The Majors, Cold Fury (Book 2)

Chapter 41: James POV

One year later...

Scott...

It had been over a year since anyone had seen him in person...I honestly thought this mess would have blown over by now...but I guess not.

I know Fwhip was still technically the one ruling the Elven Empire, while Scott had to rule under his laws, but I was starting to get worried that wouldn't last long. For one, the frost over my swamp had been here since this "ice power" started, and last time I went to the kingdoms bordering the elven one, there seemed to be a chilly breeze coming from its direction. Was Scott starting another war?

No...he wouldn't...My Scott wouldn't...but- but he also tried to kill me...I don't know him anymore...who knows what he'll do?

I needed to know...I needed to see him...He could be dangerous, and maybe I could convince him not to do anything else? Or at least that's what I convinced myself was my reasoning.

I sent a raven ahead of me before I started the long and slow journey south to Rivendale. But it was evening when I arrived at the outskirts of the city. I pulled myself out of the freezing river. I couldn't get hypothermia from the water. At least I don't think I can...maybe I should check that one with Lizzie or Katherine.

I stared in stunned silence at the frozen solid peaks Rivendale was sat on. The large ice spikes from the former battle ground of the Three-Day War, (which Gem and the others were calling it now,) were still there. I couldn't tell how thick the ice was over the river as I got closer to the city, but I was pretty sure nothing could live in it, if there was any unfrozen water left in it at all.

I trudged through feet of snow up the steep path into the city. No wonder there were no cars here, I could barely get in on foot.

All the doors and window shutters of all the houses were practically frozen shut, and the cobbled roads were slick with sleet.

I saw the palace and for the first time ever, it seemed menacing in the distance with its tall spires and curved roof. I gulped. I told myself I wouldn't get scared, but this was way more nerve racking than I thought it would be.

I let out a deep breath and it came out in a white puff in front of me, before I continued to the staircases and steep paths up to the hill the palace was on, overlooking the entire city.

When I did get up to the door, I realized for the first time, the door had no knocker, so I knocked myself. No answer. I knocked again. Still no answer. I mean, the palace is pretty big, so Scott might not hear me from wherever he was, but still.

I went to turn the doorknob, but it was locked. Typical paranoid Scott. That's when I heard loud footsteps coming round the palace.

From instinct I dove to the left and hid behind one of the pillars holding up the overhang above the entrance.

Scott rounded the corner. He was staring down at a book as he walked, and he looked horrible. He had dark circles under his eyes, as if he hadn't slept for weeks. Red splotches crossed his cheeks and the very tips of his ears seemed black from frostbite. His blue fingers turned a page in the book, but the page turned brittle and snapped.

The angry look on Scott's face intensified and he threw the book against the wall with an aggressive scoff before unlocking and opening the door and going inside, slamming the door behind him.

As soon as I was sure he was gone, I grabbed the book from the ground and read the title,

"Curses and Cures."

Was this what this magic was about? Was he cursed? I flipped to the contents but there was nothing related to ice...

I put the book down and turned back to the door. I tried turning the doorknob, and the large door creaked open...Scott had forgot to lock it again.

I followed the frosty footsteps through the frozen castle up the stairs. The halls were almost unrecognizable. Somehow, snow covered the ground. Huge 2-foot icicles hung from the corners of the ceiling, and all the glass was frosted over and cracked.

Only when I did get to the door did I recognize where we were. I was in front of Scott's bedroom. The door was opened a crack and I peeked inside. Scott was pacing back and forth inside the room, squeezing the bridge of his nose. He seemed to be muttering to himself, but it was impossible to hear was he was saying from here.

He started to shake the frost from his swept over bangs and it fell to the floor in front of him. But the white frost seemed to creep back almost instantly. Scott stopped in his tracks and rubbed his face with his hands. He seemed so exhausted... I tried to shift over a little to see better into the room, but the door creaked slightly, and Scott's head snapped up.

I moved behind the door, but not quick enough, because we made eye contact. All I could do was take a few steps from the door when it burst open, and Scott came out with a look of absolute rage on his face.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, slamming me against the opposite wall, his voice shaking in anger. I felt his frigid knuckles brush against my neck as he kept a strong grip on my collar.

"I- I sent a raven earlier-" I started, but Scott chuckled.

"It was storming earlier. It would never have made it." He said, his face slipping back into the angry expression. "Again, why are you here?"

"I- I came to check on you." I managed. But this just seemed to make Scott angrier. "I mean- No one's seen you since-"

"Why do you think?" he growled.

"Scott-" I started, but he cut me off, by starting to drag me down the hall. "SCOTT LET ME GO!" I shouted, but he didn't respond. He pulled me down the stairs and toward the door, half choking me.

"Get. Out." he said, and threw me out the door, slamming it behind me.

"SCOTT!" I shouted, scrambling to my feet. "I just want to talk!" I called through the door. He had probably left, but I knocked on the door again. "Scott please."

I waited a few seconds before I knocked again. "SCOTT MAJOR OPEN THE DOOR RIGHT NOW!"

All of a sudden something under the ground shot up, launching me backwards into the air. I screamed as I flew through the air, and I glanced at what had launched me, a platform of ice had shot from the ground, like a springboard.

I hit the ground on my shoulder blades and started to roll faster and faster through the snow down the valley.

Suddenly, the ground was gone. I screamed again as my hands went in every direction trying to find something to hold onto.

I felt a yanking on my shoulders and realized I was handing from my fingertips over the ravine. I looked down, and the height made me so dizzy, I closed my eyes and looked back up.

"SCOTT!" I screamed again. "HELP ME, SOMEBODY HELP!" I felt my fingers slipping, and my forearms started to burn. "HELP!"

I heard snow crunching and saw Scott looking down on me a second later. "What is it now fish boy?" he asked with an annoyed expression. One he had never given me before.

I glanced down again and saw the frozen river hundreds of feet below me. "Help." I croaked.

Scott seemed to be debating it before rolling his eyes, crouching down and stretching out his arm. I let go and grabbed it, and almost fell down. I screamed again and held on as tight as I could as he pulled me back onto solid ground.

I was panting after my near-death experience. I looked up at Scott and he still looked mildly annoyed. "Get out of here or the next time I throw you into that ravine it won't be an accident." He spat, before turning on his heel and trudging back to the palace.