Spring Frost (6 page)

          “Come on, Clariss?” I nodded. “My Queen. Won’t you let me go home?”

          She turned to me.

          She nodded.

Chapter 6

         
A
nother puff of smoke surrounded me, this time coming straight from Clariss’ finger-tips. I closed my eyes, coughing and wheezing as the world seemed to whirl around me. I looked around in surprise, stretching out my hands until I felt the soft, cool white bed sheets beneath me. I was back in my room in Autumn Springs.

          “Clariss?” I looked around me wildly, terrified that she might have followed me here. But, to my relief, Clariss was nowhere to be found. Instead, I was staring at a sea of worried faces. Kian, Logan, the Duke, Alistair, and Rose were all standing around my bedside. I saw that Kian and Logan were conversing quietly, evidently worried. Both had looks of pain and concern upon their faces. But when they saw me, they both looked up, their faces breaking out into a smile. 

          “Breena!” Kian rushed to my side. “We were so worried. You disappeared just the way Clariss did – into a puff of smoke.”

          “We didn’t even know where to start looking for you,” Logan broke in. “We were consulting the books, trying to figure out how the magic worked – but luckily you’re back.”

          “How long was I gone?” I asked.

          “About an hour,” Rose looked at the clock. She had her arm around Alistair, who was huddled in a corner, looking somewhat overwhelmed by the situation. My heart sank for him. The poison was getting worse for him – I could see it in his eyes. Soon the madness would start up again.

          “My friends…” I began. As I looked at them, my heart seemed to swell with pride. Kian and Logan were no longer enemies, I saw, but rather working together. Rose was tending to Alistair. No, I thought – I could never let them down, not in a million years. Not if it meant my own life. But nor could I let Clariss rule Feyland. There had to be another way. I could never concede to Clariss – I couldn’t let her win…

          “Come,” the Duke of Autumn Springs approached me, bowing at my bedside. “You must be starving, Breena. Between your illness and your recent…incident…you haven’t eaten in days.”  

          No sooner had he spoken than I realized just how hungry I was. My stomach rumbled loudly in response; my whole body felt weak. Lightheaded.

          “The morning meal is ready, and I am sure that you are starving, my Queen.”

          “Starving,” I said, forcing out a smile.

          The Duke took my hand and led us down the corridor, into an intricately carved hallway lined with the most exquisite tapestries I had ever seen. We followed the woven carpet down the hall and into a room filled with mirrors, in which a single table – piled high with all manner of pastries and savory dishes – was reflected hundreds of times, so that it looked like a whole sea of tables awaited our banqueting. The smell of the food – overpowering in its aroma – made me dizzy and ravenous at the same time.

          “Careful,” Logan pushed me upright. “You need to take it slow, Bree.”

          Shasta and Rodney were already seated at the table, and from the looks of it had already gone through two bowls of soup each.

          “Come now, my love.” Kian put his arm around me. Instantly I jumped, feeling the shiver of ice down my back. I stopped to catch my breath.

          “Kian, I’m sorry…” I sighed. “I don’t know what’s come over me.” I leaned in to kiss him, but his lips seemed to freeze my own. How could I tell him what I had learned from Clariss? How could I tell him what was wrong with me?

          “Is it…me?”

          “We’ll talk about it later,” I said. I could not meet his eyes. Kind, gentle Kian loved me so much – how could I admit to him that his very caresses were the source of my pain? I couldn’t bear to think about the look in his eyes when I told him that he couldn’t touch me, that I could no longer feel his smooth skin against my own, that I could no longer listen to the sound of his heartbeat…

          “Good food, huh?” Rose was trying hard to minimize the awkwardness, digging into her plate of eggs with gusto. “I mean, delicious!” Her voice shattered the silence. I knew how hard she was trying – trying to make us all forget about the shadow that the Sorceress had cast over us, but no amount of eggs or soup or bread was going to make me forget the truth: the poison was coursing through my veins. Every second I spent not chasing Clariss down was one second off my life.

         
Where did you go?

           
I looked up in surprise. And then I realized the voice had not come from without but from within: Kian’s voice was echoing in my brain. He hadn’t communicated like that with me in days.         

         
What?

            Just now. I know you don’t want to worry the others, Breena – but you have to know…you can always be honest with me. Trust me with your secret. Please tell me what happened.

            I don’t know where I was…when Alistair came at me with the book, something happened. I felt this jerk on the back of my neck, and then I was gone. Wherever I was, Clariss was there.     

            She’s alive?
I could see Kian’s expression turn to fear.
Breena, are you okay? Did she do anything to you?

           
I shook my head.
She didn’t have to,
I said.

         
What do you mean?

            The poison…
I bit my lip.
There’s no cure, is there, Kian? Her magic’s strong, ancient, and powerful. It’s causing me to Freeze.
I sighed. I didn’t want to hurt him – but lying to him would be worse.
It’s why I’m responding the way I am when you touch me. The poison…she said it would make me into one of the Dark Hordes.

            No! It cannot be.
Kian was trying desperately hard to keep his expression neutral so that none of the others would be able to tell that we were speaking, but I saw how he strained with the effort.
Breena – tell me it is not so! I have heard of Freezing in some of the old magic books, but I always thought it was just a legend…too horrible to be real…

           
So Freezing did exist, then, I thought grimly. Clariss hadn’t just been making it up out of nowhere.

         
She’s offered to spare my life, Kian. All of ours – and Alistair’s. But on one condition. A terrible condition. She wants me to give up my throne, to make her the Ruler of Feyland.

           
Kian rose to his feet, smashing his goblet against the wall with rage. The others looked at him in surprise and shock.

          “Kian?” Shasta turned to him. “Are you okay? What happened…”

         
We can’t tell them.

           
Kian caught my eye and nodded furtively. “I’m fine, Shasta. I’m just stressed, that’s all. I let my emotions get the better of me for the moment – that is all. Don’t worry about it.”

          “Right…”

          We continued eating the meal in silence.

         
What did you tell her?

            I lied – of course! I told her I’d help her – thought I’d try to learn all I could, gather information. But if I have to, Kian, I’d rather die than think of that…witch controlling Feyland.

            Breena, I will love you whatever you decide. But I can’t bear to think of losing you. I would rather love you with no title than lose you…
he sighed.
But I know you cannot lose your honor. And neither can I. We must stay strong, for Feyland.

            Yes. For Feyland.

            I will do what I can. This cannot be the only option. We have strong magic between us. We will find a way to fight this poison within you, Breena. With or without Clariss. And we will destroy this threat to Feyland, Breena. Just as we always do – fear not. I have confidence that we’ll get through this.

           
But I could see the fear on his face – and he the fear in mine. We both had our doubts: we had fought evil before, but the Sorceress was a greater danger than any we could have ever imagined. And if even Rose and Alistair – two of the most skilled alchemists in all of Feyland – couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me, or how to fix it, then how could I ever expect to live?

          “Now!” Kian announced. “Breena has recovered from her injuries now – and so we must head off to the Winter Kingdom as soon as possible. Feyland must not be without a leader. And if we set off now, I have no doubt that we will be able to make good time and arrive in the Winter Court by tonight. So I must ask you all to begin packing. Sire,” he turned to the Duke, “thank you again for your hospitality, your kindness and discretion. May Autumn Springs always be a great friend of ours. You are always welcome in both Winter and Summer, and you must only say the word and we shall repay your kindness many fold.”

          The Duke bowed deeply. “It is an honor to serve the King and Queen of Feyland,” he said.

          We all retreated back to our rooms, quickly packing up our things for the journey. But as I returned to my room, I noticed a shadowy figure following me – only a few paces behind me. Clariss?

          I turned around in surprise. “Alistair? What are you doing here?”

          Alistair looked nervous, his eyes downcast. He could not meet my gaze. The book was in his arms, wrapped tightly to his chest. “Nothing, Breena…” he said, stumbling over the words. “I just left my coat in your room, that’s all.”

          But there was something about Alistair’s gaze and voice that frightened me. I remembered what Clariss had said about Alistair going mad, and I shivered.

Chapter 7

         
I
dressed hurriedly. My customary silks and satins were not enough to shut out the freeze I felt deep within my body. I huddled under the blankets, scrounging through my wardrobe for the warmest-looking furs I could find. But nothing could make me stop shivering.
Is this it?
I wondered.
Is this going to be my life from now on
– or, at least, what was left of it? I shuddered and looked down. My veins were pulsing: great blue lines snaking out through my skin, which had become almost translucent with sickness. I wanted to be sick. I wasn’t beautiful any longer, I thought, nor strong: this Freeze was turning me, little by little, into a grotesque creature. Soon, I knew, my blood would turn black and turgid; soon it would all be over. I closed my eyes as I passed by the mirror. I didn’t want to see the sick, hollow, gaunt look in my eyes. I didn’t want to see this dying version of myself.

          There was a solution – of course. I could bow down to Clariss, hand over to her the kingdom and the title and the power and the rest of it. She would – or at least, she
said
she would – let me go free. Kian and I could live alone in Gregory: simple, free. Happy. But I sighed at the very thought, shaking my head. Of course Kian and I could never be happy living out the rest of our lives in ignominy and despair, knowing that just beyond the Crystal River, Feyland was suffering beneath the tyranny of Clariss.