Page 38 of Polestar
Only the polestar kept it company above the empty sea.
The iceberg’s tip was blinding white and pristine, while the lower section at the water level had veins of black streaking upward, seeking to devour it.
On its face, there must have been a ledge as she focused on the form of a bear, clinging and exhausted.
Ana swam toward it, as much as she could, through the thickening black mire, sucking at her legs to drag her back under.
She trembled against the cold as her body threatened to seize.
Not now!Not now.
“Aksel!”she screamed without stopping.
The bear turned its weary head in her direction but didn’t move.
The downward drag on her body nearly had her below the surface again.Panic flared through her, but the crucifix in her palm reminded her to focus.
Shivering, she focused on relaxing her body, feeling the direction of the water—the actual water not the inky oil slick that tainted it and surrounded the iceberg.
Water was Ana’s natural element.It was her emotional conduit.She sought it now to enable her to reach Aksel.
She opened her eyes when her shoulder bumped into something smooth and solid.
Aksel peered down at her from his ledge.
Her hand slipped off the icy surface as the current threatened to sweep her right past him.
His paw slapped the side of the iceberg, claws anchored in the ice so Ana could pull herself out of the water.
After several minutes of struggling, she climbed his furry arm and collapsed next to him, chest heaving.
“Thanks.”
He huffed.
“I’m with Magnus,” she finally said.
He didn’t move or make any effort to shift in order to communicate with her.
“Are you in bear form to stay warm, or are you stuck like that?”
This time, his huff contained a despondent growl.
His morose state rippled over her.
Pushing herself into a seated position, she placed a hand on his damp, dirty fur.“We’re going to try to help you.But we need you to help us figure out how.”
The next hufffeltlike a sardonic laugh.
“Where are we?”
He turned his head, leveling his gaze on her, one polar bear brow raised.
“Yeah, fucked if I know too,” she said, uncharacteristically using the‘F’word as she surveyed the empty ocean.“Okay, listen Aksel.We found you aboard a cargo ship, hidden in the engine room, badly beaten and unconscious.That’s all we know.That and that you have a sigil tattoo at the base of your throat.We need to know what happened to you and anything you can tell us about the mark.So, if you could take your human form and explain it all, that’d be totally awesome.”
The bear stared at her, and she had the distinct feeling he wanted to chomp her head.
“Fair enough, but if you eat me, I can’t help you.”
