Sub Zero

Chapter Eleven

The brute howls with rage and grief as the rodent man hunches by the corpse of Raven. Jason charges towards Finn, who dodges him easily. He has another orb of right in his palm, quickly sculpting it into another weapon; a double-headed axe. Finn ducks as the luminescent axe swings just above his head. The blade nicks his cheek, causing a ruby bead of blood to trickle down the side of his face.

Finn ducks as a table flies over his head. Wait, how did the table fly in the first place? Jason gives a flick of his wrist that's not holding the axe, and another table goes shooting towards Finn's head. Telekinesis. Just brilliant.

"Finn, watch out!" I shout. Despite my dazed and foggy mind, I'm able to stumble towards him. Time flows in slow motion as I half-stumble, half-sprint to Finn. I finally stop in front of him as the table continues to barrel forward, my arms held out in front of me. I brace myself for the bone-crushing impact.

I squeeze my eyes shut, expecting excruciating pain; but I feel nothing. I cautiously open a squinting eye. It soon widens in surprise. The room is gone; it's replaced by a large sheet of ice.

I take a step back. I can see the edge of the table wedged in the outside wall of the ice. My eyes widen as I turn around and see that Indie, Finn and I are completely surrounded in a dome of ice.

I look at Finn in disbelief. The dome has to be about five inches thick. I reach out to touch the cool surface. I suddenly yank my arm back when a piercing pain shoots through my head. I automatically crumple to my knees, black dots spotting my vision. My hands fly to my hair, cradling my head to try to lessen the excruciating pain.

I feel strong arms wrap around my torso as Finn ensures that I don't collapse completely. "Are you okay?" He murmurs against my hair, pulling me into his lap. I nod, blushing. I wince at the sudden movement, my hands applying more pressure to my throbbing head. Finn brushes a strand of my blonde hair away from my eyes.

He takes notice of our position, and his cheeks grow red. He mutters an apology and awkwardly lets go of me, scooting away to the opposite wall. I feel a pang of disappointment at the absence of his touch, but the pain erupting in my temples soon pushes it aside. Someone beats against the dome, which causes me to feel sick from the horrid pain it inflicts. I groan.

I don't notice when Finn stands, or when he strides over to me. His arms once again wrap around my middle, and he gently lifts me up. I gasp, my hands dropping from my face to grab his shoulders out of fear of falling. "F-Finn! I'm heavy!" I complain, but the excruciating pain once again chases away my insecurities.

He pulls me against his chest. He's so close that I feel his warm breath on my neck. My heart pounds against my ribcage. He starts to lean in, and I feel like I'm suffocating. But it's a good feeling. The indescribable exhilaration I feel as I stare up at him with wide eyes is intoxicating. The way I feel as if I could drown in those obsidian orbs of his, the way his lips part slightly while he breathes; it's so strange, yet so wonderful.

He stops, so close now that our noses almost touch. "Crystal." He practically sighs. My breath hitches, and my heartbeat races.

I look into his dark brown eyes, and for once in my life, I feel as if I have no worries in the world. I forget about my parents, about Torren, about the bruises all over my body. All I think about is Finn. I squeeze my eyes shut as he closes the distance between us.

There's no spark, or fireworks when our lips meet, but it's not any less magical. His lips are so warm as they press against mine. And oh, so soft, despite being bloodied and slightly chapped. I feel as if I'm drinking him in, like a cold drink of water after being parched.

All of my fear and insecurities seem to fade as we embrace one another like this. The pain is completely gone. All I can think about is him. The way his hands support me and his breath tickles my nose, or the way his scent envelopes me and dulls every other sense. It's amazing what a three second moment of contact can do to you.

My cheeks heat up as my embarrassment returns. "What do I do? Am I supposed to open my mouth?" I think, panicked. I keep my eyes squeezed shut as I try to move my own lips, but I end up lurching forward and knocking our heads together.

My eyes fly open, as do Finn's. "Ow!" He says, wincing. His cheeks are dusted pink. "I'm so sorry!" I gasp wriggling free from his bridal-style embrace. "A-are you okay?" I manage to choke out while mentally screaming at myself. He laughs. "I've never been better."

I blush at his comment, which seems to be so right and wrong at the same time. "He's lying." A part of me whispers. But I can't help but believe him.

He scratches the back of his neck. "And um.... I'm sorry for not asking you first, I didn't really know what to do." He stammers. I inwardly sigh with relief. "He's just as clueless as I am!"

"It's alright." I laugh. I suddenly remember my pain that somehow  vanished. "What happened?" I ask, my eyes wide with bewilderment. Finn smiles. "I healed you!"

We sit for a while, waiting for someone, anyone, to come help us. It's almost suffocating in the dome, and I'm begining to feel light headed.

Finn looks over at me, and I almost blush. He clears his throat. "You know, my face is freezing now." I can feel my cheeks turn rosy. Although, now that I think of it, his lips are kind of purple.

I laugh. I feel my own face. My cheeks feel hot and flushed. My lips are burning up. I'm almost weak. I smile sheepishly. "Heat is my weakness, you know." Finn is the one to blush, his soft cheeks burning bright red. I hear Indie stir behind us. I glance over my shoulder to see her sitting up, rubbing her eyes. She blinks, dazed. "What the hell happened here?"