ICE

162. A Ghost of His Touch

A WAVE OF powerful emotions washed through Ravenna. Seething anger was the most prominent; it sizzled through her veins, crackling and scorching her from the inside out like a wildfire. Her jaw clenched tight.

Memories flooded through her mind. The darkness of the vicious demon that she has encountered in her house. The glowing crimson of its eyes that matched the color of Vyses' magic. The massive wolf that had attacked the bridge, its body covered in matted patches of fur that matched the color of Vyses' hair. It too had glowing red eyes.

She stared at Caelan.

But all she could see was the memory of those eyes, rippling against the uneasy water's surface, watching her as water replaced the air in her lungs. It was after she'd woken up from that faux-death that she learned she had gained the ability to manipulate and create ice.

It made complete sense in her mind. All the signs were there.

Both creatures had been created by Vyses, or at least were under his control. And he had already attempted to perform a spell that granted a human the ability to use magic once before. She knew him well enough to know that he would be too proud not to attempt it again. Especially considering that he would need to perfect it.

Caelan seemed confused, however. Her memory faded from the forefront of her attention, allowing her brain to process his puzzled expression. His brow was furrowed and his lips had pressed into a slightly wrinkled line. "What makes you say that?" he asked her.

"The night that my hometown was destroyed was the same night that I developed my abilities to use magic. I had never shown an affinity for magic beforehand, at least not that I am aware of," she told him. "And every single creature that I encountered that night appeared to have glowing red eyes — the same shade as Vyses' magic. The wolf even had white fur and it was the same shade as his hair."

"You saw a white wolf?" Alarm entered his features. "What did it look like?"

"It towered over the buildings in my town, almost as tall as the mountains. It had glowing red eyes and it almost appeared to be undead. Patches of fur were missing. I swear that I could see portions of its skeleton."

His eyes widened. The crease that had formed between his brows deepened and concern flashed within his dark eyes. "That sounds similar to his preferred animal form," he muttered under his breath. He added a bit louder, "When I taught him the shape-shifting spell, he preferred to change into a wolf rather than a dragon."

Ravenna's gaze dropped to her hands. Slivers of ice pirouetted across her knuckles. "I wouldn't put it past him to attempt that spell again," she said. Her voice sounded distant. "He never liked to admit failure."

"I would not put it past him either," he agreed. "I know that other villages have been attacked in the past, but I did not believe that the attacks were connected. Normally there was always someone responsible for the attacks."

"The creature that killed my mother was waiting in the house when I returned. I don't know for sure that it was waiting for me specifically, but it chose me to take the blame. It chased me out of the house and the guards witnessed it jump at me. The moment it touched my skin, it vanished. Almost if I had absorbed it," she explained.

"So that must be how he managed to hide his involvement. The first person to enter the town would be framed, making the guards believe that a witch or wizard were responsible." Caelan shook his head. He lifted a hand to his face, fingertips pressing into his temples. "No wonder the Capitol developed such a distaste for magic."

A burst of pain flared suddenly within her chest. Her face twisted. A startled gasp escaped her. Her hand lifted to touch her chest but Caelan swiftly caught it.

"Don't," he told her softly.

She whimpered.

He lowered her hand, guiding it to her lap. "This may hurt a bit," he warned her. His hand returned to hover in front of her chest. "Just bear with me for a moment."

A soft glow developed around the tips of Caelan's fingers. He gently reached out and stroked his fingertips atop the puckered skin of her wounded chest. As his fingertips traced the top of her injury, a sliver of glowing magic lingered within her skin. Each touch left a blistering trail of pain in its wake, despite his obvious care and hesitation. She squeezed her eyes shut. Hot tears brimmed at the corners of her eyes and her jaw clenched tight.

His free hand reached out and gently grasped one of her shoulders, lightly holding her in place. His thumb traced small, comforting circles into her shoulder. His other hand moved faster. As the sliver of magic that trailed behind his fingers faded, she could see the tattered skin of her chest slowly began to knit itself back together.

The moment that all of her skin appeared pieced together again, his hand drew back, away from her. The glow of his magic faded from the room. An echo of the pain sliced through her, washing through her in waves.

His hands gently grasped her shoulders and lowered her down. She grimaced as her back pressed into the mattress beneath her. He hovered over her for a moment, his stoic expression cracking with a hint of worry and concern.

"I am okay," she said in an attempt to reassure him. She cracked a small smile.

Caelan appeared to hesitate. A strange emotion flashed within his dark irises. He leaned down closer to her. His hand lifted and lightly cupped her cheek.

Ravenna's heart stopped within her chest.

She could hear blood rushing through her ears — the sound was thunderous. It raced through her veins, rushing to flood her cheeks. Their eyes locked for a moment. His thumb gently stroked her cheek. Then he lowered his hand and stepped back.

"Rest for now," he told her, his voice soft and filled with warmth. A smile tugged at his lips. "You will need it when training starts tomorrow."

"Thank you," she whispered to him.

He nodded and quietly left the bedroom. Ravenna exhaled a shaky breath that she didn't know she'd been holding. She started at the ceiling, waiting for her heart to calm its erratic beating. Her cheek still tingled slightly — a ghost of his touch.

A frown tugged at the corners of her lips and she squeezed her eyes shut. She has no idea how Caelan expected her to sleep after that. A small sigh escaped her.

"Stop that," she whispered to herself. The words echoed through the empty room.

Her heart needed to wait a bit — at least until after Vyses was stopped and the kingdom was safe.

~

hey friends! 

I hope that you are all having a wonderful week so far!! Thank you so much for taking the time to read ❤ I genuinely can't express how much I seriously appreciate you!!

ash ❤