[wattys 2018 shortlisted]
Humans see her as a dangerous threat -a witch that must be executed. With the uncontrollable ability to form ice at her fingertips, Ravenna is forced into hiding amongst the humans, stealing to survive. That is, until she h...
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"ARE YOU SURE this is going to work?" Ravenna asked dubiously. She lingered at the edge of the magic forest, beneath the painted wooden gate that led into the marketplace.
Caelan stood in front of her, in his massive dragon form. Sunlight glimmered against his scales. The ground trembled a bit as he leapt upward, into the air. His massive wings started to move, allowing him to hover above the ground. The movement stirred the dust and small bits of rubble that coated the earth, causing clouds of tan-colored smoke to dance atop the ground. Ravenna grimaced and shielded her face as the clouds blew toward her.
"Of course it will work," Caelan said haughtily. His dragon-face almost appeared to smirk at her. "My plans always work out."
She rolled her eyes toward the heavens. "Yeah. Right."
She heard him laugh. The heavenly sound was quickly drowned out by his wings, which moved faster now, allowing him to shoot upwards. More dirt lifted from the earth around her and filled her lungs. A cough escaped her. She glared upward, watching as Caelan's dragon form disappeared within the clouds.
As the dust settled, Ravenna sucked in a deep breath of fresh air and exhaled slowly. She turned toward the gate, eyeing the navy colored wooden posts. The moment that she stepped between them, an invisible line of pressure slowly moved across her body — a forcefield of sorts.
Once she passed through it, she found herself in the very center of the city's market.
Her fingers clutched at the edges of her cloak, pulling the fabric closer together at the base of her throat. The hood that was attached to the cloak concealed most of her face within its shadows, including her crown of ice, which decorated her forehead.
It had been a while since she stepped foot into the city — but she didn't want to risk it. Especially not with her ice crown visible to humans.
The market itself was not as lively as she remembered it to be. Some of the shops had closed, wooden boards half-hazardly nailed to cover their doors and windows. There were less wooden stands and less shouting vendors in the streets.
The few people who did roam within the marketplace seemed sullen. Their expressions had hardened with hardship and pain. Weak smiles — if any — were exchanged between the humans. There was no laughter.
A heavy ache tugged at Ravenna's heart as she looked around. She knew that she had caused a lot of pain and suffering to the humans in this kingdom. The notion was even harder to see in person.
She squeezed her eyes shut and focused. A pearl of ice formed within her hand, freezing her cloak in its place and allowing her identity to remain concealed as she moved. "This should be easy," she told herself. "You can do this."
The anxiety that swelled within her almost drowned out the low rumble that began to fill the air. She opened her eyes and waited, watching the sky.
