Spring Frost (15 page)

          “So,” she said calmly. “It seems that the poison has finally taken your life at last. It would have been sooner – certainly I hoped it would be sooner. But it looks like you found a potion to stave off the effects. Not for long enough, though, it seems.”

          I gritted my teeth.

          “I’m not dead, Clariss,” I said.

          Clariss looked surprised, if not confused. “Then what are you doing here, eh? Aren’t you supposed to be keeping your promise to me – paving my way to the throne of all Feyland…and to Logan’s side.”

          Just hearing his name on her lips made me wince. “Clariss, that’s why I’m here. I wanted to find you. To convince you to join him on the throne. You and he – ruling Feyland together. Isn’t that what you want? What you’ve always wanted? If I leave Logan in charge of Feyland with you I’ll have done my duty – and you and he can rule as husband and wife. That is my plan. If you reign alone, the people will be suspicious of you and will hate you. But with Logan by your side, they will trust and love you. Everyone loves Logan in both the Winter and Summer Kingdoms, and even in Autumn Springs. The people listen to him. If you want to rule Feyland, Clariss, you have to go through him. But you have to give Rose back…”

          “Rose?” Clariss’ eyes narrowed into slits. “Why?”

          “Don’t worry, Clariss,” I said quickly. “It isn’t like that. Logan doesn’t feel anything for Rose – anything
romantic
, that is. But she’s his best friend’s sister – and if anything happened to her, he’d never forgive himself. I told you before, but you didn’t listen to me. Logan has eyes only for you.”

          “Come on, Breena,” Clariss smiled sadly. “You expect me to swallow that again? I know as well as you do that he’s obsessed with you.” 

          “But what if he weren’t?”

          “What do you mean?”

          “Look, Clariss,”  I sighed. “It doesn’t matter to me now. I’m with Kian. I’ve already made my choice and I’m happy with it. And Logan needs to learn to move on from me, to do without me. Frankly, if he’s going to be with someone, it needs to be someone who understands both worlds: the world of Gregory and the world of Feyland. Someone like you. You knew him Beyond the Crystal River; Logan needs that. Logan needs someone who can see both sides of him: human and wolf, mortal and Fey. That person can’t be me, Clariss. So why shouldn’t it be with you? You have a special connection with him, after all. A magical connection. Don’t you feel that? Rose had a silly schoolgirl crush on him – but now she’s in love with Alistair and she with her. What Logan feels for you is…strong. Passionate. Maybe he thinks he hates you, but deep down I know how easily hatred can turn into love. Opposites attract, after all. And you two are so beautiful, so glamorous, so right for each other.”

          Clariss was hanging on my every word, listening intently to each turn of phrase. Her eyes were wide. “Do you really mean that? Do you think I can make him forget about you? Maybe I could use magic,” her voice was trembling. “Just a little magic – a little forgetting spell. No, Logan’s too proud for that. Too noble. It’d never work on him. And I want him to be sincere…I want a real chance, not some lie.”

          “Then get me out of the picture, Clariss. Let him forget about me the normal way.”

          “That’s what I was planning on doing!” Clariss spat. “Poisoning you. He couldn’t love you when you become a member of the Dark Hordes.”

          “Do you really think Logan could ever love the woman responsible for my death? If I die, Logan will be in love with my memory – he’ll never get over me, least of all fall for the one who killed me. No, you need to let me marry Kian. To live in peace with him. Once Logan sees that I’m serious about Kian, that my decision is final, he’ll start to move on. Once he realizes there’s no hope. Once I’m a married woman, he’ll give up his quest to be with me. I know it.”

          Clariss looked like she was thinking it over. “He’s that honorable?” She looked at me.

          “He’s the most honorable man in Feyland, Clariss, you know that. Other than Kian of course,” I added. “Ever since he was a kid. You know that about him, Clariss. That’s why you care for him as much as you do. He’s a good man…Logan. He does something to you. He inspires you to be a better person. At least, he inspired me.”

          Clariss nodded, and then I knew that my plan had worked. Logan’s power was in the possibility of redemption – the book had said so. To redeem the Black Magic. He brought out the best in everyone else – in me, in Rose. Why shouldn’t he be able to awaken the good in Clariss? His goodness could balance out her evil.

          “Now, Clariss,” I continued, “You have to come back with me to the Winter Palace. Once Logan sees that you’ve released me of your own accord he’ll realize that you’re not as evil as he thought. He’ll be impressed. You can start talking to him then. Only…where’s Rose?”

          Clariss started. “Oh, her,” she said. “Rose isn’t here. She’s too strong – her power was too great. I couldn’t drag her all the way down here. I’ve trapped her elsewhere. Once I return and find that you’ve not been lying to me about Logan – then I’ll let her go. If you marry Kian and I find Logan as pliable as you’ve said, then I will release her. Now, let’s go.”

          Clariss grabbed my arm. Immediately we were flying again – this time flying through space, leaving behind the strange and nebulous realm we’d just been in and sailing towards the center of Feyland. We flew through the borders of the Winter Forest with its pine trees and mistletoe, flying so quickly that the forest seemed like little more than a blur. In the distance I could see the Winter Palace. As we came closer I could see Kian standing on the balcony, surrounded by knights. Their swords were drawn.

          “What’s going on?” Clariss hissed. “They look like they knew we were coming.”

          “I’m fine!” I called out as we approached. “Tell the guards to stand down, Kian.”

          Clariss released us by the bridge that lay over the moat. The guards were waiting, tensed, poised for battle.

          “It’s fine,” I said. “They won’t march without my orders.”

          Clariss took one hesitant step forward.

          Then chaos broke loose. Immediately a knight darted forward, tackling me and forcing me out of the way.

          “What the…”

          But it was too late. An enormous kelpie was charging straight at Clariss, heading from the palace moat.

          “No! Stop! Let her go!” I cried, but the guard was already dragging me inside the palace.

          “Traitor,” hissed Clariss. “You think you can fight me?” She drew herself up to her full height. “Think again!”

          I looked on in shock. There, before my eyes, Clariss was changing shape. She was growing – larger than any human – her skin turning dark and scaly. Her eyes began to glow red. Standing before me was not a woman but a dragon.

          “Breena!” Kian rushed up to me, wrapping me in his arms and kissing me passionately. “Logan told me what happened – one of the knights saw you and Clariss in the woods. We know she’s taken you prisoner – we had to act fast…”

          “Oh, Kian, no! I told her to come here – that she could trust us. We were going to solve this without fighting, without anyone getting hurt.”

          But that time had passed. The kelpie and the dragon were fighting each other, dealing death-blows with supernatural ferocity. The dragon let loose a furious roar of flame; I screamed as the kelpie transformed instantly into ash, dissolving into thousands of tiny pieces. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Barnaby the centaur – once a dragon-hunter – ride up to face her.

          “No!” I shouted, but she had already attacked him, knocking him into the river with a thrust of her spiky tail.

          The dragon spoke with a terrifying unearthly wail. “I trusted you – traitorous Breena, and you lied! You betrayed me! Brought me like a lamb to the slaughter. For that, I will ensure that you never see your beloved Rose again. And I will make all Feyland pay the price of your treachery! This is war!”

          And with that, she vanished.

Chapter 17

         
N
o sooner had Clariss vanished than the ground began to rumble beneath our feet. As if an earthquake had split apart the bowels of the earth, cracks began to appear in the ground, spreading out like a spider's legs through the earth. I stepped back in shock. “What's going on?” I cried, looking up at Kian. “What did you do?”

          A whirl of color passed by out of the corner of my eye. The whirl slowed and I saw that it was Alistair, flying out to meet me, carrying Logan in his arms. The two set foot on the ground beside me. “Hurry, my Queen,” cried Alistair. “The Dark Sorceress has begun to unleash the Hordes.” Logan was clutching the Book of Faeyore in his hands.

          “You have to hurry, Breena,” he cried. “Please, Breena, use the book! You're the one destined to share this connection with the Sorceress – you need to use the book to tell you what to do.”

          I looked at Logan blankly. “But even if I am this third sister,” I protested, “how am I supposed to know what to do?”

          “Use your magic!” Logan stepped forward. “It's always worked before. Please, Breena, we have to hurry! This is an emergency. Feyland is in danger; I can feel it. The Hordes will rise again if we're not careful.”

          I shuddered at his words. I too remembered what it was like last time the Hordes had walked the plains of Feyland. I could still see the silver meadows – awash in blood. I could still hear the screams of the dying and of the dead.

          “I'll come with you,” said Logan. “We have to find Clariss. If I'm supposed to have this connection with her, too – then there's got to be something I can to do to help.” He looked confused. “But, Breena – I don't feel anything for Clariss. No connection. No bond. Only anger and hatred. What am I supposed to be feeling?”

          I reached out for his hand. Warmth pulsed through me. It felt so good to be near him; the space between us sparked and spilled over with electric power.

          “This?” Logan looked up at me with great dark eyes, whispering in a trembling voice. “Because
this
I can understand. This I know I feel – and I know it's magical. I don't feel that for Clariss.” I could smell his heat, his animal strength: the smell of pine trees and the woods and wolfish musk that always made me feel so safe. I could not deny this connection, whatever it was. And I knew that whatever magic held us together – it was this magic, and this magic alone, that was capable of defeating Clariss.

          “I'll come with you to Clariss,” I said. “Maybe the two of us can convince her together to call off the Hordes. She's in love with you, you know. She'll do whatever you say. Maybe if you ask her...”

          “How can Clariss be in love with me?” Logan sighed darkly. “She doesn't even know me! She only thinks she loves me because she's jealous of you...”

          But I wasn't so sure. I saw the look – so full of desperation and passionate anger – in Clariss' eyes when she spoke of Logan. Whatever Clariss felt, however misguided it was, I knew it was real.

          I turned to see Kian dressed in his finest armor, white and silver light shining from his sparkling shield. He approached me, his eyes dark with fear. “I fear we never have a moment's rest, my love,” he said. “Breena, once more it seems that we are facing the Darkest Forces of Feyland. Will it never end?” He sighed heavily and I could feel his pain, feel his despair. “Have you taken the potion Alistair made for you? This new batch should cure you for a few weeks more – who knows, it may even destroy the poison altogether. Alistair seems completely cured.”

          I shook my head. “The poison has allowed me to keep up my connection with Clariss,” I said. “It helped me find her through the Book. If I get cured, how are we supposed to find her?” With the Dark Hordes on the loose and Clariss on the run, I couldn't afford to lose that connection.