Ever Winter by Alexia Purdy

and it grew smaller as each minute ticked by.
    “He’s not going to help us. Let’s just go!” She yelled at the others, a sob gathering in her throat. How dare he laugh at her? He didn’t even know her. He knew nothing of all the hardships she’s had to endure for the Land of Faerie, for her heritage. He may be an exile, but he had no right to make fun of her.
    Dylan and the others didn’t move, their eyes wide with the shock of the moment still sinking in.
    “Come on!” She begged as she continued to struggle with the endless locks. Were they bespelled? There seemed to be more and more as she went down each row, loosening each one. It was never ending.
    “Stop!” Stanis sprung to his feet now and slammed one hand against the door. All the chains, locks and deadbolts disappeared, including the entire door. Only a bare dingy white wall stared back at her. She flicked her eyes from the wall to Stanis, knowing he had bested her yet again. It didn’t stop her from sending daggers in her glare.
    “Open the door, Stanis,” Shade hissed. “We’re through here.”
    “Just a minute, princess. I have bone to pick with you.” He tapped the wall and moved so fast, only a blur appeared where he had stood. He was in the kitchen now and pulled out a small, blue glass bowl. Bringing it to her, he held it out toward Shade, pushing her to take it. When she did, he resumed his position on the creaky chair, motioning her to sit back on the couch. “Please, sit.”
    “I’d rather stand.”
    He groaned, rolling his head on his shoulders. His long brown hair spilled over the back of the chair as he did that. He looked like a drunk slumped in the chair, almost falling off the edge. “Suit yourself, changeling, but I highly suggest you sit. There are more ways than one to use magic, even bound up as you are.” His wild eyes seemed more sober now, and she felt a sudden urge to sit as told. The suspicion she felt that he was using magic on her was eating at her nerves. She hated being played, and he seemed a master at that.
    “What do you mean, more ways?” She settled between Soap and Dylan and held the bowl out. It was small enough to fit in her palm.
    “This is a Pith. It extracts your essence, therefore, your powers are given a release through this bowl. Even in your case, one’s powers cannot be completely contained, as one can never truly trap a mind. This Pith provides another route, another path for your magic to escape your body and work its powers. We’re only trapped by the binds we allow to be placed upon ourselves. This breaks through that. It will let you use your water magic, as though you’d never been bound.”
    The others gasped, staring in wonderment at the ordinary blue glass bowl sitting in her palm. It seemed utterly mundane, no etchings on its hard surface, nothing to convey its powerful use. She wondered if he was pulling her leg or not, but it was worth a try.
    “One drop into the bowl, Shade. That’s all it takes.” He gestured quickly, to make her move faster. She gulped, mesmerized by the glass. She silently prayed that it would work; if not, they were doomed. No…, she was doomed.
    She uncorked the tiny ampule and let one single glistening drop fall silently, like a tear, into the center of the bowl. Pushing the stopper back into the vial, she held the bowl, waiting for something to happen, but nothing did.
    “Shade,” Dylan reached over to her, clasping her hand which held the ampule. Grinning, his smile felt reassuring as he continued. “Just let go. Let it work; you know how to use it. Let it out. Relax.”
    She breathed in deeply, nodding softly as she concentrated on the one drop within the bowl. Slowly she felt a familiar tingle on her skin directly underneath the bowl. Excited, she deepened her concentration and thrust it all into the drop of water.
    Suddenly, the drop quivered, splitting into five drops at first, and then each floating out of the bowl to hang in the air as they