A Tale of Frozen Flames

Chapter 4

I was often fascinated by magical things. My mother would tell my siblings stories of pixies and trolls that roamed around stone structures in the moors. She would say that the rain was the goddess Venus crying sweetly over a lost lover. Every sunset was the god of sun—whose name has been long forgotten amongst the humans—singing to the peoples of the earth, far and wide. That was the sort of fantastical magic that excited me. It inspired awe and wonder.

What Elowyth did, however, frightened me to my very core. But what she offered me was tempting beyond fear.

It was freedom.

Elowyth chuckled darkly as she strode from the shadows in the corner of my room. My heart thundered in panic. I tried to calm myself. She was only here for that necklace, right?

"Are you here for the necklace I promised you? Now is not really a good time." Or maybe it was the best time. Elowyth did seem to have a knack for reading my thoughts and intentions. Maybe she was here to offer me help of some sort. With a price, of course.

"In a way," the old witch said, tapping her fingertips together. "But I sense there is something more pressing that I may be able to... assist you with."

A chill like a freezing drop of rain rushed down my spine. The anxiety. The fear. No, the excitement. The intrusive desire ran through me like a bolt of cold lightning. She could offer me my freedom, but at what cost?

"I want out." I strode over to where my satchel was hung and retrieved the fire opal necklace. Clutching the jewels in my shaking hand, I paused with my back to her for a moment. I could feel her assessing gaze raking me.

"You can do many powerful things, correct? Things like... helping me deceive my father, your king, so that I may escape this wretched place?"

She only laughed.

"He is not my king, dear. I answer to one power and, trust me, it is not of human nature. I assist him for my own reasons."

I turned to look at her, my light blue eyes locking with hers.

"Can you get me beyond that wall? The thorns. You enchanted it, you can let me pass, yes?" I grabbed my gray cloak from a nearby hook and walked over to her cautiously, keeping the necklace clutched in my hands, holding it close to my body.

"I can get you into the fae realm, the place you desire most. But it will come at a price, should you fail to break the spell."

I hesitated. "What are your terms, hypothetically?"

"You will get time in your fantasy land among the High Faeries until the winter solstice, at which time your soul will belong to me." Not sounding too good so far. "However, you can break this spell and live in the fae realm if you discover how before the solstice."

Dread washed over me. I could only escape this place and live in the kingdom of my dreams if I gambled with my soul?

"What do you mean I have to discover how to break the spell?"

"I wouldn't be a very good business woman if I laid out the instructions for you, now would I? If you truly desire to reside in the fae kingdom after the winter solstice, then you shall find the answer."

It seemed like the odds were stacked against me with that one caveat. But it was an out, and I only had to have the will to look for it. How hard could it be? The fae knew of magic and spells, surely they could help me break this one when the time came.

Besides, it was no coincidence that I saw the most beautiful man during the vision in the mirror, right? There had to be a reason that I saw him and he saw me. It was like he could sense me through the very fabric of time and space. I mean, he looked right at me when I wasn't even there. I held on to that belief, regardless of whether it was a delusion I told myself for comfort and courage.

"Are you ready to raise the stakes, princess? A poor, tortured soul such as yourself craves freedom. I can give that to you."

I knew what I had to do for my own sanity. It was terrifying, and bold, and really stupid. Borderline idiotic, in fact. But I had to take this leap.

"Tell me your exact terms first." No room for tricks or misunderstanding. It was the one thing that old books always cautioned when making magical deals.

"Listen closely, because once you agree, there is no going back." She looked at me expectantly, and I gave a small nod.

"I will mark upon you three tattoos on your left wrist, each signifying the three moon cycles until the winter solstice. Each moon will wax and wane in real time, disappearing when the next new moon begins. When the last tattoo turns black, signifying the setting of the new moon after the longest night of the year, the winter solstice, your soul will belong to me. Unless, of course, you discover how to break free." She reached out to take my wrist in her cold, thin hands.

"I will give you the appearance of a High Faerie, but you are still mortal. A human. This is only a mask. You cannot summon your bird's wings like the other faeries can, and you cannot speak of the spell to anyone you meet, do you understand?" I nodded in hasty acknowledgement, eager to finally be on the other side of that wall.

The costs didn't matter to me anymore. If I had to go through with my father's plans for my life, I would be as good as dead here. I just wanted to be somewhere else, anywhere else.

"I need to hear it in words, princess. Is it a deal?"

"Yes, it's a deal." I extended the necklace to her, the payment from our last bargain, and she pocketed it in her black robes.

Elowyth ran a bony finger down the underside of my left wrist, and it burned. Flames seemed to bubble from under my skin as the black ink appeared on my pale flesh. Three perfect circles, all black, with small stars and swirls accenting them. The pain was over in an instant, and then she grabbed my other wrist. Hard.

Her green eyes almost seemed to glow as they penetrated my soul. My veins turned to ice. Every inch of my body was made of cutting shards of glass, and I screamed out in pain. Briefly, I thought she would just kill me right then and there.

Shadows began to swirl around us. The commotion of it all must have finally alerted the guard stationed outside of my door, because he came bursting in moments before Elowyth and I disappeared into darkness.