Page 26 of Fire & Ice

Amazement coursed through my veins, I knew I had to keep this newfound strength hidden. All I wanted was to find solace in the darkness as I tried to forget about Beauregard’s betrayal. How could he become mated—to Tempest of all women—when I had offered him everything?

My heart raced as I stumbled around the palace grounds, my mind clouded with anger and hurt. I could feel the darkness in my soul, whispering to me of the power I had discovered and what I could do with it. I wanted nothing more than to drown out those thoughts, but they persisted, tempting me with promises of revenge and control.

As I turned a corner, something bumped into me sending a chill wind through my hair. The air was thick with a stillness that made me shiver. Something powerful was about to unfold.

I heard whispers coming from all around me and my feet stopped dead in their tracks as I felt a presence behind me. I spun around and saw Charlie Snowden standing there with an unreadable expression on his face. He stepped forward and looked at me for what seemed like forever before speaking, his voice low yet firm, "I've seen what you've done today," he said simply. "Your gift has matured quite a bit since you were elevated to Halfling.”

My heart sank. I knew he wasn't here by accident. He wanted something from me. "I-I..." I stammered, but words failed me.

Charlie chuckled dryly as he took another step closer to me. His gaze bore into mine as he spoke again, his voice dripping with skepticism, “You really think that your gift alone will get you what you want?”

I felt the sudden impulse to lash out at him, but something in his tone kept me rooted in place. There was a foreignness in his eyes that sent chills down my spine, as if he had power over anything I could imagine. I knew then that Charlie was no one to be trifled with.

"What do you want from me?" I asked, trying my best to keep myself composed.

Charlie gave me an unfriendly grin. "I want to make you an offer," he said. "One that you would be foolish not to accept."

My eyebrow rose in curiosity against my will. "And what would that be?"

He leaned in closer until I could feel his breath on my face, and I heard his words as dark as night.

"I want you to join me. Let me show you secrets of deep sorcery so you can surpass all expectations for your gift and become more powerful than anyone you have met before." His gaze gleamed with the knowledge of ancient spells, confirming the tales of his newly gained power.

“But why are you even helping me? What benefit is it to you to have me join you?” I inquired suspiciously.

“Because I know that you are the only one who can help me to get what I want. Or should I say, who I want,” he replied, his eyes flashing dangerously as he explained.

“I have been in love with Tempest for years. I have been working on my magic and left my birthright in order to find a way to ensure we would become mated. When I introduced her to Beau at the Blood Moon Ball, I didn't think it would lead to anything more than a dance. Working together with you is our best chance of making sure they get separated and she becomes mine."

I stared at him in disbelief. This was not the Charlie I knew. He had come a long way since we met in our final year as gifted. Now as a halfling, he was on a whole other level of power and ambition. I wasn't sure how to respond, but if there was one thing I did know, it was that I wanted to learn how to make Beau mine. And if Charlie Snowden was the key to that, then I was willing to work with him.

"Okay," I said finally, nodding my head.

Charlie smirked. "Good." He held out his hand for me to shake. I took it firmly, already feeling the thrill of power surging through my veins.

Suddenly, he yanked my body into his and whispered in my ear, ”Come, let me give you just a taste of my ancestral power.”

Chapter 28

Charlie

I pulled her close, my chest against her back as I curved my arm tight around her waist. I stared out into the void around us with malicious amusement and raised my hand to the sky.

A powerful gale swept us away from the palace grounds, soaring through the air until it deposited us on the grass in front of my home. Sara's eyes filled with wonder as she took in the beauty of our surroundings, and I couldn't help but take pride in that look. As if she had known what she'd find, Sara glanced over her shoulder and asked if this was all me. With an arrogant grin, I responded with a simple nod.

She followed me down a hidden staircase beneath my home, captivated by the array of magical artifacts surrounding us. I watched her face light up as she ran her fingers along the ancient scrolls, feeling their wrinkled parchment under her fingertips. The flames of the candles illuminated the area like some kind of dreamlike paradise, and for one brief moment I allowed myself to forget why we'd come here.

"This is what I've been working on," I said, handing her a simple gold watch. Its face was encrusted with diamonds, but instead of a clock there was simply a swirling void. "It's called Leverage, and it grants the wearer control over certain elemental powers."

Sara's eyes widened in amazement. She had never heard of such magic before! A plethora of artifacts and tomes lay housed around us, objects of power that she recognized from history books of magic long ago held and lost.

I leaned back against the stone table, my body relaxed and my brown eyes hooded as I watched her explore my collection with awe. Sara bent over the items, picking them up one by one and examining them with care. The artifacts that caught her eye were a leather-bound book written in the old Vampiric language, a silver ring with a bloodstone in its center, an ornate silver chalice and a glass bottle filled with shimmering liquid that sparkled under the candle light.

My amusement bubbled as I watched her inspect every piece one by one, as if discovering them for the first time. I chuckled softly as I saw her grasp the chalice, its silver glow glinting in the candlelight.

"My, my, my," I chuckled aloud. "Aren’t you the little explorer." With a smile I continued, "This chalice is powerful. As you can see it was forged from pure silver. But what you can’t see is that it has been enchanted to conjure whatever liquid is desired at any given moment—a potion, wine, blood, or even holy water."

I held out my hand for the chalice, eager to show her its power. I gripped it tight with both hands and closed my eyes. As soon as I did, it started to bubble, filling to the brim with thick red liquid. I put the chalice up to my lips and drank. The taste of the blood filled me with satisfaction and a single droplet trickled down the side of my lip. I caught it on my thumb before bringing it to my mouth to finish every last drop.

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