“Of course,” I scoffed and moved toward the base of the nearest cliff, birds squawking and hurrying out of my way. I may have squawked as well, the break in my right wing sending sharp fire down the length of the appendage. But when I glared at the seal man, he was focused on the little spy. I gave a small roar so he would turn his attention to where it should be, took a large breath, pulling air down from the cloudbank far above, and then exhaled toward the cliff.
Ice formed a glassy surface, thick enough to cover the rocks entirely. Another breath, and there were sloping walls on three sides, peaking in a domed roof. One more breath, holding one of my massive forelegs inside the entrance, and the structure was sealed. When I pulled out my leg, there was a short tunnel for an entrance.
The thing was pleasant to look at, vaguely reminiscent of my own, far grander lair between the glaciers at the pole. I lifted my head and allowed the seal man to pass by, carrying the spy.
“Thank you, oh great dragon,” he said, ducking into the entrance.
“Dragon?” I roared at his back, but he did not stop. “I am no dragon!”
A muffled apology came from the cave before he returned and bowed low in front of me. “My humblest apologies. I have never met one of your… magnificence before this week. The only creature I’ve ever heard of with wings and scales of such size was a dragon. My name is Lachlan?—”
“Yes, I know. Prince of some puny sea far away, son of an insignificant queen, brother to what I assume is another seal man, and attached to more insignificant mortals.” I blinked, the small wound in my eye still irritating it. “A stupid seal man who cannot appreciate the gift he has been given in conversing with one such as I.”
Silence stretched for a long moment. Then he stood at full height and gave a low, sweeping bow. “Please teach me, great and merciful one, so I may not repeat my error. What manner of being are you?”
That was more like it. I cleaned one nostril with a claw and spoke clearly, so he would remember. “Dragons are as small, creeping insects to me. I am the cold. I am the sky reaching for the sea in the icy, uninhabited plains of the farthest north. I am the being who comes at the end of the world, blowing the chill of death over all that exists.” I waited to see if he understood.
“Ah, yes. Very powerful. I… I am still not sure what you are. An elemental… god?”
“You may call me thus,” I replied, appreciating the additional bow he gave, though his shoulders were shaking as he lowered himself. With fright, perhaps.
“What do I call you, then, oh, ice god?”
Oh, I liked this one. Being a prince, he had manners. I would not kill him. “I was called… Skadi,” I remembered. “Long ago, by my…” I snapped my jaws shut, hearing a voice taunting me from the past.
Weak little Skaditi, they flee from you, see? Crawling into their little holes and homes. While they flock to me, take me inside, gather around me, worship me! All you will ever be is alone…
“I will allow you to call me Your Eminence.”
“Right, Your Eminence. May I ask another question?” I nodded. “Why did you come so close to my home, the other night when you met me and… ah, the spy? We felt your cold breath, but did not know to welcome you.”
“Of course. A disturbance woke me, over a hundred darkenings of the moon ago. It stirred me from my rest beneath the ice. I scented something on the wind. I know now it was the little spy. I smelled her again this past moon.”
“You scented her,” he muttered. “Sweet mint and soft rain.”
“Yes. A pleasant scent. But underneath, a taint of fire.”
The seal man, the selkie prince, went very still at the mention of fire. “You’re not a dragon, but you wear scales and wings.”
“I needed a form to speak with you and the other mortals, one your small, insignificant minds would comprehend.”
His shoulders shook again. “Ah, of course. If I may be so bold, your right dragon-form wing is broken, Your Eminence.” I bristled with ice until he went on. “Is there anything I can do to help you heal?” As if in answer, my stomach growled as loudly as any roar. “Perhaps I could fetch you some dinner?”
“I will allow it, selkie.”
He bowed once more, then ducked back into the cave to retrieve his pelt he’d placed over my little enemy’s sleeping form, and ran to the sea.
LACHLAN
Thank you, Goddess,I repeated again and again in my mind as I dove beneath the surface for the twelfth time in an hour to find another fish to feed Skadi.Ice god, my left flipper.You’d think an ice god could get his own fish from the nearly-frozen ocean. But at least he’d let me live.
I wasn’t feeling grateful, as the arrogant beast was still ravenous, no matter how many fish I presented him with. He seemed to think the ten-foot-long tuna I’d brought him the last time was bordering on insult. It had been the biggest fish I’d caught on my own in years, and I hadn’t wanted praise.
Well, maybe a bit of praise. But apparently, allowing me to live and serve him was all I’d get. It would have to do. I needed to give my mate time to rest, hoping she wouldn’t regain consciousness while I was diving for fish, of course. Because if she woke up and saw Skadi, he’d probably finish the job of killing her. Though, who knew? She was lethal.
But not cruel, as I’d thought. I’d been inside her soul, and she was nothing like the heartless viper I’d decided five years ago when I’d taken my best friend’s side and begun hating her.
Though I’d really started hating her over ten years ago, when I first met her. When I’d drawn her scent into my lungs, and my life had been turned upside down.
