Page 43 of A Shard of Ice

“Answer my question,” the general says to Damon in the next breath.

Damon stays silent for a moment, his eyes locked with the general’s. Finally, he speaks in a low, steady voice. “Yes, it is true. I have a marking on my back, and I was once powerful, but those days are long gone.” He shrugs.

“Is it true that you spoke against the queen? I want the truth.” The air around the general seems to darken. His eyes seem to darken, too, which is almost impossible, as they are already black as night.

My hands turn clammy in an instant. I try to control my breathing. I don’t want to give anything away.

“It’s true! I swear, General,” Cyrano shouts.

“If you speak out of turn one more time, I will remove your tongue with my bare hands.”

Cyrano turns pale. He swallows hard and looks down at his shoes.

“The queen usurped the crown and corrupts our lands. She—” Damon starts to say as my heart sinks.

Before he can say anything more, the general lifts his hands, sweeping them from left to right. The tent turns pitch black in an instant. The air rushes past us. No, I realize in horror. It isn’t the air. It’s shadows. They’re inky black and very nearly have substance. My hair blows about my face. It’s hard to breathe. They are everywhere. My skin crawls.

Out.

I need to get out.

I can’t leave him. I have to find Damon.

“Damon!” I scream.

Someone grabs my hand and pulls me. It’s not him. I’m not sure how I know, only that I do. His skin feels wrong. The shape of the hand too. All of it is wrong.

I attempt to break free. “Damon!” I scream again, my voice barely penetrating the swirling shadows. I try to walk deeper but I am blocked. The shadows won’t let me pass. The crawling on my skin gets worse.

Cyrano pulls me back to him. He puts his arms around me and yanks me off my feet. I try to fight, but it is useless. He is a big man in his own right, even if he has nothing on Damon.

We burst out from the tent a few moments later and there’s instant relief and instant clawing fear because Damon is still inside there.

14

Damon

Shadows swirl around us like a thick wall. It’s like I’ve found my way to the heart of a hurricane. All around us is utter chaos.

I stand before General Belen. Not a single hair moves on either of our heads. A silence befalls us, unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before.

“That is indeed treason.” The general narrows his eyes on me.

I stand my ground, expecting to have to defend myself, to fight to the death. He can behead me right at this very second, and it would be called upholding the law. A perfectly reasonable response.

Treason is punishable by death.

“I don’t take it back. I will never take it back.”

“Let me see this marking,” he says in a calm voice.

For a second, I consider denying him. But, at the end of the day, what difference does it make? He could have his shadows hold me down and force me to comply. Without water, ice, or snow, I am at his mercy. The icefae are most powerful, mosteffective when in the high country or touching a large body of water. Otherwise, our magic is almost nonexistent. After our ordeal in the desert, my well is all but depleted. I am at his mercy, at least for now.

I turn and pull my tunic up, keeping my eyes on the general from over my shoulder. After a few long seconds, I pull my shirt back down and turn to face him.

He doesn’t look surprised at all. I don’t see his expression change in the slightest. Perhaps he is really good at schooling his emotions.

I don’t think so.

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