Chapter 1
Beneath the steel hull of the Aurora ship, the sound of ice cracking broke the eerie silence of the frozen landscape. Leaning over the side of the boat, Dr. Darien Calder watched as the boat cut a path through the ice. Twenty years ago, the ship would’ve had difficulty getting through the sea ice shelf, but after years of global warming, it didn’t take much to break the frozen topography.
That was why he was here in Hokkaido, Japan, floating in a ship in the middle of an ice shelf—to observe and record the transformation in the environment.
He was also there to learn more about a legend that had haunted him, had invaded his dreams nightly, from the moment he learned of it—the legend of Koori-Onna. It told of a beautiful, ghostly woman appearing to lost travelers in snowstorms, who with one kiss from her icy lips literally froze the doomed victim from the inside out.
Every culture had a similar myth. The Ice Princess, the Snow Queen. But for some reason this one stood out to him.
Although he was a scientist, there was something about the story that resonated with him, something that moved past his analytical side and captured his imagination. Since arriving in Japan, his dreams had become more vivid, more stirring. He’d awoken twice now in a cold sweat, a tingling sensation lingering on his lips. But for now, he was here to study the ice flow and do the job he was paid to do. Not to fantasize about a legend.
The drifting ice was having a hell of an effect on the climate conditions in the area. Because the freezing process removed salt from the water, when it melted, as it had been doing in record amounts, it changed the water from salt to fresh water. At the rate things were changing, it wouldn’t be long before the surrounding wildlife was irrevocably affected. Darien sighed. It was his job to make sure that didn’t happen.
“What do you think?”
Darien looked over at Jiro Noda, the local scientist he’d been e-mailing for the past five months, and nodded. Over the months they had formed a friendship. “The ice levels are definitely thinning.”
“And it is early yet.” Jiro motioned toward the shelf with the sweep of his hand. “It is only December, and the flow is moving already. We usually do not see this until mid-January.”
“Climate shifts have taken place all over the world.” Darien glanced down into the dark water beneath the boat. “I sense a major shift coming. Maybe the poles are really going to switch.”
Jiro simply lifted a dark brow in answer, as if he didn’t have the words to equal Darien’s statement. “God, I really hope not.”
The thought scared Darien, too. He could imagine the disasters that would follow if magnetic north all of a sudden became magnetic south. He wasn’t sure if the earth would survive that. Or not so much the earth, as the people living on its surface.
Resigned to their individual thoughts, Darien and Jiro spent another three hours out in the water, checking and measuring the thickness of the ice shelf. By the time the ship docked, the tips of Darien’s fingers were beginning to throb from the bitter cold. Frost had formed on the stubble along his jaw. He imagined he looked like a young version of Old Man Winter.
After the crew tied off the boat, Jiro and Darien carried the equipment to shore and stored it in Darien’s rented SUV. His plan was to drive back to Kushiro, where he had rented the vehicle, and catch a small plane back to Sapporo, and from there continue to Tokyo. However much he appreciated the icy beauty of the north, he really wanted to get back to the main city and play tourist for a few days before heading back to America.
Glancing up into the hazy sky, he figured he still had about five good hours to make the two-hour trip. As long as it didn’t snow, he’d be fine on the usually hazardous roads. Winter driving in Japan was sometimes considered a contact sport—slipping and sliding on the awful roads while trying desperately not to hit an oncoming vehicle.
With the equipment tightly packed, Darien offered his hand to the other man. “It was good working with you, Jiro. I hope to see you again soon.”
Jiro took his hand and shook it firmly. “I packed that tent I told you about in the back. I think it will be good for your next trip to the mountains in America.”
“Thank you, Jiro. You’re a good friend.”
“Come have some hot ramen before you go. There is still time yet.”
“I don’t know. I should get on the roads before the snow comes.”
“You must have a drink with me. Sapporo beer is the best in all of Japan.” He pulled Darien toward the small building near the dock. “Come. It will warm you up.”
“Okay.”
Darien followed Jiro to the quaint wooden house that served as a fishing house, restaurant and bar to the villagers who lived along the icy eastern shore. The moment he stepped inside the warmth and bustle of the quaint building, he felt comfortable and at home. Everyone greeted him with warm cheer, and the old woman who obviously ran the place immediately sat him at their “best” table and brought him a bottle of Sapporo beer as if he’d been expected all along.
After an hour, Darien was surrounded by eight men, young and old, laughing and talking, a few trying out their English and failing miserably, although he’d done no better with his Japanese. The ramen noodles filled him and warmed his insides with their spicy flavoring. And the beer, although bitter, went down quite nicely with the noodles.
Draining the last of his drink, Darien announced to the group that he needed to get on the road. After Jiro translated there was a chorus of disappointed remarks. Bowing and shaking hands, Darien finally made his way to the exit. There the oldest of the group bowed to him and spoke. His Japanese rusty, the only thing Darien clearly heard was the name Koori-Onna.
Darien glanced at Jiro. “What did he say?”
“He said to take great care and do not fall to Koori-Onna’s charms. It will be the death of you.”
Darien smiled. “Tell him there’s no worry of that. Women don’t find me all that attractive, not even mythical ice maidens.”
Jiro translated to the old man who watched Darien with interest. With a strange smile, he bowed to Darien and opened the exit door for him.
Once Darien was safely buckled into his SUV, the hair stood up on the back of his neck. A shiver raced down his spine. The moment the old man had said her name, a sense of cold dread had crept over Darien.
He knew it was nonsense to be bothered by a myth, a folktale passed down through the generations to give some meaning to tragic events, but he was troubled nonetheless. Maybe it had been the way the old man had looked at him, as if he knew what was to become of Darien, as if he knew some terrible event was in store for him.
Tugging his jacket tighter at the collar, Darien shifted the vehicle in gear and pulled away from the small port, hoping he could beat the snow before it fell.
After an hour on the road, the snow started. But it didn’t just fall so much as raged down upon him like a bad omen.
At first big fat flakes floated down, carefree and lazy, but Darien knew that was just the preshow. The dark sky threatened so much more than the pretty flakes of storybook Christmases. After the first fall, the wind picked up and started to howl. At one point it became so fierce, Darien had trouble keeping the SUV on the road.
As visibility reduced close to zero, Darien slowed the vehicle down to ten miles an hour. He prayed silently that there was no one else stupid enough to be out on the roads. Even at this speed, a head-on collision would definitely cause some injuries.
A brutal gust of wind howled against the glass, rattling the vehicle. Darien could feel the cold creeping over his body. Even through the hat, gloves and heavy thermal jacket, the cold still seeped in. He went to turn the dial on the heater but stopped, realizing it was already cranked to the maximum.
He’d been to the coldest places on earth—Antarctica, North Pole, Greenland, but for some reason it felt colder here. Maybe it was the fact that he couldn’t get the sense of trepidation out of his system. Something was going to happen.
He shook his head to clear it. “Don’t be stupid, man. It’s just a silly story.”
Even though he said the words, he didn’t fully feel the conviction behind them.
When he first heard about the ice maiden myth, he’d done some research on it. Like everything he did, he approached it systematically. But there was no reasoning behind the myth; it was a story and nothing more.
He’d gone on too long without a woman, he thought. He was just lonely. He was pathetic if just the mention of a beautiful woman incited hot dreams. And they’d been extremely hot. He’d woken up a few times, harder than steel.
“Like a damn teenager.” He chuckled to himself. He really was pathetic.
No wonder Jessica had left him all those months ago. She had accused him of being too wrapped up in his work, and she’d been right. If he wasn’t out in the field researching, he was at home in his office writing about his findings on his laptop, or he was preparing for his next time out in the field.
She hadn’t needed him anyway. After a year together, he had realized what a strong independent woman she was. A corporate lawyer, she’d been more interested in getting ahead in her job, owning an amazing wardrobe and hanging with the best people. It still baffled him how they had ever ended up together in the first place. Probably because they had grown up together and their parents had been friends. Other than that, they really hadn’t had much in common. Darien certainly hadn’t been the right man for her. And she hadn’t been the woman for him.
He’d gone too long without a healthy relationship. Maybe when he got to Tokyo he’d go to one of those gentlemen clubs and acquire some female companionship for the night. Something uncomplicated and temporary. Just enough company to break him out of his dry spell.
As he mused over the possibilities, bright lights flashed at him through the windshield. Another vehicle was bearing down at him and at high speed.
Cursing, Darien wrenched the steering wheel. There was no traction on the road. It was pure ice.
He tried to correct the spin he put the vehicle in, but it was too late. He plowed into a huge snowdrift on the side of the road before he could even think.