins who’d accompanied them on the trip. He’d befriended both of the animals his first day on the road. “Almost, but not quite, right?”
“Yeah, I’m ready to get home.” The royal caravan had been journeying for a month in the shadow of Cellerin Mountain, the largest freestanding mountain in the world. They’d departed from the capital, on the east side of the mountain. Over the course of three weeks, they’d traveled to about a dozen towns, finally ending up southwest of the mountain, in Tirra. After their final hurrah, they’d turned toward home, stopping only to buy supplies, eat, and camp out every night. Their return trip had lasted ten days, and they’d be back in Cellerin City by the next afternoon.
Once they were back, Ovrun would pick up his pay and ask for a day off. He’d go home to see what his mom and sister needed. Had his sister outgrown her winter coat? Probably; she’d gotten so tall over the summer. He’d look for a blue one; that was her favorite color these days.
Krey stood and walked off. That jolted Ovrun out of his reverie, and his attention returned to Nora. A couple of minutes later, Krey returned. “Here you go.”
Ovrun turned. Krey had refilled both their water cups. “Thanks.”
Krey’s voice lowered. “You know, there are other girls in Cellerin City. Ones that would actually give you the time of day and not come with a bunch of royal baggage.”
Ovrun chuckled and pulled his attention away from the princess, promising himself not to stare any more. Not tonight, anyway. He and Krey had talked a lot on this trip, and their conversations had often turned to the girl Ovrun liked and the girl Krey loved. Ovrun lifted his cup. “Here’s to you finding Zeisha.”
“And here’s to the princess coming to her senses and realizing you’re the best guy she’ll ever come across.” Krey clicked his clay cup against Ovrun’s.
It was a nice thing for him to say, especially since Krey seemed to hold some grudge against Nora and never missed an opportunity to snub her.
Ovrun drank his water and stared into the fire. They’d arrive in Cellerin City the next afternoon. Maybe things’ll be different once we’re home, away from prying eyes.
Try as he might, Ovrun couldn’t bring himself to believe his own pep talk.
“I’d hug you, but I’m dusty,
and I stink.” Nora grinned at her Aunt Dani, who’d come out of the palace to meet the returning travelers.
“Oh, don’t be silly, you’ve smelled worse than this before.” Dani, who looked as effortlessly put together as ever, gathered Nora into a tight embrace. She was several simmets shorter than her niece, and her wavy, brown hair, pulled up in a casual twist, rubbed against Nora’s cheek. “I’m glad you’re home.”
“Me too. Now I need a hot bath.”
Nora’s father stepped up next to her. “Great idea. Right after you take your guest on a tour of the grounds.” He gestured to Krey, who was bantering with the guards.
Nora positioned her body away from Krey and spoke in a hushed voice. “Dad, I’m dirty and cold.”
“You’re the one who offered him a job at the palace. Show him around, and then take him to the dorms. I’ll have someone meet him there with his luggage in half an hour or so.”
“Where are you going?”
“The chapel.”
Nora pulled her knitted cap down lower, then approached Krey and stood behind him. He was telling a story to a group of guards, his voice and hands animated. At the sight of Nora, the guards stood up straighter, their smiles disappearing.
Krey’s monologue trailed off, and he turned around. Seeing Nora, he lifted an inquisitive eyebrow.
“Welcome home.” She shrugged and smiled. “I’m your tour guide.”
“I don’t need a tour.”
“King’s orders. Even I have to obey.”
Krey held out his hands and lowered his head in a bow that Nora could swear was ironic. She stepped off the gravel of the circle drive into the grass. It still had some green in it, but patches were turning brown and dormant as winter approached. Krey walked beside her, leaving plenty of space between them.
The wagons and steamcar had stopped on the northern side of the palace grounds, in front of the main palace complex. Nora led Krey west, then turned south, pointing out various buildings.
A caynin ran up to them and nudged Nora’s knee with its flat nose. She rubbed both the animal’s large, triangular ears, which stuck out from the side of its face. Its maroon, compound eyes glinted in the sun. “There are about twenty security caynins roaming the property at any given time,” she told Krey. “This one and the two we traveled with will take your scent back to the pack. By tomorrow, they’ll all recognize you. But you’ll still want to be cautious; they can be moody.”
The caynin looked at Krey and opened its huge mouth so wide that its upper and lower jaws looked like an open book. It was an intimidation tactic, and even Nora shuddered at the animal’s double rows of sharp teeth.
Krey smiled. “Hi, buddy!”
The beast closed its mouth most of the way, walked right up to Krey, and licked him with its forked tongue. Nora stifled a smile and glared at the caynin. “Making me a liar, are you?” The animal turned from Krey and rubbed against Nora’s legs. She got down on his level and gave him a good scratch behind his ears. “Okay, all is forgiven.”
They continued the tour, and Nora soon stopped at the door of a large, wooden structure. “Come on, I’ll show you the stables.”
“What do you keep in there, unicorns?”
Nora rolled her eyes.
“Dragons?” Krey asked. “Come on, I know the king would love to show off a royal dragon or two.”
“No wild animals, magical or not. Being royal doesn’t make us stupid. We only keep orsas here. Tame orsas.”
She led him in. It was a huge stable, its dozens of stalls lit by skylights. With every step, Nora’s heart beat faster. She hadn’t seen her orsa in a month. Her mouth broke into a grin as she came to a halt in front of a stall near the back corner.
Past the chest-high door was a muscular, male orsa. His straight, shiny black fur was short everywhere but his chest and chin, where it grew long. Two bulging, blue compound eyes widened when he saw his visitors, and Nora could swear that, under his squat snout, his expressive mouth was sporting the beastly version of a smile. He greeted Nora with a mellow “OHH-AHH.” The other orsas in the stable picked up the call, the building filling with gentle bellows.
Forgetting her guest, Nora laughed, swung open the door, and entered the stall. She reached up to wrap her arms around her orsa’s broad neck, burying her cheek into the thick, soft fur hanging from his chin. He rubbed his head on hers, the rumbles of his continued greeting seeping into her chest.
“Guess you’re pretty close to your orsa.”
Krey’s voice came from inside the stall. Nora pulled back, keeping one arm around the orsa’s neck. Krey was running a hand along the animal’s back, his chest and shoulders shaking with silent laughter.
Let him laugh; she was too happy to care. “I’ve had him since I was four. I learned to ride on him.”
“What’s his name?”
“Blue.”
“For his eyes?”
“No, all orsas have blue eyes. I named him that because his fur looks blue in certain lights.”
“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.”
Nora wrapped both arms around Blue again. “Hey, I’m not asking for you to approve of his name.”
“I couldn’t care less what you named your pet. I do care that I just stepped in his crap.”
It was Nora’s turn to laugh. “I stepped in it too. It’s no big deal. Come on, we’ll wash our boots.” She kissed Blue next to one of his big eyes, then led Krey back through the stables. Cries of “OHH-AHH” followed them the whole way.
Outside, they stopped under an elevated water tank attached to the building’s roof. Nora retrieved two brushes from hooks on the wall and turned on a spigot. They cleaned their shoes under the flow of water.
Nora lifted her eyes to Krey a few times, but his attention was on his shoes. He was scrubbing the soles hard enough to take months off their lifespan. There was a strange fury in the action, and while she wanted to know what was going on behind that shaggy, dark hair, she didn’t dare ask.
Whatever was wrong with him hadn’t started today. Krey had been rude during the dinner in Tirra. And he’d ignored Nora during their entire, eleven-day journey. Perhaps she’d been naïve to expect him to become her friend. Why can’t I let go of that hope? Am I really so desperate?
The only friend she’d ever had was Faylie, a talented fire lyster who knew more of Nora’s secrets than anyone else. Faylie’s mom had worked at the palace, and the girls had been friends since they were toddlers. Then, six months ago, Faylie had made it clear she wanted nothing to do with the princess. Nora still didn’t know how she’d screwed up her only friendship.
Her chest tightened as pain from that day returned. She gritted her teeth and took a deep breath. She couldn’t cry in front of Krey.
After Faylie had deserted her, the only person at the palace close to Nora’s age was Ovrun. She genuinely liked him, but she’d messed up that friendship too. She’d let him get too close. There was no future with him, a fact she desperately wished she could change. She’d had to back away rather than lead him on.
When Krey came along, Nora had pinned her hopes for friendship on him. Like Faylie, he was a lyster. He was her age too, and while he was pretty cute, he obviously wasn’t attracted to her. That should keep things from getting too complicated. He’d be a perfect friend . . . except that he seemed to think more highly of the crap on his shoe than of her. What did I ever do to him?
Nora took a deep breath, unwilling to give up on Krey yet. She turned off the spigot, stood, and hung up her brush. “There’s something else I want to show you.”
“Your wish is my command.” Krey was facing away from her, hanging his own brush on the wall, but she could picture the sneer behind his words.
“This way.” Nora led him through the open land in the middle of the property, skirting the southern edge of a pond. As they reached the eastern side of the palace ground, Krey pointed at a building tucked behind some trees near the southeastern corner. “What’s that?”
“That’s the chapel.” Nora adjusted their route to walk north.
“The chapel? The one with the stone in it?”
“Yeah. It has its own gate, and it’s open to the public a few hours each day. There’s always a line. Everybody wants to see the stone that caused the apocalypse.”
She continued walking north, and Krey kept up with her but glanced over his shoulder again. “So I can go there if I want to?”
“Sure. You can even go when it’s closed to the public. But you can’t visit now; my dad’s there. He likes to worship alone.” Nora slowed and studied Krey. “Are you curious to see the stone?”
“No, I want to worship.”
Nora laughed for a second before realizing Krey wasn’t joining in. “Oh—oh!” She swallowed. “You’re serious.” When Krey didn’t answer, she said, “I wouldn’t have pegged you as the religious type.”
“I wouldn’t have pegged you as a cynic.”
“I turned into a cynic the same day my father turned devout.”
Krey looked away before asking, “How many years ago was that?”
“Ten.” She regretted the response as soon as it left her mouth.
He nodded, like that was what he’d expected.
Heat filled Nora’s cheeks. Normal citizens could lose a parent without the whole world knowing, but not her. She sped up, nearly jogging. Krey kept up easily.
Nora was a little breathless by the time they halted at the stone wall enclosing the residential wing. The wall was four mets tall, over twice her height, and topped with barbed wire. She stopped at a stone gate, topped with the same wire. “This is where I live.”
She unlocked the gate, walked in, and greeted two caynins. “The caynins who guard the residence are trained to attack when anyone enters unaccompanied by my family. No exceptions.”
“How do the servants get in?”
“We call them household staff, not servants. They enter through an enclosed pathway between the residence and the palace.”
The Frost Eater (The Magic Eaters Trilogy Book 1) Page 3
