The Majors, Cold Fury (Book 2)

Prologue

~Thirteen years ago

A chill rattled the walls of the palace, whisking snow past the windows, frost creeping along the glass like icy fingers trying to shatter it.

However, hidden beneath the covers, unaffected by the storm, was a pair of elves.

"Scott stop moving you're whacking me with your wing—" The older of the two hissed, batting at the younger with one of his hands.

"Sorry!" Scott whispered back, tucking his white and grey dusted wings closer to his back. He nestled himself down against the sheets, cyan-colored bangs all tangled in his line of sight.

Both the boys flinched as the shutters of the bedroom window were rapped against the sides of the palace, sending a sharp clatter throughout the room.

"What was that?" The winged boy asked, his voice hushed, blue eyes widened in a sort of fear as he curled up further beneath the blankets.

"Just the wind." The older of the two replied, though he didn't quite sound so sure, glancing nervously towards where the smallest amount of light managed to peek through the seams of the blanket, coming from the moonlight in the window, ear twitching.

"Isn't that what they say in the stories, Xor?" Scott peeped, fright lacing the high-pitched tone to his voice. "Before something bad happens?"

Scott's brother gave him a look through the magenta locks that fell out of his braid. "Well you're not supposed to point that out—"

By Scott's reaction, that was clearly the wrong thing to say. "What do you mean?! What's going to happen now Xornoth?!" He had shot up, the top of his head causing the blankets to cascade over his shoulders and hide most of his face.

"Shhh!" Xornoth hissed again, lunging forward, and pressing his hands clumsily over Scott's mouth. "If Maddie hears us we're going to be in so much trouble—"

"Phuf I faunpphed—" Scott's voice was muffled beneath Xornoth's hands, and unable to pry them off, he resorted to the next best thing. He licked his brother's palm.

"ICK—" Xornoth yelped, wiping his hands off frantically on Scott's pajamas. "You're grossssss."

Scott wrinkled his nose, though hardly visible in the dark, batting spitefully at his brother's ear in response. "You deserved it—"

"Nuh uh!" He protested, glaring at Scott through the darkness.

Both boys froze at the sound of footsteps, muffled thuds echoing through the now silence as they fell quiet. Xornoth's glare pierced the dark when Scott's wings ruffled.

"Shut up!"

"I didn't even say anything!"

"If she catches us it's on you—"

"You're the one talking!"

"Shush!" 

The footsteps stopped just outside of the door, the slight creak of the wood and turn of the handle able to be heard even through the blankets obscuring the boys' sight. 

Scott yelped the slightest, shoving his brother's head down into the sheets, a small muffled noise of protest coming from Xornoth, just as he poked his head slowly out from beneath the covers. 

A flame flickered from the small crack within the doorway, illuminating a lavender-haired figure. The candle held in Maddie's hand was growing low, the wick barely hanging on and shriveling against the wax, bending under the nonexistent weight of the fire.