Birthright

Chapter Eight

Jordan unstuck her cheek from the floor, raised her head and blinked. The peach colored room was coated in a layer of ice. William stood ten feet away, still as a statue. His hair, brows and eyelashes were brushed white with frost. His black eyes glittered with the promise of retribution. Jordan didn’t waste time trying to figure out how the peach colored room turned into a freezer or how William turned into a living, breathing ice statue. This was her chance to escape.

Jordan forced herself up and limped towards the door that led out into the maze of Haven’s hallways. As she reached for the doorknob, she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. She dove out of the way as a large Ming vase hurtled towards her head. The vase whistled past and crashed into the door. The air began to hum as couches, vases, desks, bookshelves and other objects in the room began to shift. William couldn’t move his body, but he could manipulate everything in the room. Her body shook with lingering fear and fatigue. She didn’t have the strength left to fight. Helplessness filled her, an emotion she loathed because it was how she felt as a child and she vowed she would never let herself feel that way again. She would not be weak. 

Jordan forced herself to meet William’s eyes across the distance. She couldn’t remember what it felt like to be whole, couldn’t remember what it felt like not to be in pain. Hatred, determination and fury kindled to life and she looked around the room for a weapon. 

In the back of the room was a mid-sized pond with a fountain of water in the middle. The steady streams of water were frozen in place, jagged icicles over three feet long. Jordan stumbled as fast as she could towards the pond and skidded on the frozen pool. Gritting her teeth against the pain, she gripped a frozen stream of water and tugged. Desperation gave her strength and she let out a muffled scream of frustration as she cut her hands on the uneven bits of ice. There was a splintering sound as a piece broke off. 

Jordan turned towards William with a foot long ice pick in her hand. Everything that wasn’t nailed to the floor now floated in midair, waiting for her next move. Through bobbing objects, their eyes met and she tightened her grip around the now pink icicle. Jordan saw William’s hands twitch at his sides and knew she had only seconds left to make her move. 

She rushed forward and dodged a chair, then dropped to her knees to stop herself from being clobbered by a desk. Jordan let out a scream as a couch tackled and pinned her to the ground. Jordan fell face first and struggled, but the weight of the couch was so heavy, she could barely breathe. Her ribs protested. 

She pounded the floor with her free hand and managed to keep a tight grip on her weapon. The ice was melting. Her skin dripped as she forced her face an inch off the floor. William now stood in a shallow pool of water and Jordan’s heart tripped in panic when she heard the gurgle and splash of the fountain behind her. She saw William’s hands clench into a fist and prayed for strength. The heat of her hand created grooves on the chunk of ice in her numb hand and she suspected it was shrinking in size, but she didn’t dare let it go. She wouldn’t let him get his hands on her. Jordan let rage rule over all other emotion. The couch above her shuddered and let out an earsplitting pop like a firework. Sawdust rained down like a fine mist over Jordan. 

Adrenaline pumped through her as she leapt up. She stalked forward and got a firm grip on her makeshift dagger and aimed for his heart. His hand whipped out and stopped the tip of ice inches from his chest. 

A cruel smile curled his lips. “Time’s up.”

Jordan jerked upright in the tub and let out a stifled scream before she clamped a hand over her mouth. She shivered uncontrollably as sobs piled up in her throat. She refused to utter them aloud, she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. She wrapped the covers as tightly as she could around herself, but they failed to ward off the sudden cold. Her teeth chattered so loud, she was sure she would wake the whole house.