Page 3 of The Enchanted Frost

A flicker of relief washed over me before I could push it away. I shook my head firmly. Emotions had no place in this particular work—becoming involved with those I was destined to claim would only complicate matters. Yet despite my efforts to remain detached, the situation had already taken an unexpected turn.

I summoned my powers again, but they flickered briefly before vanishing entirely, swallowed by the still night. My magic had never disobeyed me before. I stared in disbelief at the empty space where it had dissipated, but although I could still sense its presence lingering beneath my skin, it seemedto have developed a will of its own, preventing me from claiming this enigmatic woman’s life.

This unexplainable riddle eluded me, leaving me with a sense of unease as the cold continued its relentless embrace. I stared at her, as if the answer could be found in her frozen features. She appeared entirely unremarkable—no different from the countless other souls I’d claimed—yet something about her held me captive, as mesmerized as when I watched the drifting snow.

Curiosity stirred, not the typical idle wonderings about the lives of the people whose paths I crossed, but a feeling that niggled something deep within my mind, an emotion so rare in my unchanging existence that it felt almost foreign. My breath mingled with the icy air as I knelt closer and stared at her, struggling to reconcile her presence with the unusual resistance I faced—this wasn’t mere stubborn magic, but a force beyond the simple cold I wielded.

I scanned the surroundings in search of clues, but the night remained still and silent save for the whisper of the wind rustling the bare branches. The snowfall had thickened, blanketing the world in white, while the icy breeze seemed to carry a faint whisper—a hint of something ancient and powerful.

Her ragged breaths gradually grew fainter, each one a testament to her struggle against the inevitable. Yet despite her nearing end, something hovered unspoken in the air—a subtle warmth that clashed with the frigid landscape, as if the snowflakes themselves were part of a greater design, one that held her within a cocoon of fragile protection.

A wave of understanding washed over me. In a world governed by ancient, immutable forces, the magic that resisted my claim on her soul must be equally potent, woven into the very essence of existence, rooted in a bond that transcended the mortal realm.

It was clear that something profound was at work, an ancient magic that bound this mortal to the world in a way I could not easily unravel. Such power tied to the connections between all living beings would transcend even death.

I hesitated, caught between my duty and the enigmatic force before me. My power, once unwavering, now faltered in the presence of something beyond my comprehension. The winter I controlled with ease seemed to waver, as if the forces at play were challenging the very nature of my existence.

This cold realization settled over me like the snow continuing its gentle descent, each flake a symbol of the mystery surrounding her final moments. Whatever force protected her, it was one I could not easily penetrate. I felt the weight of this ancient mystery hanging in the frigid air—a reminder that even as the harbinger of winter’s chill, I was but a small part of a much larger, more profound tapestry, with no clear path to completing my duty when the forces at play were beyond my control.

Though I was prevented from completing my usual task, my magic had led me here for a purpose; surely I wasn’t meant to merely observe her struggles. With a shuddering breath I rose to my feet, my gaze lingering on her frail form. After a moment’s hesitation, I made an instinctive decision and scooped her into my arms. I expected her to be heavy, burdened by the hardships of her life, but her malnourished frame proved light and I carried her effortlessly.

To my surprise, she didn’t flinch from my icy touch but instead nestled closer, as if drawn to warmth in any form, even from a being of frost. Her soft, shivering body pressed against me and my breath caught. I’d always existed in isolation, my magic and winter’s beauty my sole companions, but her proximity stirred something deep within me—a sensationin a dormant part of my heart that until this moment I hadn’t known existed.

Though I couldn’t fully comprehend this newfound feeling, it compelled me to hold her a little tighter. She seemed extraordinarily fragile, far more delicate than I had ever imagined humans to be. Despite my power, which was thwarted by an unseen force preventing me from claiming her soul, she remained on the precipice of death—a force against which I found myself helpless.

I moved slowly through the snow, my footsteps measured and deliberate to avoid disturbing her rest. She emitted a faint moan but did not awaken, her eyes remaining closed and her head resting against my chest in a fitful slumber. After a short distance from the village, I paused to adjust her in my arms. She groaned softly in response but quickly settled back into her position.

An unfamiliar sensation tightened around my chest. I frowned, concerned by the impact this mortal's presence was having on my immortal form, but I pushed aside my confusion in favor of focusing on the more pressing matter at hand.

The magic that had receded earlier rather than claim her frozen soul now eagerly responded to my command. I extended my hand and caressed the moisture in the air with my fingertips, gathering and freezing it to create a shimmering wall of ice. My power illuminated the frozen surface with a swirl of color and light, gradually forming an image of my destination before settling into a still, crystalline vision.

I glanced down hesitantly at the still figure in my arms. I’d never taken anyone through a portal before, much less a human teetering on the brink of death. Though I could bring her into my frozen realm, I knew I couldn’t revive her. My powers, so adept at creating winter, were helpless against the chill that was already consuming her.

With a wavering breath, I tightened my hold around her frail body and stepped into the portal. The magic curled around us, guiding us gently along an invisible path that existed on a higher plane than the mortal world we were momentarily leaving behind. One moment we were enveloped in a swirl of glistening blue light, and the next it melted away, causing our new surroundings to emerge like ripples settling in a pond to reveal a reflection.

We now stood in a vast clearing thousands of miles north from the nearest human habitation. At the crest of a snow-covered hill loomed a crystal castle, its mismatched turrets climbing to disappear into the freezing fog. The structure sparkled like a cut diamond, rising majestically as if woven from golden sunlight, a crown against the wintry landscape. Stones of varying sizes and shapes formed the structure, each a portion of the history I’d spent honing my craft. From afar, the castle appeared as a uniform sheen of white, but up close it revealed a delicate lattice of frost intricately carved into the ice.

The drawbridge lowered in welcome as I approached, my magic recognizing my return; I felt it swirling curiously around me and my unconscious guest. My footsteps echoed through the vaulted corridors as I carried my frail burden inside, heading to my chamber. I gently laid her on the frozen slab of ice that served as my bed. Though the sudden chill against her back made her shiver, she remained unconscious.

I crouched beside her, studying the first living soul ever to enter my home. Sunlight filtered through the frosted windowpanes, casting dappled patterns across her face. Even beneath the sunken cheeks and the haggard lines etched by her harsh life, she was quite pretty.

A glint of silver caught my eye and I noticed something protruding from a hole-riddled pocket in the side of herskirt. Curiously I bent closer, but as if sensing my movement, she shifted, her arm covering whatever trinket she kept close.

I stared a moment before extending an uncertain hand to wipe away the droplets of water that had formed against her cheek from the melting snow. My cold caress gradually lured her from sleep. She shifted restlessly, her brow furrowing, before finally opening her eyes.

CHAPTER 3

Blanche

Idrifted in and out of consciousness, teetering on the border of a dreamless darkness and the world that for all its harshness I still fiercely clung to. In the end, the instinct to survive that had consumed me ever since my descent into poverty eventually pulled me from the inky tendrils that sought to obscure my awareness.

The first thing I noticed was the cold far different than the exposure to the elements I was accustomed to. While not as penetrating as the biting chill that had consumed me when I’d frozen in the alley, this subtle, pervasive cold trickled over me like the tide on a frigid winter beach, leaving behind a trail of icy prickles that seeped into my body and caused my limbs to ache, a painful reminder of the reality that had dimmed temporarily.

My eyes slowly fluttered open to find an alabaster ceiling adorned with delicate carvings that glistened in the golden light—a stark contrast to the dirty grey hues of the alley of my last memory. I attempted to stretch my memory back tofill in the blank spaces between when I’d succumbed to the darkness and ended up here, but found nothing.

Was this…heaven? Reason immediately dismissed the notion; not only was it too cold, but a peaceful paradise seemed like the last place someone like me would end up.

Movement drew my gaze to the far side of the room where a man with an appearance unlike any I’d ever seen hovered uncertainly, watching me apprehensively, as though he expected me to shatter at any moment. Startled by his unexpected presence, I tried to sit up, but the icy air seemed to keep me bound to the glacial slab where I lay, as if it had frozen me in place.

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