Page 49 of Frost and Fate
“Yes,” Darren agreed. “How can you use these skills to locate Nova?”
Brona stood from her seat. “Could you bring us something personal of Nova’s?”
Darren quickly got up to leave. Romani blocked his path. “Let me help, it will be faster.” Of course Romani knew how to get to Nova’s room. The first time they had seen the Veil Walker was when he unceremoniously appeared in her apartment while they were, uh, indisposed.
“Thank you.”
Romani clasped a hand to Darren’s shoulder and they shimmered out.
Bjorn let out a booming laugh that startled everyone present. “You’ve got to admit it’s a hell of a way to travel. I could have used that kind of getaway to escape the next-day wrath of a female or two from my past.”
Brona gave him a disapproving look. “You get yourself into those situations, Bjorn. I’m sure you can find a way to get yourself out. I highly doubt Romani is going to spend his free time helping you escape your ill-chosen one-night stands and crazy ex-girlfriends.”
Bjorn opened his mouth to rebuttal but closed it again as Romani and Darren shimmered into the center of the room. Darren held his hand out toward Brona. In his upturned palm there was a delicate, antique silver brush.
“Since you mentioned a brush before, I thought this could work.” There were several silver hairs caught in the bristles.
Bjorn looked at the brush and frowned. “Are you sure we’re not tracking an old maid? One of Matu’s friends?”
Darren glared at him. “She is my mate.”
Bjorn put his hands up defensively. “Hey I’m not judging!”
Brona gave him a quick elbow to the ribs, then carefully grabbed the ornate handle. “It’s beautiful.” She turned to Bjorn. “Are you ready?”
He stepped closer to her. She held the brush in both hands, palms facing up. He laid his large hands on top of hers and then they both fell utterly still and silent.
* * *
Bjorn was staring into a mirror now. A beautiful young woman with long silver hair was staring back at him. She smiled as she ran the brush along the length of her hair. “That’s Nova. The Celestial.” He could hear his sister’s voice in his head. “We need to find out where she is now.”
Bjorn paused a moment, still watching the silver-haired girl. “I’m ready when you are.”
Brona paused a moment longer and then whispered into his mind, “You are going somewhere very unpleasant. Be careful.”
He smiled to himself. His sister had been overprotective of him ever since they were children. “I always am.”
The bathroom rushed away from him. He stood temporarily shrouded in darkness. As his surroundings began to change, he quickly realized he was in some sort of cave. There was a bed in one corner and two figures in the center of the room. He recognized one of the figures as the Celestial, Nova. The other figure was hooded and hidden. Their bodies were translucent, which told him this was a memory from the past. He watched as the man turned to leave the room. The silver-haired woman was struggling to free her hands, which seemed to be encased in ice. Suddenly the hooded figure turned in his direction. Bjorn froze. It felt as if the man were looking directly at him.Impossible.
After a moment the man turned to leave, and the woman followed him out. “Did he see you?” Brona’s voice again echoed in his mind.
“I don’t think so.” He tried his best to sound convincing, but in actuality he was unsure of what had just happened. This was a memory after all. Bjorn trailed carefully behind him. The pair made their way through the cavern’s various tunnels. As they walked deeper underground, their forms began to solidify, signaling to Bjorn that he was getting closer to the present. The pair suddenly disappeared as he entered the mouth of a vast inner chamber. He took in his surroundings. The girl was seated on some type of stone throne. In front of her stood an unfamiliar old man and a young pale-haired figure. There were other grotesque beings scattered around the cave but they paid him no mind. He walked closer to the center of the space.
Without warning, the pale-haired blond man turned to face him. Bjorn froze. Time seemed to slow down. The man walked toward him but the other figures in the cave seemed to move at a fraction of their normal speed.
When he was a few feet away from Bjorn he stopped and spoke. “Time is running out. I can hear the Veil calling your name, Bjorn.”
Bjorn took a quick step back. “How do you…”
“Go now. You won’t be able to save her if you remain here any longer.”
Bjorn looked at his hands. The stranger was right. He was already fading away. He took one more look at the strange man. His eyes shifted colors and a scar marred his otherwise symmetrical features. “Who are you?”
“Go.”
Bjorn exhaled in frustration. The emptiness of the Veil was pulling at his very core. “Brona, it’s time to go.” And with that, everything faded to black again. That color-changing gaze watched him until the moment he disappeared.
Bjorn’s eyes opened. Brona was staring at him, her face a mask of concern. “I know where she is,” he said.
