Black Ice ✓ | Deathsworn #1

Chapter 40 ∞ Spider Silk

I carefully sealed the bottle of perfume on my table, tying a small, green ribbon around its neck. I set it before me as Erenol strode through my doors and into my room, hands laced behind her. I'd taken my hobby elsewhere because my room looked like it aged a hundred years. This was a spare guest room in the southernmost corner of the house. Quite an isolated place, really. I used to not come here because I felt like it was haunted, but a room's a room, right? It wasn't like I could keep staying in Kora's.

Erenol's olive-green eyes twinkled with curiosity as she eyed my craft. Nevertheless, she maintained her silence. She knew I hated being startled by things when I was doing something. Although I was already done, she didn't dare say anything until I spoke first.

I held up the bottle with the green ribbon to her and said, "Here you go."

"What's this?" she asked, kneeling beside me.

"I made it for you," I told her. "Didn't you say you wanted one? It's one of the few essences that survived earlier. I'm sorry I can't make something better. When I get new supplies, I'll be sure to give you something else."

"I didn't think you'd ever make me one," she muttered. The delight that lit up her face spoke volumes of what she felt.

I smiled. "I lied to you, you know," I stated.

She met my eyes. "Is this about what happened earlier?" she asked. "Your room? You're actually a Conduit, aren't you?"

She guessed that well enough. If she didn't, considering how obvious it was, I'd think she was stupid. Erenol was childish—that much was true. At this age, one would see girls beginning to act like women and she was still somehow stuck in that stage where she disregarded everything else to have fun. This was probably something she did on purpose. The place she'd grown up in wasn't exactly the most nurturing.

She was the last thing from stupid.

"My mistresses told me not to speak about it to anyone," I began, "because it's something that's never happened before—or known to have happened before, at least. If I agreed to come with you to the War College, I would have to reveal it."

"How rare can your element be?" she asked, eyes wide.

"My mistresses said it was death," I said.

Shock took over her face.

"That frost earlier is a manifestation of it. Anything it touches...well, will not necessarily die immediately. However, it will suck the life out of the room quite literally," I said. "If it took over the whole house, it might've made it collapse."

"Yes, I saw how it became..." Erenol replied. "Why didn't you tell me sooner? Didn't you trust me?"

"Sorry. Don't make it personal," I said. "I wasn't ready to tell you anything. You've been my only friend this entire time. Although I trusted you, I didn't know how you'd react. And we were outside the last time you asked."

"How is it possible, though?" Erenol inquired softly. "Did your Deliverer already show himself to you? Kaliya?"

"I'm not sure, really," I replied, lying through my teeth. Well, it wasn't like it was totally a lie. I was still quite uncertain about Amber's identity. Was he Kaliya or not? I've been convinced he was the entire time, at least. "I feel like he did. I don't know. It started mainly when Maun came..." I trailed off.

"Why? What happened?"

"There were shadows," I said. "Really really cold shadows. He was not in a good shape. I tried to help him and that's how he ended up here."

"What are those shadows?"

"I don't know." I shrugged. "I don't know much about this thing. Even I'm still very confused. But, yeah...I do remember taking the test before, when I was six years old. You remember, don't you? That's when we first met."