Chapter 6

Flame

 I crouched at the corner waiting to see what was going to happen. The Royal Guards stood surrounding the house with expressionless faces. Crestwood had probably contacted since by the time I had pulled out my phone, the house was already surrounded. The only one with expression was Yerek, the second in command of the Royal Guards. He reported to me that Crestwood has the IceFlame under control in his house. When he reported this to me, I wasn't really listening but instead was looking into his eyes. His eyes had a sense of raging red, showing he was displeased and angered at the fact.

 This did not surprise me, for I have seen the many ways Yerek has tried to rid the Royal Guards of Crestwood. Anyway, Yerek was standing at the door, and rapped against the door 3 times. He dropped his hand in a rigid fashion, then, he did not move an inch towards any direction. Suddenly after what seemed like a millon decades, the door swung wide. Out came Renda, Crestwood's wife, Crestwood, and IceFlame. They strolled towards Yerek without much pause. I caught IceFlame hesitating though, looking around as if she is waiting for something to jump out. And as if on cue, something did, well two people did, a boy and a girl. It was Wasp and Pendrake, the two beloved twins of Renda and Crestwood.

 "What are you doing mom! How can you do this? She is the only person who is trying to-" The two children stopped and stared at IceFlame. They assessed the situation. Then they took 5 steps back and ran into the darkness.

 At this moment, IceFlame was shooting daggers at them. Immediately I knew, Renda and the two kids had been working, or at least in contact with IceFlame. I stepped from the shadows of the corner and looked directly at IceFlame. She turned to me with no hesitation. There was nothing in her eyes accept for fiery determination. And recognition. I grabbed her, something isn't right. 

 Then, the flashbacks started.

*Flashback-6 years ago, on Ice's 8th Birthday*

 "Ice! I'm going to find you! You wait, I will make you suffer so bad. So come out now!" I screamed. I was horrible at hide and seek, and she knew it.

 "Never ever ever! Not by my chinny chin chin! You may be a prince, but that doesn't mean you win every game! If you want, you can call quits. After that, I will give you a straw and you can suck it up!" She crowed from her hiding spot. I looked around to see where her voice was coming from but I knew it would be no use, she had mastered the form of voice throwing a long time ago.

 "Fine! I give up, you stubborn brat." I shouted, my voice echoing around the garden. Ice dropped from above and landed on my back.

 "Oof. You are heavy. Get off me."

 "Are you having a tantrum now? Aw, don't cry baby Flamie."  Ice taunted me with a cooing in the voice you would use for a baby.

 "I'm not a baby! Stop calling me that! If you were really my friend you would stop it! And I already told you to get off!" I dropped her onto the grass and stomped towards the house. We didn't talk for the rest of the day. Every few minutes I looked at her direction feeling guilty about shouting at her and accusing her of being not a good friend. She seemed upset and every time I tried to catch her attention she would turn away from me. I catch her sometimes staring at me forlornly but everytime I try to approach her, she slips away, seeming to avoid my presence altogether.

 It was nightfall, when I decided to approach her and confront her, she had slipped into the garden the last time I saw her. I strolled into the starlit garden and looked around, there was no sign of her. The night was lit up by just stars. No moon in sight. Clouds sauntered by every once in while, covering a bit of the starlight. The shadows casted from the sky seem to hold a gloomy feel and bad shivers ran up and down my spine. Something wasn't right. Suddenly, there was a piercing scream coming from the forest. It sounded just like Ice. I ran towards the sound, for some reason, now my mother was at my heels. We ran into a clearing, there a black figure stood over her body, hand on her neck. She was struggling on the ground. We could easily distinguish him as a vampire, not any normal vampire, a rogue vampire. Those are the most dangerous and unpredictable type and he looks like he is about to take Ice's blood.

 "Little cute girl. All alone. This's the best. Yummy. Virgin. Best blood. Hungry. Need blood. Yummy. Feast."

 By now Ice had stopped struggling, her energy drained, her body limp. Her eyes fluttered once before fluttering close and passing out.

 "Stop! Get away from her vampire!"He spun around.

 "A little boy! Even better. Stay there and let me finish this first. I will have you next!"

 "Never!"

 I started to charge at him but he race at me and pushed me backwards with great strength, sending me flying into an oak tree. The impact shook the tree and leaves fluttered down upon me. My head grew dizzy and the scene in front of me grew fuzzy. I shook my head, clearing the fuzziness before focusing on the vampire again. He had again bent over Ice and was about to bite right into her.

 "Yummy. Delicious. Virgin. Young. Best"

 His words came out in a mumbling mess as he got closer and closer to her neck.

 "Stop right there, Vamp! Get off of her, now!"

 Before he could act, mom raced towards him with incredible speed and knocked him over, away from Ice. I ran over to Ice, but she was unconscious. I carried her to the safety of the oak tree, at the edge of the clearing, before setting her down. I turned towards where my mom was. Both the vampire and my mom were bleeding badly and both were circling each other. Round and round in circles they went. First left, then right, then left. Not hesitating, I look around for a wooden stick that could work as a stake. Instead of finding a wooden stake I spot a sword. Where on earth did that come from? Thank goodness dad has taught me to use a sword. I ran to it and picked it up. It was light in my hands but not too light. Just nice for me to swing a painful blow. I turned to see the vampire leaping towards mom. I raced toward the vampire and struck. It went through the vampire. Stopping him in his tracks. He crumpled to floor. Seizing to move. Then immediately disintegrated into ash. I had killed the vampire. Spinning 180 degrees, I ran over to my mom, she was bleeding badly and had already lost a lot of blood. I tried to help her, but she refused to move anywhere.

 Instead she told me, "It is too late to save me, my young prince. Live with your good heart darling, and you will do what is right. Save Ice. You will thank me later."

 I tried to disagree with her, but she refused to listen. "Listen to me son, don't you there lose Ice, she is special. Whatever you do, don't lose yourself. Promise me son, promise m-"

 With that her eyes fluttered close, her breaths grew shallow until there wasn't anymore breaths and as if like air, my mom, my beautiful mom was gone. I yelled at her to get up, to start moving, to do anything. Hoping that she was only pretending, that she was only sleeping. But I knew better. I turned to where Ice, was just arousing. Ice. If she had never went into the garden, she would have never been attacked by that vampire. If she had never been attacked, my mom wouldn't be dead! This is all Ice's fault. My eyes hardened and my face turned into a scowl. Someone had to take the blame.

 "Get over here you stupid girl!" I yelled at her. She looked at me startled and confused.  

 "Fla..Flame, wh...wha...what's go...goi...going on? What happened?" She looked so pathetic. Her eyes landed on my mom. "Oh! What happened! Flame?"

 "You. That's what happened. Get over here now!" I was losing my patience with Ice. If she was ever my best friend she would have never been the reason my mom died. Ice scrambled over. I instructed her to help me bring back my mom's body to the house.

 When we got there, everybody looked frantic and worried. When they saw us, they gasped and immediately helped us in. My father looked ill.

 "What happened son?" he asked.

 "Rogue vampire attacked Ice. Mom died. That's what happened." He immediately caught my drift. He turned to Mr. Xavic. "Your daughter killed my wife! Hand her over now!"

 Uncle Xavic looked startled but then narrowed his eyes. "That is untrue Mr. Alpha, your son said that the vampire attacked Ice." Uncle Xavic shot back.

 "That may be true Xavic, but your daughter was the one who got into the mess first, she should have been the one who had died. Not my wife!" Dad screamed at him.

 I turned and noticed that Ice was no where to be found. I strolled up the stairs to where her room. She was on her bed, rocking herself back and forwards. When she noticed me, she looked at me. There were tear stains on her face, but that did not move me.

 "Flame?"

 "Hi murderer"

 "Murderer?"

 "You killed my mom!" I screamed at her. I pinned Ice to her bed and pressed the sword from the woods against her neck. "I should kill you." I continued. "But I'm not going to, since I'm a nice person." I made a slight mark on her neck, in the shape of a lightning. "I never ever want to see you again."

 Then I left.

 *Flashback ends*

 It was two weeks until I went over my mom words again, but I paid no heed to it. Now, IceFlame stands in front of me waving her hand. IceFlame isn't her, right? I narrowed my eyes at her and pushed her away.

 "Take her to the palace." I told Yerek. Then I turned to Crestwood and continue "Make sure she is in my study when I am back. I want to ask her a few questions."

 As soon as he was gone, I started walking, taking the long way back. I needed to think.