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CHAPTER TWENTY

"I hate this," Stephen mumbled, "I should be out there, helping him! Not just - ...Sitting around, waiting for everything to be fixed!" He complained, getting louder and louder as he ranted more and more, his voice bouncing off the walls of their little corner of the catacombs.

"Hey, I understand, but there's nothing we can do," Conner said, reaching out, a comforting hand, "Bex, Gracyn, Felix and Joseph, they've done this before, fought through these hoards, it'll only be done quicker." He reassured, but Stephen didn't seem convinced at all.

"They're getting smarter, Conner. If anything, it'll get more challenging!" He argued, and Conner could only sigh. He understood Stephen's worry, the man that he loved, and Conner's very best friend, was out there, risking his life, and they couldn't do anything about it.

The people he'd grown to love, could die at any moment.

He sat down against the wall, hugging his knees as he began to think about it, shivers surrounding him as he grew cold.

"Why aren't you out there?" A familiar voice whispered in his ear, their voice cold and crisp like ice. Conner jumped up and turned around, wrapping a protective arm around Stephen as he pulled out his sword, which seemed to refuse to ignite as the air grew colder and colder.

Celeste appeared out of the dark, as if out of no where, and she was obviously taking a liking to her ice abilities, snowflakes surrounded her hand, and Conner felt cold just looking at her. "Oh brother, give me a challenge." She said, rolling her eyes after getting a glance at both him and Stephen, obviously unimpressed.

"Celeste." Stephen said breathlessly, and Celeste let out a high pitched laugh that echoed, yet no one seemed to hear her.

"Stephen, dear boy! How are you doing, love?" She asked, a grin plastered on her face as an icy whip appeared in her hand and it snapped against the cobblestone floors, "it's been way too long, Stehy." She teased, and didn't stop her whips snaps.

"Stay away!" Conner demanded, backing the two of them against the wall before he swung his sword, "I'm warning you!"

"Oh Conner," she smiled, and twirled her whip, "now who do you believe is the favorite twin?" She asked as the two of them began circling the catacombs, her whip dancing and sending chills through the air as he tried to light his flames, but it wasn't working.

"The loyal daughter, who has proven herself to her loving father, and accepted her part to play?" She snapped the whip at his wrist, and he felt like his entire hand had just experienced freezer burn all in one millisecond.

"Ah!" He cried out and fell to his knees, grabbing at his wrist as it turned pink with the cold, backing himself into the wall as fast as possible, Celeste walking up to him.

"Or the unforgivable, good for nothing son, who doesn't see a good opportunity, even when it's handed to him on a silver - no! A gold platter!" She continued, and pulled a dagger from her belt, pinning Conner to the wall by the throat, "you are such an idiot, Conner!"

"You'll...Never...Win!" He said, digging his nails into Celeste's skin, attempting to loosen her grip, but she didn't react.

"Oh little Conner, so young and naïve." She teased and threw him against the wall, tossing the knife into the air and catching it, and Conner watched as the blade began to form a second layer, and layer of ice, that would most surly kill him. "I'm sorry brother, I truly am, but..." She glanced at the dagger, and then back at Conner, "it was bound to end this way." She finished and threw the blade.

And that was it, Conner thought he was done.

Over with.

He was going to die in these dingy, cold, catacombs.