Origin (Book 2)

Chapter 30

While he was distracted, I jumped onto the side of one wall and back up to the ceiling before gravity could catch me. Running upside down, the top of my head grazed Freezerburn's, giving me an icy feeling as I passed over.

Referring to him with a villain's name helped me mentally fight him. I wouldn't hurt him if I thought I was facing a friend. Which, oddly, I did.

His eyes rested on the spot where I took off, then traveled along to where I was moving now.

I was making a mad dash for the door. Suddenly, my foot caught on the floor and I flew forward and down, catching my face on the ice.

I looked down at my foot to see it encased in ice. A glistening trail led to Freezerburn from my foot.

He took the stairs a step at a time. His thick boots echoed on the walls. He raised his hand to his air and seemed to communicate with someone.

"I have him," he said.

I looked around for something to smash the ice with, but I was in a bad position. Anything that could help me was too far away.

"Still fighting, I see," he said. "You're a resilient one, I'll give you that."

"I met you before?" I stalled.

"Not officially, unless your fantasies count," he said. "You called me Jake."

I didn't know what I found more disturbing, the fact that he knew what went on in my head or that I knew him.

"So you've captured me. What now?" I said.

"You and your sister are going back to where you belong," he said.

He put a thick pair of handcuffs around my wrists. I shook them to see if they could come off.

When Jake was satisfied, he broke the ice around my foot into pieces so I could stand up.

"Run, and you're dead," he warned.

I didn't run.

He pushed me to the back of a black van parked discreetly on the side of the road across the street from our house, freezing my hand against the inside. Soon after, my sister's frozen body was thrown in after me.

"She'll thaw out," he said. I heard the sinister tone in his voice, reminding me more of how dangerous the situation was.

I hope Mom is okay, I thought.

I heard something that sounded like crackling electricity.

Ice spread from the door around the walls. It covered the windows and blocked us from getting out.

In addition to this, it was also dark. I had to rely on touch and feel and my hearing to navigate the small space.

I felt for Sage's body. When my hand touched ice, my heart leaped up to my throat.

I rubbed my fingers together. They were dripping with water. They were just as wet when I touched the ground.

She really was thawing out.

I huddled against the side opposite Sage, not wanting to get wet with how cold it was in here. It was bad enough that she was trapped in ice; she probably had frostbite or something.

"Focus on a way to get out of here," the voice said. He wasn't shouting anymore.

"Working on it," I thought back.

I craned my neck this way and that, looking for an object that I could use to smash the ice.

However, the walls were bare.

I looked back down to where I knew Sage's leg was still completely encased in ice.

She's going to kill me for this, I thought to myself.

I grabbed her leg and pulled it to the back doors of the van.

"Good idea," the voice said.

How could he see me? I decided to ask him that question later.

The wheels started rolling under us. I bumped my head on the ceiling when we began to move over the rocky road.

I brought Sage's foot up, but since her whole body was frozen, her back came up as well.

Guess I'm about to find out how strong Jake's ice really is, I thought.

I brought Sage's foot down on the space where the lock was. It only rattled in its place, but I wasn't giving up after only one try.

Fortunately, Sage's ice cast didn't break either. I tried again.

When the lock didn't give, I made it my duty to repeatedly pound it until it would. In the meantime, I thought about how I had gotten in this situation.

With each hit, I got angrier. I couldn't be here. I couldn't let them get Sage after she saved me. And Mom...

"Ah!" I exclaimed. I threw down Sage's cracked foot.

"Quiet back there!" Jake shouted from the front.

The sound of his voice only brought my rage to the boiling point. I lashed out at the van doors.

I punched it over and over again. "Let me out!" I shouted.

A sticky sensation arose on my knuckles, but I didn't know what else to do. I wanted to be free!

Pressure built behind my eyes.

Why can't I get what I want now? I wanted to fly; I could fly. I wanted my speed back; I got it. I wanted to find my mother and I found her. I needed my sister, and she came to me. Why not now?

Then, the thought that sent me over the edge played across my mind.

Why does the universe have to keep screwing me over!

A blue tinge covered my eyes. A hot, powerful feeling overcame me.

The doors of the van exploded, clattering behind us in the street.

I remained only a moment longer, but for no reason other than to reminisce on the fact that I could shoot lighting out of my eyes.

I grabbed Sage's frozen body and jumped out of the van.