The Iron Seer

Chapter 12 - To Be A Weakness

"Well, this is a delightful surprise," said an amused voice.

"Narissa," Ash said, dropping my hands to face the figure standing behind us. "What brings you to Glassbarrow?"

"It is a pleasure to see you as well, darling. I could ask you the same question, except that it would be a waste of words," she said. "The answer to it is already quite clear." She tilted her head to the side, regarding me with a curious smile on her black lips.

"You say that as if you're not one to waste needless words, Narissa." Ash's face was blank, his voice bored. He was now a completely different person from the one who had promised he would return to me just moments before. He was that cool, distant prince from Elysium again.

She ignored Ash and walked past him to stand in front of me. Narissa was tall, even taller than me, and I had to look up at her. Her white hair hung to her waist, and her pale skin had a bluish tone. Her features held no trace of her mother's, and as such I could only assume she took after her father in appearance. A velvety black dress clung to her lean frame like a second skin.

"Hello, cousin," she said to me.

I swallowed, my eyes flickering to Ash, as if expecting to find help with him, but he only watched me and Narissa with an uninterested expression. "Hello," I said dumbly. I didn't know what else to say.... I hadn't succeeded at escaping Narissa. I hadn't succeeded at killing the ice wyrm. The only thing I'd done was deliver myself straight into Narissa's claws. If my father would be furious for my disappearing with Ash, I think I would rather fight another pack of shadow wolves than face his reaction to this.

"You look a lot like her, you know," Narissa said, examining me the way Lady Chillsorrow had many years ago. "Crystalia. It's uncanny. Except for the hair, and the height, of course. I daresay you're more beautiful than she ever was." She ran a strand of my hair between her fingers, and I stiffened, but she dropped her hand.

"That's kind of you to say," I said cautiously, even though I knew the intent wasn't. My eyes flickered to Ash, but he stood there, still as a stone, with all the expression of one, and I knew I would get no help from him, because to need help and to give it was weakness.

She caught my glance with a knowing look, not bothering to quiet her words when she spoke. "I can see why you've caught his interest. Your mother was the same with your father, you know. She didn't know he didn't care about her at all except for her position in the Court. Poor girl - she actually thought he loved her. I hope you're not as naive. It would truly be a shame." Narissa gave me a poison-laced smile, her black eyes shining.

At that moment, I wanted nothing more than to bury an arrow shaft in my cousin's chest. But Ash gave me a sharp look, as if he knew what I was thinking, and I forced myself to pull together.

Stepping away, I nodded to Narissa. "It was good to meet you," I said in a perfectly calm voice, glad that it didn't tremble. "I must go speak to my father now. I left rather unexpectedly for my hunt and he'll be wanting to know what happened. I'll speak with you more at dinner." The idea of enduring any more of Narissa's taunting was excruciating, but I made myself take a few deep breaths and smile.

Narissa grinned back at me in joyless delight. "Excellent. I look forward to it." As I walked away through the snow, I heard her speak to Ash. "Ash, darling, what have you been up to?"

I didn't hear his reply.

***

The Duke looked up from the pages of the book he'd been reading when I came into his study, regarding me with calm, unreadable eyes. Slowly, deliberately, he rose from his chair, flipping the heavy book shut with an audible thud that made me flinch, and crossed the room to tuck the book back into its place on a shelf. Then he turned to me.