Page 46 of Jilted By Jack Frost

Jack’s massive form still towers over me, but his touch remains gentle as he steadies me. “Are you alright?”

“Better than last time.” I glance around the crystalline chamber.

The massive throne dominates the circular chamber, carved from ancient ice and raised on a dais of crystalline steps. Towering columns stretch toward the vaulted ceiling, where delicate icicles hang like frozen chandeliers.

Frost patterns swirl across the polished floor in intricate spirals, and tall windows arch between the columns,their panes etched with magical designs that seem to shift in the ethereal light.

The whole room glows with a soft blue radiance that makes the ice walls shimmer like opals.

“Though I’d feel even better if we had a plan for dealing with your homicidal brother.”

His jaw tightens. “Gabriel will come for us here. He’ll feel us arrive.”

A blast of ice shatters the nearest window. I dive behind a pillar as shards spray across the floor.

“How touching.” Gabriel’s voice drips with disdain as he steps through the broken window. “The lord and his little whore, reunited at last.”

Jack moves to shield me, but something stops him. Ice creeps up his legs, holding him in place.

“Your magic is weak, brother.” Gabriel circles us slowly, his boots clicking against the frost-covered floor as he forces us away from the throne. The sound echoes off the cold walls, multiplying until it seems like we’re surrounded by phantom footsteps. “All those centuries maintaining the separation between realms, when you should have been embracing the connection.”

I dart between two columns, their translucent surfaces casting prismatic shadows across my skin. Jack moves in the opposite direction, drawing Gabriel’s attention away from me.

“Our father was a fool.” Gabriel’s voice softens, losing its sharp edge. “At first, I believed him when he said bonds to mortals would destroy us. But the more I studied the prophecies, the clearer it became—denying the connection is what truly weakens us.”

He runs his fingers through his dark hair, looking between Jack and me. “Look what happened to Father. His refusal to accept your Mother’s love poisoned him from within. The ice took over until nothing remained but a frozen husk.”

“You’re wrong,” Jack says, but uncertainty creeps into his voice.

“Am I?” Gabriel’s gray eyes lock onto mine. “You feel it already, don’t you? The way your magic surges when she’s near? The prophecy never meant she would destroy you, brother. She makes you stronger. Just as your mother could have made Father stronger, if he hadn’t been too proud to let her in.”

My heart pounds as Gabriel’s words sink in. Could he be right? Has Jack been interpreting everything backwards this whole time?

“Father was a fool who feared what he didn’t understand. How do you think you were able to defeat him when you were just coming into your own magic?” Gabriel flings another ice blast.

Without thinking, I step in front of Jack. The ice hits my outstretched hand and... dissolves. Warmth floods through me, familiar yet foreign—like the heat of summer sunshine filtered through winter frost.

What the hell?

“Ah, there it is.” Gabriel’s smile turns cruel. “The truth reveals itself at last. Tell me, little nurse, haven’t you ever wondered why you’re so good at healing? Why your touch seems to bring life back to the dying?”

My hand tingles with residual energy. “What are you talking about?”

“You’re a Soul Healer.” Jack’s voice is filled with wonder. “That’s why the ice responds to you. Why our connection felt so natural.”

“A what now?”

“A mortal born with the ability to heal magical beings and realms.” Jack breaks free of the ice at his feet. “They’re incredibly rare. The last one...”

“Was your mother.” Gabriel hurls another icy attack, but this time, Jack deflects it easily. “And look how well that turned out for her.”

The air crackles with power as Jack steps forward, his hand finding mine. Energy surges between us—not just his winter magic or my apparent healing ability, but something new. Something balanced.

“You’re wrong, Gabriel.” Ice spreads from Jack’s feet, but instead of the usual stark white, it shimmers with rainbow hues where it touches my shoes. “I watched her over the years. She made her choice and chose love.”

Gabriel’s face contorts with rage. “No. I won’t let you ruin everything I’ve worked for.”

He launches an attack against us, but the moment his ice magic connects with our joined hands, it transforms. The frozen spears turn to delicate frost flowers, their edges glowing with that same opalescent light I’d seen in the courtyard.

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