HEART OF ICE

CHAPTER 5

As Alejandra de Rosa had closed her eyes and breathed in the fresh forest air softly gusting over the grassy ledge around her, another pair of eyes was squinting into the stinging wind sweeping past them. Their gaze stayed fixed on the girl standing on the lower cliff across the deep, mystical canyon. She was so close, and yet, at the same time, so far away. Pale, blue lips, immune to the bite of the icy gusts of wind, curled into an almost involuntary sneer. A heart that most often beat slowly and soullessly, so its pulse was like that of a ghostly drum, was suddenly beating with a heated tempo. Anger was the source, but not the only one.

The boy whose chest contained the enraging heart was used to feeling angry. Most of the days of his life were edged with anger. But as he stood on that rocky edge of the tall summit staring down across the valley, he knew that this rage was fueled by something different. This was jealousy he felt.

Jarek Frius didn't know the girl's name. He knew she was someone important. Despite being at the elven memorial, she appeared to be human. Her dark hair billowed behind her. Her face glowed softly in the sunlight radiating down into the canyon. She was too far away to make out the finer details. Her stature matched the girl he'd glimpsed in his dream the night before. But who was she?

Suddenly, Jarek realized he'd been staring too long. The girl was looking up. His eyes spotted hers. Jarek jumped back. The faint warmth of the sun vanished under the heavy shadows of the trees around him. The envelope of cold shade was a safe space. Jarek hated how natural the feeling was. It was as comfortable as a blanket for him, even with the coarse cloak draped over his lean body.

Jarek stood perfectly still for a long moment. He was even holding his breath for fear of the girl's keen eyes spotting the subtle movement of his torso. He could still see down to where she was standing. Her posture was straighter, her senses on alert. Jarek could make out the quick movements of her head as she scanned the summit for him. The seconds passing turned into a minute. Why does she trouble me, Jarek thought to himself. What can she possibly do? We are worlds apart. What is there to fear?

As his thoughts circled in his mind, Jarek spotted another figure approach the girl. It was an elf. He looked familiar. While Jarek searched his memories, trying to tie a name with the tall, lanky, old elf, he realized why he felt so uneasy about being seen by the girl. A vision of his dream flashed before Jarek's eyes. He saw a tall, solid building cracking open. Its walls were beginning to crumble. Hazy silhouettes took shape around it, becoming the nameless forms of dwarves, an elf, a very young human boy, a girl-the one he was certain was now across the river-and...

Jarek gasped, his chest burning from holding his breath too long. The name of the elf shot forward through his thoughts at the very same moment another name echoed in his brain at a haunting whisper. The elf below was the old Archivist, friend of Galan the Great and a member of the Army of Claus.

Claus. Jarek felt the name in his mind. His eyes lifted involuntarily from the two figures on the cliff below to the horizon far beyond the canyon. There was a light hovering in the space where the sky curved down toward the land. It was neither sunlight nor moonlight. The sun was hovering brightly above the elevated spot of snow-covered rock and trees Jarek was standing upon. The moon was sinking toward another horizon, somewhere off to Jarek's left. This light he was looking at was different. It wasn't very bright-not yet. And yet, it was nearly impossible to miss. It was possible to overlook it or dismiss it as something silly and normal, ignoring it altogether. That is, however, until you knew what it was.

Jarek gazed at the dimly glowing line and breathed out slowly. The overwhelming jealousy he had felt dissolved into bitter disappointment. Jarek knew the source of the light was a boy named Christopher-the new Claus. It was Christopher Jarek had glimpsed in his dream. There was no doubt in Jarek's mind. The strange vision had awoken him. When he couldn't get back to sleep, Jarek had the unshakable urge to make the half day's journey to the spot he now stood: a boundary between two realms.