I threw my hands up, annoyed, "The key will lead you, look for crystals, they said. Why can't it be easy for once?" I complained.
We stood on a frigid plain of pure ice that stretched on for as far as the eye could see. Winds kicked up around us, forming tornados of snow that billowed in the air. I hugged myself, my face feeling numb as the wind beat upon it. I sniffled, my watering eyes scanning over to Killian who held a ball of purple fire that radiated a small amount of warmth, lighting our way through the growing blizzard.
"We need to find cover!" West shouted over the winds.
"Look around you! It's all flat ice, there's no where to go!" Nigel yelled, his hazel eyes darting around, searching.
I shivered, "There has to be something!" The wind picked up and I stumbled, bumping into Illius whose blue eyes landed on mine.
"Over there!" Killian pointed into the distance where I could barely make out three, towering pillars of ice, "Follow me!"
We pressed forward, snow whirling around us. The blizzard was so thick now, I could barely see Killian walking a few feet in front of me. I raised a hand in front of my eyes, trying to shield them from the winds. The ice was slick beneath my feet and I struggled, falling behind. I grunted, the wind fighting me.
Illius' hand shot out grabbing one of mine and West's gripped the other as they helped to pull me forward, "Keep pushing, Ava!" West shouted back at me.
Will had long since darted back into one of Illius' pockets on the inside of his coat to keep warm and prevent himself from blowing away in the fierce blizzard. I tightened my grip on the Lockwood brother's hands.
"Don't let go!" I shouted, tears stinging my dry eyes.
They both looked back at me and the look in their eyes said never.
The tall spikes of ice forming what looking like a castle were now visible through the snow storm. Just a few more feet. My hands reached out, grasping for icy handles carved as if they were meant to be there on the inside of the door Killian had opened.
I slammed the door behind us, shutting out the blizzard and exhaled, finally able to breathe without getting my breath taken away by the wind. I pressed my back against it, and sighed, closing my eyes.
"Well scratch behind my ears and call me a puppy," Nigel exclaimed in awe, "Look at this place!"
"I'd rather not appease your dog needs," Illius said before turning around, "Ava," He nudged me, "I think we found your crystal."
I opened my eyes and my jaw dropped. The walls, of which I had thought were ice, were made of pure crystals that reflected rainbows in their shining, smooth surfaces. In the right corner of the room, furthest away from us stood a large platform where a throne of crystal sat, shards of crystals jutting out behind it. Chandeliers of ice hung from the towering ceiling, candles flickering on them. To the far left of the room stood archways branching off into separate areas.
A strange heat emanated from my pocket and I dug the Crystal Key out, it hummed in my hand, heated with a warmth that spread through my entire body. The crystalized, jagged end began to glow with a bright, blue, light. The walls and crystals surrounding us hummed, filling the room with a buzzing sound as they too, glowed.
"What are you doing?" Killian asked me.
I shook my head, "I'm not doing anything, it's the key."
Illius had wandered to a wall. He placed his hand against it and sharply inhaled, gasping as he bent over, the wall's humming growing louder as it pulsated.
"Illius, what's wrong?" West rushed to his side, placing a hand on his shoulder.
Illius' eyes met mine and for a brief moment they glowed and then his hand slid from the crystal, "Nothing." He shook his head, his eyes returning to normal, "The crystal has some powerful energy." He panted, standing up straight.
"Something doesn't feel right here," Nigel commented as he moved towards the crystal throne. He inhaled as he leaned towards it, "We're not alone."
"I suppose you know that because your wolf senses are tingling?" Illius joked, a smirk curling over his lips.
Nigel shot him an annoyed glare, "Yes my werewolf senses are tingling and they are telling me that we are not alone."
"Are you sure you're not just being paranoid?" West shrugged.
Nigel frowned, "No." He growled between clenched teeth.
"He's right," Killian pitched in, "We're going to have to be careful."
A rush of energy ran through me as the heat radiating from the Crystal Key escalated. I yelped and the key slid from my hands, crashing to the crystal ground beneath our feet. The floor pulsated and rumbled.
"Ava, what did you do now?" Killian stumbled against a wall, the shaking gradually becoming stronger.
"I didn't do anything!" I objected defensively, "The key tried to burn my hand off!" I fell to the floor, scrambling towards the key and gripped it, tightening my fingers around it. The rumbling slowly came to a stop and I stood, panting. There, in the center of the room stood a stump of crystal that had grown from the ground. It hummed as I neared it.
"Rule number one," Illius said, holding up a finger, "Don't let the key touch the ground, noted." Will darted out of Illius' coat, dashing towards the crystal. He gazed down at it, his wispy form caressing its smooth surface. In the center, on the top of its flat surface, was a jagged hole.
The group gathered around it, "I think it's a key hole," Killian mused in thought.
I looked at the Crystal key and then back at the hole. The key slid in with ease and I turned it. There was a loud click and the room shook, the crystals behind the throne sliding to the side to reveal an archway of ice breaking off into a dark, hidden room.
"Ava!" Will chimed and flew around the throne, disappearing into the room.
"Will!" I called, dashing after him.
"And,we're following a wisp," Killian shook his head as he followed me, the rest of them trailing after. Veins of luminous crystals - the only thing lighting the way - crawled through the ice walls that surrounded us, branching off into three, cold, tunnels. Will floated in front of them, a smile on his vaporous face.
"Which way do we go?" Nigel frowned, peering down the tunnels.
Will made a little humming sound and swirled.
"We'll split up," Killian suggested, raking a hand through his bright, purple hair.
I nodded and stepped towards West. I stood on my toes and placed a lingering kiss on his cheek, "Please be careful," I said before slowly turning to Illius. I gripped the collar of his trench coat, pulling him down and pressed my lips to the side of his face, "You too." I then turned on my heels and strode down the middle tunnel.
West and Illius looked at each other, eyes wide, "Well that's confusing." West frowned.
Illius shook his head and jogged down the tunnel after me.
The tunnel continued to light up with every step we took deeper inside. The entrance faded into the distance. My fingers trailed across the crystal veins, the Crystal Key continuing to vibrate in my other hand. The passageway took a sudden turn, opening up to a tall ceiling and a wall covered in luminous multicolored crystals.
Illius trailed his fingers over the crystal, his eyes dilating, causing him to shiver. He leaned against it, soaking in the energy that emanated from the crystal.
"What are you doing?" I gave him a questioning look, frowning, "We don't have time for this."
"You're free to join me," He panted. My brows rose and I sighed, tucking the key back into my pocket. I leisurely moved to his side, eyeing him skeptically, "Close your eyes for just a minute." He said, taking my hand.
I hesitated for a moment before allowing my eyes to close. He lifted my hand and placed it flat against a cool surface. Immediately a rush of energy ran through my body, it was warm and cool at the same time, clashing with one another inside of me, heightening my senses. I became hyperaware of everything around me. The smell of minerals, ice and cedar wood blended in the air, filling my nose with the pleasant scents. A soft, drafty, cold breeze tickled over my face, playing with my hair. The sound of dripping water and humming crystals. Illius' breath in front of me, blending with my own heavy breathing.
I opened my eyes and they met his blue ones, "It's..." I gasped, unable to find the right word to describe it.
"Invigorating," Illius finished for me. His thumb brushed over mine on the crystal, his other hand reaching out to caress the side of my face as he took a step closer. I could feel his every touch, the tingles from where his skin brushed over mine, the heat of his chest, his breaths as they fanned over my face.
"What if I can't do this? What if I don't find the scroll and Morana destroys everything we know? What if I never find Luis or my parents?" I shook my head, swallowing hard, the energy from the crystals rushing through every fiber of my being.
"Tell me, Ava," He breathed, his voice barely more than a whisper, "Do you love them?"
Of course I loved them, what kind of a question was that?
"Yes."
"Then you have nothing to worry about. I've seen your determination, Ava. It's not something that can easily be removed. We all have demons, things that haunt us, things that cause us to believe the worst about ourselves. I should know," He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, "Slay your own demons, Ava."
"What if I don't want to?" My heart clenched and my gaze fell to the ground, avoiding his, "What if I just aggressively ignore this part of my life until it goes away? I could do it." My stomach twisted.
"That's definitely not going to work," Illius sighed. Sliding his fingers under my chin, he brought my gaze to meet his, "Why would you even think about doing something like that? It's not you, Ava."
"Because I'm not human, okay? And I miss it! I miss it more than anything in this world!" I exclaimed, studying his icy blue orbs, "I just want things to be normal again."
"'Normal' is a very versatile word. Normality is different for everyone, nothing is normal, not in the sense that you believe. It's time you make being a Soul Bound, normal," His eyes held me there, two pools of blue. The crystal vibrating beneath my hand was heightening my emotions and my heart hammered in my chest. Why was he looking at me like that? "And, Ava, I wouldn't have you any other way. Magic happens when you don't give up. The universe always falls in love with a stubborn heart."
I bit down on my bottom lip, "Your blue eyes are driving me crazy." I breathed. He had beautiful eyes. The kind you could get lost in and right then, I guess I did.
He ran his tongue over his lips, "Are they?" He teased, his voice dropping, "You're in my blood, in my veins, in my head and no matter how hard I try, I just can't get you out," He shivered and so did I, the energy from the crystal was escalating, intensifying the fire burning between us, "You're someone I shouldn't have fallen in love with," He panted, breathless. His fingers traveled from my chin, running down my neck, "I could start fires with what I feel for you. I want-" He stopped, tearing his fingers through his hair, "Never mind what I want." His voice was quieter, now.
"What do you want?"
"You," He whispered and I could almost hear the two words he left unsaid, lingering in the air between us, always you.
"Illius," I gasped, digging my fingers into the crystal wall, "Kiss me."
His eyes went wide, "No," and then he smiled, "You kiss me."
My lips parted as I sharply inhaled and then I stood on my toes, slipping my forefinger under his jaw, pulling him down. My lips closed in on his top one softly, almost painfully slow. I felt him gasp and then his arms were around me, pulling me to him as we leaned against the glowing wall of pulsating crystals.
He pressed my back against the wall, placing his hands on either side of my head. My fingers trailed under his coat to the hem of his shirt. They brushed over the heated skin of his lower abdomen, his lips working mine apart.
He suddenly flinched, biting down on my bottom lip, drawing blood. I pulled back, shocked and he shuddered, pressing against me as his wings feathered out from his back, shaking out. They rippled with bright colors of purple and blue and his wild eyes met mine. He leaned in towards my neck, deeply inhaling, "Fix it, please." He panted.
"Fix what?" I whispered, crushed under his weight against the crystal wall.
"Me," He winced, his lips brushing over the temple of my neck. I shivered, chills running down my spine, "Something is wrong with me."
I shook my head, placing my hands on either side of his face, forcing him to look me in the eyes, "Nothing is wrong with you, Illius."
"Then why do I feel like this?" He gasped, his wings visibly shivering as his pupils dilated.
I fought for an answer, but I didn't have one. All I could feel was the undeniable urge to hold him and never let go. A shockwave of energy rushed down my spine from the crystals and I crushed my lips to his again. They were warm, heated with a feverish desire and suddenly they were gone.
"I'm broken," He breathed, breaking away from me, "Ava," He panted, pointing at the wall behind me, "Look."
I pushed off the wall and turned around. There on the wall were two black handprints, burnt into the crystal with a thin, casing of ice forming around them.
Illius' handprints.