Page 33 of Ice

“What is this?” I call, even though I don’t want to give them the satisfaction of hearing me speak.

There is no response.

I move forward.

My bare toes brush against something and I look down. A small blue potion bottle sits in the center of the floor. I stoop down to pick it up, keenly aware of the fact my ass is – right now – being reflected back at me in the mirrors behind.

There is a label on the bottle. Curved handwriting reads, ‘Drink me, Fire Bird, and let the fun begin.’

A shudder skitters down my spine. I turn the bottle over in my hands. The contents is pale blue. Not blood.

I remove the lid, stand up, and lift the bottle. No scent.

“What is this?”

I turn around, still trying not to notice the swell of my naked breasts or the curve of my stomach.

No one answers.

Then…

She’s not trying to hurt you. It’s a game. Zephyra likes games.

It is Kole’s voice, dripping through me like warm honey.

Where are you?

Close.

Can you see me?

Yes.

Where are you?

Behind the glass.

I turn around and my eyes snag on a pane of glass that looks fresher than the others. Cleaner. Newer.

She mustn’t know we are talking.

I force my gaze back to the bottle. “If I drink this, what will happen?” I ask out loud.

Kole is the one who answers me. She is playing with you. Playing with me too. It’s…

His voice stops mid sentence. I dip a finger into the neck of the bottle, wet it, and raise it to my lips. Despite there being no scent, something inside me is screaming for me to taste it.

It’s designed to help you lose your inhibitions.

Like being drunk?

I brush my finger across my lower lip then trace in its wake with my tongue. It is sweet, and like nothing I’ve ever tasted before.

A little. Kole’s voice is a deep rumble. It sends vibrations through my limbs.

I raise the bottle to my lips, close my eyes, feel the glass meet my tongue, then welcome the sweet liquid down my throat.

As it begins to trickle down into my stomach, my body warms. I raise my eyes and tilt my head as I examine myself in the mirror. A moment ago, all I saw were the dimples in my thighs, and the fullness of my upper arms, and the swell of my hips.