Ice Imbued
My magic warmed me as Silla covered everything in ice, even the people. After rescuing me from the gallows for witchcraft she’s taking her vengeance on the kingdom of Lovella. As she froze the world around her, she never let a single ice crystal touch me.
“Love,” I said. “Please stop. You’re killing the whole kingdom.” I touched her pale shimmering face and shivered.
“They were going to kill you. You’ve never touched any of them with your magic. Even when they tried to pay you.”
“They’re just scared of the magic. They lash out at things they don’t understand. Stop this.”
She leaned into me and I wrapped my arms around her. She was like a living icicle. Cool to the touch, a thin layer of ice on her skin made her glitter in the light. She had changed so much since my imprisonment. If I looked carefully, I could still see my Silla buried beneath the ice. Especially when she’s like this. Almost as soon as she softened against me, she pushed me away taking a step back.
“No. if they want to be scared, I’ll give them something to be scared of.”
She’s drunk with power. I have to help her.
“Silla, let’s leave this kingdom. We’ll build a nice cottage in the woods and get married. Please?”
There was a glimmer of longing and then ice stopped it in its tracks. “After I finish what I started.”
“Once you take a life with magic it will consume you. The darkness will always call you. Let’s go before it’s too late.”
“How do you think I saved you? Asking nicely and appealing to their sense of decency? I can’t stop until they’re all dead,” she said, her eyes closed as she manipulated the ice to spread further.
My heart sank. I would rather she let me die on the gallows than harm someone with magic. It’s too late. She’s feeding the dark magic with the deaths it demands. I could join her and answer the call of the darkness. Or I could stop her in the only way I have. I racked my brain searching for another way, but I loved her. Could I leave her?
Silla’s eyes flashed open as I stepped up and kissed her. She melted in my arms. I held her tight, refusing to let go.
“I love you so much. I’m so sorry,” I said, building my magic around us.
Her eyes widened in fear once she realized what was happening. “I rescued you and you betray me?” She pulled and pushed me trying to break free. I held tight.
My magic intensified. Blue flames turned white. Her scream echoed through the kingdom shattering the ice she created as we burned.
I whispered to her telling her I’m sorry and I love her until it hurt so bad I could only scream.
I woke up covered in ash. Silla was gone. I waited for the darkness to claim me for my sin, but there was nothing. It wasn’t until the villagers found me that I understood. I was to forever burn and rise from the ashes for using magic to take a life. My name is Phoenix.