19. Violet
Chapter nineteen
Violet
S hit, shit, shit. The storm outside the hospital windows is getting worse, not better. Alana and I huddle in the break room, watching the snow pile up against the glass. The wind howls like a living thing, and ice crystals spread across the window in familiar, beautiful patterns.
Too familiar.
My heart skips. Those aren’t normal frost patterns.
The emergency lights flicker, and the whole building groans under the assault of the storm. Several nurses rush past our door, their voices urgent.
“This is insane.” Alana wraps her arms around herself. “We’re going to be stuck here.”
The temperature plummets so fast I can see our breath. The coffee in Alana’s mug starts to freeze.
“Get away from the windows.” I grab her arm and pull her back just as the glass frosts over completely.
A blast of arctic wind shatters the window inward. Snow and ice swirl into the room, and through it steps a tall figure with frost-white hair and glowing blue eyes.
Jack.
He’s in his true winter form—seven feet tall, blue-skinned, and radiating winter’s fury. But his eyes find mine immediately, and the storm around him calms.
“Violet.” His voice thunders deep in his chest like snow crashing down a mountain..
“Holy shit.” Alana stumbles backward. “What the actual fuck?”
“We need to leave. Now.” Jack extends his hand to me. “Gabriel has—”
“You came back.” The words tumble out before I can stop them. “After everything…”
“I was wrong. About all of it.” His eyes soften, even as ice continues to spread across the walls. “I need you. The realm needs you.”
Alana grabs my arm. “Vi, what’s happening?”
The building shudders again, and this time it’s not from Jack’s power. The storm outside is tearing the hospital apart.
“The patients,” I say. “We can’t leave them.”
Jack nods, his expression grim. “I can create a barrier around the building, but not for long. My power is limited here, and maintaining it will drain me quickly.”
I look at Alana, who’s staring at Jack with wide eyes. “Remember when I told you where I disappeared to? This is Jack. And yes, he’s really Jack Frost. ”
“I thought you were hallucinating from hypothermia!”
“Clearly not.” I squeeze her hand. “We need to evacuate everyone to the ground floor. Jack can protect us, but we need to move fast.”
Jack’s presence fills the room with crackling energy as he channels his power. Ice spreads from his feet, but this ice glows with an opalescent light—the same way it did when I touched it in his realm. Our magic, working together.
“Your friend speaks truth,” Jack tells Alana. “I can shield you all, but we must act quickly. This storm will destroy this building if we don’t.”
Alana looks between us, then straightens her shoulders. “I’ll alert the staff. Ground floor cafeteria?”
I nod, and she runs out, nurse mode fully engaged.
Jack’s hand finds mine, his skin no longer feeling cold to my touch. “I should have trusted you, Violet.”
His words make my heart flutter, but I push the feeling down. Now isn’t the time for swooning, Jones.
“We need to focus on getting everyone safe first.” I pull my hand from his, ignoring the ache of loss. “Then we can talk about trust.”
The emergency lights flicker again as we hurry down the hallway. Jack’s massive form looks ridiculous against the standard hospital architecture—his head nearly brushes the ceiling tiles.
“These passages are absurdly small,” he mutters, ducking under a doorframe.
“Not all of us need to be giants to get things done.”
A nurse rushes past with an elderly patient in a wheelchair, doing a double-take at Jack. Her jaw drops, but she keeps moving. Good old hospital training. When weird shit happens,just keep working.
We reach the cafeteria to find Alana directing traffic like a pro, pointing staff and patients to different areas. She spots us and her eyes go wide again at Jack’s appearance.
“Your boyfriend’s looking a bit blue there, Vi.”
“He’s not my—”
A tremendous crash from above cuts me off. The building shakes, and several people scream. Jack raises his hands, and a shimmering dome of ice forms over the cafeteria ceiling. Through its translucent surface, I can see debris bouncing off harmlessly.
“Show-off,” I mutter, but I’m impressed despite myself.
“I heard that, little mate.”
Alana sidles up next to me as we help settle people. “So when you said you met someone, you didn’t mention that the hot guy was the ‘mythological winter deity’ himself.”
“Would you have believed me?”
“Fair point.” She watches Jack create ice barriers around the exterior walls. “He is hot, though. You know, for being literally made of ice.”
I feel my cheeks heat. “He’s just here because he needs my help with something.”
“Uh-huh. That’s why he’s looking at you like you hung the moon?”
“He’s not—” But when I glance over, Jack’s intense gaze is fixed on me, softening when our eyes meet.
No. Don’t read into it. He just needs me to deal with Gabriel and his realm. He called me his mate before and still pushed me away .
The lights go out completely, plunging us into darkness. Before panic can spread, Jack waves his hand and dozens of floating ice crystals appear, casting a soft blue glow throughout the room.
“That’s better,” Alana says. “Very romantic lighting.”
I elbow her in the ribs. “Not helping.”
“What? I’m just saying, if a guy turned into a giant blue ice god and created magical barriers to save my workplace, I’d at least consider giving him a chance.”
“It’s complicated.”
“When isn’t it?” She squeezes my arm. “But complicated doesn’t always mean wrong.”
The building trembles beneath my feet, and Jack’s protective dome groans like it might crack. His muscles bunch as he adds another coating of ice to strengthen it.
“We must go back to my realm for now. I thought I could just leave, but Gabriel wields too much power on Earth. I can tell he’s trying to hurt me, but he’s struggling to handle the magic surging through him. Having you near me makes me strong enough to go back and deal with that bastard.”
“What about all the sick people?” I ask, glancing at the hallway that leads to the patient rooms.
“The barrier will last a few hours, at least.” Jack steps toward me, his huge body blocking out some of the crystal-lit glow. “I also think they are safer without us here. Gabriel’s storm will be following me, following us and feeding off my magic.” He lowers his voice. “The longer we stay, the more danger they’re in.”
He’s right, but leaving all those sick people behind makes my stomach twist with guilt .
“Last time I tried to travel between realms, it felt like my soul was being ripped apart.”
“I know. I was foolish then, trying to force you away.” His blue hand reaches for mine, and that familiar warmth spreads through my chest. “But I understand now. Our bond—it’s not just magic. I think it’s a bridge between our worlds.”
Alana appears at my elbow. “The emergency response team is ten minutes out. We’ve got everyone stable.”
“You’ll handle things here?”
She nods, then pulls me into a fierce hug. “Don’t disappear on me again without saying goodbye.”
“I won’t.” I hope.
Jack’s hand settles on my shoulder, and I feel power thrumming through him. “Are you ready?”
“No, but when has that ever fucking stopped me?”
He pulls me against his chest, and the world dissolves into swirling snow. But this time, instead of that horrible tearing sensation, I feel wrapped in warmth. Protected. Connected.
Oh. This is what it’s supposed to feel like.
The hospital cafeteria fades away, and I catch one last glimpse of Alana’s shocked face before everything goes white.