Nonexistent (Rise of the Guardians)

15. Powerless Against Your Phobias

I shivered and poked my head back outside the cave; Jack had been gone for what felt like hours. When I saw nothing, I retreated into the crevice and sat back against the wall with a tired sigh. Guilt was gnawing at my insides for pushing Jack away, and I was eagerly awaiting his return so I could apologize for being so rude.

I leaned back and inspected the black markings on my wrist, as I had been doing for the past hour or so. The flamelike patterns seemed to move and writhe slightly under my skin, like an opalescent tattoo inked around my hand. I squinted at the markings and poked them tentatively, wincing when the darkness seemed to gather underneath my fingertip. Goosebumps erupted on my arms and I shivered from cold and apprehension.

A shadow passed over the entrance to the cave, and I leapt to my feet expectantly, striding over to the entrance to peek out into the snowy wasteland.

That's not Jack.

The tall, lanky dark figure with ashen skin and black spiky hair was not Jack.

I ducked down back into the crevice, thankful that I hadn't emerged fully. Maybe he didn't know I was there.

"You can come out now Alexandra, and please do relax. I'm not going to hurt you. I merely want to talk."

Okay, scratch that.

I rushed out the opening, my hands flying up and my fingers working to summon the winds. I stared at Pitch Black as he stood calmly in front of me, his yellow eyes glittering in the white arctic light and his bony hands folded behind his back. His face was emotionless, concealed by a mask of calm, cool indifference.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I spat, baring my teeth in an attempt to look more frightening. Pitch only chuckled and gave a chilling smile.

"I have a lot to discuss with you."

That wasn't what I was expecting.

"Yeah, well I'm not interested." I quipped back.

"I think you will be." He replied, a slow grin sidling onto his face. I didn't reply, and he seemed to take my dry-throated silence for acceptance and continued.

"If you haven't noticed already, my little gift to you has taken effect, and the timing couldn't be more opportune." My gaze flickered from the boogeyman down to my wrist and back up again, before I did a double take. The flamelike patterns were leaping and pulsing across my lower arm, the shimmering blackness in a constant state of wild motion.

And then I realized: the wind wasn't there.

It was blowing around me in long bouts of frozen air, small snowflakes flying across my face and leaving small, stinging trails along my cheeks.  

That's not what I told it to do.  

I concentrated harder on the wind, Pitch almost a forgotten splotch of black in the endless plane of white. It didn't obey my command, like it had for the past few hundred years. I tried again. It was adamant in not obeying.

I took a shaky breath in, inhaling god knows how many snowflakes in the process. My gaze snapped up to Pitch, gold eyes blazing with fury.

"What did you do?!" I screeched, all control over my emotions gone. My voice echoed across the icebergs around us before being snatched up by the wind and carried off on the furious torrents of air. Pitch Black didn't even flinch, just smiled deviously with his crooked grin.

"I made you better."

"Gee thanks." I deadpanned, fury making my eyes glint dangerously. "I've always wanted to be powerless!" I spat.