Have you read Snow Shifters Part Four - The Ball?
***
The carriage rumbled down the road, a shadow against the large yellow moon. Leaving the tall gothic castle behind, it dipped into the darkness of the bare, gnarled trees of the Vampyyri Forest. With a creak it came to a stop. A rectangle of light was thrown onto the snowy ground.
He followed the two shadows into the carriage. The sweet heady smell of lavender filled his nostrils as he closed the door and the carriage rumbled off again. He breathed deeply.
“Did you get it?” Elsa’s light voice asked, the sound sending warmth skittering through his veins.
Across from him, identical evil grins spread across the twin’s faces. Skadi reached over her shoulder, pulling out a staff with a silver dragon claw clutching a crystal ball.
“And you know which side’s the right side this time?” The iciness sent a shiver down his spine.
The grin slid off Skadi’s face. “Stop questioning our integrity,” she growled.
He glanced at Elsa. Damn, she looked beautiful. Her hair was piled in a messy bun on top of her head, stray black strands curling around her heart-shaped face. The long scar slicing through her perfect skin was slightly pink, her purple gown the exact colour of her pale purple eye. A butterfly mask was clutched in her hands on her lap. Her dark eyebrows were raised, forehead crinkled. “Don’t lose it.”
A chill ran through him as Skadi stilled. “Is that a threat?” she hissed.
Uller tensed, side eyeing Skadi. Shit. If Uller was nervous then this was really bad. If a fight broke out in the carriage… well there’d be no more carriage.
Elsa tilted her head to one side, completely unfazed. “It’s up to you if it is,” she said in a sickly-sweet voice.
Narrowing her eyes, Skadi slid the staff behind her back. The silence was heavy as the carriage rumbled on.
He suppressed a shiver as he glanced between the women. He’d never known Elsa to be so… icy. Was it because of the attack on her? Or was it her history with Skadi? She’d always felt so warm to him, but she had changed. There was a hardness to her now, like the winter had frozen part of her soul, like a flame in her had been extinguished when-
“What?” Elsa’s sharp tone snapped at him.
Shit, he’d been staring at her. “Nothing,” he muttered, pulling his eyes straight ahead.
Uller raised his eyebrows at him.
Thankfully the carriage rumbled to a halt soon after. Skadi and Uller exited the carriage in silence, melting into the shadows beyond the yellow rectangle of light on the snowy ground.
Iys made to follow them.
“Did you get it?” Elsa asked quietly.
He froze, the image of the Countess’ sweaty body moving beneath his flashing across his mind. Cringing, he sat back down and looked at her. She was still staring at where Skadi had sat. “Yes.”
Her lips pressed into a thin line. Without another word she left the carriage, heading for the shadowy palace. Her dress dragged through the snow, mask clutched tightly in her hand.
“Elsa!” He hurried out of the carriage after her.
She marched up the stone steps and through the huge front doors. He followed her in silence down the long halls and up the winding stairs, her heels clicking on the stone floors in the silent palace. She paused at the door to her suite.
“What do you want?” she bit out, turning to him.
He blinked. She’d never spoken to him like that before. “Is something the matter?”
She stared at him, one piercing deep purple eye, one blank pale purple eye. He watched pain, fear, and confusion flicker across her face. She heaved a breath and shook her head. “I’m fine.”
He raised an eyebrow at her. “You’re fine?”
She bit her lower lip.
He stiffened as fire spread through him. God dammit, she shouldn’t do that. It made him melt every time, and now was not the right time.
“I fucked up.”
Her whisper quickly doused the flames. Icy sadness filled him. “You didn’t fuck up,” he said, reaching out for her.
She stepped out of his reach, letting out a short bitter laugh. “I don’t know what Vuur’s told you, but I fucked up, and I fucked up trying to fix it, and you had to come get me, and that fucked with the Earl, and now-“ She cut herself off, taking a deep breath.
He dropped his hand. “I can help you.”
“I don’t need your help,” she hissed. “I don’t need anyone’s help. I can do this.”
He opened his mouth.
“And if you can’t respect that then you should stay away from me.”
Ice pierced his heart as she disappeared into her suite, slamming the door in his face.
***
She leant on the edge of the table, her long fingers splayed on the polished timber either side of a steaming mug of hot chocolate. Snow fluttered past the windows, midday looking more like dusk. A large fire at the other end of the table flickered orange light over them.
Her eyes roved over the table. Iys was playing with the yellow stone ring on his pinkie finger, glancing across the table at Elsa every few seconds. Elsa was ignoring him, instead staring daggers at Skadi. Skadi’s nose was wrinkled in disgust as she watched Uller who was leaning his chair back on two legs, idly picking his teeth with a long dagger. Varjo was watching Uller nervously. Aardé sat at the back sipping her water, eyes also roving over the others.
“Alright, we have the Ring and the Staff back.” She nodded at Iys and Skadi.
Elsa’s jaw tightened.
“The Drifters have also returned.” Everyone’s eyes flicked to her. “Did anyone hear anything about an orb?”
There was a pause.
“I did.”
Everyone’s head snapped to Elsa. She sat tall, staring intently at Vuur with her mismatched eyes. Vuur held her gaze as she took her seat and curling her long fingers around the warm mug. The smell of sweet chocolate filled her nostrils as she leant back in her cushioned chair and kicked her bare feet onto the table. She took a sip of the creamy drink. Cradling the mug, she nodded at Elsa.
Elsa cleared her throat. “The orb is in the Drifter camp. Someone named Topor has it.”
Vuur’s eyebrows shot up as hope flared through her. If they found the orb quickly it’d be a huge win. “You have a witness?”
Elsa nodded, her eyes flicking to Aardé.
A grin spread across Vuur’s face. “Excellent. What happened?”
“I met a man who turned out to be Vetra’s spy.”
“Really?” Skadi rolled her eyes from across the table.
Elsa stared daggers at her again. “Yes, really.”
“How did you know he was actually a spy and not just trying to get in-“
“Although you seem to think otherwise, I’m not completely useless,” she snapped at Skadi.
Skadi chuckled. “Ah, so that’s why you’re not fully reporting on how you extracted-“
“Stop,” Vuur snarled, as Elsa came to her feet. “Aardé, what’d you witness?”
Aardé’s eyes flicked between Elsa and Skadi before she turned to Vuur. “I left the side room allocated for the setup of the service unlocked and made myself discreet when Elsa and the spy came in.”
“And he was Vetra’s spy?”
She nodded. “He wasn’t lying.”
Silence fell over the group. Vuur took another sip of her hot chocolate. If this Topor person had the orb, she’d have to double the surveillance on the camp as soon as this meeting adjourned. She eyed the twins over her mug. “You two will join my Katsellas, my spies. Coordinate full surveillance of the encampment. Do not make contact.”
Evil grins spread across their faces.
Her eyes flicked to Elsa. “Keep in contact with the spy.”
Elsa nodded.
Vuur’s eyes moved to Iys. She could practically hear him grinding his jaw as he tried to look casual, still glancing at Elsa every few seconds.
“Iys.” He stiffened, eyes jumping to hers. “Establish contact.”
“What!” Elsa’s sharp voice cut through the room.
Guilt froze Vuur’s stomach as she closed her eyes for a beat. She hated doing this to them. She turned to Elsa. “Iys has had previous contact.”
Elsa’s eyes went wide. “Previous contact? But they’ve been gone since…”
“Before we met,” Vuur finished for her. Tearing her eyes from Elsa’s shocked face, she nodded at Iys. “You know what to do.”
He nodded, jaw clenched.
Ignoring the tension cutting across the table, her eyes went to Aardé at the back. The tall brunette watched Vuur as she sipped her water. “How’s your mission going?”
Aardé set down her glass. The corners of her mouth pulled down as her eyebrows came together. “I haven’t obtained any new information since my last report. I’m getting closer though.”
Vuur contemplated the woman over her mug. “Very well. Now-“
She cut herself off, tilting her head to one side. It sounded like a faint… rumbling.
Smashing glass shattered the silence. Moving quick as fire, she swung herself out of her chair, pulling it around to protect herself from the shower of glass. Something large thudded on the stone floor next to her.
Her eyes snagged on the pale blue eyes of a giant white wolf.
***
Read Snow Shifters Part Six - The Theft out 10 August!