Veins of Ice Read online

  “I can go if you wish, but I like sitting with you, even if there’s nothing to say.”

  “I like your company,” Karena said, and became quiet. Her lightheadedness was finally dissipating, as was her queasy stomach. The potion was working.

  Silence hung suspended between the two of them, but it wasn’t tense or awkward. It had a sense of knowingness to it. She looked around again, but it was just the two of them in there. She figured it was because it was a weekday. From the clinks of dishware and the sizzling of food, the hostess was busy in the kitchen.

  “You said that you had planned to torch the Blue Ballroom while I was having my birthday party,” she stated.

  She felt his tenseness, but it subsided when she failed to become angry. Unlike how she had been under the wisteria pergola, when she had learned about his identity, she was receptive to what he had to say.

  Asher cast his eyes to the table, and flexed his hand that rested on it. Asher said, “After our duel, I was humiliated. Everyone was upset at me. They teased me about how you had jumped onto me and rendered me useless by freezing by body enough to where I couldn’t use my powers. I was angry at myself and at you. As Fires, we have a lot of pride, and they were counting on me to score a victory, or a tie if need be. Defeat wasn’t an option.”

  “That’s rough. They shouldn’t hold you to such expectations.”

  “But they did. I contemplated revenge in order to redeem myself in their eyes. In the locker room at work, I overheard talk about your birthday party. I figured out when it would be. Because it was a masquerade party, I thought it would be fun to mingle with everyone.”

  “The wolf in sheep’s clothing approach.”

  “Exactly. I wanted to toy with you by having the first dance, and then leave after that, but I felt something when you looked at me without hate or repulsion. You didn’t see a Fire, you saw me as a friendly stranger, and you wanted to be around me. I didn’t understand it, or my feelings for you, but by the end of the night, I had to leave, and I couldn’t follow through with my plan.”

  Asher smiled at her. His face softened from their hard lines. He continued, “After the party, I tried to forget about what had happened, but I couldn’t stop thinking about you. Finally, I gave in and that’s when I sent you the mask and the invitation to meet you. I knew you would be upset, and I hoped that would drive a wedge between us and put an end to my desires to be with you again.”

  “I apologize for my reaction. I couldn’t help it.”

  “You were hoping for a Water or an Earth.”

  “Yes. Anything, but a Fire or an Air. Even if this supposed person called Vince had been a nonmagical gearcrafter, then that would’ve been better. I’ve been coming to my senses more and more. I grew up to hate Fires and Airs, just like any other Water and Earth. I’ve been conditioned just as you have to hate an opposing elemental, but things can change unexpectedly. I didn’t count on having feelings for you.”

  “So you do like me?”

  “I do. That’s why I asked to be switched into your team.”

  Karena watched Asher. Even though she had directly stated that she had feelings for him, he didn’t make a move towards her to express anything. He sat there, respectful of her space, patient, in control of his emotions. She liked that. Her skin felt alive with energy, all wanting to connect to Asher. She held herself back too. She wanted to know more about him first, and to be sure they both wanted each other in equal intensity.

  He said, “I suspected as such, but had to hear it from you to be sure. It’s one thing to assume, and another to be told. I knew that something was up when Captain Valmar pulled me aside after work and informed me of your request. I hoped it would be for the good, and then on the flipside, worried that your intentions would be out of revenge because that could’ve put everyone in danger.”

  “It’s understandable that you would’ve been concerned, not only for your own wellbeing, but for Blade’s and Jinx’s own safety too. They’re like friends to me now, which I thought wouldn’t have been possible. This feud is so destructive and doesn’t make any sense. We’re all human, and yet there is this tremendous amount of hate, which leads to acts of violence that are unfounded, and sometimes can’t be pinpointed to a perpetrator.”

  “All of the people I know aren’t capable of murder.”

  She looked at him and the sincerity there. “It’s the same on my side,” she said.

  “I believe you.”

  They became quiet for a minute to consider what had been said.

  “I still feel confused about how it’s possible to like you as much as I do,” Asher admitted.

  “You’re not alone. I feel the same way about you, but I’m willing to wait it out and see if the confusion lifts.”

  “I plan on doing the same. I’m not going anywhere.”

  Karena placed a hand on his, and kept it there until she heard Jinx’s and Blade’s voice, and their loud footsteps as they pounded down the stairs.

  After eating, all four of them explored Dragonhouse Point, which was far more beautiful than what Karena had expected it to be. There were gardens, fountains, lookout areas, and untamed, forest-like stretches. She often glanced at Asher, wishing to be alone with him again. The future was on her mind, and whether or not they could safely navigate the complex and negative dynamics of the feud. It was a sizeable obstacle.

  But the future was a ways off, so there was little point in worrying. Enjoying the moment was all that mattered because tomorrow didn’t guarantee anyone anything.

  Chapter 16

  In the morning of what was due to be the last day in Asher’s team, Karena pushed her cereal around in her bowl. The granola and now soggy grain flakes didn’t appeal to her anymore. Cherries that had come straight off of their cherry tree in the backyard sat in a pink bowl. She didn’t touch them either.

  “Why are you sad, Karena?” Rose asked, sitting down at the table.

  Karena said, “It’s early. Shouldn’t you still be asleep?”

  “The roses woke me up. Something was disturbing them and their soil. Could be some kind of burrowing pest.”

  Karena distantly nodded. Trying to pretend she was alright, Karena took a few bites of her cereal. Hadrian came in from outside. His hair was pulled back into a bun, and his shirt was unbuttoned.

  “I checked outside. Whatever it was, left. It’s probably some kind of rodent because there’s droppings around the area and gnaw marks on some of the rose bushes’ main stems,” Hadrian said, and he helped himself to some cereal too.

  Rose thanked him, and glanced at Karena. In a mood, Karena gazed through the window and at the veil of darkness slowly lifting outside. A narrow band of warmth and light on the eastern horizon was illuminating the sky.

  “So what’s wrong?” Rose said as she waited for her oatmeal to cool down. She popped a cherry into her mouth.

  Karena scowled. “I’m thinking, that’s all,” Karena said.

  “I know that look,” Rose persisted. Rose sprinkled some raisins and cinnamon onto her oatmeal.

  Hadrian’s emerald eyes darted from Karena to Rose, and back again. He said, “She’s upset because this is her last day on Asher’s team.”

  “Are you serious, Karena? You like him that much?” Rose said, shocked. “I thought it was just some passing fantasy, you know, like a crush, but different.”

  “Like a novelty item?” Hadrian offered.

  Rose clapped her hand on the table and said, “Exactly. Where it turns out not to be so novel after all.”

  “It didn’t work out that way,” Karena lamented. “I wanted to see how I felt around him, and to find out if the guy from my birthday party was for real, and he is. Asher is like a best friend, but I want him to become something more.”

  Hadrian perked up. “Like a Hadrian, but with benefits,” he said, beaming.

  “Haha, but yes,” Karena said, sticking her tongue out at him as he preened.

  Rose raised her eyebrows, and looked
dumbfounded. She said, “I don’t know what to tell you, Karena. It’s forbidden love right there. I’m not going to tell anyone; you have my word on that. I just don’t want to see you get hurt. What you have right there is fire and ice. Instead of clashing, both of you are at peace with one another and very much in love. No one is going to be happy about that because it goes against everything they think to be true about opposing elementals.”

  “I can’t concern myself about what others will think.”

  “How will you and Asher be together?”

  “I guess, when the time comes, we’ll have to move out of the city. I don’t have a concrete answer. I wish I did. It’s not like the feud is going to magically disappear all of a sudden, unless people realize that they need to put the past behind them and work towards a better future, not just for their sake, but for their children’s and all of the future generations to come.”

  “We’ll move too, because it won’t be the same without you,” Hadrian said as though it was the easiest thing to do when everyone they knew was in Archelm City.

  Rose shook her head. “I worry, Karena. He’s a Fire. It’s none of my business, but they can’t be trusted. They have tempers,” she said.

  “Let me put it to you this way, Tristan is more dangerous to me than Asher, and Tristan is from the Water district.”

  “Tristan is annoying, but not that bad,” Rose said with a shrug to her shoulders.

  “No, Rose. You don’t know what he’s like. He’s got something going on in his head where he has these fantasies about me and him being together. He acts as though he’s already sealed the deal with me, where it’s forever between us and where all I have to do is come around and realize it.”

  Rose’s eyes widened with worry. She said, “Oh boy, yeah, that’s messed up.”

  “You haven’t been around him to see this. It’s disturbing. It’s as though he’s writing this imaginary script, and he wants me to play along, where I’m some fragile thing that needs his protection, and that I’m overworked and overstressed all the time. I’m going to talk to Captain Valmar today to see if Tristan can be permanently switched out of the team, or if I can with Hadrian.”

  With a razor’s edge to his voice, Hadrian said, “I’ve only heard some of what Tristan has said to Karena. But I can see that something is wrong. His body language is all wrong when he looks at Karena, or is around her.”

  Rose didn’t know how to reply. She used her spoon to bury the raisins deep into her oatmeal.

  Karena said, “Asher doesn’t do any of that. He respects my personal boundaries. He doesn’t tell me what to do, and he’s there if I ever need him. He’s not controlling in any way. He’s sweet, calm, patient, everything you could ever ask for. I haven’t found that in a Water or an Earth yet.”

  Looking like she was about to cry, which had to do more with her sensitive nature than the topic at hand, Rose said, “Then you have to take a risk and find out if he’s the one for you. You don’t want to lose that opportunity. If it’s love, then jump. It’s rare and doesn’t come around all that often.”

  “I know. I can’t worry about the how’s and what-if’s. When everyone does find out, they’ll be disappointed and mad, but it’s my life.”

  Next to her, Hadrian munched on his toast. They focused on their breakfast. There wasn’t anything more to say. Karena finished her cereal, and headed out with Hadrian.

  In Hadrian’s truck, he turned to her and asked, “Do you think Tristan is dangerous?”

  “What do you think?” she asked in a neutral tone. She wanted to know what he thought, and getting defensive or upset wouldn’t yield a true answer from him.

  “Ever since he inherited his grandfather’s house, he’s been different. I haven’t been able to place a finger on why that is.”

  “Have you seen his grandfather’s house recently?”

  “No. He showed me the first floor of it the day he inherited it a couple years ago, but that was it,” Hadrian said, and started up his truck to make the all-too-familiar drive to work.

  “I tried asking him about how the cleanup has been going, but I didn’t get a real answer out of him. He mentioned that sometimes he hears breathing in the house. I told him it could be demonic possession or occupation. He clammed up afterwards.”

  “Imagine if you exorcised his place while he was at work, and when he came back, the breathing wasn’t there anymore. What do you think his reaction would be?”

  “Hadrian, it’s something we shouldn’t joke about. I pray that there isn’t anything invisible in there that is breathing to begin with.”

  “You’re right,” he said, wincing from regret. He flicked on his turn signal and switched lanes to make the right turn onto Trident Street.

  “Anyways, for whatever reason it may be from, he’s demented. I went on that date with him, and now he thinks we’re together.”

  “I’m sorry I suggested the idea. I had no clue he would spiral out of control and become like this. I knew he was interested and such, but not in that way.”

  “It’s not your fault. I didn’t realize it either. I’ve been meaning to talk to Captain Valmar for a while now, but after last time, with his obscure talk about vampires and the last necromancer king, I didn’t want to face him again.”

  “I could talk to him.”

  “Ha! I know how that would end. He would look like a volcano about to erupt and send you flying out a window.”

  “Sounds fun to me. I haven’t ever flown before,” Hadrian said, not at all concerned about his safety around Captain Valmar when he should’ve been.

  They pulled into the parking lot, got out, and walked inside of the cryptid headquarters.

  Upon entering the Warren room, Karena veered away to speak with Captain Valmar. He was seated in his office chair, sipping his tea, and wearing his ridiculously small, reading glasses that made him look like he was experiencing an identity crisis. She stood before his desk.

  “You’re back again,” he said. “Let me guess, it has to do with Tristan.”

  “How would you know?”

  “I can sense it.” He offered no other explanation.

  “I take it you know about other things.”

  “Always, and that Hadrian plans to annoy me today in some way, something to do with flying. I’ll have my teapot ready to bludgeon him if need be.”

  “He was hoping that you would make him fly somehow.”

  With a peeved look, Captain Valmar asked, “By throwing him out a window? I don’t want that buffoon to enjoy even a second of my wrath and annoyance with him.”

  “I’ll get right to the point. Can you switch Tristan out? I feel sexually and physically threatened by him,” Karena said. She swallowed hard, and shifted her weight from foot to foot. It was hard to admit to such a thing. It was as though she was too weak to deal with her own issues, but she knew that real strength came from asking for help.

  “I understand and that it is a real issue for you. It’s not to be tolerated. The problem I face is that everyone is content in their own groups. In anticipation of this, I’ve interviewed everyone, and none of them want change. They know how they work as a team, and having someone switch out or to have an extra person stay permanently in their team would destabilize them. They have their bonds with each other. I have to respect their wishes.

  ‘And since Tristan is a wizard, he would be hard to replace. Your team can’t function without him. However, come summer, which is in two months, witches and wizards will be graduating from their classes at the Magical Arts Academy. Some of them will be coming to me looking for work. At such time, I can come up with a solution for you, and also for Tristan. I assume you wish to keep Hadrian with you?”

  “Yes. I like Amarine too, but I want Hadrian to stay with me.”

  “Amarine has a stronger friendship with Tristan. Hadrian is guaranteed to stay in your group, but not Amarine.”

  “I realize that, and understand.”

  “Good.”

/>   “Is there anything else?”

  “If you can stay two steps ahead of everyone, then what is in the future?”

  “It’s all very selective. I’m in tune with those around me, and that’s it. When it comes to the future, it comes and goes, and changes all the time. I invest myself only in certain people, as intuition tells me to. My loyalties are many, but in the end, it comes down to those who have the greatest ability to change the world for good.”

  “You’re sounding like an elf. They talk like that, or so I’ve read.”

  “I don’t look like an elf, now do I?” he asked, eyeing her.

  His tone tipped her off that she was crossing into dangerous territory, and so she abandoned her attempt to get an answer out of him and shut her mouth.

  She said, “Thank you, Captain Valmar, for understanding my predicament. I really don’t know what’s wrong with Tristan, and I’ve tried talking to him.”

  “There’s a darkness around him, that’s all I know. It’s best to steer clear of it. Two months, and then he’ll be gone. If anything comes up, I’ll have to place you on leave of absence.”

  Karena nodded, and left for the locker room.

  After changing into her uniform, she sat down at one of the armchairs on the western side of the Warren room. The room was getting noisier by the minute as coworkers arrived and entered the locker rooms to change into their uniforms. The early birds were exiting the locker rooms to sit down at their tables to chat until Captain Valmar started the work day, which was about ten minutes away. She pulled out a pen and paper.

  After checking for any spying eyes, she scribbled a note down, inviting Asher to the End of Midnight play in three nights. Fear gripped her in a steely embrace. What if she left the team and that was it between them? She steadied herself. Her fear was irrational.

  “It’s your last day on Asher’s team. I bet you’re happy,” Tristan’s voice came from behind her.

  Startled, Karena’s leg jerked, and her spine stiffened. He sat down next to her. She hid the note for Asher from view.

  “That’s right, it is my last day,” she said in a strained voice. “You’ve been counting them off, I suppose.”