Emberlin walked back into the cabin and rummaged in the coat closet, finding one of Talia’s winter coats.After switching out her favorite denim jacket for a thick coat that would have made her sweat with her magic at full power, she grabbed a hat and gloves and put them on as she joined her sister down in the yard.
Since they had to pool their magic together to open the portal, it wouldn’t last as long, so they had to hurry through.Low levels of magic tended to be less stable.
“I can’t believe we waited this long,” Emberlin said.“I feel like an idiot.”
“Me too.But soon enough we’ll get replenished, and we’ll promise not to do that again next year.Mother Nature would have a fit.”
“Indeed.”
They took off their gloves and joined hands, both touching the magic within them.As they spoke the words to open the portal, a strange feeling settled over Emberlin, but she pushed it away and focused.She could feel her magic ebbing as the portal opened in front of them.
“Ready?”Talia asked.
“Yep.The sooner, the better.”
They stepped through the portal, and the cold air seemed to pull the rest of the heat from her body.The portal crackled behind them, and Emberlin turned to look at it, only to see it collapse in an explosion of sparkles and smoke.
“Oh crap,” Talia said.
“Something happened to the portal,” Emberlin said.“It shouldn’t have done that.”
“No, we’re not where we’re supposed to be.”
Emberlin looked at her sister and realized how dark it was.The Portal was always well lit.She could hear the howling wind and feel the sting of snow against her face.The darkness stretched in front of them, and in the distance, she could see what she was pretty sure were the lights of Northernmost, underneath the Northern Lights.
“Talia,” Emberlin said.“The portal didn’t bring us to Northernmost.”
Talia squeezed her hand.
Out of the darkness, a dim light appeared and she realized it was the beams of two flashlights, followed by a doorway creaking open and revealing a stairwell down into the earth.
“Shit,” Emberlin breathed.“We’re at Frost’s lair!”
“Stop!”a male voice shouted.
“Run!”Talia shouted.
They ran toward the lights of Northernmost, struggling through the snowdrifts.
Emberlin was tackled, the snow fluffing up around her as she struggled on the ground.Talia screamed her name.With a burst of magic, Emberlin formed a defensive barrier of fire, and the male—gray skin and black eyes revealed in the bright light—howled and rolled off her.Emberlin fought through the snow to her feet and pushed forward, finding Talia just ahead of her.Grabbing her hand, they moved as fast as they could as the wind and snow whipped around them.She felt like she was so far from Northernmost, but they would get there, they had to.
There was the sound of rushing feet and Talia’s hand was pulled from Emberlin’s.She screamed for her sister, but the sound was swallowed by the howling wind.She spun around to search for her sister and saw her being pulled through the open door, screaming for Emberlin.
The door shut and the light was gone, and Emberlin’s heart cracked.
For a heartbeat, she stood frozen, like the ground she was standing on, and then she knew she had to get to Northernmost to Santa to get her sister back.Santa was the only one more powerful than Frost who could get Talia safely back.
Screaming for help, she moved as swiftly as she could over the rough, snowy terrain, wading through piles of snow waist-deep, her eyes fixed on the lights of Northernmost.The threat of Jack Frost was something she had always worried about in the back of her mind but had never thought she’d be face-to-face with his evil followers or that her sister might be taken.
Her lungs burned in the cold as she struggled to reach the safety of Northernmost.She tried to muster enough magic to warm herself, but her powers, nearly exhausted, faltered.Raising her hands to summon what little flame she had left, she let out a cry of alarm and dread as the normally brilliant spark of orange and red of her fire magic sputtered in the air in pale, dying sparks.
It didn’t even illuminate her hands.
She stumbled, tears freezing on her cheeks.
Forcing herself to look back, desperate to see any sign of Talia, the little bit of hope she had that her sister had managed to get free disappeared in the darkness.
Her heart clenched suddenly, a sharp pain that made her gasp for air.Was it her connection to Talia or something else?Pushing past the weird pounding in her chest, she turned back to Northernmost and kept pushing forward despite her steps slowing.If only she had her fire magic, she could heat herself or send a damn signal flare for help.Or the portal would have opened where it was supposed to in the first place.She’d never forgive herself if something happened to Talia.
