A Frozen Heart (A Blood War Novel Book 1) Read online

  A FROZEN HEART

  A BLOOD WAR NOVEL | BOOK 1

  ALIA JOHNSON

  ©A Frozen Heart (A Blood War Novel Book 1) by Alia Johnson

  Edited by Aquila Editing

  Cover by Christopher Coyle

  Artwork by Allen Geneta

  Formatted by Lyn Forester

  All rights reserved.

  This book is protected under Copyright laws. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright laws. For permission requests, please contact the author.

  This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this story are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual events, business establishments, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Acknowledgments

  A big thank you to my family. Thanks for believing in me and letting me type away every day lost in my own world.

  Thank you to my betas for sticking with me and giving me great feedback.

  All the authors I contacted for advice, thank you for your kind words.

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Author’s Note

  GLOSSARY

  LANGUAGE GLOSSARY

  About the Author

  Prologue

  Dark clouds boiled over the borders of Merdi and Romule. The sky churned with menace and lightning flashed over the armies that met on the battlefield. It shed tears over blood that had already been lost. This was supposed to be a peaceful meeting to end the feud between two kingdoms. The rulers of both sides met to sign the Blood Treaty. Queen Bera and King Desmond of Merdi sat on their horses on one side. They waited for a surprise attack from their enemy.

  King Rion of Romule was across from them. He stared back, worried, since he had everything to lose signing this treaty, while the other side gained all. But the fear for his children overrode all the concern he felt. He feared for the very land they stood on. He couldn't stop what was coming; it was already out of his control. The guilt ate away at him. It made him reach out to Merdi's kingdom, but even he couldn’t have expected the events that were about to unfold.

  Chapter 1

  The carriage pulled up to Antiqua. The castle was surrounded by a high wall protecting it from the elements, but the ice still found a way through. The old stone walls had an impenetrable coat of it. Icicles hung across every balcony and outcropping. The marketplace was empty in the middle of the day. Strange, since Odesha remembered a market full of people selling their wares when she was younger. The young guard stationed near the front of the carriage walked around to open the door. He held his hand out to help her down from the high steps.

  Odesha nodded and whispered a small, “Thank you.”

  The guard bowed his head in respect. The guards never spoke to her. She wasn't sure if it was because they had been ordered not to or because they felt pity for her. Either way, she didn't mind the silence. Not anymore.

  The doors of the castle crunched loudly as they opened. It was obvious they hadn’t been used for a long time. Several servants had to break away the ice blocking the door’s path with their shovels. Eyeing the entrance with a cold look, Odesha walked up the steps slowly trying not to slip. She had never seen the ice so thick on the steps. When the doors had first opened, a horrid odor had reached the group standing by the carriage. One guard even coughed in distress at the smell. The castle had not been taken care of. Odesha wasn't sure who was at fault for the conditions of the castle, the staff or Vladeric, but she was going to find out.

  More servants waited for the princess inside with their heads bowed. Vladeric, the current overseer of Antiqua, was surprisingly absent from greeting them. Odesha shrugged. She wouldn't want to greet the person that came into her home to conquer either. To the surprise of many, Vladeric was not royalty from Merdi, only a guardsman. He had been promoted above his rank when he had been assigned to Antiqua by Odesha’s mother, Queen Bera. To the guardsman he would go back to once Odesha found out where he was hiding in this filth.

  A short, brown-haired servant walked forward, curtsying deeply. Her hands shook when she clasped them in front of her. Odesha raised a brow but thought the servant's nervousness was from meeting royalty.

  “Welcome, Princess…Princess Odesha. My name is Miravena. A room has been prepared for you if you will…er…follow me, please.” Miravena's voice shook with terror, her eyes remaining downcast.

  This wasn't nervousness from meeting royalty. No, this was true fear. Odesha could sense it in the air, like a sickness spreading. The guards were concerned, their eyes tracking to every hidden nook to check for danger. They kept their hands on their swords, prepared to fight, if necessary. The servants acted like they were under attack. One servant even flinched away when the carriage driver approached him to inquire where the stables were. Odesha had the sudden urge to find out the reason for the servant’s behavior. A stirring of purpose fluttered through her, calling her to solve the mystery of the castle.

  Holding tightly to that feeling, Odesha rubbed her chest, feeling the ice buried deep in her heart, not moving. The sense of purpose was new to her, foreign. It was better than feeling nothing. She followed the servant down the hallway, but kept vigilant in case someone hid in the shadows.

  The room Miravena took her to was richly decorated. It had recently been aired out, the smell fresher, the window still open. Odesha dismissed the servant with a wave to explore her room, but before she could, exhaustion overcame her. They had been traveling fast across a long distance to reach Antiqua. She slipped off her shoes and fell on the bed. The sleep Odesha fought so hard came with the nightmares she tried to forget. The frozen statues from the ice garden watched her with unseeing eyes in her dreams.

  The next afternoon, Odesha stood looking out her window while holding a chalice of blood. As thoughts of the servants and the castle swirled in her mind, she dipped a finger into the red liquid and dragged it slowly across the stone wall. Taking a light sip, she remembered the day she had been sent to Antiqua.

  King Desmond sat on his throne, his great girth taking up the entire seat, waiting for his daughters’ arrival. He was a patient man, or so he had been told, but at the moment he didn’t feel like it. His black horns curled back from the top of his head, hidden in his untamed hair. Dark eyes watched two of his three daughters walkdown the hall. Vashti was tense, her yellow-golden hair bundled tight in a bun on top of her head. She watched him with anger boiling in her eyes from his summons. His decision would help Vashti control her emotions better, he hoped. His first-born daughter, Odesha, was tall and thin compared to her sister. Her eyes were hollow with sadness, even her skin looke
d dull and lifeless.

  After this meeting, he would wallow in his misery in private, but before them he would be strong. He had to be. Sitting up straighter, he strengthened his resolve to follow through with his decisions. To not show weakness and be calm. King Desmond was never weak, but he had to clear his throat several times before his announcement.

  His great voice boomed in the large throne room when he took control over himself. “It's time you found your place in the world, Odesha. I know you have been feeling…unwell. I'm giving you Antiqua, the homeland of your mother. I need you to bring the salt mines back.” Glancing at Odesha fleetingly, he continued. “Profits have been failing these past years and no reports are coming in from Vladeric.” He swallowed roughly, watching Odesha’s reaction from the corner of his eye.

  She continued to stare up at him with no expression, making his insides shrivel. He was losing his oldest daughter, could feel her time ticking down. There was no emotion in her face.

  No spark inside her like he hoped there would be at his announcement.

  Odesha had no reason to hold out from the ice encasing her heart. Her mother was gone, and he knew she had told Vashti she had no purpose in Merdi.

  This was the only idea he could think of to save her. After trying everything in Merdi to end her curse, he had decided to employ the greatest minds to look at every option for her. But there was nothing that could help his oldest daughter.

  The history books were translated. They all said the same: the ice was a gift from Freyja. It was given to a select few who were chosen to enter the ice garden of the Gods. The sprawling garden behind Merdi kept his cursed people safe, their bodies frozen for eternity for their families to visit. They were gone, never to move again, like stone statues. To melt the ice around their heart, a spark of fire was needed. But nothing and no one had sparked the fire inside Odesha, to his dismay.

  Until news of distress arrived from Antiqua. When the messenger came, Desmond saw interest light in her eyes. A spark of life. The mystery called to her. He couldn't explain it, but felt deep in his bones this was what he needed to do. He had to send her home to the very ice he was trying to save her from.

  Odesha eventually nodded her head to his edict. Her dull eyes turned to her sister. Vashti squeezed her hand tightly to give Odesha the support she needed. They were never separated, it was unthinkable.

  Vashti would travel with Odesha, she decided, as plans for their trip together raced in her mind.

  Until their father turned to say, “And Vashti, I have another task for you…”

  Desmond tore the two sisters apart from each other that day.

  Odesha glanced behind her and grimaced at her reflection in the ice. Her snow-white hair flowed down to her small waist, tendrils of hair falling loosely from her braid.

  Mother would be disappointed if she could see her now. A small amount of blood trailed from her lips. She swiped it with a finger, a flutter of emotion racing through her at the thought of Queen Bera, but it vanished as soon as it came.

  Never perfect. Never again.

  A sharp knock at the open door pulled her attention away from the pale reflection.

  “My lady, everything has been prepared as you ordered.” The voice trembled with the fear Miravena valiantly tried to hide. She waited, in the doorway, for orders from her new lady. So bewitched by the princess's hauntingly sad face, she couldn’t pull her gaze even if she tried. Her own plain brown hair and homespun cloth looked dull in comparison. She wore a heavy cloak to combat the cold halls of the castle, but the princess seemed not to be bothered with the chill. Odesha turned to Miravena with sad eyes, heavily framed with lashes. She whispered, “Let us begin.”

  This was the first Reawakening Odesha had ever led.

  Queen Bera, her mother, had been thorough in her teachings, one thing she could be thankful for. There were so many children here. Gliding into the room that Miravena indicated, Odesha marveled at the ice sculptures littering the room. The room, made from ice formations, curved softly. The walls twisted and turned in an artist's sculpture. The inscriptions danced along the ice curvature. They were carved thousands of years ago, before the Blood War, when another family ruled Antiqua.

  In the middle of the room, a large pool filled with dark blood waited. The blood’s copper smell radiated throughout the room. Odesha's white ceremonial gown trailed behind, swirling eerily. In the corner of the room sat a small sickly child with yellow curls and green eyes. Her breaths pushed heavily from her body, shaking her small frame. The child’s mother and father sat on both sides of her. Each held a hand tightly. Their pale, nervous eyes remained locked on Odesha’s gaze as she made her way to them.

  There was no feeling in Odesha’s eyes, and they could see it. That made them worry even more. Miravena followed behind Odesha with shuffling steps.

  The princess ordered, “Ready her,” indicating the child with a raised hand.

  “Yes, my lady,” Miravena replied quickly. She moved quickly to follow the instructions to not anger the princess. Miravena placed the child’s small hand in her own and gestured towards the robes hanging in the back of the room. The child shakily stood to kiss her parents, and Miravena tugged her away when she finished. The child stumbled, dragging her feet behind her like an invisible tether was holding her back. Once the small girl was undressed, Miravena fastened a dark robe around her. Miravena pulled her gently towards Odesha, who was waiting waist deep in the pool, staring at her own reflection with a pensive expression. The child’s sad eyes remained locked on her feet. Her sickly frame shivered while she waited for further orders.

  “Child look at me and tell me your name,” the princess ordered softly, her own eyes rising from the pool. Odesha fleetingly knew sadness was what the child was feeling. Long ago, the emptiness inside of her had pushed feelings aside as if they were insignificant. There wasn’t much time left.

  The child complied and held her gaze. “My name is Evie.” Odesha tilted her head. The little girl was brave to hold her gaze. There were many that couldn’t.

  “Evie…will you come in the pool?”

  Evie nodded and placed her tiny hand in Odesha’s. She shivered harshly.

  Odesha’s hand was frozen.

  Evie glanced back at her parents, becoming more frightened when she noticed small tears trailing down their faces. The lady led the child down the steps, making sure she didn't fall. The thick liquid made it difficult to maneuver. Odesha's legs felt as if they were pushing through thick sludge. The increasing smell around them was making Odesha hungry. Her hands slid under Evie’s arms to carry her to the middle of the pool.

  “Evie?”

  Evie’s eyes glanced up to the lady. “Yes, my lady?”

  “Repeat after me please.” Odesha gently stroked the child's yellow locks, keeping her focused.

  “Ye…ye…yes, my lady.”

  The princess began to recite the ancient rite passed through the ages while keeping her eyes on Evie. The sacred words were powerful when they echoed through the room. When Evie repeated a phrase, the lady would speak again. Back and forth they continued until the final verse had been repeated back. Odesha motioned for the chalice that Miravena held in her grip. She lowered the child further down into the water, praying to Freyja to help Evie.

  “Evie, it’s time to close your eyes, little one,” Odesha instructed. Evie nodded, looked to her parents fleetingly, and obeyed the ordered words. She emptied the chalice over the child’s head and spoke the ending of the Reawakening.

  As the last words sounded, Evie’s eyes popped open, her small mouth opening to gasp. Odesha pushed her under, submerging her body in the blood. Evie fought back, thrashing. Her screams, silent. Bubbles floated to the surface. Evie's eyes slid closed, her body lax.

  She pulled Evie from the pool and watched the blood return to the pool. The droplets sliced through the water.

  The cries of Evie's parents become louder.

  Miravena rushed to grab the forgotten
chalice in Odesha’s hand. She hurried back to quiet the parents, hoping they didn't draw the lady’s anger, but she was just as afraid as them. Odesha stared blankly at them with furrowed brows, sorting through her own feelings as she tried to understand theirs.

  Evie's lips parted in a soft sigh. The breath gently puffed from her small mouth. The change in the child's face was extraordinary. Her green irises now glistened with shards of diamonds, shining bright in the illuminated room. Small silver tears flowed down her face into the pool. The tears made small ripples flow across the blood. Health radiated through a once sickly body.

  The blood was now gone from Evie, returned to its resting place in the giant pool. It had left her in the clean robe she had been wearing. Odesha noticed Evie's tears after she turned from the parents. She tilted her head and tried to understand why Evie still cried when the ceremony went so well.

  Tears. Tears meant sadness. Odesha remembered them.

  “Why are you sad?”

  Evie sniffled. “Oh, my lady, the pain is all gone. But…but…did I pass the test?” Choking on a sob, she hid her face in Odesha’s robes.

  Odesha looked up to Miravena and Evie’s parents, who had approached the pool. Confused, she asked, “What does Evie speak of?”

  Miravena’s face turned a bright red, but she held her gaze bravely. “My lady, Vladeric performed the Reawakening as you do now, but when the child fought, Vladeric would become enraged. He decided if the child did not accept the transition, they were unfit for life,” Miravena added softly. “Several children left to join Freyja, my lady.” Small tears leaked from her brown eyes. Her hands trembled with the memories she would never be able to forget.