Fated Fairy Tales - Cold As Ice

Cold as Ice - Chapter 2

Benson’s POV

It was so dark and the flames were so high, I could almost see anybody. I had to step towards Ora to see who she was referring to. I could see a figure but not make out if it was male or female. I squinted and finally noticed it was a girl. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I borrowed Phillipe’s vision. There must be something wrong with his eyesight. Maybe the stress has gotten to me. The girl then got to her feet, and I knew “Rhea?” I yelled, still not quite believing it was her. I had dreamed of finding her for so long. I was so overwhelmed that tears left my eyes as I sprinted towards her.

I just kept thinking about the fact I’d finally found my baby sister. I ran to her, calling out her name. She came running to me. As soon as she got close, she leaped into my arms and nuzzled her face against my neck. “Thank you, goddess. Thank you.” I whispered as I wept.

A wave of emotions I had suppressed hit me all at once. I held her tight, and I never wanted to let her go. “It’s fate,” I told Phillipe. It has to be. What if I hadn’t gone with Principal Sinker that morning, or if I hadn’t been chosen to go to Beta Academy? I would never have found Ora. If I hadn’t followed Ora here, I would never have found Rhea. But here we are. “I can’t tell you how much I’ve missed you,” I say while I inhale her scent.

“Benson. Benson, it’s you,” she cried into my neck.

Reluctantly, I put her feet on the ground, and she dragged me over to the fire and sat me down. “How is everyone? Mom, Dad, Paulette?”

“They miss you like crazy. Dad made Paulette’s dad the new Beta. So that Paulette could get into Beta Academy.”

“She deserves it. She helped save everyone.”

“All except one,” I said, pressing her hand to my face. How I wished she’d come home.

“All except one that didn’t need to be saved,” she corrects me. “Benson, I had a chance to discover who I was. What I am.” She takes a deep breath and her shoulders relax. “I’ve missed you so much. But it has been worth it.” She says as she opens her hand and a flame appears.

“What the goddess?” I said, staring at the flame. “Does it not hurt?”

“No,”

“How?” I asked, going to poke the flame. To which Rhea closes her hand.

“Ellie tells me the only way I got an elemental power is because I’m half-witch and both goddesses blessed me with an elemental power,”

“I thought you were dead the whole time you were missing. You don’t know what I went through. It messed me up, and I nearly got kicked out of Alpha Academy. That all changed when Paulette was found.” I looked into Rhea’s eyes. “I love you. No matter who you are or what your biological parents were. You will always be my sister.”

She hugs me and apologizes. “Benson, you don’t know what I can do. Ellie has taught me so much.” She looks at me. “Is she letting you come to Dragon Valley with us? With Ora?”

“I don’t know what that is. But I will not be losing you again. Besides, I think Ora’s my mate.” Rhea bounces about excitedly. Then freezes.

“She doesn’t know, does she?” I shake my head. “That must be hard, Benson.” She says sympathetically. For the rest of the night, I held my sister in front of a roaring fire and I told her everything. How I met Ora over a year ago. What I went through after she went missing. How I struggled at Alpha Academy. The attack on Beta Academy and finding Ora.

Rhea consoles me, telling me about her k********g and Ellie contacting her. “I’ve been learning about my ability. Learning how I can help Ellie fight Millicent. I always planned on returning home. Eventually.”

“What about Alpha Academy?” I asked skeptically. She has already told me about helping Ellie.

“Come on, Benson. I can make fire shoot from my hands. What can Alpha Academy offer me?”

“You’re part wolf. How does she feel about this?”

“Brittney is quite placid. She’s happy that part of us is strong.” She smiles at me. To which all I can say is that as long as it’s what she wants, I will support her, and she will always have a home in my pack. Assuming I am allowed to take over a pack. I’ve not graduated from Alpha Academy.

We talk most of the night, and I hold her as she falls asleep leaning against me.

In the morning, Ellie announces, “We need to leave.”

“Can Benson come Ellie?” Rhea pleads.

Ellie looks at me skeptically, then she nods her head. “They have training to do. As long as you don’t interfere,”

Being the smartass I am, I retort, “Like you could even stop me.”

Ellie smirks at me, then points a finger at the puddle I am standing in. “Oh, I could stop you.” She says as she walks away. Rhea and Ora snicker and follow her. I try, but my feet are frozen in place.

Did she do that? I say to myself as I try to break out of the ice. No, that’s impossible. Or is it? Rhea can manipulate fire. Ora Water. Why can’t Ellie control ice? I had better be careful, or I will be the next Iceman.

I abandon the Wolf King’s car, as it undoubtedly has a tracking device linked to it. Ellie drives us in her truck to a human town in North Dakota. She tells us we both need a passport. “I already have a passport,” Ora tells her, waving a passport in front of Ellie.

“Yes, and it has your real details on it, easily trackable.” She says, snatching it out of Ora’s hand and ripping it up. “Where we’re going, I don’t want anyone to follow.” Ora seems to have a lightbulb moment and we both enter the shady-looking shop Ellie guides us into.

We waited a few hours, and then we received our newly acquired documents. Ellie drove us back to the nearest international airport as we were to fly to Reykjavík. To say I was panicking as we entered the airport was an understatement. My heart was racing, my palms were sweaty, and I felt sick. Ellie pulled us aside. “Benson, if you don’t calm down, you’re going to get us caught. I can’t have that, and we will have to leave you behind.”

“I can’t help it. We’re going to get caught and locked up. I know it.” I pant. To this, Ellie tuts and rolls her eyes.

“How about Ora holds your hand?” Rhea suggested. “Maybe she can calm you down.” I know why Rhea said it. The mate bond should be able to help me relax. But Ora grimaces as she takes my hand, telling me how clammy it is. But touching her makes me feel more at ease. Security is a breeze then.

Aboard the plane, Ora sits next to me, and it feels like old times. I wanted to lean over and kiss her, to feel her lips against mine. To feel that sensation of electricity again. But I don’t know if it will go down well, considering the circumstances that brought us back together. So I settled for touching her hand.