A Soul for Vengeance

Chapter 5



“Where are you taking me?” Arden pulled the cloak tighter around her to drive out the heavy snow that seemed intent on invading every opening. “I can’t stay out much longer in this weather.”

A current of warmth rolled over her skin, ceasing her shivering. “Is that better, my little Soulbearer?”

“Yes, but you still didn’t answer my question.”

“Keeping moving forward. Once we clear this pass, you’ll see where we’re going.”

Loku’s refusal to give her a straight answer irked her as much as when Dev did it. For three days, she’d followed his instructions, evading the Empress’s spies through the streets of the Imperial City before traveling west into the mountains. She did it because she trusted he would keep his word and lead her to the person who had her mother’s necklace. But now that she was cold and weary, she wondered what the chaos god’s real motive was.

The snow became heavier. She stumbled forward, leading her horse with one hand while hanging on to Cinder’s fur with the other so she wouldn’t lose either of them.

“Don’t make a noise for the next mile,” he whispered in her mind.

Her shoulders tensed. “Why? Are there more of the Empress’s soldiers ahead?”

“No, but we are in a place that magnifies the slightest of sounds. One small whinny from your horse could set off an avalanche.”

Panic prickled her skin. “And you decided to lead me here?”

“You wanted to find your mother’s necklace.”

“Yes, but I have no desire to become frozen solid in the process.”

“You complain far more than any of my prior Soulbearers.” He made a dismissive sound. “Must be because you’re a woman.”

“You’re the one who chose me, not the other way around.”

“Yes, and it’s been worth every complaint I’ve had to bear so far, especially considering how much you’ve managed to torment Dev.”

At the mention of her Protecter—scratch that, former Protector—her chest began to ache. Even after his betrayal, she still could keep him far from her thoughts. “You’ll have to come up with a way to torment my new Protector if they ever find us.”

Loku snickered. “Never worry, Arden. I have great plans for you.”

She was scared to ask what. Loku’s plans usually involved her winding up in more trouble than she started in. They almost always resulted in near death experiences, which made her wonder why she agreed to let him lead her into the mountains. “Let me know when we’re past the avalanche danger.”

“You’ll know,” he replied in a tone that made her wish she hadn’t asked in the first place.

Cinder leaned against the back of her legs, pushing her forward as though he knew about the potential threat of being buried alive under a wall of snow. But, if worse came to worst, she could always ask him to set himself on fire and melt through it. That was the joy of having a fire wolf beside her.

Of course, if he set himself on fire, she bore the risk of getting burned.

Nothing was perfect.

Arden continued climbing through the narrow pass. Every breath seemed to spark a shower of snow from the ledges above. Her chest tightened. One step in front of the other, she kept plodding through the knee deep snow until she reached the end. And when she did, her breath caught.

A large valley stretched out before her, completely surrounded by the mountains. A small palace sat in the center with smoke pouring out of its chimneys. Soft blue lights glowed from the tops of its spires like welcoming beacons, and warm golden candlelight that came from its windows. Just the sight of it chased the chill away and gave her the strength to continue on. She started down the hill like a child who’d just woken up to a snowy morning.

“Yes, my little Soulbearer, your necklace is there. But first, I need you to wait.”

Magic rippled through her veins, locking her muscles in place. Her pulse doubled. “Loku, what are you doing?”

“Making sure no one finds you.”

The magic continued to build, swirling inside like a blizzard before it finally exploded from the soles of her feet. The ground rumbled, and a loud crack echoed through the silent night.

Arden pushed back, gathering her own magic to overcome Loku’s. She managed to gain control of her head long enough to look behind her and wish she hadn’t.

A wall of white was tumbling straight for her.

“Let me go, let me go,” she begged, directing her magic to her firmly planted feet. Her horse whinnied, straining at the reins locked in her frozen hand. Cinder whined and nudged her, but Loku’s spell kept her as still as a statue.

The avalanche rolled toward her faster than she could run. Fear tightened around her throat. “Loku, please, release me, or you’ll be without a Soulbearer.”

Laughter filled her mind as the spell vanished. She dove to the side, barely escaping the river of snow that poured out of the narrow pass. Several long seconds passed before she finally had enough of her wits about her to shout his name. “Loku!”

And yet, he continued to howl with laughter. “You should have seen how worried you were.”

“Why did you try to kill me?”

His laughter slowed. “I wasn’t trying to kill you, my dearest. When you are you going to learn to trust me?”

“When you stop taking control of my body and putting me in harm’s way.”

“One day, you’ll learn that the only thing you can do to truly be in harm’s way is to disobey me.”

A shiver coursed down her spine, rippling her skin with gooseflesh. Had she been so lax with Loku that he now felt like he could threaten her?

Arden dug herself out of the drift and shook the snow from her now wet clothes. Her horse had bolted toward the palace the moment her grip weakened. There was nothing more she could do but follow him. But once she got her mother’s necklace back, she needed to give some serious thought to returning to the Conclave and learning how to control him better. She didn’t want to know how close she’d get to death the next time Loku decided to take control of her.

An hour later, she stood at the front door of the palace. It was very different than the lordly homes of Ranello, which all seemed to be surrounded by thick stone walls. The owner of this home obviously felt he was secure in his location not to need one. Perhaps it was due to the narrow pass and its avalanche risk that lead to this valley. Perhaps it was due to the magical blue orbs that hovered above the roof and focused their light on her as she approached. Either way, no one could escape notice if they tried to sneak up on this place.

She reached out her hand to knock on the door, but it opened before her finger could grasp the golden knocker shaped like a rose. A man with almost colorless pale blue eyes glared at her. The tips of his ears poked through his brown hair. “What is your business here?”

Not the warm welcome she would’ve liked, but she lifted her chin and told the elf, “I’m Arden Soulbearer, and I’ve come to collect my necklace.”

The elf’s brow rose ever so slightly, the only sign of recognition he gave before stepping aside to allow her to enter. “Wait here.”

As soon as the door closed behind her, a wave of magic surrounded her, drying her dripping cloak and penetrating the deepest recesses of her boot to warm her frozen toes. Despite the elf’s rude reception, something about this place welcomed her. It called to her deepest part of her soul and granted it the solace she’d spent years yearning for. She’d always longed for a place to call home, and for the first time in her life, she felt like she belonged someplace. She closed her eyes and savored the moment after her long journey.

The moment vanished when she opened them again and found Varrik di Miloria watching her from the stairs, his body tense with wariness. “Welcome to my home, dau—I mean, Arden.”

Raw emotions pumped through her veins with each beat of her heart. Anger. Betrayal. Loss. Vengeance. And something else she refused to acknowledge, no matter how urgently it vied for her attention. Varrik was the man who’d seduced her mother. He was the man who sired her. And he was the man who’d abandoned her mother before she was born.

She clenched her hands into fists and tried to keep her voice civil. “I’ve come for my mother’s necklace,” she repeated. As long as she remained focused on the reason she’d come here, she wouldn’t have to deal with all the unwanted emotions associated with being in her father’s home.

A home that would’ve been hers if he hadn’t left her mother behind in Ranello.

He glided down the stairs slowly, his gaze never leaving her face. “Is that the only reason you’ve come?”

So many of Arden’s features came from her father—her eyes, her hair, her nose. How much pain had she caused her mother by reminding her of the one man she’d loved and lost? And did he ever think about the woman whose heart he’d destroyed after he returned to Gravaria?

She opened her mouth to tell him yes, but her chin quivered to the point where she didn’t trust what words may come out.

Because despite spending years hating a man she’d never met, she wanted to know more about him now that she was face to face with him.

But instead, she surrendered to her stubborn pride and merely nodded.

The light faded from his blue eyes, and his shoulders fell. “Very well. But please, why don’t you make yourself comfortable here?”

“I have no intention of staying longer than needed.” Her words sounded cold and harsh, so different from the whimpering child inside who begged her to accept his invitation. “Just give me my necklace back, and I’ll no longer burden you with my presence.”

The corner of his mouth rose. “You’ll be here for quite a while, Arden. An avalanche closed the only way in and out of this valley, so you’re stuck here until the snow melts.”

And somewhere in the back of her mind, Loku laughed hysterically.