The Cupidity of Frost

Chapter 3: Dark Ties

"Molly!"

I woke up, unsure if I was actually sleep or awake. I couldn't see anything. "Jack?"

"Molly." Jack let out a small laugh. "Keep talking."

I lowered my eyes and slowly stood up. "I'm... I'm sorry. I should have told you that I was with Pitch this whole time. I wasn't working for him though."

"It's okay. There's a reason for everything, that's what you once told me."

I paused as Jack remembered our conversation three hundred years before. "What-what else do you remember?" My voice was more hopeful than I intended it to be. However, I was selfish and hoping he remembered our wedding plans.

He let out a small laugh, sounding closer. "Everything."

I smiled to myself, and I took a step towards the bars in front of me. "I have a very good reason for being with Pitch the past three hundred years."

Jack sounded closer. "I know you do. That's why I came to rescue you."

I grinned. "Didn't we have a discussion about this?"

"A little over three hundred years ago. You said you weren't a princess that needed a knight, but here we are in a princess-needs-a-knight scenario."

I rolled my eyes playfully as if he could see. "You're not a knight. So maybe you won't be able to rescue me."

Jack's staff glowed in front of me, revealing his smile. I let out a small laugh as I smiled. Jack smirked. "Don't worry. I'll get you out of here."

"How touching empty promises are," Pitch's voice echoed. "Tell me, Jack, what was your escape plan? Did you honestly think you could just walk in and walk out?"

Jack placed his back against the cage. "That was kind of the plan." He looked around quickly.

I gasped as I appeared somewhere else. Pitch's laugh echoed. "Didn't you think it was too easy to get in? You're such a simple minded boy. You don't even know where Cupid is." I began running towards him, but something pulled on my ankle. As something began to tie around me and cover my mouth, I spawned an arrow, revealing where I was with its light.

Jack ran towards me, but I was dragged away. The arrow fell out of my hands, and I could hear it's fall echo on the floor. Jack's eyes quickly began looking all around him. "I don't scare easily." Something wrapped around my torso and ankles.

I spawned another golden arrow and tried to stab whatever had me.

"Cupid." Jack ran towards me, but Pitch pushed Jack against the wall with his scythe. Jack's staff fell out of his hand.

Pitch grinned. "Now here is an interesting turn of events. I have you both." He laughed. "And none of the Guardians know, do they, Jack?"

Jack glared at Pitch as he tried to free himself.

Pitch let out a small laugh. He raised his hand, commanding his black sand to lift me. I glared at Pitch, and he smiled at me. "This is such a reunion. You both have so much catching up to do." He looked at Jack. "Did you know Cupid has been misusing her power?"

Jack paused with furrowed brows confused.

Pitch smirked. "Its the only reason she's not a Guardian. She's only an embodiment. I don't even believe the Man in the Moon gave Cupid her powers. Don't you see, Jack? She could never be with you."

Jack tried to kick Pitch, but his foot was inches from reaching.

Pitch smiled smugly. "I would just sit still if I were you."

Jack's eyes narrowed at Pitch. "You're wrong. You're wrong about everything. Cupid could be a Guardian."

Pitch paused in surprise. Even my eyes widened as I looked at Jack.

Jack went on. "You might be right that she misused her powers, but she also used them perfectly. Everyone knows about Cupid saving a few children from your nightmares." He looked at me. "Even the moon, and the moon knows who she was before. You only know her fear from before and haven't let her move on from it."

Pitch shook his head as he let out a small laugh. "Do you know the wonderful thing about love?"

Jack glared at Pitch.

Pitch grinned. "It's the finest weapon to use against your enemy." Pitch rapidly pulled his scythe away and hit Jack to the side. Jack slid, and Pitch grabbed my hair, laughing. He dragged me so that we could face Jack together.

Jack rolled onto his knees and hand to face us. He used his left hand to place on his side. Jack rolled away from Pitch's next strike of sand. Pitch laughed, and Jack glared at Pitch.

Pitch smirked. "It's too bad. You could have lived as yourself if you didn't love Cupid." He spawned his scythe.

My eyes widened, and I began trying to free myself. My hands, ankles, and mouth became bound again.

"Let's make a deal," Pitch said. "They're not actually my favorite, but they do make things entertaining. Would you like her back, Jack? Even though she's been with me?" Pitch laughed lightly. "You do know she has done quite a bit of work with my nightmares. Not getting rid of them, but she did help them follow my orders. She even helped me create them."

Jack glanced at me. "Cupid... He's lying, right?"

We stared into each other's eyes, and every second of it was painfully agonizing.

"Why don't you ask the Guardians, Jack? I'm sure they would love to tell you the answer. Bunnymund caught her once." Pitch laughed, and he lifted me a few inches higher by my hair.

Pitch opened a portal in the shadow below Jack to a snowed mountain. Jack grabbed the edge of the portal, and I squirmed to free myself. Pitch walked to the portal and stepped on one of Jack's fingers. Jack grunted.

Pitch smirked and held me over the portal. "Look at your little knight now." He stepped on another of Jack's fingers. "And look upon your happy princess for that last time."

Jack flew up, and he kicked Pitch's core. Pitch released me, and Jack grabbed me. However, Pitch grabbed me by shoulders with his sand.

Pitch glared at me. "You're not leaving."

Jack hit Pitch's hand with his foot as he did some sort of flip, and Jack and I fell. Jack lost his grip on me, and I closed my eyes, awaiting the pain of the surface.