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Chapter 1: A Taste of Immortality

It was with a smile that Carina opened her ice-blue eyes and beheld the giant skeletal dragon standing below an endless sky upon the glassy black lake. Although Viktor couldn’t smile back, she felt his greeting in the gentle breath of frost that created a firm path toward her.

“Welcome, Carina.”

“What is this place?” Carina asked as she took the first step onto the carpet woven from vines of frost. It was a question she had puzzled over since her first visit inside this strange realm to train with Viktor.

“We are inside the cortex of your power, the source of your magic,” Viktor replied. His words reverberated gently against Carina’s mind as she joined him on a small snowy plane.

“You mean—inside the frozen heart you gave me?” Carina raised a hand hesitantly towards the giant talons that rose just above her head. The bone felt rough and cold beneath her palm and fingers and somehow fragile as if a thousand years had aged it into a hardened clump of sand.

The ice witch withdrew her hand and stepped back as Viktor settled down into the snow. The dragon curved his long, skeletal neck around her and then rested his giant head upon a thin sheet of frost. Beneath the dragon, a strange twanging sound echoed from beneath the lake as a hardened layer of ice stretched out to contain Viktor’s full size and weight.

‘I want to ask if he’s alright.’ Carina glanced down at her trembling hands and quickly tightened them into fists as she walked around the pillars of bone until she stood before Viktor’s toothy smile.

“Your connection has grown stronger,” Viktor observed. “But it is not strong enough for the battle before you. Are you ready to try something a bit more challenging?”

Carina nodded eagerly and pushed her worries aside as she settled down onto a pile of snow and assumed the meditation pose that had become familiar to her throughout their training.

“The frozen heart inside you possesses far more power than you have yet to realize. It is the heart of an immortal dragon, after all,” Viktor began as a light flurry of snow fell from the clear sky above them. “In order for you to master that power, you must understand its limits.”

“And—how do I do that?”

Again, Carina sensed more than saw Viktor’s smile. “It is simple enough. You must freeze the lake.”

“The lake,” Carina echoed with a puzzled frown. Her ice-blue eyes quickly grew wide as she turned to survey the endless landscape around her. “Wait—all of it?!”

“Distance is but a shackle that mortals use to limit themselves. A water witch can travel the distance of an entire continent in the same time it would take you to pluck an apple from a tree.”

“Haa,” Carina let out a slow breath. Her thoughts drifted back to the water fountain in the royal garden that she had woken up in after witnessing the vision of Kirsi’s death at the hands of the Third Saint. “Does that mean I’ll be able to do the same? Since ice is composed of water and air?”

“Ice is not as fluid as water, regardless of its base composition,” Viktor replied dismissively. “Which is why water witches prefer to fight in their element at sea or near a coastline. You would never hear of them invading very far inland because they will not willingly put themselves at a disadvantage. But they are capable of decisive subtlety, and assassination should their prey lower their guard around a source of water.”

“Fascinating,” Carina muttered. She eyed the edge of the frozen island around them and shivered as she recalled the hands that had dragged her down into its depths. Suddenly the idea of trapping all that water beneath a barrier of solid ice didn’t seem so bad.

“Shall we begin?”

The ice-witch turned a reluctant gaze back towards the dragon. “It is a lot of water to cover. I don’t suppose you have any more helpful advice to give me?”

“Open your connection to me,” Viktor replied. Again his intangible smile wrapped itself around Carina and filled her with reassuring warmth. She watched in fascination as spirals of magic, like the glowing strings of a spider’s web, wove themselves together as they stretched from the center of the dragon’s great skull towards the ice witch’s glowing, beating heart. “I will give you all the strength you require.”

The influx of magic that swelled up inside Carina felt overwhelming, exhilarating, and strangely satisfying. She took in a shallow breath, feeling far too full to adequately fill her lungs, then folded her hands together as her eyelids fluttered shut.

The disorienting sensation of two elements, so close together yet in conflict with one another, filled the space around Carina with unsettling friction. However, her connection to Viktor remained unshakable. Clearing her head, the ice witch focused on creating a bubble around her composed of cold magic.

Feeling like a duckling under the protective gaze of its parent, Carina slowly released her already wavering grip on the power welling up inside her. It burst out like a flood that snowballed through the air, bouncing off the ice around her as it traveled forcefully to where Viktor’s tiny island met the dark surface of the lake. As soon as the cold magic made contact with water, it spread, creating an uneven and frustratingly thin carpet of ice.

“Keep going.” Viktor's rumbling voice nudged, encouraging. “No matter how rough the canvas, it is easy enough to paint over imperfections later.”

‘Quantity over quality? Alright, I can do that.’

Her clumsy attempts to conquer the lake continued as clumps of snow bounced and glided over the rough terrain, expanding the reach of her magic with each wave. Despite Viktor’s reassurance, Carina still felt frustrated with such lackluster results. On impulse, she pierced one of the snowballs with a sharp, needlelike dart of ice. The clump of snow burst apart and carried forward, skipping over sections of the lake before the snowflakes fell and quickly claimed ground, stretching in all directions as it spread back to the edge of the growing island.

In that moment, Carina felt a different kind of magic mingle with her own. A light and weightless magic that helped carry the flakes of snow much further than the sheer force behind each propelled snowball. She reached for it eagerly, compelling it to her will as she injected yet another ball of snow with a frozen dart.

Again the clumps of snowflakes shattered apart. The wind currents quickly captured the frozen, delicate shards and sent them twirling out across the lake, where they spread, covering a larger area with each attempt.

‘Of course. Air magic!’

Carina doubled her focus and repeated the same method in all directions. The realm of her control expanded rapidly as she altered and modified her use of the wind, frozen darts, and the density of the snowballs she sent hurtling up into the currents.

By the time Carina mastered her new approach, empty exhaustion slowly began to fill her. Her optimistic enthusiasm gave way to uncertainty as she became aware of the frozen sweat that coated her skin and trickled down the neck and back of the simple white robe she wore.

‘Strange, I can still feel Viktor’s connection. The amount of magic energy I have access to is nowhere near close to running out—so what is this feeling?’

She pressed on, single-mindedly bent on claiming the vast territory of the lake below her. Steadily the magic that Carina poured into this daunting endeavor changed as energy from the frozen heart itself seeped in to fill her core.

‘It feels just as strong as Viktor’s magic—and there’s even more of it now. Wait! Does this mean that the more ground I cover, the more power I can draw from the frozen heart?!’

The winds above the lake now spiraled willingly at her command, whisking away a thousand orbs of snow, loosely packed and much easier to shatter. With each burst, the cold magic spread outwards in the shape of a hexagram and sprinkled down onto the lake's placid surface. On and on, the endless cycle continued as exhaustion gave way to elation. Even Carina’s frozen sweat drifted away from her skin to form tiny flakes of snow the wind carried away to continue her internal conquest.

‘It’s much easier now. How much ground have I covered? 5 to 6 miles at least!’

It was only after the ice witch returned her attention to Viktor, eager to receive his praise—that she noticed something else had changed.

Carina’s ice-blue eyes snapped open immediately. She rushed to her feet as the orchestration of ice, wind, and snow collapsed like a curtain across the lake. The passing storm of snowflakes settled and left her to stare up at the skeletal dragon. The immortal’s bones were now as clear as glass and gave off a hallow note as the cold wind, tingling with magic, swept through them.

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“V-viktor?”

“It’s alright, little ice witch.”

Relief swept through Carina even as she gritted her teeth beneath the soothing sound of his voice.

“What-what’s happened to you?” Carina demanded, resisting the urge to wrap her arms around the translucent talons that stood before her and hold on for dear life.

“Why are you afraid, child? It is only temporary. Look.”

Carina pressed a trembling hand to her chest and blinked back tears as she watched the crystal bones of Viktor’s corpse reclaim their pale white color. “A-are you—really okay?”

A soft chuckle, accompanied by a burst of icy breath, froze the tears that had fallen down her cheeks. Viktor raised his massive head and tilted it to look down at her. “I am not going to disappear any time soon, little ice witch.”

Carina nodded, holding onto those words as she stepped back and clumsily resumed her meditation pose. She closed her eyes and hastily wiped her cheeks, sending her tears to join the rest of the snowflakes that rose beneath her command to resume their work.

“Carina.”

A pain of regret fluttered inside Carina’s chest as she stubbornly pressed her eyelids closed.

“That is enough for today.”

“No! I-I can do more than this.”

“There is no need to push yourself further. You’ve come very far already.”

“But there’s still so much water left,” Carina growled. She could barely feel the limits of the lake that stretched endlessly around her.

‘How much further do I have to go still? If I conquer the lake—will that make me strong enough to save us both?’

“Carina. It’s time for you to wake up.”

“I don’t want to.” Carina winced at the desperation in her voice. She quickly shook her head and refocused on the carousel of cold magic that resumed its glittering dance.

“Be careful, little ice witch. Do not ignore the limits of your mortal body just because you possess the heart of a dragon.”

“I feel fine,” she returned stubbornly, only half-listening to Viktor as she concentrated on increasing the size and quantity of each orb of cold magic before hurtling them out to the winds, which hastily carried them away. On and on, Carina’s little kingdom expanded, yet its size could not smother the familiar and irksome feeling that burned inside her chest.

“That’s enough!” Viktor’s harsh voice slammed into Carina even as the connection between them snapped. The ice witch sagged to the side, momentarily unbalanced by the pain and panic that surged through her. “If you cannot control yourself—then you are not ready to learn!”

“I’m—sorry—I just—”

“Meditate upon your own mortality before you seek to return here.”

And then, just like a door slamming in her face, Viktor threw her out.

❆❆❆❆❆

“Kirsi!” Hana’s pleading voice pushed through the fog of confusion that awaited Carina as her eyelids fluttered open. The familiar lace canopy and silver-embellished white pillars of her bed steadied into focus as she let out a frustrated sigh. “You’re finally awake!”

Carina gazed up at her friend, finding some comfort in the turquoise blue eyes filled with concern, even as she bristled from the memory of Viktor’s punishment.

‘Haven’t I already died once? Who else besides Kirsi could understand mortality better than me?’

The muscles in her arms felt weak while her back seemed oddly stiff as Carina pushed herself up from the pillows. Hana hastily supported her as the ice witch slumped forward, blinking past the curtain of her ash-brown hair.

‘Augh. Why do I feel so tired?’

“How do you feel?” Hana’s worried tone washed over her like a blanket of comfort. “Here—have something to drink first.”

Carina arched a brow as her friend, the recently appointed Viscountess of Sommerset, hastily filled a glass with water from a pitcher and presented the drink to her with trembling hands. “Don’t we have maids to do that?” She laughed, then frowned at the rough texture of her voice.

‘Strange, I don’t feel thirsty.’

A moment later, Carina stared down in befuddlement at the puddle of water spilled across her lap from the fallen glass.

“It’s alright,” Hana quickly snatched the cup up and swept the damp blankets aside. “This time, I’ll hold it for you.”

The glass returned, once again filled with fresh water. Carina resisted the urge to protest, still not sure why her hands hadn’t been able to hold the cup properly before. With another frustrated sigh, she leaned forward and sipped the refreshing water carefully with the Viscountess’s help.

Hana made her finish the entire glass.

Carina cleared her throat and carefully stretched her hands and fingers, checking for numbness, while the Viscountess moved the empty glass away. “I must have slept longer than I thought,” she joked nervously.

Hana moved stiffly to the bedroom door and yanked the bellrope firmly before replying, “You’ve been asleep for three days, Kirsi.”

“What?!” Carina sputtered, not missing the note of reproach in the Viscountess’s voice.

The bedroom door opened as four maids swept in. The look of immediate relief on their faces only amplified the truth of Hana’s words.

‘Three days? How long can a body go without food and water?’ Carina winced beneath the weight of Viktor’s wholly justified reprimand. ‘Damn it. I was foolish.’

“The Duchess will need a light meal and then a bath,” Hana commanded, with all the authority of one who had been a lady-in-waiting to the Crown Princess. “While she’s eating, prepare a comfortable place for the Duchess to rest in the library after a bath. Preferably at a window with modest sunlight that faces the garden.”

Carina smirked as she pressed her hands against the mattress and turned herself to face the side of the bed. ‘How well she knows me.’

“Yes, my Lady!” The maids bowed obediently and then scattered to carry out their tasks, leaving Carina and Hana alone once more.

“You’ve settled in comfortably, I see,” Carina joked lightly, her grin faltering into an apologetic smile beneath Hana’s stern gaze. “I’m—sorry if I worried you.”

“You have no idea how worried I was!” Hana snapped, then immediately turned to storm across the room towards the giant white wardrobe adorned with several large golden sea pearls. “Not to mention all the excuses I had to come up with to put off all the meetings you had arranged for the last few days.”

‘Meetings—Damn it!’ Carina stood up quickly, only to immediately feel lightheaded while her wobbling legs felt as stiff as tree limbs. “Oww.”

Hana gave her an odd look as she pulled out a bathrobe and hurriedly moved back to Carina’s side. “There was even a summons from the Dowager this morning, inviting you over for tea. I have yet to decline. Seeing as how you’re awake now, perhaps you can come up with a clever exc—”

“I’ll go,” Carina replied as she grabbed the nearest chair for support. “What time is it now, and when is the Dowager expecting me?”

“Kirsi, you can’t be serious!”

“Hana, the only reason I became a Duchess is because of the Dowager! I can’t afford to look weak now with all the attention the noble families have placed on me.”

“Yes, I suppose forcing yourself to go to the palace where you can collapse in public is a much better idea!” Hana countered cynically as she unlaced the front of the nightgown that clung to Carina’s slender body like a second skin.

“Are you—mad at me?”

“Furious!” Hana seethed, but no sooner had the word left her mouth than her expression softened. “I know you want to become strong again, Kirsi. And becoming a Duchess has only added more responsibility and pressure than before, but—you have to be careful!”

“I understand that now, completely,” Carina replied as she released the chair to clasp Hana’s hands. “I will be more careful.” The Duchess blinked and wheezed slightly as Hana’s arms wrapped around her in a tight embrace.

‘Haa….I must have really scared her.’

“I’ll make it up to you,” Carina promised weakly as she tried to squirm free. Hana neither relaxed her grip nor replied, and so, with a resigned sigh, Carina slid her arms around the trembling Viscountess and gently stroked her friend’s golden hair.

An awkward cough came from the bedroom door as a maid returned with a tray holding what looked to be a bowl of soup. Hana stepped back and motioned silently towards a table and chair by one of the bedroom's many large windows.

The Duchess’s bedroom in and of itself seemed inappropriately large to Carina. The space between the king-sized bed and the ridiculously oversized wardrobes of clothes, dressers filled with garments, accessories, and jewels could fit the entire Turnbell dining room.

‘They could have placed a bathroom in here if they wanted to,’ Carina contemplated with a shake of her head. Her gaze turned to the velvet lounge chair beside them that must have been brought in while Carina had been asleep. A pile of pillows and two disheveled blankets upon its cushions suggested that she hadn’t been alone over the last three days.

After the maids set down the tray, they hurriedly curtsied to the Duchess and Viscountess before silently shutting the door behind them.

“Let’s get you out of these old garments first. Then you should eat your breakfast,” Hana said sternly as she plucked the gown free from Carina’s legs and lifted it over the shorter woman’s waist and shoulders.

“I’m—happy to oblige,” Carina replied through the silk gown dragged over her head. She turned around quickly and slid her arms through the bathrobe that Hana held out for her. “But I still need to answer the Dowager’s summons.”

“I don’t understand why you’d need to meet the Dowager first, of all people,” Hana replied with a note of irritation as she moved around to tie the cloth belt into place.

“I’ve already missed several important meetings, some of them with people I do not trust to hold their tongues. Word will get out if I miss yet another meeting with the Dowager herself. If the nobles suspect that I am unwell, then they may try something.”

Hana crossed her arms and sighed. “By nobles, you mean Marquess Borghese and his followers.”

“They already see me as unfit simply because I’m a half-blood,” Carina replied as she freed her hair from beneath the robe and then turned towards the waiting tray of food. “A Duchess can cancel a meeting with commoners and nobles as often as she likes, but when it comes to the royal family….”

“Alright, I can see you’re determined. I'll go along with it as long as you eat every bite.”

“Of course,” Carina replied with a relieved smile and then sank into her chair.

Hana quickly sat down across from her. “And I’ll be coming with you.”

Carina’s hand froze over the silver spoon beside the faintly steaming bowl of what she now realized was bone broth mixed with vegetables. “Are you sure about that?”

‘I don’t imagine that Eleanora will sit still once she learns that Hana has entered the Royal Palace.’

“It’s the only way I’m letting you go back there in your current state,” Hana replied firmly. Her beautiful turquoise-blue eyes narrowed as if daring Carina to argue the matter further.

‘Letting me?’

“Alright, alright,” Carina swallowed back a laugh and blew against the steaming spoonful of broth.

It wasn’t that Carina was afraid of what Eleanora might do if the two ex-lovers reunited. It was Hana’s reaction to Eleanora that worried her.

‘Just what sort of past did Hana have with Kirsi to completely forget her feelings for Eleanora the moment her memories returned?’

“Once we’ve satisfied the Dowager and shown the palace that you are in good health, we will come right back to the Duchy,” Hana continued, apparently emboldened by the Duchess’s immediate acceptance.

Carina smirked around the mouthful of flavor that tasted of venison with hints of juniper berries, rosemary, and sage. She quickly swallowed and replied, “I’m not as weak as you think I am.”

However tired and stiff her physical body was, the magic at her core made Carina feel more powerful than ever.

‘When I finally reach the limits of Viktor’s dragon heart and dominate the lake—just how strong will I be?’

A confident smile slid across the Duchess's face as she obediently consumed her nutritious meal beneath the Viscountess’s watchful gaze.

Carina had a feeling that by the time she completed Viktor’s training, she would be more powerful than any witch alive—including Kirsi.