Princess of the Phrost (the miniseries): Creation

At Last

It was near midnight when Nabeh slid into the hotel room making conversation as usual.

"Aiden Thomas. Well, his name certainly sounds gorgeous" Nabeh winked. Wasting no time, he quickly mixed his potion and motioned for her to relax as he began his chant, lulling her off to sleep.

"You know in all my years I've never owned one of these" Nabeh chuckled, motioning to the television when she woke. He was lazily sprawled out in a chair flipping through channels, paying her no mind as she downed the mix and rushed to rinse the disgusting taste from her mouth. Safri cursed quietly at the sound of giggling outside the door, rushing out of the bathroom when it swung open revealing Ashley, Ryna and Mel who were wide eyed at the sight of Nabeh. He sat with his shirt half buttoned, carelessly rooted in his spot as the girls filtered in.

"Amelia!" Nabeh yelled, rushing over to Mel and staring her down.

"Is it really you Amelia? You've returned" he breathed. Amelie couldn't answer, her mouth opened but no sound came out as Nabeh ran his fingertips up her arms before cupping her face.

"I'm Mel" she whispered, unable to tear herself away from his gaze.

"My name is Amelie but Mel for short" she added. "I thought I'd never lay eyes on such beauty again" Nabeh continued. Using his thumbs, he traced her bottom lip before leaning in and inhaling her scent. He pulled back puzzled but promptly inhaled again, questioning both the smell and the tiny rainbow-colored particles clinging to Mel's skin. Nabeh was troubled that neither girl could remember where they had been, not even the name of the club, but he dismissed it and instructed Safri to call on him no matter the hour if anyone began behaving strangely.

"Don't hesitate to call me, day or night. I do hope to see you again Amelie, under different circumstances" he genuinely smiled, kissing her hand before leaving.

"What does that mean, what's wrong?" Safri called as he hit the hallway but by the time she'd poked her head out of the door, he was gone.

"Who was he?" Mel asked breathlessly. "No wonder you make frequent trips to Jackson" Ryna suggested.

"Ew no. Nabeh is just a really good friend, like a brother. It will never be like that" Safri rolled her eyes.

"That was no ordinary man, he was handcrafted by god himself. That hair, those eyes!" Ashley gushed.

"So, who the fuck is Amelia?" Mel asked, finally free of the trance Nabeh had left her in. A question to which Safri informed them all she hadn't the slightest idea. Upon returning home Safri found a packet from the school waiting for her stating that it was her painting that inspired the work that earned its owner "Writer of the Year". She sat cross legged on her bed reading the clip and it took her breath away, she had been right; it was Aiden Thomas. Safri's palms got sweaty as she read the excerpt, the more she read the more anxious she became as she neared its end. She'd even found and scrolled through his Facebook and Instagram a while, glad that he didn't have parties and half naked women all over his pages. It also said he was single. With her heart rate elevated and her thoughts running rampant she decided on one last cool shower in an attempt to calm her roaring emotions. Feeling a bit more in control of herself, Safri laid out her dress and accessories for the event that night, they both had to be there, and this time escape wouldn't be an option. Tonight, they faced each other, tonight Safri escaped the darkness and Aymon found his light.

Aymon paced the length of his room trying to calm himself. Not only had he told Ashley that he wasn't going to the summer awards ceremony, but she'd be there, Miya Stevens. Aymon wasn't a fan of the suit his friends tried to coax him into, so he settled on black slim jeans, and a white dress shirt complete with tie and a blazer. After agreeing to be the sober driver for the night, Aymon headed out with the guys, letting their banter on getting girls drown out his growing nerves. There was but one woman he wanted, and it scared him just how much. Meanwhile, Safri and the other girls settled into hair and makeup, courtesy of Ryna's mother, who Safri was excited to meet. For a brief moment, Safri was envious of Ryna and her mother's relationship, their friendship. It made her miss her own mother, and the guilt that she continuously tried to ignore returned. She couldn't risk a summoning circle because her mother was almost always near her father and the mere thought of the consequences of Ratha keeping such a secret made Safri weak at the knees; but she couldn't leave. Not now, not when she was so close to meeting the human that had managed to infiltrate every part of her being. Safri stared at herself in the mirror awed by her appearance, everything about her seemed to glow, she didn't even recognize herself.

"Has Mel seemed weird to you?" Ryna whispered to Safri with a puzzled expression. Safri watched her best friend closely, noticing her speedy movements, she seemed to be moving much too fast for... well her. Amelie also wasn't as focused as she normally was and she was being finicky and curt leading up their departure.

"She seems a little pale," Safri shrugged, leaving to call Nabeh. Amelie's aura was more than off but she couldn't place what she was sensing, not to mention the fact that Safri didn't feel she had the knowledge to properly assess the situation.

"What's wrong with Amelie? How did you know something would happen to her?" Safri questioned the moment Nabeh picked up. She quickly gave him her assessment and was worried when he was as lost as she was.

"I need you to bring her here," he ordered, causing further alarm. After agreeing that she would bring Mel to the hotel after the dance she joined the others and headed to the school, trying to pinpoint the change in Amelie's aura; it almost felt inhuman. So focused on Mel, Safri had forgotten her own troubles until she stepped into the beautifully decorated school cafeteria.

Aiden was here, she could feel him in the room but didn't see him. Immediately Safri was swarmed by people eager to praise her work, some even offered to buy the piece but she declined. Exhausted after all of the attention brought on by the award as well as the endless sea of testosterone asking her to dance, Safri found a dark corner and was unbothered for most of the night. Most people walked right past and didn't notice her. Every half hour the music stopped, two students were given their awards and Safri was almost thankful that she was last, but so was he. They would soon stand together on stage, forced to meet one another's gaze and the more Safri thought that detail over, the worse her anxiety got. Wanting to avoid both attention and nausea she stayed in her corner, taking deep breaths to calm her overbearing nerves until Ryna and Mel pulled her away to dance.

Aymon loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt preparing to leave what he could only describe as an absolute nightmare, award or not. He had grown tired of the acclaim, and of the endless sea of women begging him to dance. He'd already played wingman for Derrick and Brian, and now he was cornered by Ashley whose lustful presence was almost overpowering but that wasn't what drew him in. Aymon had spent all night avoiding her while looking for Miya and now that neither of those tasks had gone well, he was frustrated.

"What's in your hair?" Aymon yelled in Ashley's ear, lifting a curl to his nose. A tiny bit of hope swelled in his chest when she mentioned it was a friend's shampoo that she borrowed. Aymon knew the smell very well, he smelled it whenever he stood upon the cliff and watched his love paint. Closing his eyes with the smell still lingering in his nose, Aymon could almost see her standing right in front of him. So distracted by the memory, Aymon didn't notice Ashley leading him over to her "friends" until he pulled away feeling like he'd stepped into a sauna. There she stood in the flesh, only her thick hair instead of the color of the moon, was the color of the earth. The smooth look of her skin was a beautiful contrast against the form fitting black dress, hugging her soft yet curvy frame. Miya stood like a fragile figurine with her arms wrapped around herself and eyes closed lost in the music with a faint smile. "Miya" he whispered softly. He didn't think she'd hear over the music, but Safri's eyes snapped open and immediately fell on the man of her dreams. "It's you"