"You will never be able to escape from your heart. So it is better to listen to what it has to say."
- Paulo Coehlo, The Alchemist
❆ ❆ ➳ ❆ ❆
"Hurry!"
Jack trailed behind the rest of the group, only vaguely aware of the panic that was rising with every step they took. His head was spinning and his eyes were glazed over. Everything seemed so far away. So out of reach.
Lucy tripped and fell in front of him and he blindly stopped to help her up, keeping a tight grip on her hand.
He hadn't even noticed he was still holding on.
The wind picked up and snow was falling in heaps, harsh and unforgiving against their cold bodies. Jack's feet sunk into the snow with every step, hindering his attempt to catch up with Peter - and more importantly, Edmund. The others were struggling just as greatly, the Pevensies even more so, as they weren't accustomed to trudging through the woods in the snow.
But he hardly noticed any of this.
Jack couldn't focus on anything in front of him. He could hardly see the group up ahead. Could hardly hear their screams. He was in a daze, imprisoned by the thoughts that flooded his mind. Thoughts of the Witch and Aslan and the coming war and freedom.
Oh, how he longed for freedom.
The humans were the enemy; that was what he'd been told. It was the belief that had been ingrained into his mind since day one. It was the only belief he'd ever known until he met Tumnus, who told him about Aslan.
More often than not, Jack found himself wondering if he could escape to find Aslan. Surely, Aslan could free him. Surely, Aslan could release him from the hell he'd been living in for a hundred years.
But every time he closed his eyes he saw Jadis and her wand, death following him even into his sleep.
He would never be free of her.
At last, they reached the top of the hill, freezing and out of breath. The Witch's castle stood before them; it was a sight that never failed to strike fear into his heart. He could hardly see the false statues that littered the courtyard, but he knew they were there, ready to fill him with the same sickly feeling he felt every time he walked past them.
Too many innocent lives would forever be lost among her house of sin.
The colossal doors opened, towering over the figure walking inside whom Jack could only presume was Edmund. There was a faint light coming from inside, illuminating his path.
Jack stood frozen, debating his next choice meticulously. Whatever he decided to do, there would be no turning back. He took a deep breath and prepared to run when Lucy's voice rang out through the silence.
"Edmund!" Her voice was rough and strangled against the icy air.
Jack closed his eyes, biting his lip and scrunching his face up. He was not going to cry. Certainly not in front of everyone.
He was better than that.
He was stronger than that.
"Shh! They'll hear ya!"
Jack opened his eyes again just in time to see Peter attempt to dart towards the castle, desperation and fear etched across his face. In one swift motion, Andie and Jack caught ahold of his arms, pulling him back.
He may have wanted to protect his brother, but this was not the way to do it.
"Get off me!"
"You're playing right into her hands!" Beaver hissed. This elicited protests from the female Pevensies, who were now huddling together, trying to keep each other warm.
"We can't just let him go!"
"He's our brother!"
"He's only the bait!" Andie scolded harshly. The three siblings looked taken aback and Andie's face instantly softened, as if she hadn't meant to snap at them. Jack could imagine she wasn't feeling very good about herself at the moment. She'd promised Aslan that she would get them to his camp safely and Edmund had already fallen through the cracks.
Jack sighed, knowing that his time was running out. "She's right. The Witch wants all four of you."
"Why?" Peter asked, his eyes still trained on the castle, as if he stared hard enough, Edmund might walk back out, perfectly safe.
"To stop the prophecy from coming true," Beaver said, finally grabbing Peter's attention. "To kill ya!"
The look of horror on each of their faces was enough to shatter Jack's heart. He couldn't imagine the thoughts that must have been running through their heads at that moment. He couldn't imagine how any of them must have been feeling. Lucy looked like she might cry while Susan looked as though she might burst.
And sure enough, she did.
Susan faced Peter, her expression somewhere between rage and sheer terror. She looked as though she might fall apart if anyone touched her. "This is all your fault." Her voice was laced with accusation, though Jack knew she must have been blaming herself just as much as she was blaming Peter.
"My fault?"
"None of this would have happened if you had just listened to me in the first place!"
"Oh, so you knew this would happen?"
Susan's face softened the slightest bit at Peter's sarcastic comment. "I didn't know what would happen." It didn't last long, however, and soon settled back into anger. "Which is why we should have left while we still could!"
"Stop it!" Everyone turned to face the youngest Pevensie. She no longer looked as though she was going to cry. There was a new air about her. Bravery, maturity. As if she'd grown up in the few seconds her siblings were fighting just so she could act as the mediator. "This isn't going to help Edmund."
Peter and Susan exchanged another look before casting their gazes downwards. The tension that hung in the air had dissolved, a dreadful silence enveloping the world around them.
"She's right," Beaver finally spoke, "Only Aslan can help your brother now."
"Then take us to him."
Jack turned his attention back towards the castle. Edmund had long since disappeared inside but the gates remained open, taunting him.
She knew he wouldn't be far behind.
No matter how much he longed to escape, he always found himself back in that prison.
He turned around to face the others, who were starting to walk back the way they'd come. "I'm going after him."
Andie stopped walking and turned around to face him. "Don't be ridiculous. You can't go in there."
Jack took a breath, his body trembling. It was now or never. Refusing to meet Andie's gaze, he spoke again. "I know that castle like the back of my hand. I'm going."
"What do you mean you-" Jack finally brought himself to look Andie in the eye, realization dawning on her face. "You work for Her."
Jack remained silent.
"You lied to me."
Jack's face hardened. He narrowed his eyes at Andie, who mirrored his expression. "I didn't lie about anything, princess."
The betrayal in Andie's expression was evident, but was replaced quickly by disgust. "Oh, don't patronize me, traitor."
He staggered backwards, feeling like he'd been stabbed in the gut. His eyes stung. His cheeks were hot. He could feel the tears threatening to expose him.
Was he really a traitor?
He'd never thought of it that way.
"I trusted you."
Her words cut like knives. Without even realizing it, she knew exactly how to get to him. She knew exactly what would hurt him.
He had betrayed the trust he hadn't even realized he'd earned.
He had lost the only friend he would ever have.
Jack swallowed back a sob, taking a shaky breath. When he spoke, his voice was flat, his throat suddenly too dry to get the words out properly. "Well, that was your first mistake."
By this point, Andie had moved in front of the Pevensies and the Beavers, shielding them from danger. The danger that, only minutes ago, she might have considered a friend.
"Edmund is going to be okay. I'll make sure if it." His voice was stronger this time. He glanced briefly at the Pevensies, their expressions indecipherable.
"Why should we believe you?" Andie spat.
"You shouldn't," he said cooly, finality in his tone. "But what other choice do you have?"
Without waiting for an answer, Jack turned and ran towards the castle. He didn't look back. He couldn't look back.
The gates shut behind him as he entered the courtyard, finalizing his decision.
Jack hurried through the courtyard, pausing only momentarily in front of a statue of a lion. A pair of spectacles and a mustache had been drawn onto its face. That must have been Edmund's doing.
Why didn't I think of that?, he thought to himself as he crept inside the castle, being careful to stay in the shadows. He positioned himself behind a statue of a centaur, peering around it to see what was happening.
Edmund was standing before the Witch, looking rather small in comparison. Jack couldn't see Edmund's face, but from the way he was cowering under her gaze, his captivating had worn of. He was no longer his usual, apathetic self.
"Edmund, I asked so little of you..."
"They just don't listen to me!" The words were spewing out of his mouth. Anything to earn her favor. Anything to fall deeper into her trap. It wasn't his fault, though.
Dark magic is no laughing matter.
"You couldn't even do that." She used the same tone of voice that she often used when she spoke to Jack. The voice that was meant to belittle him. To make him feel guilty and worthless. And now she was using it on this poor boy who had no idea what he was getting himself into.
"I did get them halfway." Jack stiffened as Edmund opened his mouth yet again. Was he really that enchanted by her that he would betray his family even more than he already had? "They're at the little dam with the Beavers!"
Shit.
The Witch's mouth curved upward into a malicious smile. She had gotten exactly what she wanted. "Well, I suppose you're not a total loss, then."
"Well, I was wondering." Shut up, Jack internally scolded the boy. Hadn't anyone ever taught him how to hold his tongue? "Could I maybe have some more Turkish Delight now?"
Jadis turned to Ginarrbrik, the dwarf that acted as her right hand man. "Our guest is hungry." Ginarrbrik pulled out his knife, pressing it into Edmund's back. "Jackson, how rude of you not to welcome our guest!"
Jack slowly approached the Witch, meeting Edmund's terrified eyes for only a brief moment before he was taken away. He was no doubt going to be locked up in the dungeon.
"Jackson, were my instructions not clear?"
"They were perfectly clear, Your Majesty."
"Then perhaps you can tell me why I have only one Son of Adam in my possession?"
"I failed, Your Majesty."
Jack could hardly feel the sting anymore. He resisted the urge to bring his hand to his cheek, where he knew there would be a mark. His face was raw, his eyes welling up with tears out of reflex.
Jadis grabbed ahold of Jack's chin, forcing him to look her in the eye. "You are worthless to me." She threw him to the ground, his skull colliding with the icy floor. He didn't move. Didn't even lift his head. "Have you forgotten the power that I hold over you? You are alive because of me."
He didn't dare react.
She bent down and lifted his face up once more. Her skin was pale - sickly pale. The fur of her cape brushed against his arm. It was the only source of comfort he would ever receive from her. Her breath was hot against his skin as she leaned in to whisper in his ear.
The irony was not lost on him.
"I know your secret."
He didn't dare breathe.
"You are a disgrace."
Jack's body was numb. The wolves tore past him in a blur, on their way to destroy everything he ever felt he could care about. Ginarrbrik came back, forcing him to his feet.
He felt nothing.
The knife pressed into his back, prodding him forwards.
He felt nothing.
Shackles were secured around his ankles, destroying any freedom he had left.
He felt nothing.
A minotaur threw him to the ground, gifting him with a swift kick to his ribs before the door slammed shut.
And still.
He felt.
Nothing.
edited 8.26.2020
***
my poor bby, i just want to give him a hug so badly 😭
i know this is a day late (but there aren't many of y'all at the moment so i'm sure you don't mind) but i didn't want to rush it . it needed to be written with the time and care it deserved.
so i've been re-reading the narnia books bc why not. and disney really got prince caspian all wrong. not even close disney. and they did peter DIRTY oh my god
anyway, there will be some major brotps forming within the next few chapters, so stay tuned
edit: again, i didn't change much about this one, just fixed some grammar and spelling errors. this was a chapter i spent a lot of time on so there wasn't much that needed to be changed.