Winterskin (Book One of Wrath & Winter)

Into the Black: Part Two

It wasn't enough to hear her voice. I had to see her face.

I spun with her hand. Faced her. Let every emotion from my face, my body.

I couldn't say the word. Bring myself to part my lips.

Can't even make myself cry.

Skin pale as bone. Lips red as a blood moon. A wreathing midnight curtain covers her entire body. She's taller than me. Like a graceful willow pulling in its roots. Preparing to die for the winter.

It is her teeth that bring me back.

Her fangs.

Ax and shield, Kat. Ax and shield!

But her eyes keep me still. Freeze me without the cold.

"Come," she offered me her hand. Hawkish talons protruded from her gray fingertips, "let me show you something, Kitten."

It's even got her voice right.

My body moves without my say so, hand grasping hers. Feet plowing along as she glides through the brush toward—

Oh no. Oh no. Oh no.

I can't.

"But you will." She replied. Reading my mind. Her voice echoing through the woods, making every bush and tree shiver.

Far from her tombstone, we stop in the middle of the Black. Where they tried so damned hard to get away. Where I almost saved Ceadda yet failed because of—

I snatched my hand away.

Because of her.

Lifting my shield, arming myself with my ax, "You will pay for what you have done—"

"Shush, child."

Her words are an arrow to the chest. One tipped with hissing poison.

"Your comrades decorate my woods." She opened her arms wide, "On your mother's death bed, Kitten, what did you promise?"

"You should know." I snapped.

And she chuckled. A slow, rasping, sound that rubbed hard against my ears. "Never pick up shield," beneath me, turf rustled, "nor ax," the forest came alive as limbs prowled from bushes and bodies detached themselves from trees, "never become like your brother," her eyes spun to face me, "a shieldmaiden." She hissed.

Three of them. Similar to the low tier vampire I fought on the outskirts with dangling tags of skin, milky eyes, and violent, jagged fangs. Creatures more beast than men.

"And what have you done?" she shrieked, pulling backward. Limping, I realize too late, "What have you done with my promise?"

My?

I can't. I won't.

The first lunged, bobcat talons raking across my right shoulder. I've got the urge to drop my ax, but I slam its leathery face with my shield and hammer the sharp end of my ax into its other companion.

And she's there. And she's surrounding me. A curtain of black. A curtain of cold.

Use your magic. Use your magic. Use what I've given you!

"Get out of my head!"

I spin my ax. Violently. Tracing a silver arc all around me, forcing the vamps backward. And they stumble. Two going onto all fours, the third screeching a high-pitched shriek as it holds its bloodied stump.

It is the only way you will survive.

I find her. Her eyes. A curtain of black again, translucent, gossamer. Like a low hanging nighttime cloud. The two unharmed vamps go lurching for me from opposite directions. Trying so hard to catch me off guard and they don't. They can't. I may be hurt, but I'm not broken. I've got the souls of six vengeance hungry younglings on my side. I will not fall. I will not fail.

I trip.

Use it, Katell.

I trip and I'm done for. I trip and my ax goes flying to the right. Knocked against a tree and spun to the ground. The handle of my shield cracked into my elbow sending tendrils of red-hot pain screaming down my forearm.

They'll rip out my throat. I'll end up just like her. I'll die and they'll be all alone.

Ice. On my fingertips.

I'm not like her. I'll never be like her.

But she's right.

I should use it.

Besides, I made a promise to Eli.

Ice consumed my right hand. I sprang up, taking my shield with me and covered it completely in ice. My heart climbed into my throat as my body shook with a certain type of weakness. One that told me I was going over some type of threshold, but I couldn't stop. Not now. Not now.

The first collided with me. The one with the stump. Sending ice down my shoulder, into my shield, spikes of it pierced through the creature's chest. Erupted from its back. The other two watched, then went for it. Sprinting like direwolves on all fours. I shoved my toe into the first one's chin, sending it careening backward. With the final one—it overtook me. Drilled me into the ground with its hard as stone forehead and headbutted me.

Stars. Night sky. Morning hoarfrost.

Come back. Come back. Come back—

I grabbed the creature's throat. Sent ice spiraling through it.

It dropped. Rolled to my left. The last one, the final one, ran.

At me.

Red black slaver rolled like riptides down its chin. Blackened eyes locked on mine and I held my ground. Took the creature by the shoulders and dug my heels into the dirt to keep my stance. Cycled ice through it. Cutting off its windpipe.

She stood in the thicket. All that's left. All that remains.

In her state, I knew I couldn't take her out.

Huffing, chest imploding inward with every breath, I took a shaky step toward her.

"Watch out," a white smile speared through the darkness, "be careful of where you step."

Another step and I can't go any further. Another and I'm rooted into the ground.

By fingers.