Page 16 of The Enchanted Frost (The Christmas Chronicles)
CHAPTER 16
I conjured a portal to take us most of the way, but once we entered Borealis’s territory, we became subject to his powerful influence—a realm where my magic held no sway, forcing us to travel the remaining distance on foot. I kept my arm securely around Blanche as we proceeded, but the farther we ventured, the more my powers waned in this primordial place where the true essence of winter reigned supreme. Rather than feeling in my element surrounded by the ice and snow, I felt like a mortal attempting to infiltrate a magical fortress. But we pressed on through the relentless blizzard, desperate to find Borealis and seek his advice.
With every step, the chill choking the air seemed to change, subtly shifting as if it were responding to the warmth of Blanche’s hand in mine. My heart, usually as cold and unyielding as ice, pulsed with an unfamiliar rhythm—a warmth that seemed to emanate from her and spread through me.
Her touch seemed to be altering my magic—whenever we brushed past the frost-covered surfaces around us, the ice patterns shifted into delicate shapes, reflecting her emotions rather than my intentions. The contrast between the warmth of her skin and the biting cold of the air grew more apparent with each passing moment.
As she exhaled, her breath formed soft clouds that lingered in the air longer than usual, slowly crystallizing into tiny, glittering flakes. Winter was intertwining with her being, not just in an abstract sense—her essence was merging with the frost I commanded, making it so I could no longer control every nuance of winter’s embrace as I once did.
The wonder in her widening eyes shimmered like the light reflected from the icy walls. “It’s like I can almost touch the cold, but it’s not painful. Instead, it’s almost…comforting.”
Each time our fingers brushed, I felt a small portion of my winter powers transfer to her, leaving a faint, glimmering trail of frost in its wake. Our souls were merging, not just in the emotional sense—her very being was absorbing my magic, making her another vessel for winter’s essence…which made it all the more imperative that we reach Borealis.
The chilly winds howled as we ventured deep into the heart of the ancient glacier where the Spirit of Winter was said to dwell. The frozen landscape stretched endlessly, a labyrinth of jagged ice and snow that seemed to swallow all light and sound. Above the sky was a swirling mass of dark clouds, a perpetual storm that blocked out the sun, leaving the world in an eternal twilight.
The frigid air grew denser until even I—who thrived in the cold—could feel it biting into my exposed skin, gnawing at the edges of my resolve. The ice cracked underfoot, and I tightened my hold around Blanche to ensure she wouldn’t slip.
Finally, we reached the center of the glacier—a vast, open expanse where the ice was so clear it seemed to trap the very sky within it. In the middle of this expanse stood a towering figure, his form ever-shifting between a swirling vortex of snow and ice and the outline of a human-like silhouette. This was Borealis, the ancient Spirit of Winter, whose presence commanded the very elements around us. He watched our approach, his eyes glistening like frozen stars, cold and distant and deeply inhuman.
When Borealis finally spoke, his voice echoed through the icy expanse, a deep, resonant sound that carried the weight of eons; it reverberated through the ice and snow, as though he spoke not through a humanlike voice that traveled through air, but somehow communicated through the elements of winter themselves. “Frost, Keeper of Winter. You tread upon sacred ground, where few dare to venture. What is it that you seek from me?”
I hesitated, the gravity of the situation pressing down on me, before stepping forward. “Borealis, I seek your help.” My voice was steady, but I couldn’t entirely mask the deep, hidden desperation that lay beneath the surface.
The frost-shrouded air seared my lungs as I took a deep breath. “I seek to save a soul—a mortal woman whose fate has become intertwined with mine. Her soul is destined to be claimed by me…but I wish to find a way to let her live beyond her appointed time.”
Borealis’s form shifted from a towering figure to a swirling blizzard as he regarded Blanche with an unreadable expression, as though weighing her worth. “You, who have served the balance for eons, now seek to disrupt the cycle?” There was no anger in his voice, only a thread of curiosity beneath the mighty but emotionless tone.
I bowed my head, my voice soft but resolute. “Yes.”
A deep, chilling silence fell over the glacier as the wind stilled. Borealis’s gaze pierced through me, as if searching the very core of my being. “To defy the ancient laws is to invite chaos. The balance of life and death, of winter and spring, is not something to be taken lightly. To help you understand, there is something I must show you.” He turned, motioning with a swirl of snow for us to accompany him.
The cold, crystalline silence of Borealis’s glacier fortress was broken only by the faint crackle of ice underfoot as we followed the ancient Spirit of Winter. Dim light refracted through the layers of ice that formed the cavernous walls, casting shimmering patterns that danced across our path. At any other time I would have admired the craftsmanship, but now tension choked the air, the weight of my choices pressing down on me like the heavy ice overhead.
Borealis moved with an ethereal grace, his form shifting and changing with each step—sometimes solid, sometimes a swirling mist of snow and frost. Though I had walked through winter for centuries, a sense of unease crept into my soul in this domain, where my own powers felt small and insignificant.
Finally, we reached a vast chamber, its walls lined with intricate patterns of frost that seemed to pulse with a faint, ancient power. At the center stood a towering pillar of window-like ice, within which a swirling storm raged, captured and held in stasis.
Borealis paused before it, his gaze fixed on the chaotic whirls of snow. “Do you see it, Frost?” His voice echoed softly, laden with meaning. “This is the heart of winter, the essence of the season you have commanded for eons—the balance of life and death, of cold and warmth, of stillness and movement. But now…”
I stepped closer, my eyes narrowing as I peered into the pillar. The storm within was not as it should have been. The winds howled violently, the snow swirling in chaotic patterns, crashing against the icy walls as if trying to break free. The once-perfect symmetry was gone, replaced by a growing turbulence that gnawed at the edges of the frozen structure.
“Now it is out of balance,” Borealis continued, his voice a low, mournful whisper. “The winter you have nurtured is becoming a force of destruction rather than the bringer of rest and renewal it’s meant to be. The cold is no longer just a time of slumber for the world, but a threat to all life, pushing beyond its natural bounds.”
The enormity of my actions settled heavily in my chest. “This is because I disrupted the cycle to save her.”
Borealis turned to me. “When you chose to spare a mortal whose life had reached its natural end, you set into motion a chain of events that disrupted the balance. Winter must have its end; without it, the cold grows unchecked, consuming everything in its path.”
The weight of Borealis’s words settled heavily over me. Deep down, I’d always known that my decision carried consequences, but I had never imagined they would be this severe, affecting not only my personal abilities and domain, but the entire world. I stared at the storm whirling within the pillar, a reflection of the turmoil ravaging my heart.
“There must be a way to restore the balance. Tell me what I must do.”
Borealis studied me for a long moment, his gaze sharp and unyielding. “There is a way, but it will come at a great cost. The balance can only be restored if you reclaim your place as the true Keeper of Winter, which means you must undo what you have done by letting go of the mortal you saved.”
My heart clenched, the unbearable thought stealing my breath. “I can’t let her die. There must be another way.”
Borealis sighed softly, a sound like the whisper of snowflakes falling. “There is no other way, Frost. By choosing to care for a mortal, you have begun to lose the essence of what you are. The signs of your transformation are already evident…not only in her beginning to manifest a portion of your powers the closer you become, but also in the changes taking place within you.”
Borealis extended a hand, and the ice beneath our feet began to shimmer. The surface smoothed, becoming a mirror. I gazed down at my reflection…but it was not how I remembered it.
My once vibrant, icy blue eyes had dimmed, while the frost-like patterns that had always danced across my skin were fading, leaving behind smooth, human-like flesh. My hair, which had once sparkled with the light of fresh snowfall, had lost its luster, becoming dull and ordinary. I reached out to touch my face, only to feel the warmth of my own skin—a warmth that should not have been there.
“I’m…becoming mortal.” The realization momentarily left me speechless. “But how? Why? ”
“Your bond with her,” Borealis explained, nodding towards Blanche. “Even as your powers have begun to transfer to her, she has tied you to the mortal world. Your feelings and desire to protect her have begun to thaw the frozen heart that is the source of your magic, weakening your connection to winter. And in doing so, you have begun to lose your powers. The more you care for her, the more you become like her—a mortal who is incapable of understanding and making the necessary sacrifices to preserve the balance.”
Panic surged as the implications of Borealis’s words sank in. I had known I was changing due to my deepening feelings for Blanche that were unlike anything I had ever experienced, but this was a fate I had never considered. “I didn’t know sparing her would come at such a cost.”
“Love and compassion are powerful forces, but they come with a price, one that is too steep—you cannot allow the world to descend into chaos and destruction to save a single person.”
My mind whirled with conflicting emotions. I had spent centuries as the embodiment of winter, a force of nature that was untouchable and eternal. But now, for the first time, I was faced with not only the prospect of truly living…but the weight of eventually dying should I lose all that I was.
I stared at my altered reflection in the shimmering surface, the image now almost like that of a stranger. Yet despite the unfamiliar features, each softened human line carried a memory of our time together, precious moments I could never regret that had warmed my cold existence in ways I never imagined possible. I couldn’t imagine returning to my former lone existence after experiencing companionship—not just a friendship, but a deepening, heartfelt relationship.
But at the same time, I couldn’t imagine allowing all of humanity to suffer the wrath of an uncontrolled winter, no matter how deeply I cared for Blanche. As I considered it, the warmth that had begun to thaw my frozen heart was tinged with a deep, gnawing fear. The thought of relinquishing all I had ever been and changing the course of history for the worse seemed unfathomable, especially for the fleeting time that measured a mortal’s existence. And yet…
“I don’t know what to do,” I whispered, uncertainty making my voice barely audible as I met Borealis’s unyielding gaze.
Borealis’s form moved closer to place a cold hand on my shoulder, the touch both comforting and heavy with the weight of our shared history, a reminder of the duty I had carried for eons. “Nothing can be allowed to stand in the way of preserving the flow of the seasons. I am truly sorry to ask you to make such a choice, but the balance must be restored. ”
Bitterness rose that Borealis could call it a choice while claiming that it was the only path. I felt a soft hand slide into mine, Blanche’s warmth stilling the blizzard inside me for just a moment.
Her voice was soft, yet filled with an urgency that mirrored my own. “There must be another way, one where we don’t have to lose each other…and where you don’t have to lose who you are. We can find it together.” Tears brimmed in her eyes, reflecting the flickering light from the icy walls, and her hands clutched mine, her grip a lifeline in the storm of my emotions.
“Blanche…” My voice broke. “I cannot take your soul, knowing what it would mean for you…and for me. I love you. Thus I cannot bear to lose you.”
Her breath caught at my confession, and for a moment joy lit her features, a stark contrast to the worry that had clouded them moments before. But this emotion was quickly overshadowed by fear as she realized the weight of my words.
Tears spilled down her cheeks as she leaned into my touch, her voice trembling. “I love you, too. Which means we must find another way to keep winter’s balance without losing you. Surely this is not the only possible path.”
Her plea struck me deeply, a reminder of the duty I had upheld for so long. Could I truly abandon that for my own happiness? My mind whirled with conflicting thoughts, but even amidst the uncertainty, one precious truth began to crystallize in my heart.
Borealis was silent for a long moment, watching us with a mixture of curiosity and sadness, as if aware of the battle that had been raging within me. “It appears this love for something so fleeting and fragile has exceeded even that of the season you’ve been charged with preserving.” His statement bore the note of grim finality .
At my nod, Borealis released a long, weary sigh. “If your love is sincere, and if it is strong enough to stand up to great testing, there is—”
“Another way,” Blanche breathed, her fingers tightening around mine.
Borealis’ inhuman eyes flicked towards her before nodding briefly. “But it requires a price beyond what most would agree to. Are you willing to pay the cost should you succeed?”
As I stood with the cold wind swirling around me, the storm within the pillar raged on, a reminder of the consequences of my actions as well as the fragile balance that depended on my choice. A chill ran through me that had nothing to do with the cold.
I took a deep, shuddering breath. “What is the cost? I will do whatever needs to be done.” Despite my gnawing unease, resolve made my voice steady.
Borealis shifted, his form becoming more solid as his gaze narrowed on me. “The price is your immortality.” His pronouncement echoed across the glacier.
At his heavy pronouncement, Blanche spun to face me with a horrified gasp. “ No , Frost. You can’t make such a sacrifice. I’m not worth—”
I couldn’t bear for her to conclude that thought. I cradled her face, silencing her remaining protests. “You will always be worth it, Blanche. Don’t let the regrets you feel for past mistakes make you doubt that you deserve love. Now that I’ve met you, I could never go back to the incomplete existence I endured before you came into my life; eternity is meaningless without you.”
My gaze fell back to my reflection, now more human than ever before. But it was more than a reflection of an immortal being losing his powers—I saw a man who had tasted love and had begun to thaw from the inside out; the frost that had once defined me was melting away, replaced by something warmer, more fragile, and infinitely more precious.
While with that thaw came the terrifying prospect of mortality—of a life lived and then lost, marked by weakness rather than control of the elements—looking at Blanche standing before me with love and fear warring in her eyes confirmed what my heart had long known: while winter was something I would always cherish, the season that had once been my only joy could never compare to her.
My heart clenched at the thought of losing Blanche, of watching her slip away like the snow in spring. What was my magic if it meant I lost her, or an entire eternity without the warmth she’d brought into my life?
I closed my eyes, battling the flood of emotions that threatened to overwhelm me. Memories of my past surfaced—centuries spent as the embodiment of winter, a force of nature that was untouchable and eternal. I had believed myself content then, detached from the world without ever knowing the depth of love, the ache of longing, or the fear of loss. But now, faced with the prospect of truly living—and dying—this once clear path seemed terrifyingly uncertain.
My heart was heavy with the decision that lay before me—the woman who had brought warmth to my cold existence, or the world I had sworn to protect? It was an impossible choice, one that tore at the very fabric of my being. Though my powers were an intricate, cherished part of me, what was my magic or my eternal existence if they meant I lost her?
“What happens to the world if Frost gives up his position?” Blanche’s voice distracted me from my swirling thoughts, and I glanced at the woman who had transformed from someone who’d never cared beyond her own pleasure to someone who faced an immortal being with concern for the fate of others .
Borealis met my gaze. “I will assume Frost’s responsibilities. Perhaps in time a new, worthy Keeper may be found and trained. But for now I will maintain the balance along with my own duties of monitoring and establishing the magical laws.”
A chill ran down my back that had nothing to do with the frigid temperatures. Borealis would do an admirable job of keeping order, creating storms, and dutifully harvesting souls. But one thing that had sparked tension between us in the past had been a disagreement on these precious human lives: while I took my duties seriously and never shrank from collecting the souls of those who had died due to the cold I nurtured, I had insisted on only taking those who naturally succumbed to winter.
In contrast, Borealis had at times urged me to bolster my power and better protect the balance by creating larger, more deadly storms or even targeting specific individuals who would be vulnerable should a sudden blizzard arise.
I shuddered to think of a winter under his dispassionate oversight. While I had never found my emotions involved before Blanche, I had always respected the humans who lived under my care. Yet the alternative was unthinkable.
“I cannot lose her,” I said, the finality in my voice surprising me. “But I also cannot let the world suffer for my choices. I will do whatever it takes to restore the balance. If that means giving up my immortality, then so be it.”
Blanche gasped and reached for me. I pulled her into a tight embrace, feeling the warmth of her body against my own—a warmth that had become more precious to me than any magic I had ever wielded.
Borealis sighed, his form solidifying into a towering figure. “Before you may make such a consequential decision, you must face the trial, Frost, to see where your heart truly lies and whether you have the strength to follow through with what you think you desire now. Once you have observed what I will show you, the choice will be yours. If you remain firm in your current decision, you may choose to become mortal, bound to the same cycle you wish to break. You will live and die as all mortals do, and the power of winter will no longer be yours to command. Only the sacrifice of something dear to you can change the course of fate.”
Blanche tried to protest, but I silenced her with a gentle kiss, pouring all my love and resolve into it. I stared into her eyes as I pulled away. “This is my choice, Blanche, one I make gladly.”
As we stood together, the ice beneath our feet began to shimmer, reflecting not just our images, but the love and sacrifice that bound us.
The cold wind howled around us as we turned to face the trial ahead, and I knew that whatever the cost, I would do all in my power to keep her. No matter the outcome of the unknown before us, with her my life would never be the same again thanks to all of the love she had brought to my previously unchanging life.