Golden Ice

Chapter 17

The next few weeks I recovered, emotionally and physically. I understood the extent to which I was incapable of love. More than that, I missed love. I missed the feeling of loving Goblin and Oliver. Love had its downfalls, but it was worth it. And he was my One.

I had to fix it.

So the third week, I went in search of a cure.

I pored through every medical book in the library. I asked a few Demonclaws who had been medical students. I talked to everyone I knew. All said the same thing-there was no cure, never had been, for victims of deadly ice. They were lonely forever.

I didn't give up. I pushed on to find a cure. I talked to one of the doctors and asked if there was a surgery they could do. I received a bitter laugh in reply. That was my entire life now-bitterness. Bitterness and hate.

So I went to training the next day, hoping I'd get some valuable information. Casey Elton was there, practicing archery.

"Hey, Ella," she smiled. "Did you see Oliver?"

I shook my head. "Was he here?"

"Yeah, you just missed him." She notched an arrow and sent it flying at the target. "So...you don't love him anymore? Bummer."

"I don't love anyone." It came out a little sharper than I'd intended.

"Yeah." Casey fiddled with the wings of another arrow. "Heh. Sorry."

"So what happened with you and Oliver?" I asked casually, running my fingers over a silver bow.

"Oh, he got really mad and stormed off." Casey gestured vaguely in the direction of the door to the other training room. "Might wanna go talk to him."

"I think I will." I slung my backpack over my shoulder. "See you later, Casey."

She waved. I headed into the other training room, where Oliver's bag lay. He must have gone outside. I jumped onto the trampoline, and then launched myself out of the jewelweed. Oliver was just disappearing up the hill, towards the campus. I ran, but he was pretty far ahead. 

I caught up to him as he was entering the forest, but I stayed behind him for a while. He bent down, lit a fire, and then picked up a pole on the ground and stuck it in the middle of the flames. Then he tied a loop of rope to the pole.

By then, I was getting scared.

And then, I witnessed the most horrifying thing I have or ever will witness. I witnessed Oliver Fairen step into the fire.

My whole world shattered.

Without a thought or a second of hesitation, I threw myself after him. For a second, I felt tendrils of flame eating away at my skin, my hair, my clothes—and then I pushed him out of the fire, and all went dark.

                                                                                ...

"Hey! She moved! I think she's waking up!"

"I don't get it," someone said. "How could someone incapable of love sacrifice themselves like that? She went head-on into the fire to save his life. If that isn't love...well, someone tell me what love is, then."

"Kyle, a few of the doctors speculate that the fire may have melted the ice," the first person said. "If she didn't love before, she might now."

"I goddamn hope so," Kyle muttered. "Ella...has had a stunning effect on Oliver. It was almost overnight, honestly, ever since he realized he loved her. He was about to end his life because he thought she didn't love him."

"How's Oliver doing?" A third voice.

"Better, much better," Kyle replied. "He's severely burned, and so is Ella, but they should both make a full recovery."

"Why is the ceiling of this place a mirror?" someone asked.

"So the patients can see themselves when they wake up," the first voice replied.

Slowly, my eyes fluttered open.

I could see myself in the low ceiling. My hair was shorter, to my shoulders. I guessed the ends had been singed. My eyebrows were a train wreck. Worse, there were burn scars all over my face and neck.

"Ella!" someone cried. Lex's face appeared above me and she launched into a hug.

"Hey." I attempted to sit up. Lex threw her arms around me. "Hey. Where did this I-love-you come from?"

Lex looked me dead in the eye. "You saved my brother, Ella."

And then I turned my head to the left and saw Oliver, lying in the next bed over. His eyes slowly fluttered open and locked with mine.

My hand reached out to grab his.

And I knew that I loved him.