51 Interlude: Helena

Helena can't stop her teeth from chattering.

The entire room looks like something out of a winter wonderland now - well with the possible exception of the chains binding her.

Still, of all the ways to go at least Kent is here with her - even if he's not really mentally here.

He's losing the fight to keep his magic in check.

Sudden bursts of ice are coming closer together now.

A part of her wonders why he came here after losing it.

The hopeful part of her wants to believe it's because he sought her out for comfort.

The realist in her thinks he came after Eri for revenge on whatever mindgames caused him to lose control.

Either way, she's glad he's there.

"Helena!"

Helena makes an impatient noise at the telepath's voice in her head.

Can't they just let her die in peace?

"He's frozen the entire castle and the ice is starting to spread to the city! We're trying to evacuate but the ice is moving fast! Do something about your guard dog!"

Easy for her to say.

She's not the one chained to a wall.

Still there are too many innocents in the city.

Lord Ausset is in the city.

Steeling herself, Helena calls out.

"Kent, listen to me. You need to rein it in."

She tries to keep her voice commanding and steady despite her chattering teeth.

If anything the magic around him seems to get more violent in response to her voice.

"Dammit, Kent! You're going to kill us all!"

He can control it.

She knows he can.

But he's too absorbed in his own emotions to let the rational part of him take over.

She tugs hard at the chains holding her in position but they don't give.

She needs to get to him.

If she can just get to him…

She looks hard at the chains binding her and comes to a decision.

"Auron!"

He growls in response, low and primal and so very angry.

He emits a sudden burst of ice that frosts the chains.

She tugs hard on them but it's not enough.

"Dammit, Kent, get your ass over here!"

She means it as a command but it comes out more as a plea.

Another growl.

She grits her teeth and growls right back.

"Enough! The King has fallen and both Lady Aurons are alive. I, Helena Siyarne de Ausset, claim you as mine. You will listen to me!"

He pauses for a moment as though weighing her words.

Then she's being thrown against the wall by a mass of ice.

It's a while before she can breathe properly again.

When she can, she takes stock of her position.

She's probably going to have some lasting damage from the impact but…

The chains snapped.

She doesn't waste another moment.

She forces her aching, stiff body to cross the distance between them and practically throws herself at Kent.

He doesn't catch her, but he doesn't push her away.

She's not sure she would have been able to make it over a second time.

She places her bare palms on either side of his face and pulls it down to lean against her own.

From the first moment of skin on skin she can feel his rage pushing itself into her but she ignores it.

She ignores the mounting anger in her own body just as she ignores it's aches, the biting wind and the frost forming over her.

This is more important than her.

This is Kent.

This time instead of resisting she lets her magic flow into him, searching for the source of his emotions.

She can practically see the tangled mass of rage within him.

It tries to snare her but she pushes past that as well.

The anger isn't the cause - just a symptom.

It's a defense mechanism against pain.

Just when she thinks she'll succumb to unconsciousness before ever seeing the source - there it is.

A bright incandescent ball of anguish.

She sets to work removing the threads of anger.

She tries to ignore the memories that are revealed as she dives deeper and deeper into his pain.

One by one she unhooks the threads. It would be quicker to cut them - to remove the very emotions causing this from his reach - but she can't bear to harm him in that way. It's his right to feel the way he does.

She tries to focus on her task and not the things this invasion of privacy is revealing.

She's so determinedly trying to ignore it that it takes her by surprise when the last of the anger slips free and he pulls slightly away.

She blinks dazedly as she brings herself back to her body.

The room is still freezing but the wind has died and she's willing to bet the ice has stopped spreading.

"Hel?"

He sounds as out of it as she feels.

She opens her mouth to respond but has no clear idea of what to say.

A loud cracking noise stops her from having to.

Kent realises what's happening before she does and pulls her close protectively.

It's only as they're falling and it all gets dark that she realises what's happening.