He Calls Me Ice Princess

Chapter 22- Part One

I was woken up way too early. I had been sleeping great, immersed in a happy dream, when a squeaking noise woke me. I blinked to get my sight adjusted to the darkness and saw my door being pushed open. I barely made out Tristan’s face in the darkness, before I was blinded as he turned on the light. I had to adjust my sight again.

“Tristan, what are you doing here? Are you hurt?” I asked sleepily once I’d recovered my vision.

He sat down on my bed and shook his head. “We’re attacking.” And just like that, I was wide awake.

“What? We’re attacking right now? What time is it?” I exclaimed. Tristan took my hand and started rubbing circles on it with his thumb.

He kissed my cheek soothingly. “Shush; it’s okay. It’s five A.M. and we’re attacking because we have the element of surprise. We decided on it last night while you were doing homework.”

“And no one bothered to tell me this?” I asked, feeling frustrated and angry at my whole Streak.

Tristan sighed, “They were afraid you would try to stop them or find some way to join in. And you can’t do that Riley, you’re still healing.” What he’d said was barely true. It had been six days since I’d came back to Palace Ridge. I was going to be going back to school in three days and I didn’t need my crutches anymore. Sure I had a bit of a limp, but what did that matter?

“Are you going?” I ask quietly, already knowing the answer.

He nodded, “Yeah. We’re going to win and you’ll be safe. You won’t ever be hurt in another rogue attack.”

“What about you?” I pointed out, looking up at him. “What if you die? Do you know how much that would hurt me? I’m going if you are.”

He met my gaze, “No Riley, you can’t go. You’re still hurt; you need to heal-” I didn’t give him time to finish his sentence before I started talking.

“Is that why you’re all attacking tonight? So I can’t fight? That is-” This time it was me that got cut off. Tristan kissed me roughly, surprising me. It was ironic considering we were just talking about the element of surprise.

He pulled back. “You know that’s not true. They were going to attack; we have to get to it first. And if I live, I can be with you forever. We’ll get our happy ever after.”

“Did you say, if you live!? No, you are going to live and you are going to come back to me. Your birthday is today, it can’t be your death day as well,” I told him. That’s right; today was September twenty-second; Tristan’s eighteenth birthday.

He gave me a small smile, “I’ll do my best. But maybe you should give me my present first, for good luck.”

“I don’t know if we have time. When are you leaving?” I tried not to let the fear seep into my voice. I would just appreciate the time I had left with him. And then I would greet him lovingly when he came back.

He kissed my temple and replied, “Not until six thirty. I wanted to come and say goodbye.”

“Okay then let me get it for you,” I said quietly, getting up. I went around to my desk and grabbed the nicely wrapped box and card, before giving them both to Tristan. He smiled and opened the card.

He read it and looked back up at me. “I love you too.” I sat back down next to him, sniffing back my tears. The only thing I could think about was; what if he was hurt out there?

I watched as he opened the box and pulled out his present. He grinned at the toy. It was a small white Bengal tiger. Then he took out the CD that I’d made and raised an eyebrow, “What is it?”