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Looking around the room, I see that I’m inside an abandoned warehouse. “If it’s money you want, name your price.”
Emma’s laugh echoes off the metal walls. “Money is always nice, but no, it’s not your money we want.”
“Who’s we?”
“We are none of your concern.”
“Apparently, we are my concern. You’re holding me against my will. Last I checked that was against the law.”
She sighs. “I’m beginning to tire of this conversation.”
“Then, let me go, and we won’t have any more conversations.”
She moves to a cart, not far from the metal chair I’m tied to. On it is a tray, holding several devices that look like a form of medieval torture. She picks up one that resembles a modern dental tool.
“Where is he?” She steps closer, holding the tool in front of her.
“Where’s who?”
“You know who I’m talking about. Where is Farbauti?”
“Farbooty?” I deliberately say Ty’s name wrong.
Emma steps closer, grabbing my hand. “I will take one finger for every wrong answer.”
I stare at the woman I thought was my best friend. “Emma, I have no idea who you’re talking about.”
“Wrong answer.” She lifts my bound finger, wrapping the tool around it.
“I will kill you,” I warn. The voice that escapes sounds nothing like me.
She pulls the tool away from my finger and laughs. “What are you going to do? Drench me with water? I’ll ask one more time, Piper. Where is he?”
In a moment straight from an action movie, an explosion outside the building rocks the inside. Emma stops, looking around for the source of the noise. Another explosion, this one closer, echoes off the walls.
“Oh, look. I think he’s here.” My words are laced with sarcasm. “Let me go, and I will spare your life.”
“Shut up,” she warns.
A third explosion sounds through the space, this one inside the building. “He’s almost here. This is your last chance.”
I close my eyes, calling Ty toward me with my mind. I open my eyes to see the ties that were around my wrists and ankles have turned to ice. I break through them in an instant and stand.
Emma pulls a gun from her waist. “I’m not against killing you.” She points the weapon at my head.
“Neither am I,” I echo. Without closing my eyes, I envision the gun turning into ice, then instantly into fire. It responds to both, melting in her hand. She drops it, looking at me with surprise.
“I warned you, Emma. Or should I say, Amber? Where’s the crystal?”
“Gone.” She backs away from me as she speaks. “It’s somewhere where Farbauti will never find it.”
“What about the daughter of Brimir?” Emma's face contorts as she’s trying to figure out what I’m talking about. “That’s right. Brimir was my father.”
“That’s impossible.”
“Is it? Maybe you should ask him.” I nod to the back of the room where a giant enters. He’s nearly as tall as the three-story warehouse, with skin the color of water. Moving toward us is something straight out of Norse Mythology—an ice giant.
Each step is the length of a football field, which brings him to us seconds later. My breath catches at the sight of him. He’s both beautiful and terrifying at the same time.
