Frost Arch (45 page)

“Stop!” Elvira burst angrily, “My ice never melts! How have you done it?!”

“I don’t know.” I whispered.

Looking around I saw the very walls beginning to melt. The ceiling was also dripping and a great pool of water was developing upon the ground. I turned to Jack whose was beginning to burn due to the proximity between us. Horrified, I stepped away and looked down upon his burnt and bloody body. Horrible guilt and anger filled me.

My anger was so great that I was yelling again, screaming in anguish. On the floor in the distance Ræven was stirring. I heaved an internal sigh of relief, thankful that she had only been stunned. Near Ræven, Hawthorne’s thunderous growls had subdued as he looked upon the flames in utter confusion. His coat was still black, and his eyes were still red yet he seemed oddly conflicted as the fire swirled and danced before him.

“Stop it!” Frost was screaming at me, “You are destroying my castle!”

“You have given enough orders.” I said calmly to Frost.

“Have it your way then.” Her eyes flashed angrily as she reached towards Hawthorne. I felt my heart miss a beat as she grasped the chain holding Hawthorne back and it dissolved instantly in her hand.

The fox did not hesitate. Hawthorne sprinted towards me, his sharp teeth bared, his hair standing on end. I could not harm my Hawthorne. I could not defend myself.

“No!” I cried, throwing my hands in front of myself reflexively. Fire expelled from my hands like a small explosion. The black fox skidded to a halt before me and backed up a few paces. I could see him analyzing the situation, trying to work out a way to harm me without harming himself. He paced before me, growling. As quick as lightning, before I even had time to respond the giant fox jumped and swiped at me with his enormous paw. I was sent crashing to the ground yet I was more concerned for Hawthorne. Looking up I saw the fox limping and licking at his singed paw. His fur had been burnt away and the skin behind it was red raw and beginning to bleed. Oh Hawthorne. I was sure he would not attempt to attack me again. The pain was too great. Of course, I was right and the fox retreated to a far corner to tend to his injuries.

All around me the ice was melting and streaming towards me. The water evaporated before it even touched my bare skin, though my nudity was concealed by the wall of fire which engulfed me. Through the blaze which I controlled I saw Ræven get shakily to her feet to observe the scene. She gazed in awe as she looked upon me. Soon her eyes fell upon Jack and she rushed to his side, though Frost did not notice this for she was far too concerned with me.

“This ends now.” She hissed, her face contorted into rage. For who had ever challenged a level nine mage? Only a crazy person would try it. But that’s okay, I thought vaguely to myself, after everything that has happened, I deserve the right to have gone a little mad. I would show Elvira Frost just how mad I was. Mad that she had murdered Jefferson. Mad that she had taken and brainwashed Hawthorne. Mad that she had harmed Jack. As I thought these things it only made me shake with fury. The flames roared angrily for me.

“Attack her!” Frost yelled at Hawthorne, “Rip her to shreds!”

“Hawthorne.” I said, and the fox’s ears twitched in my direction. I couldn’t be sure, but I thought that perhaps his coat was no longer jet black. It was dark grey, nowhere near as dense as before. Fear. The Vulmessian was afraid. I quickly got to my feet and tried to communicate to Hawthorne through my eyes that I really meant him no harm at all. How I wished he would remember.

“Fine.” Frost howled, “I shall take care of you myself.”

My eyes shot to Elvira Frost just in time to see her raise her hands in my direction. A blast of ice came pelting towards me, hitting me in the chest like a thousand pins, and sending me skidding across the floor. I was back on my feet in less than a second, without a scratch upon my body. The wall of fire had lessened the blow. I shuddered at the thought of what would have happened had I not regained my power. I would probably have been shred into ribbons.

“You have done enough damage.” I fumed as more of her precious castle came crashing down. There was now a gaping hole in the ceiling and sunlight was streaming in from outside.

Elvira sneered menacingly and raised her hands once again, though this time I was prepared. As the Ice Mage sent a forceful blast in my direction I threw my hands up defensively. I didn’t even need to think, let alone try to control the blast that exploded from me. It slammed against the ice that was pelting in my direction and the noise that followed made my ears ring.

Elvira and I both let out a cry as were thrown backwards by the force of the explosion. I got to my feet quickly where as Frost looked utterly perplexed.

“Not so tough now, are you?” I panted as some more of the ceiling melted away due to the heat radiating from me.

With a high pitched screech of rage Elvira was back upon her feet. She kept screeching, for ages and ages. I thought for a moment that perhaps she had snapped, but then I realized what she was really doing – working herself up. Frost placed her hands to her face and I watched in awe. From her fingertips, her flesh began turning into solid ice. Within a matter of moments the Ice had spread to half of her body. She was turning herself into a living sculpture. Once she was completely covered and looked quite solid, the screeching stopped and all was still. I stared, waiting. The only sounds in the room were Hawthorne’s whining, and the roar of the fire which surrounded me. I narrowed my eyes and watched Elvira for at least a minute, but she did not move. What had she done to herself? Had it been intentional? Holding my breath I took a tentative step towards the inanimate statue. My heart pounded uncomfortably. I did not like this one bit. I took a few more steps towards Frost until I was only a meter away. She was as still as a statue. Was that it? I couldn’t help but think how anti-climatic it had all been.

Frowning, I turned my head in the direction of Jack and Ræven and felt my chest grow tight. Ræven was crouching over Jack, crying by the looks of it. She beat furiously on his chest, trying to pound some sort of life into him. Clenching my fists I turned away from the scene, my eyes stinging. I faced Frost again, but what I saw made me scream. She was no longer a meter away from me, but a mere breath away. Her Ice face was almost nose to nose with me. My scream of surprise echoed around the room, yet it was short lived for Elvira shot out her hands and wrapped them around my neck. The cold stung my flesh and I squirmed within her iron-clad grip, though it seemed that the contact caused her as much pain as it caused me. As she strangled me, my feet left the ground and her face was contorted into one of utter fury. She screamed and hissed at me, while I merely choked and squirmed. The freezing cold made my flesh protest due to the sheer agony it was causing me, yet I could no longer scream for I had no air within my lungs. As I suffocated and froze I felt my Power weaken by several notches. The flames were dying. I kicked and squirmed, but it was like hitting a wall. Elvira did not budge. Every second I felt myself grow weaker.

The grip around my throat loosened and I dropped to the floor like a sack of potatoes. Gasping for air and slightly dazed, I looked around to try and make sense of the situation. Elvira stood before me, her eyes wide as she stared at something beyond my line of sight. Still panting, I turned around and saw Ræven, looking utterly vicious and singing the most dreadful song I had ever heard. Once the ringing in my ears had faded the song made its way to me, but not before I had clapped my hands around my head in an attempt to block out the noise.

Elvira Frost seemed lost for words, and I knew why. No one but Jack and I were aware that Ræven had two powers, and no one knew better than us that the sound of Ræven’s voice could kill someone.

“What-” She breathed. Confusion plastered her ice face, and she now seemed unable to move.

I got to my feet shakily, my face screwed up with anger. This had gone on too long.

With all the concentration I could muster I focused on my Power. I channeled it, and felt it course through my veins. The tension built up higher and higher every second, the flames around me roared louder than ever. The time had come to finish this.

I turned to Ræven and she gave me a serious nod. Abruptly the song finished and I stopped blocking my ears. Frost was still momentarily dumbstruck. She gazed at Ræven with absolute horror. It seemed she could not move. The song had paralyzed her.

I channeled all of my Power into my hands. There was a control I had never felt before this day, and I knew now that I would never lose it for I understood it so thoroughly. It could not be put into words how I knew. I just did.

With all my might I created a great ball of fire within my outstretched hands. It floated before me, a great monster of destruction at least twice my size and growing steadily every second. It rotated slowly on the spot, and I couldn’t help but smile.

“Goodbye.”

With a great heave the ball of fire engulfed Elvira Frost and she was prisoner within. It hissed and spluttered as it ate her up yet the fire ball did not show any signs of resistance. Unexpectedly a loud noise like an explosion reached my ears and sent shards of Ice in all directions. Blinking I stared at where the fire ball had once been. Nothing was there now. No fire. No Frost. Just an empty space before me. Even the throne was gone. Upon the floor was nothing more than a puddle of clear liquid.

As I heaved a sigh of relief the fire that consumed me died away, and my knees buckled. I lay upon the floor, the water around me bubbling and boiling away. Panting, I curled into the fetal position and attempted to cover most of my naked body. I heard footsteps behind me, and a moment later Ræven placed her hand upon my shoulder, though she withdrew it quickly with a gasp.

“I’m sorry.” I muttered. I felt blank.

“Come.” Ræven whispered, placing a cloak over me. I smelt burning fabric only seconds later, though it did not catch alight.

I got to my feet shakily and looked around the room very wet room. Sunlight poured into the room through large hole in the ceiling. I followed its rays downward until my eyes fell upon Jack. The water around him was red, and he still lay in the same position. My throat felt tight, and my eyes stung, yet I tried to control myself. Ræven and I walked across the room, splashing in the water as we went. Hawthorne’s whines could still be heard in the back corner. He made no escape for he could not fly through the ceiling, and I was blocking escape through the only door. I knew Hawthorne was afraid of me, but only because he still couldn’t remember me.

As we made it to Jack’s side I felt shaky. I dropped to my knees again at his side, and Ræven knelt beside me. I looked at her, and saw her face was shining with sweat, her hair was a burnt and tangled mess, yet she still managed to look pretty. Her eyes were quite red from crying.

“Is he …” I began, but I could not finish my sentence. My throat closed up and I clenched my fists into balls.

“He does not respond.” Ræven whispered, her voice breaking slightly.

I put my hand to my mouth and closed my eyes. The sorrow which consumed me was the most painful thing I had ever felt. More painful than any physical harm. I could not speak, could not think. Ræven touched my shoulder lightly but I shrunk away from her. Soon my shoulders were shaking, and my breath came in short gasps. Tears slid down my cheeks, and somewhere in the back of my mind I thought it odd that water should fall from my eyes. Of course water would fall from my eyes, for I was in control of my Power. I would always cry real tears from this moment on, and not tears of fire. I would cry real tears for Jack Greenwood. Before I knew it I was sobbing onto Jack’s chest. His bloody shirt pressed against my face. I breathed in his scent which barely remained and cried freely. Ræven’s hand was upon the small of my back, rubbing gently. I held Jack as though his body were about to fade away. Opening my eyes, with blurry vision I looked upon his cold, pale face His perfect face. I stared, and a sudden realization dawned upon me.

“Ræven.” I breathed.

“Yes?” She murmured.

“He was burnt.” I sat up straight and looked down upon Jack.

Ræven looked at me with confusion. But of course she did not know what had occurred during the time she was unconscious.

“The fire was everywhere. It seared his flesh. His skin was wounded.”

Ræven looked upon his pale skin then looked back at me, “There is nothing. Only Blood.”

“The burns are gone.” I breathed heavily and my head spun, “They are gone. Gone.”

“What does it mean?” Ræven asked in an undertone, “He is still.”

“His chest.” I said thinking fast.

With fumbling fingers I unfastened the blood soaked clothes to reveal his damp, red chest. Scooping water from the floor into my hands I poured it into him. The blood washed away easily and revealed …

“Nothing.” I gasped.

“What happened?” Ræven questioned.

“The spear of Ice, it was in his chest, but we couldn’t get it out. He was dying.” I spoke quickly, “I managed to melt it when my power returned but he had already stopped moving … breathing.”

“But there is no wound.” Ræven pointed out.

“He was still.” I recalled, “But he healed.”

“What does it mean?”

Ræven’s voice barely affected me for I was thinking far too fast, and barely noticed her beside me.

“Jack?” I whispered, leaning over him. I placed my hand upon his cold chest, and stroked the wet hair from his face, “Jack, please. You are healed. Please, wake up.” I spoke gently into his ear before pressing my lips to his forehead.