Fireblood (Frostblood Saga #2)(17)
But then the vivid orange spread and lit the sky in a whip of flame that curled above and behind me, and the tension in Drake’s arm became a tremble in the rest of his body. He fought back, his chest coating with frost as he tried to ward off the fire, but the heat intensified and he screamed.
And then my hands, which had been pressed against his arm, suddenly found they had pushed free, and I was stumbling forward onto my hands and knees, getting thoroughly soaked in an icy pool of water.
I stayed there, just trying to catch my breath. I’d been about to die, and then I hadn’t.
Fire had saved me. And it hadn’t been my own.
I finally looked up to see Kai shaking his head, no longer just annoyed but properly furious. “And how long do you think I can stay here now that I’ve killed a Frostblood, hmm? They’ll be out looking for me in droves!” He spat a few words in what I could have sworn was Sudesian. From the tone, I was pretty sure he was cursing.
“I was just nearly killed,” I pointed out shakily, rubbing my throat. “And you’re angry that I’ve spoiled your visit?”
He made a furious gesture toward Drake’s body. “This didn’t go at all the way it was supposed to. I didn’t know you had assassins trailing at your heels.” He punctuated his thoughts with a few more foreign words. If anything, they sounded angrier and filthier than the previous curses.
“Well, I’m so sorry my attempted murder inconvenienced you.” I struggled to stand and slipped back down onto one knee. Rather than helping me up, he pulled at his cuffs and brushed dirt from his tunic, as if fixing his appearance even mattered right now. “If you don’t want to be inconvenienced further, I suggest you leave before anyone comes. The king’s guards might have a few questions about how the southern dignitary happens to be a Fireblood. Considering they thought I was the only one left in Tempesia.”
He gave me a pitying look. “I’m clearly not the southern dignitary. Though the disguise was rather amusing, I admit.”
“Who, then?”
“I gave you my real name.” He took my upper arms and hauled me to my feet. “But I’m not from the Aris Plains. I’m from Sudesia.” My body went rigid. His eyes sparkled. “Yes, we have ships, you know.”
“But the blockade—”
“The provinces are still friendly to us and find ways for our ships to pass through. Not often, mind you. But enough that we heard tales, even before we received your king’s invitation, of the Fireblood girl who destroyed the frost throne. I had come here to…” He paused and shook his head in frustration. “Never mind that. All my plans are in tatters, but I can still help you. Consider this your formal invitation: Come to Sudesia with me.”
I tried to remember how to exhale. That was about the last thing I’d expected him to say.
“Why would I go anywhere with you?”
“Let me spell it out, then: They don’t like you here. They tried to kill you once, and they will try again. I’m offering safety. Freedom. Not to mention knowledge and training that you’re sorely lacking. Your mastery of your gift is on par with my six-year-old niece. A Fireblood school could do wonders for you.”
“If you think insulting me will—”
“More important,” he interrupted, “you mentioned that you want to see peace and harmony in this godsforsaken iceberg of a kingdom. Let me assure you, the emissary of the Aris Plains will never sign any treaties unless my queen sanctions it. The provinces’ ties with Sudesia go back centuries. If you come to Sudesia, perhaps you can propose some kind of agreement.”
In spite of myself, I was intrigued. Though I had no time or space to weigh the odds that he was telling the truth.
“Why are you offering this?” A gust of wind made the few remaining ice trees shiver and chime.
He grabbed my hand. The shock of his skin! The first person I’d known whose temperature matched mine. I was only numbly aware as he slid a ring onto my finger.
“Think of this as a ticket onto my ship. Meet me at the port in Tevros within the week. You could hold the key to peace in these soft little hands.” He caressed my palm with his thumb, then grinned unrepentantly as I yanked it away. “Forgive me, but I don’t care to wait around to be questioned by the king’s soldiers. You’ll find me in a tavern called the Fat Badger near the wharf. If you don’t show up, I’ll assume you prefer assassination to my offer.”
Then he dashed toward the perimeter of the garden, climbed a tree, and hopped as nimbly as a jackrabbit over the wall.
I wasted a few seconds staring after the Fireblood stranger, then realized how incriminating it would look if I were discovered with three injured or dead Frostbloods. I took my skirts in hand and splashed through the melted remains of ice flowers. How was I going to explain what happened? Would anyone believe me? If the court was looking for a way to show that I was a threat, I had practically gift-wrapped myself for them.
When I neared the door to the ballroom, muffled screams came from inside. I forgot everything but the need to make sure Arcus was safe. I grabbed the handle and yanked. Locked. I moved to the right, where light spilled through one of the windows.
And saw chaos.
Gone was the civilized mingling of Frostblood nobility with foreign ambassadors, the tilts of heads and the flutter of fans and the waltzing flare of skirts. In their place was well-dressed warfare—the heft of steel and the blast of frost wielded with animalistic ferocity, the combatants wearing ball gowns and brushed velvet instead of armor. Frostblood against Frostblood.