"I think I know enough of hate,

To know that for destruction, ice is always great."

-Robert Frost

Marina was so warm. She rolled onto her side and snuggled further under the wool blanket. She was never going to get up. She'd stay right there, cozy and asleep for the rest of eternity.

Soon, the warmth began to suffocate her. She was suddenly panting as beads of sweat trickled down her back. If she stayed another second under the blanket, she would die from heatstroke. She kicked it off of her, the motion causing her to lose her balance and off the couch she rolled.

A laugh echoed in the room. Marina looked around, trying to find the culprit, her eyes landing on Colson.

He sat in the chair across from the couch. His hand slapped his knee as he continued to laugh, his face tilted up towards the ceiling.

"Was that you?" she asked, biting out each word. She narrowed her eyes at him from the floor. "Were you making me hot?"

Colson tried to compose himself, wiping his fingers under his eyes. "I'm sorry," he said, still trying to catch his breath. A smile still spread on his lips. "I had to. You should have seen your face!"

Anger blew through her like a blast from the arctic north. It chilled her veins, freezing her to her spot. Marina grasped onto her power and used it.

She stared at Colson's hands which were gripping the arms of his chair. She furrowed her brow in concentration, trying not to turn the whole room into a snow-globe.

Colson's eyes widened as his lips snapped shut, feeling the sudden cold beneath his hands. His arms tensed as he tried to lift his palms from the material, wincing when they wouldn't budge. She knew how bad it would hurt if he were to rip his hands away from the ice. She learned that the hard way.

"What did you do?" he asked Marina frantically, his voice rising an octave.

"I'm sorry," she replied, turning her lips into a pout. "I had to. You should see your face!"

They stared at each other for a moment, locked in battle, neither of them breaking contact. Their lips twitched at the same time and they could no longer hold it in, their laughter filling the room.

Marina hadn't laughed a real true laugh in a long time. She could feel it in her lungs as it took her breath away. The anguish and dread she had been feeling melted like snow on a warm day. For a single moment, nothing else mattered. She lost the tightness in her chest as the muscles in her neck relaxed.

For the first time since her parents died, she felt hope. She kept her eyes on Colson as he shook his head, his smile reaching into her heart. Hope felt good.

Marina sighed as she pushed the fallen blanket off of her legs. She rose to her feet, straightening her shirt, and brushed her hair over her shoulder. She felt Colson's eyes watching her.

"Thank you for letting me crash here last night," she said, trying to fill the sudden silence in the room. "I don't think I would have been able to walk home in the dark without freaking out about Authorities following me." She tried to laugh off of her paranoia, but she still felt stupid.

"My door is open anytime you need it," he replied. "I still don't understand why you wouldn't take the bed." He pointed his thumb over his shoulder towards his bedroom.

Colson had offered his bed to her last night, saying that he would gladly sleep on the couch, but she had refused. How many other girls had slept in his bed?

"You were already letting me sleep on your couch. I wasn't about to take your bed too." She hoped he believed her and just left it at that.

"Are you sure?" he asked, leaning forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Your lips do this thing when you lie..."

Marina's face flushed. She turned on her heel and walked to the bathroom without giving Colson a second glance. Closing the door behind her, she pressed her back against the wood. She took a deep breath. What was happening to her? She knew the answer; it had been staring her in the face for years.

She wasn't blind. She noticed how Colson's muscles had grown over the years, how his face became even more handsome with age. She knew that when the sun hit his hair just right, it held a hint of red. His smile, no matter how many times she'd seen it, still melted her hardened heart.

Marina shook her head and went to the sink. Turning it on, she splashed cool water onto her face. Snap out of it. She knew they would never work—he probably thought of her as a sister anyways. She controlled ice, he wielded fire. He was cool and collected, she was a hothead. They were too different.

"You okay in there?" Colson asked, tapping his knuckles on the door. "We need to get a move on. Aeron is waiting for us."

"I'll be out in a minute," she replied, looking at herself in the mirror. She ran her fingers through her hair, trying to brush out the tangled mess. "Do I have time to shower?" she yelled at the door.

"No," Colson answered. "Better hurry up, or I'm leaving your ass."

☆

Colson ended up rushing her out the door the moment she left the bathroom. At least he bought her a piece of cinnamon crumb cake from a street vendor on the way.

They made their way across town during one of the busiest times of day. Marina's heart fell into her stomach every time she lost sight of Colson as they weaved through the mass of people. But when she couldn't find him, he was there in front of her, grabbing her hand and pulling her along.

She couldn't ignore the way her heart raced each time his fingers wrapped around hers. It pounded so fast it didn't even feel like heartbeats anymore, but an obstinate hum. She couldn't bury the electrifying feeling that left her hand every time he let go.

By the time they reached the Den, she was a mess. Her hair was windblown and still needed to be brushed, her cheeks were stained pink from a combination of the wind and her reactions to Colson, and honestly she wasn't even sure if her boots were on the right feet. She looked down to check, just in case.

Aeron welcomed them in, but rushed them into the lounge area. Colson and Marina had barely sat down when he spoke.

"Wren needs to be found immediately." He picked at his fingers, his eyes flitting left to right.

"Immediately?" Colson asked. "I thought we made the plan for next week."

"No, that's too late. Things have changed."

"Why?" Marina asked, watching Aeron's restless body constantly moving. "What's changed?"

Aeron's eyes paused on Marina. "Grimm. When he Channels me, a connection between us lingers for a bit, sometimes even a day or two. He was furious last night. I could feel his anger. You don't want to see him angry."

"Okay," Colson said, nodding his head. "Then let's go. I'll round up Ronan and Archer."

"No, she goes." Aeron pointed one slender finger at her.

"Me?" Her heart stopped. "Why me? I haven't been trained. What if something happens?"

Colson fidgeted nervously next to her. "Why not Ronan and Archer? I don't think it's worth the risk, if Marina reveals herself..."

"Archer is too valuable, she is expendable."

Marina knew all kinds of names she could call him. "Hey, asshole—"

"He has a point Marina," Colson interrupted.

She whipped her gaze onto him, amazed that he would agree with Aeron. He thought she was expendable? So much for the connection they experienced. That just went out the window.

Colson saw noticed the anger in her eyes and scrambled to explain himself. "That's not what I mean." He rested his hand on her leg to calm her down. She wanted to jerk away, but her heart wouldn't let her. Her leg stayed put, enjoying his touch. "We lose Archer, then we lose one of our advantages when we make our move against the Council. Do you know how many Authorities and guards are at the Pits? Could you take out ten men at once? No, not yet, which is why we need Archer."

Marina understood, but that didn't mean that it still didn't sting. She turned her head away from him.

"Hey," he said quietly, his voice closer. "You're not expendable. At least not to me."

His words struck her like a gust of cool wind on a hot day, like water on a parched tongue. She stilled for a moment, her eyes connecting with Colson's. Neither of them looked away, the rest of the room ceasing to exist. It was just them, and maybe it was possible.

"Okay..." Aeron's voice interrupted. "You two done?"

A blush seared through Marina's cheeks and for a moment she thought her face was on fire. She suddenly felt awkward as she tried to hide her rosy cheeks behind her fingers.

Colson cleared his throat, pulling his hand away from her leg. "We will go," he said, making Marina's heart fly up into her throat. "But Ronan goes with us."

"Done." Aeron slapped his hands on his legs then rose to his feet. "Thank you for this. Marina, after this I will make you the best ice Wielder the world has ever known. Have faith, have trust, and Colson and Ronan will get you back here in one piece."

Something nagged at her, wiggling like a worm on a hook. She wasn't sure that she could trust anyone except for Colson. She barely knew Aeron, and she didn't even speak to Ronan last night. Were they worth being captured over? No, but if she could suck up every ounce of fear, then maybe she could finally be brave—enough to do what needed to be done whatever it took to save her brother.

"Colson," Aeron addressed, his gaze fixing on him. "I'll fetch Ronan from the back. He knows where the building is." He stepped forward and dropped his hand on his shoulder, grasping it. "Grimm will remember this. It was wise of you to volunteer. He will reward you."

The words didn't sound right to Marina. In fact, every time she heard Grimm's name it felt wrong, like they shouldn't be talking about him, like there was something she didn't know.

Then it hit her. If she were standing, the realization would have knocked her on her ass. She suddenly felt sick to her stomach, her face growing cold.

"Hey," Colson's voice said in her ear. "What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Marina looked over her shoulder to make sure Aeron was gone before she spoke. "I can't believe you brought me here."

Colson cocked his head, his eyebrows turning down in confusion. "What? You know why I brought you here. To help Ryder."

"No." How could she have been so stupid? She knew she recognized Grimm's name from somewhere and she had been foolish enough to sweep those thoughts under the rug. "We can't trust these people, Colson," she whispered, her eyes flitting around the room, making sure no one was listening.

Colson chuckled nervously, his eyes scanning the room too. "Of course we can. We're all on the same side."

"Grimm is the reason all of this started. I don't know why I didn't remember before, but it's him. He's the one that started everything."

"Shh..." Colson was so close, she could feel his breath on her face. "Don't freak out. I know."

"You knew?" she shrieked. She clapped one hand over her mouth as if she could take back her sudden outburst. Whispering once again she said, "How could you know and work with these people?"

"Because I have to."

"No, you don't. Their leader is a madman."

"They're our only way of getting Ryder out, Marina. Face it. They're our only chance."

Marina silenced, contemplating what Colson said. He was right, once again, but it didn't feel right. It felt slimy, it felt sour, it felt all out wrong.

"I don't like it," Marina finally whispered in reply.

"Neither do I," Colson agreed. "But it's all we've got."

Grimm. He was the reason the Wall was up, why the Pits existed. Because of him and his heinous acts, so many of her friends and family were dead, their bodies burned by Authorities, not even allowed a funeral.

Behind the mask Marina wore, behind her cold demeanor, she was just a fragile girl. Tears swam in her eyes as the last vision of her mother filled her mind. On her darkest days, her love for Ryder kept her together, kept her from sinking into the mire that claimed her in the past. She knew that no matter how deep she had fallen, he would be there like solid ground to steady her, helping her climb back from the dark hole their parents' deaths left. But now she was left in the void, searching for a hand to clasp onto.

Because of Grimm, because of that monster.

Marina quickly wiped away her tears before they had a chance to fall. She made a promise to herself, to her parents, to Ryder. She swore to all of the people who woke up in the middle of night, gasping for air, terrified that the Authorities had finally come for them.

"Marina," Colson said, grabbing her hand. He gasped, yanking his hand away. Glancing down, she saw that frost coated her hands like a glove, shimmering in the light. "What is this?" he said reaching back towards her and grasping her fingertips. He held them up in front of his wide eyes. "What is happening to your hands? I've never seen anything like it."

She knew what was happening. It happened the moment she made her promise.

She was going to destroy Grimm. She would pick him apart, piece by piece—make him beg for mercy. And she would show him none.

Her ice was no longer a part of her. She was the ice. She was the frigid wind that cut like daggers, the winter storm that loomed over the horizon.

But not yet.

She took a deep breath, calming the swirling chaos inside of her. She would take the moment, bottle it, and unleash it when the time was right.

The frost coating her hands melted, dripping onto the floor.

Playlist - Breathe Me by Sia

Graphic by _Ways2_

What is going on with Marina?  What kind of path do you think she is heading down?

Thanks for reading!