The Frozen Beginning (Elemental Diamond Book 1) (27 page)

“Well then.”

Brink takes a few steps further into the room, until he is standing at her cot’s side. Glacier watches him wearily as he reaches for the jug, his hand now glowing a faint, burnt orange colour. It only takes a few seconds for the water to melt. He keeps his hand at a distance, watching the ice return to its liquid form.

Watching in amazement, Glacier feels something turn in her stomach, like she has been wrong about something for so long, and she is just realizing now.

He really can control it
.

When the water starts to steam, Brink lowers his hand to his side and the glowing fades instantly. Glacier watches as he grabs a chair from next to the bedside table, dragging it around to sit beside her. Neither speaks. They simply watch each other with caution.

It isn’t until Glacier has grown tired of the silence that she speaks up, “What are you doing here?”

Brink has a smart smirk on his lips, his green and orange eyes glittering with mischief.

“I carried you in. You’ve only been out for about five minutes.” Glacier is surprised by his words.

She shakes her head from side to side to clear her thoughts, “That doesn’t answer my question.”

Her lips purse and her eyebrows quirk up as she tries to subtly scoot across the bed to create a larger distance between the two elementals. Brink notices her movement, but doesn’t comment on it.

“I have a proposition for you.”

His words have Glacier on the edge of her seat.

A proposition?

Unsure of where he could be going with that statement, she asks him, “And what kind of
proposition
would that be, Brink?”

It isn’t until she is thinking back on her words, that she realizes that for the first time, she had addressed him by his name. Brink seems to realize as well, when his smirk deepens considerably.

“A simple one. Nothing risky or self-sacrificial.”

“I don’t care what it is, the answer is no.” Glacier’s tone has a finality that surprises her. Assertive has never been her strongest personality trait.

Brink pouts cheekily at her, and at that moment, she absorbs his brutish features like a sponge. His short unkempt locks of black hair paired with his knowledgeable paradoxical eyes make him appear older. His muscled jaw angles down to his pointed chin. His bottom lip is smaller than his top one, his nose has a wide bridge, and his eyebrows are thick. When he isn’t smirking, he looks serious and broody. But his arrogant and conceited personality overshadows any beauty his face has to offer.

It is at that moment that he tells her, “You’re going to be my date to the gala tonight.”

Glacier’s limbs seize at his words, and she watches him in disbelief. Her tears dry on her now flushed face, stiffening her soft skin. Most of her hair had come loose from the chignon, now floating wildly around her face. Brink watches her silently as she gawks at him, frozen in disbelief.

Did he seriously just…?

“I would much rather burn alive.” She hisses in her croaky voice, repulsed by his
proposition
.

No way am I going to do anything for this arrogant, selfish,
heartless
murderer
.

Brink doesn’t seem surprised by her harsh words, as his smirk deepens into a wicked smile. “That can be arranged, sweat pea.”

Fear fills her chest as she imagines the mayhem he will cause, just because he wants to. He releases a breath and looks away, glancing around the room.

He dark gaze slowly returns to hers, “When are you going to accept that you are just like me?”

She hisses at his words, “I am
nothing
like you.”

Brink chuckles wickedly, his white teeth biting the air close to her face. With one hand, he reaches forward towards his eye, lowering his face from view. Poking his eyeball with the pad of his index, Glacier is disgusted when something small leaves his eye. When he looks back to her, her heart stills.

The eye that to Glacier had always thought seemed darker than the other is now
blue
.

He can’t… It’s not possible
…

“Actually, you are almost
exactly
like me.”

Something seems to click in Glacier’s mind in that instance. She had believed that Brink was truly an evolved fire elemental, when in fact he is just like
her
. With one orange eye, and one blue eye, Glacier can finally see the connection between them, and why he detests others calling her ‘mutant’ and ‘freak’.

He is like me
…

Brink’s smile is malicious as he continues with his earlier threat, “I still have my battle today… And sometimes, I just
can't
control myself.”

His hand releases her, like it is him that is burnt by the contact, which allows her to jump back onto the cot. Pressing the contact back into his blue eye, he strides out the door without glancing back.

Glacier is at a loss. Her entire perspective of Brink has changed with his sudden revelation. Her stomach churns with the similarity shared between them.

Brink knows that she won’t let her teammates get hurt, if she can help it. He has he right where he wants her.

EIGHTEEN

THE HARVEST

PART II

Gathering her wits, Glacier follows Brink out the
same door just minutes later.

Walking down a corridor she doesn’t recognize, her hand trails along the wall as she mulls over everything that Brink had said when he was with her.

‘I carried you in…’

‘I have a proposition for you…’

‘Be my date to the gala tonight…’

‘Actually, you are
exactly
like me…’

‘Sometimes, I just
can't
control myself…’

Every word has different tones. Feeling weakened and on edge, Glacier continues down the short corridor, dragging her aching feet as she goes. She exits into the corridor that leads to the arena, giving her the opportunity to gather her bearings as she heads towards the underground arena.

There is water everywhere as the fire elementals work to melt the last of the ice. When she steps into the light of the box, there is a short beat before the cheers of the audience is heard.

Glacier looks up to find everyone in green and standing on his or her feet, clapping and whistling loudly. Despite their team’s contenders not winning, it goes to show that the city’s elementals don’t really care who wins as long as there is a great performance.

Gamble’s ears are practically steaming as he advances on her from the centre of the ring. His arm is still bleeding, the ice shard still in his arm to keep him from bleeding out.

“You freak! You embarrassed me in front of
my
people!” he shouts before he has even crossed the thin rings of fire and water.

Glacier finds it very hard to not hide herself in her hair like she usually would. Raising her chin, Glacier meets his furious glare with one of indifference.

“I thought you knew what you were doing?”

Gamble stumbles at her confidence, surprised she isn’t cowering away like the weedy little girl he has come to recognise her as. Once he is close enough, he looks down to where she reaches below his shoulder, his nostrils flaring and his eyes burning green.

“What did you just say to me,
freak
?” The name ‘freak’ seems to roll off everyone’s tongue so easily, that she wonders if anyone actually knows her name.

“Weren’t expecting that, were you Gamble?” her voice is dry, but better than before. Glacier’s body quivers with nerves as she watches him boil over.

How am I saying any of this right now? Where is this confidence coming from?

Gamble grabs her arm harshly, squeezing her flesh like a stress ball. His body shivers at the feel of her chilled flesh, but he doesn’t acknowledge it. His jaw drops as he goes to say something, undoubtedly a malicious threat of some kind, but he is interrupted by the presence of another elemental.

“Back off Gamble.” Fielder stands beside them, eyeing Gamble with a nasty glare and a stiff jaw. His cheekbones become more prominent, and his nostrils flare with his deep, measured breaths.

Gamble’s eyes flicker back and forth between the other two elementals before he throws Glacier’s arm away like it burnt him, and strides off now cradling the sliver of ice still stuck in his arm.

Glacier turns to Fielder, finding him already watching her with earnestly dazzling eyes. A long of his soft brown hair rests at the centre of his forehead, and his eyebrows are furrowed with concentration.

Get away from him. Don’t let it all be for nothing
.

Glacier smiles a small, uncommitted smile, before looking down to her feet out of habit, “Thanks.”

Glancing up for a quick peek, she observes his jaw tightening a fraction more. His eyes implore her, asking a silent question she has no answer for.

“You never have to thank me for protecting you.”

Not sure what to say, Glacier scurries off back to her team’s cubical where they are all fussing about. Fielder watches her hurry off with a sadden dignity. The same loneliness that he has felt for what seems as long as he can remember creeps back into his chest, swallowing anything else he could say.

Tanner, who has a confusing expression on his face, pulls Glacier into the cubical where the rest of her team awaits.

“Glacier, are you OK?” Neena is the first to ask, as she is crowded by her teammates. Even Tric is standing beside Branch, seemingly interested in her physical status. Glacier nods her head, hushing her companions into silence. They continue to watch her as she moves to sit down on the bench. Glacier doesn’t miss Aleena sitting on the opposite end of the bench, quietly seething. Glacier hears a throat being cleared, causing her to look up through the glass to where Karn, Sasis and Hampton are all standing.

Karn is watching her with a look of disbelief, truly surprised by her abilities. Hampton seems indifferent, and Sasis is grinning with pride.

“Wasn’t that exciting, everyone? Our Elemental Diamond does not disappoint.” Glacier sighs at the name, her eyelids heavy and her mouth dry. “If it wasn’t obvious, my children, the winner of the first Harvest is Glacier Wardgrave,” Sasis shouts with a cunning look in his eye, his mind churning with possibilities for the Elemental Diamond.

As the rest of the fire elementals thaw the ice covering the arena, Glacier sits on the bench of her team’s cubical with her elbows resting on her knees. The High Chamber Seats continue to gloat and rejoice over Glacier’s ‘talented abilities’ until the arena is finally cleared.

There are a few moments’ pause before the Chamber announces the next battle. The fire surrounding the ring flickers higher than usual.

“My children, now that the arena is cleared of any ice, we must keep this ball rolling. Karn will be announcing the next Harvest.”

Sasis takes a step back from the front, his words somehow seeming slightly deflated. Karn exchanges places, now standing to face the audience alone as Hampton and Sasis hang back.

“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, please put your hands together for the second Harvest battle contestants. From the Hydra team, we have our second selected, Miss Aleena Staren.”

Aleena rises from her bench seat, and tugs her shirt down into place. Her features are impassive, and her eyes are hard as she struts out of the box. The team says their good lucks, but she continues on without any acknowledgement. Glacier remains silent, deciding against saying anything, as she anticipates Aleena insulting and belittling her on her way past.

Aleena waits at the centre of the dirt arena, surrounded by licking flames and splashing water. Karn continues on as all the other contestants train their eyes to Aleena’s figure.

“Against our selected, we have two of the three winners from the Pyre team. We have Dolby Frisk, and Fielder Vinson.”

Glacier’s eyes snap to the Pyre team’s box just as Dolby and Fielder rise of their bench and approach the ring. Aleena leans from one foot to another, evaluating her competition.

Fielder strides in behind Dolby with his arms tight at his sides. His eyes follow Dolby’s footsteps until they reach the centre of the ring. The three of them spread out in a triangular formation, the same as the three elementals had done in the first battle.

Despite her focus resting solely on Fielder, her chest fills with worry for Aleena’s safety. Her eyes briefly flicker to where Brink sits in his team box, his arms crossed over his wide chest. His lips are smug as he returns her gaze with a heated one of his own. Quickly glancing away, her eyes return to Fielder.

There are a few moments of stone silence as everyone anticipates the horn. When it finally blows, Aleena is quick to attack.

Spinning on her feet as graciously as a dancer, she throws her arm back before quickly swinging it over her head, like throwing a ball. A current from the surrounding moat rises with her arm before shooting forward like a fast jet of water. Dolby is too slow to act, and the water slams against his face. The force of it throws him back, landing him on his back with a loud thud.

Fielder is quick. He absorbs some of the fire surrounding them, holding the bright orange flames in both palms. Aleena swings both her arms, this time creating two large circling hoops on either side of her. She stalks forward with her arms still swinging, her gaze set on Fielder. Glacier feels her heart squeeze in her chest as he remains glued to the same spot.

Come on Fielder
…
Move
…

Aleena strides forward until she stands a few metres from Fielder. She brings her hands together with a loud clap, and the circling water grazes down the length of her arms, shooting forward in Fielder’s direction.

He quickly dives out of the way, preforming a forward roll that has him on his feet in the same motion. Dolby is on his feet, his eyes red and his jaw clenched. He raises his hands whilst Aleena’s attention is focused mainly on Fielder, and starts to gather a large fireball from the outer ring. The ball swells like a sun before he pushes it forward in Aleena’s direction.