There's Ice in His Veins (A Jack Frost Fanfic)

Chapter 14: Half Moon

"We build statues out of the snow, and weep to see them melt." -Walter Scott

***

*Jagalan's POV*

The syringe hits home right in Jack's neck. He cries out in pain and rolls off me, but not before his dagger hits its mark. It strikes my left shoulder, inches away from my heart. Jack pulls it out as he falls though, and the blood is rushing out quickly.

I force myself into a sitting position and look to Jack. He writhes on the ground, a million tiny seizures happening simultaneously. With every shudder his skin and hair gets lighter and his eyes shrink with his teeth.

I smile despite the burning pain in my shoulder. We won.

The eclipse passes just as the last strand of Jack's hair turns white.

*Jack's POV*

I can't breathe. Every gasp I try to take in feels like water, and for a moment I panic, thinking I'm back under the ice. My eyes are unfocused, and everything is a blur.

"Jack!" There's my sister's scream. I'm still under ice, and my adventure has been a dream.

Someone comes into view, and my eyes adjust. It's Jagalan. She's the one calling my name. I sigh in relief, breathing in her sweet scent and realizing I can breathe now.

"Jack," I mutter, taking her hand and letting her help me into a sitting position. As soon as I'm up I envelope her in a tight hug. "We did it, Jack. It's over!"

She hugs me back, but I smell blood. Pulling away nervously, I see her clutching her left shoulder and move her hand with a gasp. Forgetting everything for a moment, I rest my pale hand where hers had been and concentrate. The skin beneath it glows, and when I pull away, it's healed.

"Thank you," she whispers.

I finally take a good look at her. Her hair is like mine, and her skin is too, and her eyes are dark blue now. She's like me.

"You stabbed me with the needle," she says. "It made me like you."

Bewildered, I cup her face and rest my forehead on hers. "But you didn't drink any."

"I didn't need to. You needed to do both because you were fighting something on the inside. I wasn't."

"Jack," I say exasperatedly. She smiles at me and I smile back because everything is over, and we're going to live together forever.

I kiss her then, and her lips aren't warm anymore, but they are a comforting temperature-cold, like mine-and her skin and mine are compatible, too. I deepen the kiss to keep myself from floating away.

Jack pulls away but only just. She's still close enough for me to feel her icy breath. "Can we get out of here?"

"Absolutely." I kiss her one more time and help her stand, inspecting her shoulder to make sure it's cured. Only a scar remains.

We venture out of the wretched cave. Jack makes me drink the rest of the potion first to make sure I kill the sun inside me completely.

Eventually, we make it out and inhale the sweet scent of snow and nature.

"This is so awesome!" I exclaim. "We're gonna be together forever and we can do anything we want-forever!"

She laughs at me and agrees. "I look forward to every day from here on."

We start walking back towards the forest, but a strange feeling comes over me. Jack must feel it too; she stops and stares at the sky. The moon still shines bright, but it's trying to tell us something again.

I expect the wolf to come out, but there's no need. The more I stare, the more I understand and the angrier I get.

"She needs me," Jack says.

"She can't have you," I say, taking her hand. "You belong here with me."

Jack is still staring at her. "She says I'll be back. It'll probably be just a day or two."

I'm still reluctant as hell. "No." I stare right at the moon and repeat myself. "At least tell me what you need her for!"

Silence.

"Forget it." I start guiding Jack back into the forest, but she tears her hand from my hold. "Jack, c'mon."

"I think I should go," she says. "It can't be that long. I promise I'll be back in a few days at the most. I promise."

"Jack, no, we haven't even started our lifelong adventure yet!"

"We can start the moment I get back." Jack smiles reassuringly. "You'll be okay."

I clench my jaw and look back to the sky. The moon seems closer than usual. "Okay."

She wraps her arms around my neck and hugs me tightly. I bury my face in her neck and try not to cry. She pulls away and kisses me like it's the last time she'll see me, and it makes me afraid.

"I love you, Jack."

"I love you to the moon and back."

She kisses me again and starts to walk towards the moon, and after awhile the sky has invisible stairs, and she vanishes into the white light.