The Incorruptible Bond

Chapter 22

Ember awoke to a bright light. She squinted at the clock to see that it was 12:00. A glance out her window confirmed that it was midnight; the full moon was shining and the night sky was a contrasting carbon black, dotted in stars. Em realized that the source of light was something entirely different.

It was red and bright, creating shadows and patterns on her walls and ceiling. The color even lapped on the floor, as if inviting her towards it. She walked over to where it was the brightest and found the source of light was her necklace.

That's weird, she thought, it's never lit up before. The reds and scarlets that emanated from the flames intrigued Ember and she stepped closer to it. Slowly, her arm raised, hand outstretched. She didn't think of any consequences, the pull just made her grasp it.

Suddenly, flames burst out and she screamed. The heat around her was suffocating and she was no longer in her own room. Ember looked around to see that she was in a wooden cabin, candles placed all around the room. She knew something was wrong, like she had just lost someone who was important to her.

Aurora.

An image of her white haired twin running across a snowy mountain filled her mind. The bottom of her foot throbbed. She cried out in pain--for the loss of her sister or because of the fire around her, she didn't know. Maybe it was a combination of the two. The roof was caving in, the walls collapsing, and she barely had time to see the moon peaking through from the sky until her eyes snapped open.

Ember was back in her room, and sparks flew from her hands. Soon, all of her fingers were coated in the red-orange light. But it didn't hurt. This must be a sick dream, she tried to convince herself. It seemed as if her furniture in front of her was on fire, too. The flames appeared alive, the way they moved and danced along with her. She backed onto her bed, the temperature still high anywhere she stepped. Even if the bed was catching fire where her hands touched, she couldn't see it for her eyes were covered over in tears. Ember tucked her knees to her chest, closed her eyes tightly, and prayed it would all be over soon.

Em was startled when her father woke her up the next morning from her door, but then she mentally scolded herself. Richard. He is no longer dad, just Richard.

Looking around her room, Ember held back a gasp. Everything held the same shape, but was tinted a grayish black. She was afraid Richard might barge in so she yelled a morning greeting and quickly got out of her bed. Before leaving the room, Em still made sure she put on her necklace, even if she flinched when she touched it. She just never felt complete without the slight pressure it created.

Ember got ready for school with vigor--the faster she got ready, the quicker they would leave and the less time she would have to spend at home with the imposter. In fact, Ember was one of the first people to get to her classroom that morning. Even Aurora wasn't there.

"How unusual," remarked Mrs. Grant. "Aurora would normally have been here by now." As soon as the words came out of her mouth, a splitting headache racked across her skull. Em let out a startled cry of pain. She knew something was wrong-- she could feel it from within. Somewhere, somehow, Aurora was stuck and needed help.

"Are you alright, Ember?" she heard her teacher ask.

"May I be excused?" After she got the okay, Em fled from her desk and out into the hallway. One hand clutched her hair, trying to relieve the pain somehow. She didn't know where her feet were taking her until she looked up to see the girl's bathroom. Why did I come here? I don't have to go--

Her own thoughts were abruptly stopped when she noticed the ice creeping around the handle. Ember reached out to try and open it. As soon as she grasped the cold knob, her vision shifted back to Aurora running down a mountain towards her, but being engulfed in an avalanche of snow. It was painful for Ember to watch, yet suddenly she knew.

She knew that Aurora was on the other side of the door. She didn't fully comprehend, but somehow the memory was tinted with a bitter cold that resembled that of the door handle. Em desperately tried to turn it to free her sister. It wouldn't budge.

"No!" she screamed, full on anger overcoming her. Ember felt a warm pull in her stomach and it shot through her arm to the hand that still tightly gripped the sphere of frozen metal. Flames licked off of her fingers and melted the ice away. Shocked (but satisfied), Ember opened the door to find Aurora sitting against the wall, her legs pulled up against her chest.

"How did you...?" Aurora left the question open ended.

Ember didn't want to settle on the thought--she didn't know herself. "C'mon, let's get out of here," Em said, waving a hand. Aurora stood, grabbed her things and followed the red head out.

"I think there's something we need to talk about," Aurora stated, being the voice of reason.

"Yes the elephant is quite large, but it's not something that we really can discuss." Ember knew what she was going to ask, yet she also realized the answer may not be that simple.

"Well we're going to," Aurora argued, "until we figure out the answer."

"Auri, how did you even freeze the door handle in the first place?"

"If I knew, Em, I would tell you. But I don't. It's something that happened last night, too." The last part struck familiar in Ember's mind.

"Last night?" she asked.

"Yeah, why?"

Ember didn't get a chance to answer before around the corner strolled a certain white haired companion that didn't seem to go away.

"Holy moonbeams Snowflake, what's gotten the two of you all riled up?" Phoenix exclaimed as he flipped something around his hand repeatedly. Ember squinted and saw what looked to be a golden pocket watch.

Aurora frowned. "More developments have occurred. We need a meeting, and sooner than after school."

"Lunch time?" he suggested. The sisters nodded.

"Where at?" Ember questioned.

"The library," Aurora spoke. "I almost always go there, it's a great place to have privacy and quietness."

Ember felt some color drain from her face. All she could see was herself smacking a hand down on the table and sparks shooting out, the entirety of the library with it's books burned down. She shook her head rapidly.

"Not in the library," she disagreed.

"How about behind? No one goes back there, and it'll still have privacy whilst being on school grounds."

Everyone agreed. The girls headed back to their first period classroom, Phoenix in the opposite direction. Ember felt herself give a meager, grim smile. Things might be pretty bad, but they would figure this out--the three of them, together.