Page 46 of Frost and Fate
Creedin smiled as he approached Nova. “Welcome, Celestial.” He looked down at Nova’s ice-coated hands. “Ah, it appears you were not such a good girl for Lark.”Lark?So that was the stranger’s name. Creedin looked up at the man standing behind her. “You may unbind her now, Lark.”
Lark said quickly, “Yes, sir.” A moment later, Nova’s hands were free. She rubbed her stiff fingers together as they again found mobility.
“Why would you do that?” she asked. “You know I’ll use them against you.”
Creedin issued a gravelly laugh. “Oh my child. Firstly, our secret weapon, Lark, would be able to stop you before you had any chance of inflicting damage. Secondly, I’ve worked long and hard to create an incantation made specifically to protect us from your abilities. Myself and my men are shielded by magic which will not allow ice to penetrate our protective shells.”
“Liar.” Nova’s voice shook more than she would have liked. She threw up a hand and a fistful of icy shards flew toward Creedin. Several inches from his face, the shards simply shattered. Glittering bits of ice fell to the floor. Her heart sank.
Creedin sneered. “I told you. Your powers are ineffective here. Come now, Lark. You don’t need to restrain her anymore.” The strong, warm hands released their hold. As the man, Lark, walked around from behind her, she saw his face for the first time. Nova gasped. The hood of his cloak had been thrown back to reveal a handsome man. He looked to be in his late twenties. His head was covered in hair so pale that it seemed nearly white. His face was chiseled with a straight nose, plump lips, and a strong jawline. Two eyes peered into her, one blue, one gold. Or was one hazel, and the other violet? No, surely they were brown and green…
Each time she gazed into them, they seemed to appear a different color, with both eyes always two different shades. How unusual.
Possibly more arresting than his mysterious eyes was the deep, gruesome scar that led from his left temple, down to the corner of his shapely mouth. Even with that, the man was strikingly attractive.
Creedin’s smile grew, his cracked lips exposing bloodied openings beneath the skin. “Not what you were expecting?” He laughed again, clearly enjoying Nova’s surprise.
“Who is he?” she asked.
“Lark’s quite similar to you in a way. His mother was a Celestial. She gave birth during her time as a captive here. Unfortunately her behavior upon having a child became exceedingly protective. She wouldn’t let us near him.”
A lump grew in Nova’s throat. “What did you do to her?”
“When it was clear we wouldn’t be able to reason with her, she was terminated. Her body was dumped in the mountains. Lark remained here with us.”
“Your mom was the last known Celestial. But how? I thought she went missing nearly fifty years ago?”
“Lark’s Celestial mother was no more than a teenager when we realized what she was. We got a hold of her as soon as we could, but it would be more than a decade later before Lark was conceived.”
Nova stared at Lark and into those ever-changing eyes. The idea of a mother being forced to conceive only to be murdered and have her child taken away. It made Nova feel sick. Even worse was that he had been raised here by Creedin. The man’s cruelties seemed to know no bounds. She shivered as she imagined what the boy had endured. Lark remained stoic throughout the entire conversation.
“So he is a Celestial, like me?”
Creedin snarled. “If only it had been so easy. The boy was born a Chosen. It was only through much experimentation and magic that he was able to develop all the abilities he now possesses. Each Chosen that was used in a ritual with Lark gave him another gift, another power. After so many years in our care and so manywillingdonors, he’s become quite the lethal bag of tricks.” Creedin looked appraisingly at Lark. “We managed to make a Celestial out of him, and a Celestial wolf at that. Separating a lycan’s wolf form to bestow upon Lark was perhaps my greatest triumph.”
Nova felt horror wash over her. Was he truly saying that every power Lark gained was at the expense of the life of an innocent Chosen? Her stomach lurched. “Then why go for Aria? She’s not a Celestial! Why not take me in the first place?”
Fury lit Creedin’s eyes as his gaze burned into Lark. “A severe misstep indeed.”
Lark avoided Creedin’s gaze.
Nova’s head was spinning. “So you have a Celestial of your own. What do you want with me?”
Creedin’s smile faded. “It appears the Veil knows the difference between a manufactured Celestial and the real thing.”
“The Veil?”What could the Veil have to do with any of this?
“Haven’t you deduced the situation by now?” Nova didn’t respond. “Our power is linked to the Veil. We draw from the Veil and the place beyond.” He began slowly rolling up his sleeve. “But without complete access to what the Veil has to offer, our powers come at a great cost.”
Nova nearly vomited in her mouth as she looked upon Creedin’s grizzled arm. His skin had peeled away and enough muscle had rotted and putrefied to reveal the grey bone beneath. So that was why all the Collectors were rotting. The more magic they used, the more their corporeal forms withered away.
Creedin rolled his sleeve back down and continued. “But if we had direct access to the Veil and the ability to keep a gateway open to the great beyond”—he smiled cryptically—“then our strength, powers, and physical forms would be replenished. That’s where you come in. You will open the Veil for us. And then”—Creedin licked his disgusting lips—“you’ll usher in a new generation. Between you and Lark, I have no doubt you would produce powerful Celestial children. Perhaps even Celestial wolves.”
Nova shook her head in horror and disbelief. “You are insane! What makes you think I would help you?”
Creedin glared at her. “All it takes is the right motivation. I think the life of your mate should be incentive enough.”
Her heart spun. “Darren is here?”
