I felt Jack’s warm hand close around my tiny, freezing wrist. I hadn’t realized until now how badly I was shaking. I looked up at Jack, my eyes welling with tears.
“Come on.” Jack whispered, “There’s nothing more we can do.”
“No!” I wrenched my wrist from him, “No! We can’t leave! He needs us!”
“R?ven, help me.” Jack sighed.
R?ven took a step towards me and I rounded on her, “Don’t you dare!” I told her, “I won’t leave until Hawthorne remembers!”
“We could be caught in here at any moment.” Jack hissed at me.
“That. You. Could.” Came a cold, hard voice.
The three of us spun around in shock to see a complete stranger flanked by two beefy men standing in the doorway. The two men I assumed at once were the Creeley brothers. Their arms were crossed over their chests in a menacing way yet their mouths were smirking identically. But the woman in between them was of such a curious appearance I could hardly believe it. The very sight of her sent chills down my spine and I felt the temperature in the room drop by twenty degrees. I could only assume that this was Mistress Elvira Frost; the level nine Ice Mage who dominated Frost Arch and its people. Her hair was long and a silvery blue, which cascaded down her back elegantly. Her skin was so pale it was almost translucent. I could see every blue vein behind her petite skin. She was tall and slim with long bony fingers. Her thin lips held no colour what-so-ever. If I hadn't just seen her move I would have assumed she were a very realistic ice sculpture of sorts. She seemed to be radiating sub zero temperatures and emitting an eerie blue glow. Yet none of these things were what frightened me most. Her eyes. They had no milky whites. They had no pupils. Where there should have been life there was nothing put pure darkness. Within her eye socket was nothing more than shiny black eyeballs. I couldn’t help but stare. I was frozen to the spot with fear. Clearly this looked very bad indeed.
“Well, well, well, wot do we ‘ave ‘ere?” Said one Creeley brothers.
“A trio of thieves, me thinks.” Said the other. They both guffawed loudly as though highly intelligent.
“Silence.” Elvira Frost hissed to the Creeley twins before rounding upon us. “So.”
We remained silent, too scared to utter a single syllable. The only sound in the room was Hawthorne’s constant growling.
“So.” Frost repeated, her thin lips curving into a malicious smirk.
The only thing I could think of was how to escape. Elvira and the Creeley twins were blocking the only door in the room, and Hawthorne was behind us, preventing our retreat.
“So, I would ask you to explain though I fear your reason for being here is quite clear.” Elvira Frost took slow steps around us. The Creeley twins remained in front of the exit. I kept my eyes on Frost as she began to pace around us in the direction of the ice throne and Hawthorn.
“Is that R?ven Blacklock? Well, I expected more from you, young one. I thought you were quite faithful. Such a quiet little thing. Who would have guessed it? I don’t believe I’ve seen you in your human form before. But of course I could tell who you were. It’s the way you stand, see? Like you’re not used to being on two feet.”
R?ven’s face remained blank as her eyes followed Elvira Frost.
“And is that little Jack Greenwood I spot? Oh dear, oh dear. You look so much like your daddy, Greenwood. Tell me, have you seen your father lately?”
Jack scowled and I saw his fists clench at his sides. Everyone knew Jack’s father had vanished years ago, a topic which he did not like to talk about.
“Unfortunately not.” Jack’s voice was quite calm considering he was shaking.
“I do not believe I have met your lady friend, Jack.” Frost continued, “Very rude, not introducing us, don’t you think?”
I held my breath and glanced at Jack worried, though it was clear he was not about to give my name to Elvira Frost.
“Of course, I can only assume that she is Miss Avalon Redding, eighteen years old and a level five Fire Mage from the town of Mortlock. Recently imprisoned and escaped with the obvious help of Greenwood. Though I hadn’t expected Blacklock to be part of this.” She said thoughtfully as she reached her Ice throne and sat down next to Hawthorne, who did not bat an eyelid at her. His full attention was still upon Jack, R?ven and myself.
My eyes widened at how much Elvira Frost knew about me. I hadn’t expected it.
“Don’t look so shocked, my dear. After all, your face is all over the city. Although I am to hear that you are being called a Human these days.” Frost smiled showing rather sharp, white teeth.
“I am not a human.” I was beginning to shake uncontrollably now.
“Yes, Fire Mages are quite known for their hot tempers.” Frost mused to herself, referring to my unstable state.
“So you know that my imprisonment for being a human was not justified.” I said, my voice full of contempt.