The Majors, Cold Fury (Book 2)

Chapter 42: Scott POV

Erin had been gone almost a year and a half now.

No sign of her, except for a small sticky note in the kitchen saying, "Thank you." Right after she left and supplies missing. I think the loneliness has started to get to me. I haven't been in contact with anyone. I saw Gem in person three times since the trial not counting when we broke my sister out. Fwhip once. I'm glad they cured Gem...but I still wish I had gotten back at Fwhip in some way. Any way. But maybe without the expense of an ex-friend's, I guess, life.

The city was slowly starting to get worse. People were leaving and moving to the mountain villages. No one even tried to grow a harvest, and Gem kept sending food for the kingdom every few months. There have been a few other incidents as well...

Some people were obviously not happy with my rule...especially now.

I was leaned against a pillar in the throne room, putting pressure on a cut on my upper arm. Three elven bodies dressed in black with masks on were scattered around the room, pools of blood underneath where they had been impaled by my ice. Now I had to get rid of them.

This was the third attack. I knew they were from the same person or group. They wore the same exact outfits, and some sort of symbol was engraved on all their weapons. Some sort of wolfish animal inside of a circle. I swear I had seen it before, but I don't remember where...

After I had disposed of the bodies, I was down in the entrance hall.

I was fiddling with the communication device Gemini had given me, since ravens (and owls) had a hard time getting into Rivendale when there was a storm. Aka when I was moody.

It was for emergencies, like if we had run out of food. I would use the letter keypad to write a quick note and it would send to their device in a few minutes. Don't ask me how that works, I still have no idea. I had used it less than a dozen times in the last year and a half, but I normally kept it on me.

But I had taken it out to check if she had sent me anything, and it decided not to turn on. I knew the thing didn't need batteries, and there was no place for a cord to plug in. My guess was it was too cold to work. I had started to bang it on one of the tables in the entrance hall to get it to turn on when the doors burst open.

"SCOTT!" Shrub shouted.

I jumped and stared at her, my mouth hanging open. I hadn't seen anyone besides the people trying to murder me in months. Fwhip had completely dismissed my council. Shrub was wearing a large coat, and I saw her clutching the Xornoth crystal in one of her hands. I also saw the emperor crown on her head. She had gotten it a few months ago after Joey's year long reign.

Shrub turned bright red when she saw me. "Uh...hi Scott." She said slowly. I opened my mouth a few times to say something, but I was absolutely speechless. "Sorry. Did I scare you?"

"I- I-" I stuttered. "Why are you here?" I finally asked quietly, glancing at the crystal.

Shrub actually ignored this and was staring at my upper arm. I had rolled up my sleeve and wrapped the cut. I didn't know how to treat it, so I decided just to cover it and leave it alone like the rest of my problems. "What happened?" she asked.

I glanced down at it. "Nothing. What are you doing here?" I asked, starting to get annoyed.

"I-" she started. "I think Xornoth's coming back." She said, holding out the crystal.

I stared down at it. "What the hell are you talking about?" I asked her.

"I've been having these strange dreams, and I swear whispering has been coming from it. I- I don't want it." She closed her eyes and held it out for me to take.