Snow and Ice- a Jacinter Collection

Forever

Winter trudged through the thick blood, the evil laughs of her mother echoing all around her. She had to find them. She had been searching for hours. Their screams were coming from every room. She turned into the last room where the screams were the loudest. Jacin's cries and Cinder's screams silenced when she came closer to the door.

Winter hurried into the doorway, stopping short, overcome with terror with what she saw.

Thaumaturge Park stood over Jacin and Cinder's bodies, a cruel smile on his face. Blood dripped from his chin. "You did this to them." His smooth voice whispered into Winter's ear. She shivered, her tongue feeling like sandpaper. He picked up Jacin's body first and pulled out a knife, running it across her lover's neck. Jacin's darkened eyes stared blankly into Winter's, the twinkle that was usually in there extinguished by death. Winter fell to her knees, sobs racking her body.

The thaumaturge walked over to Cinder and knelt by her body. Pulling out a match, he swiped it against the floor and the match flared. He placed it at the top of Cinder's hair.

Winter tried to scream, to run, to save her cousin before she was taken from her again. But her feet were stuck to the blood-stained carpet. She could only watch as Cinder's body was burned.

In a few short minutes, all that was left were charred silver lumps, indicating were the metal hand and leg had been. Winter pounded her fists on the ground, wailing.

Aimery came closer, his boots squishing on the ground. He took her face and held it up, wiping away her tears.

"Who is left to save you, little princess?" Aimery smiled, gesturing to the bodies. "They're all gone."

The tiny blood droplets ran down his chin and on to Winter's face, feeling like hot, sticky rain. Winter gagged, the stench of blood and the gruesome sights too much for her stomach. She heard the rush of blood, feel it filling up the room. Aimerey's leering smile was the last she saw before the blood swallowed her up......

Winter sat up, drenched in sweat. "Jacin!" She cried, feeling around the sheets for him, for his warmth, his love.

But he was not here. Only the pitter-patter of rain drops outside accompanied Winter, the streaks on the window, matching the ones on her cheeks.

Winter steadied her breathing, remembering that he was the room connecting to hers, a single door separating them. She threw off the covers, heading to the door.

Creaking the door open, she slipped in the room, stopping at the threshold. Jacin was not in his bed. He was curled up in a chair, fully clothed, snoring quietly. He looked so peaceful, so content, that Winter felt bad about waking him up. Then she remembered Aimery's smile, and she hurried over to him.

She knelt in front of him, placing a hand on one of his. "Jacin." She whispered. "Jacin." One of Jacin's eyes popped open, that familiar twinkle clouded by exhaustion. "Princess?" He mumbled, taking her hand.

"Jacin, can I-" Winter hesitated, her breathing constricted by flashbacks of the night terror. She looked away, unable to say anymore. Jacin was fully awake now, sitting up in the chair. His sleep had pulled wisps of his pale hair from his bun, and they floated in front of his face, almost invisible in the moonlight.

"Are you alright? Do you need anything?" He said, his big blue eyes sharp and filled with worry. Winter gave him a small smile, wordlessly crawling into his lap. Jacin sighed as she settled her head into the crook of her arm. "Did you have a nightmare?"

Winter nodded, tears pricking her eyes. Jacin kissed her cheek. "It's okay, you can cry." Winter shook her head. If she let the first tear go, who knows when they would stop coming? She couldn't bear to keep Jacin up all night, trying to comfort her as she wept about imaginary monsters. He had been up far too many nights, she could tell.