The Chronicles of Fire and Ice Read online

  “Anything.” He whispered.

  “I think we’re moving too fast. I mean I hardly know you.”

  “You know me more than you realise.” He told her, leaning in to kiss her again, but she placed a finger on his lips.

  “No stop,” she told him, sitting up. “How do I know you? Stop using your angel magick against me.”

  “I’m not, I swear.” he chuckled.

  She raised her eyebrow, “You didn’t answer my question.”

  Dyston sighed and sat up too. “You know me because I’ve been watching you every day since I got my assignment.”

  “So what, you’re like my guardian angel, or something?”

  “Something like that,” he told her, grinning. She moved closer.

  “Why are your wings black? I thought an angel’s wings only turned black when they did something really unforgivable. What did you do?” she asked.

  “Kept you a secret.”

  ~

  Lakyn stood on the platform looking over into the production line where his employees were hard at work, packing boxes like robots.

  “Are they packing the new formula?” asked David, coming up behind him. David was his Head of Production.

  “Yes, the first shipment goes out tomorrow. Want to see the results?” Lakyn asked. He led David into his office at the back of the platform and he switched on a monitor.

  “These are our test subjects. Ordinary working-class Nephilim who thought they were participating in ‘ordinary’ Market Research. This is anything but,” Lakyn said, with a smirk.

  “What’s he doing?” asked David, looking at a man on the left of screen.

  “This is test subject number two zero one, he has been on the new formula for one week now, and has already begun to follow every command we give him. Watch this.” Lakyn pressed a button on a keypad on the desk and picked up a microphone.

  “Who are you?” he asked the test subject.

  “I am Simon, and Lucifer is my master.”

  “Very good.” he told Simon, taking his finger off the button.

  “What’s going on, how’d you do that?” asked David.

  “How? Why don’t you join me and find out for yourself.”

  “Just tell me what you gave him Lake?”

  “I gave him a powerful drug that attracts demons to his body. He is now a vessel.”

  “That is brilliant, but what is the purpose of all this?” asked David, gesturing to the monitors, to the test subjects, and the employees packing boxes of cigarettes.

  “This? It’s for the greater good.” smiled Lakyn, holding out a pack towards David, “Will you join me? We need strength in numbers.”

  David met his eyes and took one.

  Chapter Seven

  Trait

  Scarlett was a little angry with Dyston for moving her up to a Third Year Traits 101 class. In Third Year most of the students had already refined their Traits, Scarlett’s were just appearing. He believed in her a little too much, she thought. She strolled into the classroom, not knowing what to expect. She didn’t even know who her Professor was. She sat down at a desk towards the back, and immediately began hearing whispers.

  “Isn’t she First Year?” Said one girl.

  “Yeah I heard she’s just here ’cause her boyfriend thinks she’s special.” Said another, snickering.

  Scarlett tried to tune them out, but she remembered what her grandmother had told her about bullies; ‘anyone who doesn’t like something that you do is just jealous.’ She wondered if her grandmother knew of her fate. Scarlett looked up as the sound of two pairs of footsteps entering the room could be heard. It was Beth Blackbell and someone more familiar, Dyston.

  “What are you doing here?” she mouthed to him. Then her pocket vibrated and she reached in to pull out her iPhone.

  “I always co-teach this class with my Mother.” he texted. She looked up at him and he smiled. Then he turned to switch on the computer and projector.

  “Good morning class, as most of you know I am Professor Beth Blackbell, your teacher for Traits 101,” she said. Her eyes found Scarlett’s and she smiled, “Welcome Scarlett.” Scarlett smiled back. Now she knew where Dyston’s good looks originated.

  “The origin of Angel Traits began when the first Nephilim was created. About the time Jesus was born, around two thousand years ago. The angels knew that when Angel blood combined with human blood it created a magnificent chemical reaction in the body, resulting in Angel Traits.” Lectured Beth, she was an amazing speaker, Scarlett thought. She was in awe of Dyston’s mother, probably in the same way she was in awe of him.

  “Now, that was a refresher for Miss Porter. Scarlett, I’m going to ask that you catch up on the History of Traits in your spare time. Now, we are going to move on to the chapter entitled Exploring Your Traits. Dyston?” She glanced over at her son. He got up from behind the teacher’s desk, walked around and sat on the front of it, facing the class. Scarlett loved watching him talk, he was brilliant. That was when she noticed the two girls in front of her. They were leaning in to whisper to each other and giggling. She knew they were talking about Dyston, and that they thought he was hot. She wanted to yell at them, “Hands off my man!” But she knew it wouldn’t be appropriate. And she didn’t technically own him. Instead she just listened to him speak.

  “As you know, there is not just one type of Trait. It all depends upon your lineage and how high up the Angel you were descended from was. So, each of your Traits will be different.”

  “Is it rare for someone to have more than one Trait?” Scarlett couldn’t help but ask. His gaze met hers and a small smirk twitched upon his lips.

  “Normally, a Nephilim only develops one Trait, but in exceptional circumstances, more can develop.” he said, training his gaze on her. It almost burned a hole into her soul. And then she felt herself starting to burn.

  ~

  Emer sat down next to Kat in the library.

  “Kat I need to talk to you,” she said impatiently. The other students in the library immediately shushed her.

  “Not here though,” she continued, but quieter.

  “Okay,” replied Kat. She picked up her books and the girls walked into a nearby classroom, which adjoined the library, closing the door behind them.

  “What’s wrong?” Kat asked when they were inside.

  “Okay, well, I kissed Joshua.”

  “Wow, that’s great. Wait, why are you upset?”

  “Something bad happened when I did.”

  “How bad?”

  “I had a vision, about Scarlett.”

  “Whoa, slow down, you had a vision?”

  “Yeah. It just happened last night. I was going to tell you ASAP but you were… busy.” She told her.

  Kat’s cheeks immediately flushed. “Sorry,” she replied, a little embarrassed.

  “Its okay, you’re happy.”

  “And you’re not. So you had a vision after you kissed Joshua?”

  “No, during.”

  “Oh no. How did he react?”

  “He was confused, I think. But I also spilled my hot chocolate that he made me and scalded myself, so he was a little preoccupied by that.”

  “Do you think Joshua caused the vision?”

  “That’s what I’m afraid of Kat, what if he planted it in my head?” She was almost crying again, “What if he’s a Lucifite?”

  ~

  Dyston was by Scarlett’s side in seconds. He immediately put out the flames with his cooling touch.

  “Sorry,” she whispered.

  “Don’t apologise. There, its out,” he told her, smoothing out her hair as well.

  “No wait, I shouldn’t be the one apologising, you should. This happens every time you’re around,” she shouted, pushing him away. Everyone was gawking at them, including his Mother, but she didn’t care.

  “Scarlett…”

  “No, don’t Scarlett me. Stay away from me. Ever since you found out what I am, you haven’t left me alone
,” she yelled. She then turned and stormed out of the room, leaving him standing there speechless.

  ~

  Kat literally dragged Emer through the library.

  “Kat, what are you doing?”

  “I want you to kiss him again.”

  “No! I can’t.”

  “Yes you can. You have to see if he really did give you that vision. ’Cause I don’t believe Joshua is evil.”

  “No, please Kat. I’m avoiding him.”

  “No you’re not,” she told her. They found Joshua on the second floor of the library reading a graphic novel. He glanced up when he heard them.

  “Emer, Kat…”

  “Emer needs to talk to you.” Kat told him, pushing Emer forward.

  “Kat…” Emer complained.

  “I’ll leave you to it.” She grinned and left them alone. Emer stood there awkwardly.

  “You ran away last night, didn’t you like kissing me?” he asked her, putting his graphic novel down and standing up. Emer didn’t speak, she just stared at her shoes.

  “I take that as a no then,” he turned to leave, “I’m sorry.”

  “No wait, Josh…” she called. He turned back to face her.

  “I did like kissing you. It’s just…”

  “Just what, I’m a bad kisser? I had bad breath? What?”

  “None of the above. Look Josh, you were an amazing kisser, it’s just that something happened when I kissed you.”

  “Oh, like what?”

  “I had a vision, like a nightmare, but I was awake,” she told him.

  Joshua exhaled. “A vision? Of what?”

  “Scarlett running. And then something grabbed her, something like a shadow…”

  “And you think that I gave it to you?”

  “Well…”

  “I didn’t okay. Why would I give you a vision of one of my own friends being kidnapped?”

  “Okay, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to accuse you. I just wanted to make sure.”

  “Anyway, I don’t even have that ability yet, only some Fourth Year students and Professors can do that kind of thing.” He told her.

  “Then who would send it to me?”

  “What if no one sent it to you? What if you had it all on your own?” he suggested. Emer gasped. “You think that’s my Trait?”

  “Maybe, its possible.” he told her.

  And she smiled at him, stepping closer. “Hey, I’m sorry I ran out on you. I really was enjoying our date. You know, until…”

  “Would you like to start over?” he asked.

  “No,” she told him. And he was confused, until she stepped even closer to him. Holding his hands in hers she said, “I’d like to continue where we left off.” And then she kissed him. And this time there was no vision, so she wrapped him in her arms tighter and they didn’t come up for air.

  ~

  Scarlett stormed back into her room angry and upset. She had finally understood why Dyston had been so clingy the past few weeks. He thought he was protecting her from all the evil forces in the world. Well she didn’t need protecting. She threw her exercise gear on, grabbed her headphones and ran out the door.

  Her feet made a steady beat on the cobblestones as she jogged. She ran down all the small alleyways that surrounded the Academy, admiring the art and expelling her frustrations, about Dyston and everything. She jumped down the stairs that led to the path alongside the Yarra River. She headed left and jogging beside the chocolate coloured river water and continued jogging. She ran until she could no more. Until her leg muscles screamed in pain and her lungs protested that they needed more air. She stopped in another alleyway, this one dark, the surrounding buildings cutting off the sun’s rays. She inhaled and exhaled, until she felt a presence behind or above her. She spun around and looked up but couldn’t see anything. Then she heard what sounded like the flap of a bird’s wing above her head. The last thing she remembered before everything went dark was that the shadow had no face.

  ~

  After class Dyston made his way towards the dorms. Instead of climbing the last set of stairs towards the fourth floor, something told him to continue down the third floor hallway towards Scarlett’s room. When he got there he found her door ajar, he pushed it open.

  “Scarlett?” he called. When he didn’t hear a reply, he entered and found her room empty, with just her books and clothes scattered all over the bed and the floor. He immediately began to worry. He checked her wardrobe for missing clothes; her running shoes were missing. He ran towards the French doors and pulled them open, unfurling his wings and leaping into the dusk sky.

  ~

  Emer and Joshua walked briskly through the corridors towards the dorms where they knew Dyston would be. They knew he wasn’t a partier like most of the other students.

  “What If he’s not there?” Emer asked, panicking.

  “He will be, he’s a hermit remember?” he joked. It was common knowledge that Dyston rarely came out of his room, apart from classes and to see Scarlett.

  “But Del texted me that he and Scar had a huge fight today in Traits 101, in front of everyone, including Professor Beth.”

  “Maybe he’s in Scarlett’s room and they’re making up?” Joshua suggested.

  “I don’t think so, it seemed like a pretty epic fight, from what I heard.”

  “What was it about?”

  “About… and I quote, “ever since you found out what I am you haven’t left me alone.”“

  “What she is?”

  “Yeah, didn’t you know? She’s a Legacy.”

  “It must have been something more than that. Lots of people are Legacies, and they’re not unique.” Stated Joshua.

  “Well maybe it’s her fire Trait, people also said that she caught on fire, and that Dyston put her out.”

  “Emer, did you just say Fire Trait?”

  “Yes… why?”

  “A Fire Trait is not an ordinary Trait. There’s only one type of Angel that can develop a fire Trait,” he told her, pulling her arm as he started to run.

  “What type of angel, Josh? Why are we running?”

  They rounded a corner and headed towards the administration buildings where the Professor dormitories were.

  “We have to tell someone.” He told her.

  “Tell someone, what, Josh?”

  “That Scarlett’s The Legend,” he replied. Emer was just about to speak, but a door had opened ahead of him and Lakyn had stepped out of it.

  “It’s about time someone knows,” he told them, blocking their path.

  Chapter Eight

  Darkness

  Blackness swirled with grey in front of Scarlett’s eyes and she didn’t know whether she was alive, dead or dreaming. She felt softness underneath her and realised It couldn’t be all that bad. Her captors could’ve at least stashed her somewhere dark, musty and uncomfortable. She flexed her fingers one by one to see if she had the freedom to move, she could. She tried to lift her arms, but felt resistance at her wrists. Something was binding them, her ankles too. She was stuck. Then she heard voices, they were coming closer. She squirmed in her bindings until suddenly a hand touched her arm, it was deathly cold.

  “Easy, don’t struggle.” The voice that belonged to the hand said, “Nothing you can do will free you of the bindings. They are made of Hell-metal, and designed to withstand Heavenly Fire.”

  “Who are you?” she asked. Her voice came out as a hoarse whisper. Then all of a sudden she could see, they had taken her blindfold off. She had been laid in a bare white room from what she could see, and a hooded figure stood above her.

  “I am Abel,” he told her, “I am here to help you.” And then he dropped his hood.

  ~

  Emer swallowed hard.

  “Professor Lakyn, do you know where your brother is? We need to speak with him urgently,” she asked.

  “No I don’t. What is this about? Maybe I can pass on a message.”

  “It’s about Scarlett. But we should tell h
im ourselves, we’ll wait thanks,” said Emer. She grabbed Joshua’s arm and began to pull him away.

  “Wait, is this about ‘The Legend’? Because that is very important information that needs to be shared with my Father.”

  “Um… did we say ‘The Legend’, Emer?” Joshua asked, trying to cover himself.

  “No we didn’t, I believe we said ‘Legacy’, right Josh?”

  “Right.”

  “Don’t lie to me!” Lakyn growled, pinning Joshua to the wall. “Listen, I know all about ‘The Legend’. I know who it is so don’t play stupid with me.”

  “Let him go!” Emer screamed and ran into the nearest classroom.

  “Where is she?” he hissed in Joshua’s face.

  “We’re not telling you, we know whose side you fight on.” Joshua told him. Just for a second, there was a moment of shock on Lakyn’s face, but it went away just as quickly, and was replaced by anger, which was frightening. He lifted Joshua up higher on the wall by his throat.

  “Put him down!” Emer told him calmly. Lakyn turned and saw her standing there in the hallway, holding an Archangel’s bow, and the Tear Tip was trained on him.

  Lakyn snickered. “You aren’t really going to shoot me are you? You’ll be punished severely.”

  “I’ll take my risks,” she told him, pulling back on the bow-string. The next sound they all heard was a whistling through the air, and Lakyn’s moan as he crumpled to the ground, unconscious. Joshua fell to his knees and Emer dropped her bow. It clattered to the ground as she ran to join Joshua. Then two sets of boots appeared beside them. Emer and Joshua glanced up and saw Kat and Jacob. It was Jacob who had fired the tranquiliser dart into Lakyn.

  “Its only a sedative, and not a very strong one, in relation to angel blood.” Jacob told them, lowering the dart gun, “We have to hurry.” He lifted Lakyn over his shoulder as if he weighed nothing at all, and Kat ran to join her friends.

  “Are you okay Josh?” she asked.

  “Yeah I’m okay now thanks.” He managed a smile while rubbing his sore neck. She helped him to his feet and they followed Jacob.

  ~

  “You’re helping me? How are you helping me by keeping me tied up? And who are you people?” Scarlett demanded