Alexa Frostbite

17 - The Shiek of Araby

Flames lick at her feet, chasing her down onto the bridge. He's here. He's here with her.

Her head snapped up, mind reaching out to grasp the memory. She had to remember. That way she could finally make her decision: to rot in here until James decided to end her or to end him herself. Alexa closed her eye and tried. Fought past the memories of Jake – as prominent as they were until... Until her mind was empty. A void. She couldn't discern one thought from another – they were all so tangled. So, so tangled.

"Forgive me" he screams and—

This time, her whole body jerked. Tears came as well. Sharp and cold against her skin, they bled onto the floor. The black spread easily over the white like ink on paper.

"Tell me! Let me remember. I have to know!" she screamed. "I have to choose! Kill or be killed". At this point, she was convinced Jake would only approve of the latter. Would he even want to rescue his mother? The memory closed around her, but it was muffled, and she couldn't quite make it out. Her parents and her brother, arguing in the entrance hall. Walking up the stairs and then, then nothing. Just blackness, with static sparking in her ears.

He Altered me, she realised. My own brother...

It was almost too much to bear, but she persisted. She had to know, now more than ever. Jake sunk to the back of her mind, right where she imagined she was in his. How he must hate her now. Yet she couldn't help wanting him to... What had she expected? Humans hated Halfbloods. They always had. And they always would.

Jake stared at East.

"What do you mean? You can't save my life. Alexa said the only way would be to turn me into a Halfblood and I'd rather die than be like her". The words pinched his tongue, but he couldn't hold them back. East nodded as if he completely understood his situation.

"I don't think you should trust everything that comes out of that girl's mouth, Jake. Especially when she's lied to you".

Is there another way? He wanted to ask but thought better of it. East wasn't exactly the most trustworthy person this side of the planet either. He decided to dig deeper.

"How do I know you're not lying to me?" East shook his head and sighed.

"Because I know. I know what it's like. My sister," he said slowly. "Was a Half-life. She was going to die. I wanted to save her, but she wouldn't let me. Too headstrong. She died when she was fifteen, like you. She was so lovely. She wanted to be an artist". Jake bit his lip, uncertain. He didn't know what to say. A 'sorry' jumped up his throat, but he swallowed it. In the end, he found there was nothing else to say.

"Why would you want to save me?" he tried to dig even further. "You work for James, don't you?"

"'Freelance' is the term I prefer," East grinned.

"So basically, you'd risk your own neck to save me? No. Somehow, I don't believe you". He turned away, arms folded across his chest.

"You don't believe me? Or you don't want to believe me? You must have dreams, Jake. Aspirations. People who need you there for them. Don't be like my sister," East pleaded. Jake wanted to believe him, more than anything in the world. But it was too good, too soon. It wasn't right.

"Please, Jake. Tell me what you know about Alexa? You don't have to give me a lot of information. Just what I need". East pressed his hands together in a prayer. "Please let me save you, so you can save your mother". Jake's biceps bunched and contracted. He didn't know what to do. He needed to save his mum, but this didn't feel right. Even so, Alexa wasn't going to save him and he didn't want her to. Light burst in his mind and all of his dreams came into focus. His gap year before University, his GCSE'S. He could live again. No Alexa, no James. No Vaskels or Halfbloods or Half-lives. Just his mother and a normal life.