1
Kari
I was checking out a guy’s ass skating in front of me when suddenly, he turned into a huge block of ice. A literal wall of ice.
I managed to avoid smashing my face into him, thanks to my advanced skating skills, others weren’t as fortunate. It was worse than a multi-car pileup on the freeway.
“Ow!” The woman behind me cried out, holding her hand against her bruised nose. “Where did that come from?”
“What the hell is that?” A man shouted as he veered to the left at the last minute, his shoulder skimming off the edge of the ice block.
More curses and cries of alarm rang out as people began to trip over each other.
And that was how my day at the Silver Springs Ice Rink began.
Now I could add almost slamming into an ice shifter to my growing list of strange things that have happened to me since arriving in Silver Springs.
I couldn’t wait to tell my mom about this guy. Being the goddess of snow, maybe she’d heard of ice shifters. Still I couldn’t figure out what purpose an ice shifter would have, other than cooling down a really large drink, but who was I to judge?
I had come to the realization that Silver Springs was full of unusual shifters and people with wonky magic. Who wouldn’t want to live in a town where there was never a dull moment?
By the time I circled the rink a second time the ice shifter was gone, the other skaters had been led off to the first aid station where they had their bruises attended to with ice packs. Any humans who happened to witness the event, somehow would magically forget it ever happened. That was how Silver Springs was able to have humans live among the supernaturals.
I crossed one leg in front of the other as I gracefully glided around the corner of the rink. The sound of the blades swishing over the ice a soothing melody. It didn’t take long for my muscle memory to kick in once my skates hit the ice.
When I was younger I used to spend all of my free time skating. Having the goddess of snow as a mother, came with some perks after all. I was able to manipulate the weather and freeze anything or anyone I wanted to. My power allowed me to skate wherever I wanted to, even in the desert. Then one day, I stopped making time for it. I stopped making time for pretty much anything fun. Which was the reason why I was currently on a long overdue vacation in Silver Springs. It was meant to be relaxing. Hanging out by the pool, reading a book and bingeing some TV shows.
That plan all ended the other night at Demon’s Pit when the woman, I think her name was Neve, handed me a ticket to Silver Skates. I had no intention of attending. Not even the allure of it being magically spelled to be open year round enticed me. Remember, I could skate year round anywhere I wanted to so why waste my time doing it here. But for some reason, I kept hearing Neve’s voice replay in my head, over and over.
You never know what could happen on the ice.
There was no denying Neve’s words had piqued my curiosity. This was Silver Springs, where anything and everything strange could happen. Wasn’t that exactly why I was here to begin with? All because I needed time away and to finally do something fun? I had mainly spent most of my time here relaxing and leaving out the fun part.
If it wasn’t for Willow’s invitation and her insistence I stay at her house while she was away with her boyfriends, I would still be working seven days a week and taking zero time for myself. Willow had promised Silver Springs would change my life as long as I didn’t stay locked up in her house and forgot about work while I was staying there.
I was actually pretty proud of myself. I had only messaged my assistant four times today, which was a record for me. It had been five times yesterday, so I was making progress.
Despite almost breaking my nose on an ice shifter, I was actually thankful Neve had given me the ticket and that I had decided to come. This place was more beautiful than I could have ever imagined.
A castle directly out of a fairy tale loomed above on a hill, its towers stretched to the sky with the rink nestled just below it. Cute little shops and eateries bordered the rink, each resembling a small rustic cabin. I planned to explore all of them once my friend, Peppermint, arrived.
Checking my phone, I realized there was just enough time for one more spin around the rink, before Peppermint was to meet me for drinks. She was the only other person I knew in Silver Springs besides Willow. After being here less than a week, I could see why so many supernaturals were drawn to this town.
I began to skate past a couple who were laughing as they clung to each other trying to keep from falling. Glancing around, I noticed other couples holding hands as they skated together. Some were teenagers and others middle aged. They all reminded me of something else the woman had mentioned. That skating was romantic.
I had never thought of skating as being romantic before. It had always been my one escape from the pressures of being the daughter of a goddess. Where there was no judgment or need to be perfect. It was just me and the ice. Until I started my own business. Then I didn’t have time to skate anymore. Though if I were being honest with myself, I didn’t bother to make time for anything outside of work.
I slowed as I reached the exit of the rink and made my way to the bench where I had stowed my ankle boots. Taking a seat, I removed each skate and set them on the bench beside me. A stripe of neon green on one of the skates caught my eye. Strange I hadn’t noticed that before. I wondered if they were marked that way, because they were damaged and needed to be thrown away or repaired. It would have been just my luck to have the blade snap off when I landed my triple axel after the first time in years.
“Kari!”
I glanced up and found Peppermint walking towards me with a warm smile, waving in excitement. Petite, with brown hair cut just above her shoulders, she was just as adorable as her name.
“Hey, Pep. Let me return these skates and we can get this party for two started.” I finished slipping on my boots and stood before picking up the skates. Peppermint fell into step beside me as we made our way to the rental booth.
“I’m sorry you had to skate alone.” Peppermint spoke in such a soft voice I barely heard her. “But me on skates would have ended in disaster.”
I absolutely adored Peppermint, but she probably had a point there. She wasn’t the most graceful even when she was in flats. Her clumsiness, combined with alcohol, was the reason we were avoiding the nightclub Vee for a while. My one night out had become a complete disaster.
“I get it.” I turned to her with a reassuring smile. “If you ever change your mind and want a lesson while I’m here, let me know.”
What I neglected to tell her was skating alone was normal for me. Besides, I preferred it that way. At least I used to. Seeing all of the families and couples skating together made me wonder if I was missing out on something special that I could share with my friend. How fun it would have been to tug her around the ice as I helped her stay on her feet. We could have fallen on our asses together.
My pity party was interrupted when my neck prickled with unease. I searched the area around me as the feeling intensified. It felt like someone was watching me.
Sensing my alarm Peppermint rested her hand on my arm. “Is everything okay?”
I continued to scan the people in the plaza, but no one stood out. “I’m not sure. It felt like someone was watching me.”