Page 4 of Frost and Fate
All at once, the door at the end of the room burst open. She had just enough time to recognize the honey-fire eyes of the man from the bar before a primal scream ripped free from her chest, and everything went white.
* * *
Darren sped all the way to the warehouse. Accompanied by his pack members, Aaron, Lucas, and Leah, they kicked their way through the first door and raced down the dimly lit hallway. At the end of the corridor stood a single door, guarded by a white-eyed figure. Darren’s lycan speed propelled him forward. He gripped the man’s throat, and using his enhanced strength, launched the man high up in the air before sending him crashing, head first, into the hard floor below. The man’s body twitched once, then stilled.
Darren burst through the door and into the large space beyond. He only had a moment to take in the scene. The girl from the bar was there, bloody and barely clothed. A colossal figure pinned her to the floor. She looked in Darren’s direction. Their eyes momentarily met. Before he could move toward her, a scream tore through the air. The cry was followed by a shockwave of energy that sent Darren tumbling into the wall behind him. The air became clouded in a white mist. He sprang to his feet, and as the room cleared, he saw her again. The grey-green-eyed girl. Her shimmering streaked hair was now fully silver. A blue glow emanated from all around her. She was standing above the crumpled body of the man who had just been on top of her. As her gaze moved up to meet Darren’s, he found himself staring into endless icy-blue eyes. They flickered and danced as if a blue flame lay hidden within.
The air around him swirled as the temperature dropped below freezing. She lifted her hands and balled them into fists. With one more primal cry she spread her palms. Darren only had a second to dive behind cover, as she released a storm of ice shards hurtling across the cavernous room. The sound of cries and shattering ice filled his ears.
The temperature continued to fall, causing ice to form on his eyelashes.
He waited for the room to become quiet, and then carefully stepped out from behind his cover. All seven figures lay motionless on the ground. Glistening pieces of ice jutted forward from varying parts of their bodies, leaving them bent forward and back in unnatural angles. Some had been literally impaled on the walls by the huge spears of ice. Their bodies hung limp around the smooth, clear shards. All of the figures were now still and lifeless.
He glanced back to the silver-haired girl. She began to stumble, pressing a hand to her head as grey-green eyes flickered back to life. She peered up for a brief moment before collapsing to the cold warehouse floor.
Darren stared at the scene around him. He had a strong gut feeling everything in his life was about to change.
ChapterFive
Nova was walking down a frozen tunnel. Icy-blue walls rose up all around her. She watched as her breath formed clouds of frosty mist. She walked slowly toward the end. There was something down there, something for her. Nova glided across the cold, smooth surfaces as she approached the chamber beyond. A familiar feeling pricked within her. She took a step into the vast winter chamber and...
Nova slowly opened her eyes. A sterile white room surrounded her. Her mind struggled to piece together coherent thoughts. She remembered the bar, and then the hooded figures. Violent flashes of her gruesome attack flooded her mind. She sat up with a gasp.
“Easy there,” a voice spoke from somewhere within the room. Nova whipped her head around to see a man in a white coat approaching her. “I’m Dr. Sawyer. I’m sure you have a lot of questions. For now, I want you to know that you are safe.”
Nova’s thoughts were still fuzzy. “Where am I?” she asked.
“You’re in the Ulric complex. You’ve been out for three days.”
Three days?How could that be possible? What was going on? Nova’s pulse quickened.
“Let’s take some deep breaths,” Dr. Sawyer urged. “I’m going to let them know you’re awake so they can send someone up to explain everything.” While the doctor made a quick phone call, Nova took in her surroundings. She was in some kind of medical bay. There was a small office at one corner of the room and windows that let in the moonlight, so it must have been night.
To Nova’s surprise, she also realized she was unharmed. In place of her tattered clothes, she now wore a pair of grey sweats. She pressed a tentative hand to her lips. Nothing. She reached around to rub her shattered ribs. They were fine. Somehow, she had completely healed.
Dr. Sawyer spoke again. “Just hang tight for me. Laurie will be right up.”
Nova studied the doctor. He had a fatherly presence. They remained silent until the door finally opened. A beautiful woman with long blonde hair entered the room. There was a bohemian flair to her. She wore a flowy floral maxi dress that tied around the neck. Her wrists were covered in beaded bracelets of sorts, and a large purple amethyst hung from a bronze chain around her neck.
The moment the radiant woman entered the room, Nova felt herself relax.
“Hello there,” a silky voice spoke. “My name is Laurie Atwell. What’s your name?” the blonde woman asked as she moved closer. All of the tension left Nova’s body.
“I’m Nova. Studer.”
The woman smiled. “What a beautiful name. Nova, I understand you’ve been through a lot and no doubt have many questions.”
The energy pouring off Laurie Atwell was so soothing, so calm. When she placed a hand on Nova’s arm, it was as if a warm presence washed over her. “I’m sure Dr. Sawyer told you we were in the Ulric complex,” Laurie said. Nova nodded. “We brought you here after several members of our pack rescued you from a warehouse in the old district.”
Pack?Nova wondered, but remained quiet.
“There are some people who would like to meet you and talk to you. It is important that we each share as much information as possible to prevent an event like the one which took place at the warehouse from happening again.”
Nova shivered as she thought about the man who had attacked her.
“Would it be all right if I let them in here to talk to you?”
Nova didn’t know why, but she completely trusted Laurie. She inclined her head toward the soothing woman. Laurie turned to exit and as her hair shifted, Nova could see traces of jagged scars across the tops of her shoulders. The scars likely continued down her back, too, but the long blonde hair covered most of her skin in that area and prevented Nova from being able to see.
