Queen of Summer's Ice (Book 2)

Chapter 34

     This time there was no one to stop me as I threw the dagger right into Ray's chest. No one to stop me as I burned Nazim and Hudson alive, or when I froze Aunt Palma and Zinnia from the legs down so they could watch as I disintegrated the other half of their bodies right before I froze and ended them.

     I woke up in a heavy sweat, my breathing heavy and in the dark.

     "Shh, shh, I'm here my love. It's me, it's me," Ray said.

     "I...I killed you. I killed everyone."

     "No, no you didn't. It didn't happen. It's just another bad dream."

     Another. Yes, it was just another bad dream in the string of restless nights this past week. It was coming back to me now. That poison really did a number on me. It had me in and out of consciousness this past week. I wasn't strong enough to be awake any longer than and hour a day. Might I confess that it was the most I had ever slept before.

     Ray's warm hands caressed my cheek as he shushed me back into sleep. And because I was ashamed of myself, of my powers for once, I let myself sleep.

     **

     "Mommy...Mommy wake up."

     I grunted as little matching hands gently tapped my shoulders. I had managed to rip one eye open to see Ivory and Dax in fighting gear. The sun was threatening to break through the mountains outside telling me it was morning. 

      "We wanted to see you before practice," Ivory said.

     Practice, right. I remembered in my haze of the past week that Alagan was training them to use their abilities. Yet, since he didn't really know fire, he had Aunt Palma help too.

     "Where's your father."

     "He's getting food," Dax said.

     I lifted myself to sit up, and found that I had a bit more energery than the past days.

     "Food actually sounds delicious, let's go meet him there." With a slight struggle I tossed the covers off of me and with sore muscles, remembered how it felt to use my legs as I fought for balance. It was weird to use my body again, and on my own terms, but it also felt like a relief to finally get out of bed.

     Each of the twins held onto my hand as we descended down the stairs. "How have your practices gone?"

     Ivory shrugged, "They're good mommy."

     "Learn anything new?"

     "Not really, just lots of breathing. But I know how to do that already! I'm doing it now!"

     I couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah, you're right my love. But breathing with fire, it's different because it gives it life. Fire is alive and it needs to be very very careful, okay?"

     "Ughh, I know. That's what Aunt Palma says."

     Though she was eager, I knew she wouldn't push her boundaries knowing that it could hurt someone. Again, another noticeable trait that differentiated between my mother and her.

     "What about you Dax?" I squeezed his hand, he squeezed back.

     "It's good."

     "Just good? Have you used it again?"

     "A little."

     As we reached the bottom I turned my kids around to look at me as I knelt down to their height. "Tell me the truth, are you guys scared of me?" It was a question that had been haunting me this past week. Out of everyone, I never laid a hand on them, but I feared of what my own children thought of me.