The Elementals - The Ice Princess

Chapter 34

I wake up feeling anxious. I don't like that Alexander and Laney have been gone for two days and we still haven't heard from them. Yesterday was spent watching reality television and not doing anything as per Alexander's instructions. I thought to myself on multiple occasions how my life the last week or so would be great reality TV. It has had everything, action, excitement, drama and suspense. Of course, it wouldn't be a great idea, as having a camera crew in my face all the time would result in not only the crew's demise but my demise as well.

When I wasn't watching TV, or eating terrible take out food that Jared ran to get, I was practicing my new gift. When I say practicing, it's more like trying to figure out what it is and how to make it work. It took me a while to learn that I needed to concentrate on developing the ice with my hand first. After nearly two hours and multiple failed attempts, I was able to partially recreate the ice that I made the night before. It almost looked like a long tube of ice that was neither sharp nor dangerous looking. It looked more like a thin cylinder or a wand. The kind that fake magicians use with the white end to make rabbits appear out of hats. Except this didn't have a white end, nor was it black. It also didn't glow the way the one I created a couple of nights ago did.

I struggle with the fact that two nights ago I was able to create the weapons with almost no issue, almost as if it were an extension of who I was. Of course that was out of pure necessity because if I hadn't created it and killed the scout.... I don't want to finish the thought as the idea of me killing or being killed for that matter still doesn't sit right with me now that I've had the time to reflect on it for a couple of days. It's probably best to continue working on learning how to use my power.

Frustration is quick to set in and it takes much concentration to begin to create something even remotely close to the icicles that still sit, frozen solid, un-melting, on the black coffee table. The icicles still cast a faint blue shimmer over the immediate area that they sit in. My first few attempts yield some results, but the ice either isn't shaped right, or it begins to melt. I shift my focus and try to create other things out of ice or snow other than the razor sharp icicles but the only thing that I am able to muster up is a snowball. More specifically, a perfectly round ball of ice that is no bigger than a baseball.

I concentrate on the ball trying to get it to change shape but the crystal clear orb sits unchanged no matter how much effort I put into it.

Jared is across the room, sitting on the couch and switching his attention from the television to me from time to time. He looks bored. His feet are up on the table and the remote sits in his hand as he flips the channels looking for something to watch.

"You know, you've been at that for nearly two days straight. When are you going to take a break and relax a bit? Maybe giving your brain some time to relax will help you figure it out. Come here, sit on the couch."

I get up off the chair that I am sitting on and immediately feel my muscles creak. I feel pops in my knees when I finally put weight on them and my back cracks in several places when I stretch it. It feels significantly better after all the creaks and cracks. Perhaps Jared was right, maybe I have been at this for a long time and I should take a break.

With the newly created ball of ice in hand, I make my way over to the couch and sit down beside Jared, who turns off the television so we can talk.

"How's your back and arm?" he asks.

"Good, I think. Every since Laney put that stuff on it, it hasn't been a second thought."

"Do you think we should change the bandage?"

"Nah, we'll wait for them to get back. They should be back any minute."

"Have you thought about what we're going to do if they don't come back?"