Amber Frost (25 page)

I snorted at the ridiculousness of the question. He knew I trusted him more than anyone or anything else. But still, something just didn’t feel right. I realized my amber necklace felt strange, almost like it was vibrating slightly against my chest.

“I don’t think we should. What if we get caught? I’m sure we’re not supposed to…” I let my voice trail off pathetically. Sebastian was giving me a questioning look. Not only was there absolutely no one else around, there was no chance of us getting caught for the same reason that we would undoubtably be safe. I sighed, reluctantly giving in.

“Fine, but I don’t want to stay out there too long – it makes me nervous,” I grumbled as I took his hand and carefully stepped down onto the ice beside him. I held my breath for a moment, expecting to hear a loud cracking sound. The ice actually felt surprisingly solid and sturdy beneath my feet. Sebastian eyed me speculatively as if he could guess at my thoughts. He appeared to be fighting a smile.

“I just want to show you something, it won’t take long,” he promised, gently coaxing me out further onto the ice. I shuffled along beside him, feeling a little better but still half-holding my breath, my whole body tense and wary as we slowly walked across the frozen surface, towards the bridge that crossed the pond’s center.

“I really wanted to be able to show you this,” he began excitedly as we neared the bridge. “It’s another one of my secret spots but, of course, you can only get out here when it’s cold enough for the pond to freeze-over. The ice has to be thick to get out here safely.” He stamped on the hard ice beneath us for emphasis as he spoke. I winced, flinching closer to him. He laughed at my reaction. “Relax. We’re here.” He smiled encouragingly as he gently guided me under the bridge.

The bridge was high enough that we could both stand under its center and it still cleared our heads by several feet. The bright sunlight reflecting off the icy surface of the pond was enough to light the underbelly of the structure. I wondered if this were all a part of Sebastian’s plans, all a result of his wants. Whatever the reason, the underside of the bridge was lit up brightly enough for me to clearly see the reason Sebastian had brought me here. I gasped, struck speechless by the breath-taking beauty before me. Impossibly, it was even more impressive and magical than the perfect, pristine day. It was worth the nerve-wracking walk out onto the ice; it would have been worth swimming out in the mucky, icy pond water just to see this.

The underside of the bridge was covered by one large, beautiful, spray-painted mural. The images were bright and colorful, some familiar, some unknown. The colors blended and twisted into one another, merging and mingling in an intricate pattern that stole my breath away. The longer I looked, the more I saw. There were parts of faces, foreign plants, unknown characters and symbols, and familiar designs that echoed those of Sebastian’s tattoos.

“You did this,” I gasped as the realization hit me. Sebastian stood silently by my side. He smiled, a hint of pride in his eyes as he took my hand.

“I did,” he admitted. “Do you like it?”

“It’s amazing,” I breathed, tipping my head back again so I could examine the mural further. I knew I’d be able to stare at it for hours and still find new details and twists that would capture my interest for hours more. Looking at Sebastian’s painting reminded me of the first day we had spent together, when I’d heard him playing music down at the inner harbor. There was a similar passionate, animalistic calling from his artwork that compelled me, that reached out and connected with my very soul. I was so caught up in my admiration that I was almost in a trance. I didn’t even notice Sebastian move to stand right in front of me until I felt his warm hands on my face, softly tilting my head back down until I was looking directly into his eyes. His eyes were a deep, impossible shade of dark grayish-blue and there was an emotion burning in them that made my heart trill excitedly in response.

“This was me,” he said softly, gesturing to the amazing artwork above us as he spoke. “My tattoos, my dreams, all the confusion and emotion that was inside of me – this is it.”

“This
was
you?” I asked curiously, picking up on the key word. He nodded, a small smile of pleasure on his lips for my observation. He liked how well I knew him; how I was starting to understand his strange phrasings, his obscure references and innuendos.

“This was me before I met you, or I should say, before today. I’ve never loved anyone else this way before, Gracelynn, with my whole being and soul. I’ve never loved anyone enough to be able to truly put all their wants, all their happiness before mine without hesitation or even momentary regret.” He cupped my face with his hands, their warmth making my cheeks glow. I felt like my heart was pounding so hard that he should be able to hear it. “I knew I was making you unhappy – you were afraid of the future. Your fears and sadness were more unbearable to me than any pain I’ve ever felt myself. I came to the realization last night that all I truly want or need is your happiness, regardless of my own. This is my life now –
you
. You are my happiness, my love, my soul. You are all that matters to me.” His words came out a hushed vow but his eyes burned with a passionate intensity, a solemnity radiating from him that made it impossible to doubt the depth of his sincerity. I was trapped speechless in his gaze, his words reaching right down to my very core. Impossibly, I loved him more than before.

He accepted my silence as only Sebastian ever could. He knew me, he understood me. He heard my response in the pounding of my heart, the rush of my breath between my trembling lips, the love and passion that flared in my soul, smoldering in my eyes. The silent communication passed between us like magic in the air.

“I want to give you this.” His sudden words broke the spell between us. I blinked and licked my chapped lips, my brain scrambling to find something coherent to say, something that could even come close to describing the immensity of my emotions right then. I couldn’t find the words; I merely watched, wide-eyed as Sebastian lifted his hand to slide one of his rings off his fingers. It was obviously ancient, perhaps as old as Sebastian himself. The metal was tarnished and had faded to a dull gray. I’d never paid much notice to Sebastian’s rings before, it was often hard to focus on anything other than trying to keep up with his complex and intriguing thoughts. I studied the ring curiously as he held it up, noticing for the first time that the metal twisted round and in on itself to form a complicated Celtic knot, a strikingly familiar design that mirrored the strange tattoo over his heart. There were differences though; this Celtic knot was formed only through the twists and bends in the metal, there was no writing in an unknown or forgotten language. Also, in the center of this knot rested a small drop of amber in the shape of a tiny heart. I automatically recognized it, the knowledge so certain in my mind, I didn’t even think to question how I knew.

“It’s a Celtic love knot,” he confirmed, “a symbol of eternal love. The amber came from the tip of your pendant – the ring is its matching piece.” He shrugged, looking almost embarrassed. I’d never seen him so hesitant, so uncertain of himself. He shifted almost nervously before taking a deep breath, his voice coming out a low, musical lilt.

“I love you, Gracelynn Stevenson. I want to marry you –” he paused, hearing my breath catch, watching my eyes widen in shock. He grinned at my reaction, his adorable dimple appearing. “But there’s no rush for us to do so. You’re young still and I’m patient,” he assured me, touching my cheek affectionately as he spoke. He looked deep into my eyes, his nerves apparently vanishing as the words flowed from his lips. “Will you accept this ring as a symbol of my promise? My promise to love you forever, to never leave your side, to always want your happiness above all else. And when you’re ready, my promise to marry you, to be with you for all eternity – if you want it – or for your whole lifetime at the least.”

A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he waited for my answer. Though he looked amused, I could see a flicker of nervousness return to his eyes. He stood before me completely vulnerable, his heart exposed. I couldn’t help but be aware that he had worn the ring on the fourth finger of his left hand, though until that moment, that fact had never seemed significant to me. It mattered now. Surprisingly, I felt no hesitation at all as I wordlessly lifted my shaking hand; I knew where the ring belonged.

I didn’t speak as I slowly offered him my left hand. I wasn’t certain that I could speak just then, but I certainly didn’t want to ruin this perfect moment by fumbling for adequate words. As I moved, the smile his lips had been hinting at erupted into a broad grin. His eyes twinkled at me magically, lovingly, as he slid his ring over my fourth finger. I remembered hearing that it had once been believed that the ring finger of the left hand connected straight to one’s heart. My heart swelled now with pride and satisfaction as I looked down at my hand, at the promise ring. Though my fingers were noticeably smaller and more delicate than his, the ring still nestled in under my knuckle like it had been made for me; I supposed Sebastian had wanted it to fit, and so it did. Also, like the necklace he had given me at Christmas, the ring felt strangely warm though, perhaps it was because it had just come off Sebastian’s hand.

“Of course I accept,” I answered, finally finding my voice. “Thank you… for loving me the way you do, for understanding me,” I continued, my voice a breathy whisper. “I love you.”

The passion in his eyes flared at the sound of my shaky words. I felt my own desire responding, my body nearly trembling all over as our lips crushed together. My arms made their way around his neck, my fingers twisting into his soft, messy hair. He held me close to him, our bodies held tightly together, a glowing heat building between us, warming me thoroughly through.

Our lips moved together in perfect synchronization, our kisses deep and breath-taking and never-ending. I let my fingers slide around to stroke the perfect angles of his face, my fingertips brushing along the faint stubble on his jaw. I started to pull away from him, to catch my breath and clear my head, to tease him about his five-o-clock shadow but I was distracted by a strange, deep creaking sound. We both froze as the ice beneath our feet trembled.

We broke apart, staring into each others’ wide and shocked eyes. Sebastian looked nearly as surprised as I felt. There was another loud cracking sound from somewhere very close by, followed by more cracks and creaks and the sound of ice splintering. We stood frozen for only a half second longer as the sudden reality of our situation sank in.

“Run!” Sebastian shouted, his eyes panicked. He grabbed my hand and tugged me out from under the bridge, making a mad dash for the side of the pond. The ice everywhere was shifting and creaking, cracks like spider webs spreading out beneath each step we took. I numbly allowed Sebastian to drag me across the ice, my body nearly immobilized by fear.

A sudden sharp crack erupted right underneath our feet. Sebastian quickly wrenched me backwards, nearly pulling my arm from its socket. I struggled to keep my balance, to remain upright on the slippery surface as he began pushing me back towards the pond’s center. I watched in horror as a deep crevice tore through the ice, parallel to the edge of the pond. A huge chunk broke away, water quickly lapping at the crystal surface. The path back to the side of the pond was no longer an option, we were stranded in the middle – where the ice was the thinnest.

“Sebastian!” I cried out in fear, desperately clinging to his hand. “What do we do?”

His eyes darted about wildly, searching for a way to safety. A dozen emotions flitted across his face – confusion, regret, anger at himself, fear for my safety, doubt.

“This shouldn’t be happening,” he hissed, speaking to himself. Another sharp cracking sound caused both of our heads to snap around in the direction it came from. The ice beneath our feet shifted once more. “The bridge!” Sebastian suddenly cried out, spinning around and tugging me further into the center of the pond. I was too scared to resist, blindly following him, scrambling along as the ice shifted, creaked and groaned.

“Get up!” he instructed, sweeping my legs out from beneath me as he spoke and boosting me up towards the bridge’s rough, stone side. I could hear the ice groaning beneath us at the sudden shift in our weights. I stretched my arms up as high as I could reach, searching frantically for something to hold onto. I finally got a good grip on the cold, slippery stone and with Sebastian’s help, I managed to pull myself up, my arms burning and shaking as I climbed up and over the side of the bridge.

I fell down onto the bridge’s walkway, bruising and scraping my hands and knees as I did. I barely felt the pain as I clambered to my feet and spun around, leaning over the edge as far as I safely could, desperately searching for Sebastian. He was already hanging from the bridge, a much more apt and experienced climber than I. I watched in horror as the ice beneath him cracked and gave way, praying desperately that he wouldn’t lose his grip and fall into the hypothermic water amongst the jagged chunks of ice.

With very little help from me, Sebastian managed to pull himself up the rest of the way and climb over the side of the bridge. He vaulted over the top in a much more graceful and dignified manner than I had managed, a boyish smile on his lips and an excited flush to his cheeks as he climbed down beside me. His smile quickly faded when he saw my expression.

“Gracelynn, I’m so sorry,” he instantly apologized, crushing me against his chest in a fierce embrace. I trembled in his arms, barely able to believe what had just happened.