An Inferno of Ice

An Inferno of Ice - Part 8

My involuntary cry of shock echoes around the enormous entrance hall. I immediately flinch and clamp my hand over my mouth, praying that the sound hadn't drawn the attention of anyone. Still reeling, I gaze up into the painted dark eyes of Prince Damon of Frostglimmer. He isn't smiling, instead seeming to have an almost expectant expression as though he were about to ask, "Well?" It's the first time I'm seeing him in full detail, since his face had been obscured by a guard mask throughout each of our real life encounters. Yet I would recognize that two-toned hair anywhere. Part of me is aware that I need to disappear before anyone discovers my presence, but I feel as if my feet are rooted to the spot as the pieces slowly fall into place in my mind. The person who's been assisting me all along throughout this entire journey has been none other than the son of the corrupted ruler himself. My heart picks up speed as I begin to contemplate his reasoning. Could he have been so helpful all along just to lead me here to be captured? Could he have directed me straight into a trap? I wedge my fingers under the gilded frame of the enormous portrait and swing it forward to reveal the passageway on the other side. I quickly scramble inside before anyone has a chance to spot me and hurry down the corridor beyond, trying to picture the map in my mind. I'm not exactly sure where I'm going yet, I just need a much less conspicuous place to strategize and plan how I'm supposed to search this gargantuan palace for the single object I must destroy. The fate of Icelandia rests in my hands. They're depending on me without even knowing it, which makes the necessity to succeed even greater. All of that ceases to matter, however, because the moment I round a sharp bend in the hallway, I come face-to-face with the very person I'd been thinking about. I freeze, eyes going wide as our gazes connect for the first time without any masks to hide behind. Prince Damon is rather tall, with broad shoulders, piercing blue-black eyes, and the same aristocratic features as his father. The main difference between them is that there's still a sense of kindness in him that King Rudolph no longer possesses. This does absolutely nothing to alleviate the instinctive terror that seizes hold of me. He knows I'm an Infernal. In a place like this, that fact alone would be enough to get me captured, and maybe even worse. He's no fool; he's likely already figured out exactly what I'm here to do. The real question now is whether he's helping me or ensuring that I don't succeed. My body reacts on autopilot, and suddenly I'm running, fear gripping around my heart like a fist. I flee blindly, with no idea where I'm actually going. But that doesn't stop me. Not right now. All I can think about is getting as far away from the person who holds my fate in his hands as possible. When I can't run anymore, I lean against a wall and heave for breath as I do my best to steady myself once more. I don't have time to waste. Whether the prince turns me in or not, I need to move quickly. The first thing I do is pull out my map to check my location. I appear to be on the third floor, in the guest wing of the palace. I shake my head at how far my panic had led me. Next, I force myself to actually think about what the corrupted object could possibly be. But the reality is that it could be absolutely anything from an antique mirror on Queen Ileana's bureau to the very castle itself. Without knowing what else to do, I flip the map over and reread the list of instructions, hoping they might give at least a clue. I already know the pointlessness of this, but decide that there's no harm in trying. Perhaps I'll have a word with the Infernal Court communications department about being so cryptic and vague with providing details once I make it back. With no further ado, I begin my search. Despite being here for a specific purpose, I can't help but gaze around in awe at the utter opulence of this place. Elegance seems to simply ooze from the very air and hangs over everything like a faint vail of shimmering beauty. The fact that most things are carved from ice only seems to add to that. It's harder than it should be to return my full attention to the task at hand. I'm about halfway through checking the third unoccupied suite of guest rooms for anything even remotely suspicious when I hear a voice right behind me. "There you are, Miss." I whirl around as the fire within me flares in warning. I hadn't heard him coming. The guard standing there has gray eyes and black hair devoid of any telltale streaks of white. He gives me a friendly smile behind his ice mask, but my eyes scan him alertly for weapons. When I find none openly pointing at me, I relax only a smidge. Then, I plaster on my best smile and put the other half of my training to use. I improvise. "Ah yes," I Say in my most regal voice as I straighten my spine and sweep my hair over one shoulder. "I was just finishing up. Is someone looking for me?" thankfully, the guard falls for it and nods apologetically. "Indeed, Miss. His highness Prince Damon has requested your immediate presence downstairs in the throne room. I believe that he means to formally introduce you to his father." My heart stops, and it takes everything within me not to show the horror on my face. So it was a trap after all. He had lured me here like a moth to a flame, and now he's going to turn me in. I hold the key to freeing his kingdom, but he holds the key to my life. And now, he's going to hand it over to his father. In response to my rapidly building fury, my power grows stronger, and I know it'll come bursting out in a roar of flames if I'm not cautious. But there's no need to further incriminate myself. I'm sure the prince will be more than happy to do it for me. I carefully school my expression into tranquil blankness while I internally begin to plot my revenge. I'm not giving up this mission without a fight. The people of Icelandia deserve that much. Placing the hairbrush I had conveniently been examining when the guard had interrupted me back on the vanity table, I turn around and give the politely waiting man a smile. "Very well. Please, lead the way."