Frost Fire (Frost Series #6) (14 page)

“I guess we should know by now,” said Shasta sadly. “There's no such thing as “just a myth” in Feyland.”

Rose peered down the book, straining her eyes. She was less careful, now – she would have noticed if the book held any great magic! It looked like the book could only curse one reader at a time. “It's saying something about the Sorceress,” she said. “Things we already know – that she is born among those who have no magic, that she is initially unaware of her own identity...”

“That can't be it!” Shasta protested. “The book wouldn't curse itself to keep off outsiders if that were all it was. There's got to be something more in there. Any book that protects itself so powerfully must have
some
sort of secrets. Here, let me try!” She tried to take the book, but Logan stopped her.

“This is Rose's time,” he said. “She knows what to look for – she's an alchemist, a scholar. On the battlefield, you lead – but right now, it's Rose's turn.”

Rose blushed as she continued reading. How was it that Logan could always manage to be so courteous, so kind to her? He was always sticking up for her, whether against her brother Rodney or against any of the others. Sometimes it seemed as if he went out of his way to protect her, to keep her safe. Could it be that he, too...? Rose shook her head as she continued reading. Logan, she was sure, thought little more of her than that she was his friend's little sister. A kid who needed protecting, not a woman for whom one could pine! After all, Logan's heart belonged to Breena, everybody knew that. But as Rose remembered the warm glow she had felt when Logan was comforting her, remembered the feeling of his powerful, sinewy arms around her small shoulders, she couldn't help but hope. Maybe he saw something more in her than a gawky red-headed schoolgirl. After all, Breena had seen something in Rose – seen enough to convince her that Rose, too, should be made a Knight of Feyland. Perhaps Logan was seeing it too?

Don't be stupid
, Rose sighed to herself. Even if Logan did feel something for Rose, what did it matter? He wouldn't ever act on it – she was off-limits as Rodney’s little sister – and Alistair's... But what was she to Alistair, anyway? As she looked over at Alistair's beautiful, once-sunny face, now frozen in an expression of fascination and fear, she remembered how she had once desired nothing more than to spend her life in Alistair's arms. But she had been so young, then – and those dreams, however large, were born out of ideas she had read about in books, not out of real experience. When she thought she loved Rodney five years ago, Rose knew, she didn't even know what it meant to be in love! She still didn't know, she thought, but at least she was getting an idea. Love was what Breena and Kian felt for each other; it was the power to destroy all other forms of magic, to destroy the Dark Hordes, to take the risk to wield the most dangerous magic of all. Love was what had saved Feyland the first time.

Was
that
what she felt for Alistair, Rose wondered? A love so great that it would destroy the Dead and the Dark Hordes themselves? At the time, it had certainly seemed that way, but now she wasn't so sure. How could she trust her own feelings, when one word, one glance, from the Wolf Prince was enough to send her reeling? Rose sighed. Whatever she felt for Alistair, it wasn't enough to stop her from melting every time she felt Logan's skin against hers. And yet, as she looked down at Alistair's wan face, she felt a sudden, powerful desire to hold him in her arms once again, to kiss his still lips, to be closer to him than the breeze that blew upon his hands. There was love there in her heart – she knew it! The memory of his kiss, the memory of his arms around her, the memory of his smile and his sparkling emerald eyes – all these made her swoon. All these made her long for him.

How she wanted it back again! That moment, that striking and fantastic moment, when she had kissed him for the first time. They were so young then, so naïve and yet so full of the love that Feyland had not yet strangled out of them by years of warfare and hatred. They believed that they,
they
could save Feyland, that they could be like the knights and heroes of old. How Rose missed those days of such certain belief! She longed to turn the hands of time back, to escape this present, this fear, this darkness and endless night, and run into the welcoming arms of the past. A past where Alistair was as inexperienced and wonderfully, splendidly awkward as she was – a past where he wasn't in any danger.

But she had to focus. Rose sighed and snapped herself out of her reverie. Now was no time to worry about romance. She had to get Alistair out there safely. She continued reading the book, her eyes scanning the pages.

“I think I've got something...” Rose shouted. The others gathered around quickly to hear.

“
The Ancient Mount is the seat of great power. It is the home of two kinds of magic – the greatest light and the greatest darkness.”

“The greatest light!” Rodney shouted. “The suns of Feyland – remember that mountain where Brian climbed to save Kian, the seat of Fey immortality? Well, one of the suns of Feyland was there...”

“I remember,” said Logan. “Breena told me all about it. She was able to actually go up and
touch
the sun!”

“And the greatest darkness,” cried Rose excitedly. “That must mean – the Sorceress. Her home must be on that mountain – we'll have to go there if we want to find her. And if we defeat her, maybe we'll be able to...” She looked over at Rodney and her heart sank. “I mean, once we break her power, maybe all the bad things that have been happening to Feyland will go right again. Maybe then...” She sighed. “We have to try,” she decided. “Logan, do you know the way? Do you know how to get to the mountain?”

“I think so,” said Logan. “Breena told me all about her journey to the kingdom of the Dead. She showed me everywhere she went on the map, just in case – I memorized every street, every mountain, every path, every wood...”

“Well done, Logan,” said Rodney, and Logan smiled sadly. “If we find the source of the suns of Feyland, we might also find the Sorceress. It won't be an easy road, but it's the best chance we've got.”

“Then we're decided,” said Shasta. “Only...what do we do with Alistair?”

The group looked over at Alistair. He was a slender boy, but he still weighed more than any of them could comfortably carry, horses or no.

“We'll take him along, of course,” said Rose. But the others looked at her uncomfortably, and the silence in the room seemed to signal their refusal. “You're not suggesting...we can't just
leave
him here! He could get killed – some bandits could find him and try to rob him, or worse! And without us producing heat, he'll freeze to death in no time!”

“I'm not saying
leave
him,” said Shasta. “But there's got to be someone in this village who'd be willing to look after him if we paid. This isn't a rich part of Feyland – money talks. If we paid for his upkeep...”

“The tavern turned out to be infested with the Dark Forces,” Rose snapped, “who's to say some nice peasant woman won't turn out to be the Sorceress in disguise? This place isn't safe – we can't trust anyone here. And Alistair's too important to be risked in that way.”

“But what are we supposed to do with him?” Shasta responded. “He can't walk or ride in this state, and he'll only slow down our journey. And every second that we spend wasting time before we get to restore the suns means another second that people are dying back in Feyland – are you really willing to sacrifice all their lives in order to try to save this one? The more time we waste – hundreds of fairies are dying of sickness and starvation every instant! And the Sorceress is only getting stronger.”

“But Alistair has powerful magic,” cried Rose. “You know it – he's one of the best alchemists in Feyland. He was able to force the Dark Forces to speak the truth and reveal to us who they really were – if he hadn't we'd all probably be dead or insane right now. We owe him our lives – and to just leave him to die would be dishonourable.”

Shasta said nothing but flinched. Rose knew that Shasta cared more about honor than she did about almost anything else in the world.

“But how are we to use this magic,” Shasta said slowly, “if Alistair is in this state?”

Rose thought quickly. “Logan, do you remember what Breena said about her journey to the mountain? She met some Enchantress, didn't she – a good fairy who was willing to give Kian his life back again in exchange for Breena's. That's some powerful magic right there. Maybe this Enchantress could save Alistair.”
For a price
, she thought, but she did not speak it out loud. The last thing she wanted to do was to admit it to herself. Besides, she had to convince the others that this Enchantress could save Alistair.

“It's true,” said Logan. “Breena did meet an Enchantress in those parts.”

“The Sorceress?” asked Shasta

“I doubt it,” said Logan. “This Enchantress was old – she clearly knew that she had magical powers, and had for a long time That doesn't match the description we have of the Sorceress at all.”

“Rose is right,” said Rodney. “We can't trust anyone in this village to take care of Alistair properly. Leaving him here would be leaving him to die.”

Logan turned to Rose and took her hand. “I know you care for him, Rose,” aid Logan in a low voice. “And I know that he cares for you, too a great deal. He told me so. You're very special to him, and I know you feel the same way.”

Rose nodded mutely. It was all true – she
did
love Alistair, and she did go weak at the knees every time she thought about their kiss. But if that was true, why did Logan's voice make her feel just as rapturous? Just as confused.

“I know what it's like to be in love,” said Logan. “It makes you crazy. It makes you willing to do everything and anything for the person you love, even risk your life. Even risk the lives of others. True love is a dangerous thing. But we need to make this decision based on what's best for Feyland, not how we feel.” He sighed. “I know it's hard, and I'm not sure what I'd do in your shoes.”

Rose shook her head. “Love was what saved Feyland in times of danger,” she said. “Love was what let us destroy the Dark Hordes. All that Feyland talk about love being dangerous – maybe it's true, but it's also the best chance we've got to fight off all the other dangerous things in this world. And I'm willing to take the risk. If we haven't got love for each other, we haven't got anything at all – just like the Summer King said. He told us to stick together, and that's what we should do.”

Rodney and Logan looked at each other. “You're right, Rose,” said Logan. “And what's more – you're wise. If we can't stick together, then the Dark Forces might get to us, and then we'd never save Feyland. We have to save Feyland as a team – no matter what.”

Shasta nodded too. “But you'll be the one to carry him, Rose,” she said. “It's only fair.”

Rose looked at Alistair's heavy body. “I'll do it,” she said, taking Alistair under the shoulders and hoisting him up onto her horse. “I'll just have to work harder to keep up with the rest of you. You're right, Shasta, it's only fair.”

Shasta nodded. Evidently Rose had won her favor – and her respect. Rose put the Book of Gwenhyfar into her satchel, and the group mounted their horses, ready to set off to the mountain.

Chapter 15

T
he journey to the mountains was long and arduous. Breena may have been able to ride on a Pegasus, Rose knew, but in the absence of Pegasi the road would take them many days. Their food rations had nearly run out, and after two days of travel they had taken to foraging for whatever food they could manage – a few dry and desiccated berries growing on withered hedges, roots of potatoes and turnips in the ground. Logan was able to transform into his Wolf form and hunt for wild birds and game, which they cooked hurriedly over a small but open flame and devoured half-raw. They were in the depths of the wilderness, now, and although no more spirits of the Dead came to attack them, they knew that the area was far from safe. If the Dead had escaped their Kingdom, they and the Dark Forces would soon be able to access anywhere in Feyland, including the depths of the Wilds. They cut through brambles and vines, hiked up mountains, built makeshift twig forts each night to stay warm.