Jack could only ever watch from the other side of the window, where he was cursed to be separated from Kiara's life, and still allowed a clear view of it unfolding without him. Of course, he remained invisible to all people near her, except Kiara herself, and the winter spirit took advantage of his ability to watch over her unnoticed by anyone else.
There was a man with her now, tall and handsome, towering above her like a tombstone over a grave. He had to be older than her, at least in his early 20's... but Jack knew Kiara was only 18. He'd watched over her since she was six, and even though he hadn't visited often in the past four years, he knew she was well into her early adult years. Just like he was, but not trapped at that age for eternity. She's still too young for him... She's still too fragile.
The man stood near the doorway, leaning with his fisted hands covering his mouth as he studied Kiara with dark, unreadable eyes. There was nothing tender or loving in the way he looked at her, if he really called her his fiancée. She leaned against the bed away from him, her gaze kept low, but occasionally flicking up at him as if she were afraid to make eye contact.
"I expected you sooner tonight, Kiara." Jack could hear him speak now, his deep voice sounding more like a restricting father scolding his disobedient daughter. "Why haven't you come to me before now?"
Kiara lifted her gaze now, smoothing down her soft night dress with her hands. "I wasn't feeling well, Mason."
"So, as your future husband, I am unfit to ease your suffering?" The man, apparently called 'Mason' straightened up and took a pace towards her, cocking his head to the side. "You truly hold yourself that much higher above me?"
Jack glanced at him, his stomach clenching with growing dislike. Kiara is miles above you, idiot.
"I'm only your company ballet partner," Kiara responded, her voice sounding more even as she lifted her chin in an almost mocking manner. "In the end, I'm no more worthless than you are." And while Jack felt a jolt of triumph at her swift retort, Mason only swelled in front of her and took a heavy pace towards her, causing Kiara to shrink back against the bed frame. He didn't hear it, but he saw her stiffen as she stumbled slightly and caught herself. She's so scared of him...
"You were nothing until you were paired with me," Mason hissed, and Kiara flinched away from the rage in his voice. "You should thank me, wife, seeing as I so graciously saved your pathetic performances from mediocrity."
Oh, the gracious future husband... The winter spirit nearly gagged on those words as he watched from the window.
And as he hoped and prayed that Kiara knew he was there listening, Jack's resentment towards her fiancée simmered deep inside him and he could hear the rumblings of his cold winter storm coming. He wouldn't stop it; he didn't care, if it meant he could force Mason away from Kiara.
He watched the girl as she leaned against the bed away from him, her gaze kept low, but occasionally flicking up at him as if she were afraid to make eye contact. "The company took me after my mother, Mason." Kiara met his gaze steadily, even as he advanced on her. But all of her previous strength had vanished as he neared her. "They took me before they found you."
Jack still watched, his chest tightening as Mason stopped directly in front of her and stared down at her, his dark eyes swimming with that unreadable expression again. Kiara leaned against the bed frame, cornered like an animal, her gaze faltering as she tried to look him in the eyes once more. But Jack could see she was afraid in the presence of the man towering over her, and the sprite hated him more with every second Mason spent silently shaming her. The young woman was too beautiful, too delicate for this world, and she deserved a thousand times better than what it gave back to her.
Then suddenly, Jack's heart stopped as Mason struck out a hand and hit her across the face. He heard Kiara's whimper as she staggered away from him, and towards the window, towards her protector on the other side, her breathing short as she covered her bruised cheek. And in that moment, the wild storm brewing outside overtook him, and Jack sent a raging gust of wind slamming against the casement, sending rippled shudders across the whole room and cracking the glass all the way across.
Startled by the crashing impact, Kiara gasped and whipped around, her tear streaked gaze finally meeting his as Mason stumbled backwards in terror. "Jack, don't..." she whispered, her voice breaking again and Jack saw an endless stream of tears slip down her cheeks. "Please..." she begged him again, and he looked deep into her beautiful eyes, feeling his own brimming with emotions he could never express to her in words.
I have to keep you safe from him, Kiara... I have to.
Jack glanced over her shoulder as Mason regained himself, fixing his coat and hair before he stared at her with incredulous eyes. A look of shock and disbelief clouded his face as Kiara turned to face him again. "You're cursed, woman..." he spat at her, the venom in his voice lashing at her like whips. "The devil follows you and I shall have nothing to do with it." Then he left the room and left Kiara as she collapsed against the window again, her chest heaving in painful sobs.
"Kiara..." Jack whispered, pressing a palm to the cracked glass. His frost spiraled over the surface like silver ferns, turning her attention back to him. "I can't let this happen to you. Not anymore-"
"Don't defend me, Jackson..." she cut him off, touching the place where his hand rested with her own. "He'll tell everyone I'm cursed, or possessed... and he'll ruin everything." As her voice broke into another sob, her eyes fell to where their hands nearly touched, if not for the despicable glass separating them. Jack inhaled painfully, gazing at it too, wishing he'd made it shatter completely and fall away from between them. Then at last, he could save her, steal her away from this place. He could save the beautiful soul he saw withering away before him.
"He'll destroy you, petal..." the spirit breathed, pressing his forehead to the cold surface. "He'll keep hurting you and hurting you... until you can't take it anymore." He closed his eyes for the millionth time, icy tears falling against the glass, savoring his longing to be close to her. To take her pain away, to end her misery... but somehow, his love burning inside for her was only hurting her more. He wanted her in his arms only, to keep her safe and warm, make sure she was happy there, and it was killing him more than anything he'd ever felt before. "And then, he'll steal you from me, Kiara," Jack whispered, hearing his voice shudder through him again, catching in his throat.
She bowed her head against the broken window, another agonized sob forcing its way through her at last, before she whispered back, "I'm not yours to have, Jack... you know that."
"You're not his either," he protested softly, looking back at her once more. "You will never be his... I won't allow it." His heart clenched painfully as he felt the separation widening between them once again, and the voice of grief inside him silently cried out for her. Run away with me, Kiara!
But she pulled away, looking away from him as she murmured so quietly he almost didn't hear her, "Neither of us have a say in what happens next."
Numb with despair, Jack stared after her as she wiped her tear-streaked face, now slightly bruised from Mason's strike. She seemed to pull herself together, like always when she had to face the outside world again, but the winter spirit felt himself falling more apart than he had ever been. Tormented by his growing angst and his eternal heartache as even his best friend rejected him. And what would Kiara do on her own if she convinced herself she didn't need him anymore?... That she didn't want him, no matter how much Jack couldn't find the strength to go on without her.
She had grown so much from the precious child he found lost in the town, the one he guided home and watched grow into the breathtaking young woman standing before him. Strikingly beautiful in all that she was... a diamond tiara in the hands of cruel and greedy thieves. The same stunning woman he always knew she'd become, the same one he swore he'd protect, now turning away from him, her guardian angel. I don't want you to...
Jack's storm had already died down and passed. Now there was just a soft snowfall around him, drifting down like a mockery of the life he was forced to fall back on. Where he was forever alone, with a memory of the girl who belonged to him, once upon a time.
But she's right... his heart cried yet again. She can never belong to me.
The truth forced him away from that window and back into the freezing winter night. The immortal being who should never experience this kind of love. The one who was cursed to forever be alone. She shouldn't have been... but she used to be mine.