Claire's POV
She's wrong she has to be wrong, it can't be Magnus it just can't. My whole body is trembling, as I take a breath that burns my throat, making me feel like I'm about to drown- I can't draw enough breath into my lungs; my heart is racing, faster and faster like a constant drum beat inside. I'm hot and cold like a broken thermostat; who would have even thought he could come back? Amelie ripped him apart, she killed him! She broke his heart… literally.
'Claire…Claire!' I look up at Shane, his face is a mask of beaten down anger. Annabelle is wailing in his arms her face almost as blotchy as Eve's. 'Claire it will be okay; you know I won't let anything happen to you.' And that's what tips me over the edge, he thinks I'm scared for me…no! I'm scared for them, scared of what Magnus will do to them; about how he could drain them dry in his barbaric way and what he'd do to make me regret ever thinking I'd helped concur him. I wail along with Annabelle, with every nightmare I had so carefully locked away fighting to be free and succeeding leaving me more breathless with fear and beyond consolable. It may have been seconds, minutes or even hours by the time I finally look up; my tears have dried out and my body is overcome with empty sobs. I look up to see everyone is staring at me. Shane looks physically in pain, frozen accept for the gentle soothing motion he is making on Annabelle's back; Michael looks trapped, as if he wishes this would all just go away; then Eve, she has tear tracks on her face too, with her hand pressed so tight over her mouth more than likely to stop her own sobs. And then there is Miranda and Jenna, who are just sitting in the same place they were before, Miranda is just staring at us; as if she is willing us to stop being stupid and listen to her- whilst Jenna looks like she wants to be anywhere but here.
'You said… you saw this?' I ask Miranda, although all my words come out in muddle.
'Yes and no…' Miranda sighs.
'Yes and no?' Shane questions, anger already distinguishable in his tone.
'Yes Shane; I saw us attacked again. It was a while ago now; in my head I kinda just thought it was dream but then this happened and I saw it all again…'
'And?' Michael presses.
'And she was devastated.' Jenna comments. 'She woke me up sobbing, saying we were all going to die, that he was back; for about an hour all she would say was 'he's back, he's back' I thought she was going mad!' It's clear from Jenna's outburst that she cares a lot more about Miranda than we'd initially thought.
'Yeah but what I saw was that he's weaker… a lot weaker. Snow isn't as powerful as rain that was clear. Water can disappear as quick as a flash' She clicks her fingers as if to prove her point. 'But snow that takes a while, they can't escape as quickly… something sciencey.'
'Change of state.' I breathe.
'What?' Michael asks.
'Well they've changed state, what was once a liquid, is now solid… and well its harder to get rid of ice than it is water.'
'So what do we do?'
'It's obvious isn't it?' We all look at Shane because it's not obvious not obvious at all. 'Flamethrowers.' He laughs. 'Even I know heat melts snow.'
'And we have access to flamethrowers?' Jenna queries.
'Hell yeah, we do.' Shane laughs. 'Jenna go find your man, I know Rad loves his fire.'
Jenna signs but ultimately nods, as if she knows Rad is doing this with or without her permission. Her and Miranda leave us, I find myself looking to each of my friends; I think this is the longest time we haven't spoken. I break the silence.
'We need to go to Myrnin. He needs to know what Miranda saw… and that poem thing… do you guys remember it?'
'No.' Michael answers. 'But luckily I had the idea of taking a picture of it.' Michael shows us his phone screen, a picture of the poem alive on the screen, I read it again; shivering at the implication of it.
'It's me.' I say.
'What?' Shane asks stepping closer.
'Listen…' I take Michael's phone from his hand. 'She still sees it the girl who knew; but everything has changed and the power is no longer the prize. Of course it's meall its now saying is that my ability to see it is pointless, that power means nothing.'
I hear them all take a breath; I don't let anyone comment.
'Come-on we need to go and see Myrnin; we need him on side.'
They all nod, following me from the room.
Hannah's POV
I don't know why I think Myrnin is the answer but last time he helped me; this time I'll do everything I can to help him. We need a way out of this town; something is readying itself for the kill; this building is a fortress that isn't secure- it's picking and choosing when to attack. We need out… well honestly we needed out like a few days ago but still now is better than never.
I take the curves of the building, walking past age old paintings of vampires I see daily; but that doesn't bother me- we're all about handholding and love now, right? Only Myrnin would pick to put his lab in the most obscure place possibly, only he would think it wise that it should be the furthest away from every other walking, functioning being- well at least you wouldn't hear any of his mad experiments or Jessie's screams… Claire told me…naked on a lab table is not what I'd expect from Myrnin but still…
Anyways I'm alone and its cold, not in the sense of temperature but in the sense that something just ain't right I'm not sure what yet but I can feel that something is off; something that shouldn't be here is; its alien feeling. I quicken my pace from the stroll I was taking to more of a jog; trying to remember the turns I was told to take: Left, right, straight ahead, second right, last door on the right.
I stand outside the door for a moment steadying myself; not because I'm breathless, just out of need for normality. I'm standing here looking at the door debating whether or not this is actually a good idea when I hear the yelling followed by a woman's scream. I don't think I just move, pushing the door open with that much force it flies off the hinges. But then I freeze because standing in front of Myrnin who has Jessie pushed behind him is a Draug… now I know it shouldn't be here but I'm telling you it Draug…
It's Myrnin's yelp that startles me, and I run forward launching myself on the thing's back; pulling with all my might trying to overturn it, gravity is on my side as we both fall backwards, the Draug letting go of Myrnin, with a weird kinda squelching noise. For all it seems made of nothing, the weight of the draug falling on me, winds me leaving me acutely breathless. I gag for breath, squeezing my eyes tightly shut. It's only after a few second I open them, as I feel a sharp pain in my stomach, moving its way down my legs, I find myself looking into the seemingly bottomless eyes of the Draug; its whole body looks almost identical to the awful slush that fills the streets after a hellish downfall of snow- that grey, muddy slush that just doesn't go away for weeks. It smiles, revealing teeth; but not actually teeth- yeah they would be sharp but under not one circumstance would I even begin to describe those weird monstrosities as teeth. As if in a blink of an eye, I feel the sting of the draug along my face, as its tongue whips out snakelike licking the side of my face. I whimper, not because of the pain but because of the utter filthiness of what is happening to me. I feel a pulling, only to see Myrnin and Jessie behind the draug, pulling despite the pain it will cause them, to try and free me; in a move as quick as a breath the draug spins on it heel and pushes both of them away; before turning back to me.
I feel it's whole body engulf me, and I can tell the exact moment that I knew this was the end. My legs, my hips, my torso, my neck, my nose, my eyes… then everything. I'm in the virtual prison of the draug and I can feel the blood leaving me; I look down to find the draug is now a shade of crimson; and my body is lighter than ever; except for my chest which is burning, trying desperately to find any amount of precious oxygen but it comes up empty. The initial sting I felt off the Draug is diminished to nothing- I'm floating above life and almost embracing death. Weirdly this is comforting, knowing in dying I saved both Myrnin and Jessie… I can finally be at peace. I close my eyes and embrace the draug's deathly hold. Feeling my body go lighter than air, my heart stutter and then I think…
Finally, I'll be fr…
