Cold-Hearted

This was madness.

Dinner was mostly quite after her subtle threat to let Meeko rip out my throat if I asked her another question. The only conversation we shared was of Briar still being alive. Cianna informed me that she could feel her existence. Apparently, Briar had an object that belonged to her -- an object that has been missing for years. Once I finished devouring the roasted turkey leg, she instructed her furry comrades to escort me to the study. After observing the icy flight of stairs I would climb, I became very grateful for the red carpet draped down the center, even if it looked like spilled blood against the pure white. I wasted no time shutting the heavy golden door to the study as soon as the beasties turned back down the hall. Leaning against the doors with a tight chest, I tried to calm my breathing.

"Emmett?" whimpered a soft voice.

I quickly turn to see the face behind that sweet voice, Briar, here, and alive. I ran to her, scooping her into my arms,. Having my sister back, feeling her arms wrapping tightly around my neck, was the most warmth I have felt since I walked into Wynter. I sat her back down on the ground, kneeling in front of her so that we were face to face.

"Briar, I have been so worried." I say, brushing her hair from her cheeks. "What happened? Did she take you? Are you hurt? How did you survive? What were—" she places a hand over my mouth.

"I'm okay, I'm sorry.." She says lowering her head. "I knew she was real, and, and I just wanted to see her." I wrap my arms around Briar, smoothing my hand through her hair.

"Shh its okay, its okay. We are going home now." I assure her, afraid if I let her go she would disappear. She pulls away and looks at me with those emerald eyes, frost danced across her lashes, "I can't leave."

"Briar, we have to leave. You know the stories, she is wicked and we don't know how much longer she will let us stay alive."

"I cant, Mett. I, uh," she falters, "I, have something of hers. That's how I found my way here.. It told me where to go." She places her hands on the temples of my forehand, "I'll show you." The spot in which I was standing in the study, transformed before my eyes, into a blanket of snow. White animals appeared in the corners of the room, ice hung from the ceiling, and the snow on the floor was mixed with drops of blood. My ears rang, as a constant ticking of a clock played throughout the room. Briar removed her hands, and the room became an old study once more. This was madness. The Wyntery witch had to have cast a spell on my Briar; this wasn't normal, she wasn't normal. I searched her, looking for a trace of magic, but her baby doll face was unyielding to my demand to leave. I stood to my feet, knowing I would do whatever it took to free my sister from Cianna's hold. I began to pace the room, as I always do when I am trying to think and hide my frustration. My attention is drawn to a painting of a girl hanging atop the broken fireplace. The girl in the picture was beautiful, with her chestnut hair and amber colored eyes. I wipe off some snow from the image to see the inscription beneath. Wynter reigns from a fortress of icicles and frost. I gasp, taking several steps back, never taking my eyes off of the girl in the picture. Cianna. The stories were true; she was once a normal princess of Wynter who became a monster. If she did, indeed, freeze her heart, then a part of her was still alive, which meant she could still die.

I turn from the painting to rush to my sister's side, pushing her behind me as the doors of the study flung open with two white wolves entering, and Cianna standing behind them. Her jaw tightened, searching the room for Briar, who peeks from behind my back fighting for a better look at the witch. Cianna's hard stare soften, when she meets my sister's gaze. Cianna takes in a sharp breath, and releases it with the faintest sound comes, "Roeland." She walks closer to my sister, never once looking at me as I stood guard. Briar's body is still, having anticipated this moment. 

"Your eyes," Cianna utters, reaching her hand for Briar's face. I step in between their path, causing the glower to break. "You" she says with adverted eyes, her body straightening back to her evil demeanor. I hadn't realized how relaxed, and normal, she had been after seeing Briar.

"You said you were from Eeranoke." She declares.

"We are. "

Her eyes flash to Briar, then back at me. "She is not." My stomach drops. How did she know? Cianna turns her attention back to Briar whose curiosity is peaked.

"Child, are you aware that your eyes are a very rare kind? They come from a certain bloodline, one not found amongst Eeranokes.." Cianna crouches down in front of my sister, and holds out her hand. Briar looks at me, with an apologetic look before reaching into her pocket and pulling out a pocket watch. Briar clung to the watch at first, but then she laid the watch into Cianna's hand, hesitantly. "Good girl." Cianna stands, a sly grin playing upon her porcelain face as she turns toward the doors. I nearly hate seeing the wolves leave, because in this empty room, there is no way to avoid Briar's next question.

"I was adopted, wasn't I?"