[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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RAVENNA ONLY HALF-LISTENED as Eoin and Mylo discussed their next plan of attack. She stood near the entrance to the tent. Her arms were crossed over her chest, her nails digging into the cloth of her sleeve. She poured all of her effort into forcing a happy smile onto her face.
The Blood Knights had managed to navigate the cursed forest, all thanks to Mylo's magic. The castle had been reclaimed. Every last ice soldier had been eradicated from existence. To any normal human girl, that notion would be worth an extravagant, celebratory feast. It would be the cause for an exuberant celebration. It would become a legend, passed down through the ages, in both written word and song.
Ravenna, however, wasn't a normal human girl.
The simple idea that Vyses and Lyth hadn't survived the attack made her heart ache. Tears threatened to appear at the corners of her eyes. Anxiety fluttered within her stomach —a swarm of outraged bees attaching her internal organs.
Her jaw clenched tight. She wasn't a normal girl, but she needed to act like it.
As Mylo and Eoin conversed, Ravenna was surprised by the amount of trust both knights showed her. Neither included her in the conversation, however when sensitive topics arose, neither lowered their voices. They discussed returning to the Capitol. Eoin wanted to travel through the kingdom, to completely free the other towns that had been taken by the ice soldiers. Mylo had to remind him —the Blood Knights were meant to guard the King, himself. The other, regular guards were more than capable of disposing of the rest of the ice soldiers.
Once the conversation died out, and Mylo had convinced Eoin to return to the Capitol, Ravenna cleared her throat. The sound of distant drums had reached her ears.
"It sounds as though we are missing a celebration," she told the men when both glanced her way.
Mylo met her gaze, his expression strangely soft. "We should join them," he said. "Celebrations are a healthy reminder of the joys a simple human life can bring."
Ravenna paused, her eyebrows furrowed. His choice of words seemed strange to her, almost as if there was an underlying message that he was trying to convey. "I agree," she said hesitantly.
Eoin chuckled, either completely unfazed or entirely oblivious to Mylo's statement. "I wonder what kind of delicious food awaits us," he said cheerfully.
"You both go on ahead," Mylo told them. "I will join you later."
"Make sure that you actually come this time," Eoin said to him, his expression stern. "I know how you like to avoid these things."
"I doubt he would genuinely miss a chance to witness such happiness," Ravenna commented off-handedly. She watched his reaction carefully. "It would really be a shame if you missed it."
His lips tugged back into a small smile. "Oh, I don't plan to skip this celebration. There will be much to observe and learn."
Eoin lightly touched Ravenna's arm. "Shall we?" he asked her.
