Ice Country

Alive for good.

~~~

I’ve been arguing with Jolie for near on anicin’ hour now.

After all the tears and the hugs and themourning for Wes and the big family reunion with my mother, Joliedemanded I tell her everything. So I told her the whole story, andI told her the parts about Skye—leaving out certain details, ofcourse—three times over, because she wanted to hear them again andagain, and I’d do pretty much anything for her right now.

That’s when the arguments began.

“You have to go with them,” Jolie insistsagain, trying to sit up.

And, of course, that’s the one thing I won’tdo for her right now.

I gently guide her head back onto her pillow.“I’m not leaving you,” I say, refusing to back down. “Either ofyou,” I add, looking at my mother, who’s standing—actuallystanding—her hands on her hips.

“I’m fine now, Dazz, I swear it,” my mothersays.

I roll my eyes. “I’ve heard that before,” Isay, “but without Wilde here to work her magic, will you really befine?”

She nods but even she doesn’t have muchbelief behind it. Whatever influence Wilde has on her ability tostay clean, it’s stronger than I think either of us fullyunderstands.

There’s a knock on the door and I know it’stime. Time for Skye to say goodbye. Time for everyone to saygoodbye.

But it’s not. Not quite yet. Only Wildestands at the door when I open it.

Her timing is so unca

“I’ve made a decision,” she says.

“I have too,” I say, inviting her in with asweep of my arm.

My mother greets her with a fierce hug. “Howare you feeling?” Wilde asks.

“Better than ever,” Mother says. “I’ve got mydaughter back.” She motions to the bed, where Jolie’s sitting up,even though I’ve told her time and time again that she needs torest a bit longer.

“Are you…are you from fire country?” Jolieasks, eyes wider and whiter than snow-covered boulders.

“I am,” Wilde says, approaching my sisterwith graceful steps. She takes Jolie’s hands in hers. “It’s a truepleasure to finally meet you.”

Jolie stares at her, as if mesmerized, takingin every part of her, from her long black hair to her brown skin.“You look strange,” Jolie says and I suck in a sharp breath.

“Jolie!” I say, feeling embarrassment flushmy skin.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it,” Joliesays, not sounding that sorry. “I mean you’re beautiful, but notlike my mother is beautiful. Different.”

“It’s okay,” Wilde says. “You’re beautiful,too, in a way that’s different too. A very good way.”

At that, Jolie smiles, and I’m happy she’sgetting on with one of my new friends, but it doesn’t change whathas to happen today. “You said you came to a decision?” I say.

Still holding my sister’s hands, Wilde says,“Yes. I’ve decided to stay.”

“What?” I blurt out. “Stay where?”

“Here. With your family. With your mother,for a little while.”

Her words float across the room, but they’restrange and I get the sense that they’ll drift all the way into thefire and burn to ash if I don’t grab ahold of them. “But theothers, they need you,” I say.

“No,” she says. “They need you.”

Jolie claps her little hands. “See, I toldyou, Dazz.”

“Nay, I can’t,” I say. “I can’t.”

“Yes, you can,” Wilde persists. “You needn’tworry about a thing while you’re gone. We’ll stay here for a while,until your sister recovers, and then they’ll travel with me to firecountry. My people need me now more than ever, and I fear I’ve beengone too long already.”

“To fire country?” I say.

Wilde nods. “If they’re willing.”

“Oh, Mother, can we?” Jolie says, practicallysquirming with excitement.

“Mother,” I say sharply.

She looks at me, at Jolie, at Wilde, and thensays, “We can and we will.”

~~~

It’s almost time to go and I still can’tbelieve I’m going. I still don’t know if I should. But iced if Ican argue with Jolie, she’s got a stubborn streak a mountain highand wider than fire country.

Jolie’s met everyone, and although she stillseems somewhat in awe of my friends from fire country, she seemsperfectly at ease with them too.

First she thanked Feve about a million timesfor saving her life, which was sort of fu

Then, when she saw Siena and Circ holdinghands, she thought it best to investigate their relationship,asking every question she could think of about how it started, howlong they’ve known each other, and everything in between. Hercuriosity made me laugh because it wasn’t that different than myown, when we were in the dungeons.

When she got tired of that, she latched ontoSkye and now appears intent on talking her ear off.

“What’s it like to live on sand? I don’treally know what sand is, but it sounds nice. Saaand. It’s even funto say the word. How hot is it where you come from? Hotter thansummer here? Is my brother a good kisser? I bet he is. Will I likefire country?” Jolie continues to let loose a random assortment ofquestions, answering half of them herself, as Skye scratches herhead. Even she’s baffled by what to make of my sister.

“Uhh…” she says, probably wondering whichquestion to answer first.

“I think that’s enough for one day, Joles.I’m sure Wilde’ll be happy to answer your many questions over time,while we’re gone,” I say, sitting on her bed next to Skye.

“You’ll be back soon, right Dazz?” Her nosecrinkles up earnestly.

“I’ll do my best,” I say. “But you’ll be safewith Wilde and with Mother.” I can’t believe I’m saying it andactually meaning it, but it’s true. Mother’s better than she’s beenin a long time and I have a feeling this time it might stick.

Jolie’s nose uncrinkles and her eyebrowslift, her eyes widen. “Dazz, you find her, you find that girl, andall the rest too,” she says, hugging me tight.

I hold her close, feel her warm little body,so real, so alive, her heart pumping. The world is right again. Soright. “I will,” I whisper into her hair. “We all will.”

I stand up, trying to hide the tears in myeyes. Mother awaits.

“You don’t worry about anything at all whileyou’re gone,” she says. “I’m better, and with Wilde here, I’ll staybetter.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” I say, embracingher, feeling her frail body fold into mine. “Goodbye, Mother.”

“Goodbye, Son.”

Somewhat solemnly, we leave, Siena then Circthen Skye then Buff.

I start to follow but then turn in thedoorway. “Thank you, Wilde,” I say. “Thank you for everything.”

She just nods and smiles. “Go,” she says.

Out in the autumn-cold, I pull in a deepbreath of cool, crisp air, hold it for a second, and then push itout in a cloud of steam. Watching me, Skye says, “I still can’t getover how we all breathe smoke up ’ere.”

I just smile and drape an arm over hershoulder, which earns me a punch in the gut that I think is meantto be soft and friendly, but which hurts like chill and leaves megasping. I try to hide how much it really hurts while Skyelaughs.

We make our way through and out of the BrownDistrict, ignoring the stares we get from all the Icers who stillhaven’t gotten used to seeing brown-ski

Cutting across the space that co