House of Winter

Chapter 3, Part 2

ARI

Ari balled her fists, willing winter magic to come to her. She focused on the cold of winter in her heart, and the process of sending the magic to her hands. Heart to hand, Sanna had taught her.

But the magic didn't come. The thoughts of Sanna made her feel even worse, and she struggled against her attacker, but she had no magic to defend herself with.

She found herself held down on the ground, and pain shot through her body. It hadn't been very long since the King's Garde had held her to the ground and arrested her at the Midwinter Championships, and though the bruises had faded, it seemed the internal pain was still there.

Ari struggled again, and finally broke free of her captor.

She had expected a Garde, dressed in gold, but instead she saw a short woman, with pale skin and brown hair tangled with grey, and a round chin.

"They're rounding up all the Vastiens," the woman said, flicking her head out the door and in the direction of the pier, where she knew the Garde were standing.

"And you're going to sell me to them?" Ari asked angrily. She realised the woman was the owner of the little shop, whose vegetables were piled up outside.

"I will if you don't behave," the woman said sharply.

"Behave?"

"You're from the school, aren't you?" the woman said. "Only a rich kid like you could afford clothing like that."

Ari looked down at Katja's coat that she was wearing. The woman had no idea how wrong she was, but also how right.

"You can't just walk around with skin your colour," the store owner said.

"I'd gathered that much, thanks," Ari said sharply. "What do you want?"

"You got a dragon?"

Ari stared at the woman.

"Do you have a dragon?" the woman repeated.

Ari remained tight-lipped.

"Listen," the woman said. "If I give a shout, those two Garde at the pier will come running. They'll take one look at the colour of your skin, and it doesn't matter whether you're a posh diplomat's daughter or an ord. They're rounding up Vastiens, and they'll take you, too, whether you were born in Lombardia or not. They're setting up camps over the hill. That's where all your friends are being kept."

"And what do I have to do so that you won't turn me in?" Ari said sharply, and as she said it, the tone in her voice reminded her of Bell. She remembered the way Bell would stand up for herself, talking back smartly to their foster carers or to teachers or to bullies.

The store owner pushed her further into the darkness of the shop, and then pointed to a hole in the floor. Ari could see the top of a ladder sticking out of the hole.

"Down," the woman instructed.

Ari hated being underground. The feeling of darkness and the closing walls terrified her. She knew it was how Bell had died - trapped under the city, killed in an explosion that went off. It made Ari panic. But the woman pushed her again, and Ari knew she had no choice.

She took a breath and gripped onto the ladder, descending into the darkness.

Her heart was beating as she felt her feet hit the floor. There was nothing but darkness, but she could see the shadow of the store owner descending the ladder above her. Ari took a step back and felt sacks of something behind her, maybe sugar or salt or grain.