Secret of the Snow Queen (Fire and Ice Book #1) *GOING THROUGH EDITS*

CH. 16 Whispered Enchantments

                                                                                  Aurora

The whine of violins sang through the dark as I tried to make sense of the black. At first, the music was light and airy, like a delicate breeze dancing through a meadow. It was the sound of happiness, of celebration. Each note filled me with a sense of joy, a feeling of contentment that washed over me like a gentle wave.

But then, slowly but surely, the melodies began to change and the notes intertwined as other instruments joined in the fray. They grew more intense, more urgent. The once cheerful tunes twisted and turned, morphing into something darker, something ominous. It was as if the very air around me was thick with tension, with anticipation. A loud, steady beat reverberated in the darkness; it was as if an ancient people were declaring war. That's exactly what I was hearing.

War drums.

And then, amidst the cacophony, I heard it. The haunting vocalizing of women, their lamentations echoing in the darkness of my mind. Their words were like a mournful wail, sending shivers down my spine as they weaved through the music, intertwining with the melodies in a haunting symphony.

As the dream reached its climax, the music crescendoed to a deafening roar. And then, suddenly, it stopped. All I heard was the sound of silence, broken only by the sharp, metallic ring of a sword's slash.

I jolted awake, my heart racing, my body drenched in a cold sweat. For a moment, I lay there, gasping for breath, trying to shake off the lingering echoes of the dream. But even as I tried to push it from my mind, I couldn't shake the feeling that it meant something, that it was more than just a figment of my imagination. As I struggled to catch my breath, the panic from the dream still clutching at my chest, I felt a gentle touch on my shoulder. Startled, I turned to see Kelvin, his concerned eyes fixed on me.

"Hey, it's okay," he murmured softly, his voice a soothing balm to my frayed nerves. "You're safe, Aurora. It was just a dream."

But the memory of the dream lingered, its echoes still reverberating in my mind. I tried to speak to him about the music, the voices, the sword's slash, but the words caught in my throat, lost in the tangled mess of my thoughts. Kelvin didn't press for an explanation. Instead, he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close in a comforting embrace. His warmth enveloped me, grounding me in the present moment and easing the grip of fear that had taken hold of me. I wanted to remind him he had a fiancée, to leave me to soothe myself. But I stayed quiet still too shocked for any words to form.

For what felt like an eternity, we stayed like that; the only sound was the steady rhythm of our breathing. Slowly, gradually, the panic began to subside, replaced by a sense of calm.

"Thank you," I whispered, my voice barely above a whisper, but Kelvin heard me. He smiled gently, brushing a stray strand of hair from my face.

"I'm always here for you," he said softly. And in that moment, I nestled against him and relished the moment in his arms. That's all it was a moment; it didn't have any significance it wasn't supposed to. He was getting married.

He doesn't love her! It was probably all my fault. I cursed myself for enjoying being in his arms, for wanting him to take me far away from this place, for wanting him all for myself; I really was just like my mother...

He took the blanket he had slept in a few feet away and laid us back down. We fell asleep once again in each other's arms. This wasn't good...

The next morning, the soft golden light of dawn filtered through the windows of Violet's house, casting a warm glow over the room. Slowly, one by one, our companions stirred from their slumber, their movements accompanied by the faint creaking of floorboards and the soft rustle of blankets.