Chapter 22

As the group stepped outside, Tierney took the driver's seat, starting the car as everyone settled in. The engine roared to life as Tierney skillfully navigated the vehicle away.

"So, when we get there, we need to be careful not to get caught," Thomas asserted, attempting to sound authoritative.

"Remember, this is not a game; we can get killed if someone messes up," Tierney added, glancing at everyone in the back through the rearview mirror.

"We understand," replied Kathrine with a determined smile. The car came to a stop, revealing they had arrived at the docks. Exiting the vehicle, they approached The River Glass Dock Tour warehouse.

"This feels like a video game," Niall exclaimed with excitement.

"Do you ever think about anything other than video games?" Courtney teased with a laugh.

"Yes, I do, thank you," Niall retorted, playfully bumping into her.

"When we go in, just remember it could be a trap," warned Tierney as they neared the warehouse.

The air grew colder as they approached, and the glass lake house-like structure came into view.

"Why is there nothing in there?" questioned Kristen.

"Because everything is underground," explained Tierney. "They keep it empty so no one has a reason to go in."

"So, when we go in, just remember it could be a trap," Thomas reiterated.

"If it isn't Tierney and Thomas," a voice echoed. The group tensed as they looked around.

"Who's there?" Tierney asked, scanning the surroundings.

"So, you came here to see him or to stop us," continued the mysterious voice.

"We came to stop you," Thomas declared, unsheathing a sword from his magic storage.

"I see you've mastered your Weapon Equip skill," the voice observed.

"As I see you like to hide," Thomas retorted, and his sword burst into flames.

"So, this is where your journey ends," the voice declared, stepping out of the shadows.

"If it isn't one of the Bay twins," Tierney remarked with a smile. "So, which Bay Twin is this?"

"This is Bill Bay," Tierney answered. "I should have guessed with the air being cold."

"Do you remember my name?" Bill asked with a laugh. "And I see that you have children with you."

"Yes, and you will not lay a finger on them," Thomas asserted with anger in his voice.

"We will see about that," Bill replied with a smile. "They look so yummy."

"What does he mean by 'yummy'?" Kathrine asked, confused.

"He likes to kill and eat kids," Selena explained, sending a chill through the group.

"What the hell?" Niall exclaimed, taking a step back.

"I thought you were locked up," Thomas said, surprised.

"I was, but my sister let me out," Bill revealed, "because there is going to be a war soon."

"So, they need a freak like you," Tierney remarked as she stepped closer to Thomas. "How sad and pathetic."

"So, are we just going to talk?" Bill questioned, forming an ice sword in his hand.

"We are going to fight," Thomas declared, lifting his flaming sword. "Remember, he likes to play dirty."

"So, let's begin," Bill announced, throwing an ice blade from his open hand. The group dodged as the ice blade transformed into water in a flash.

"Come on, Bill," Tierney taunted with a smile. "I saw that before you even threw it."

"Nice one, Miss Tierney," Bill acknowledged, forming another weapon. "Let's see about this."

As his hand went up, Kristen felt her body turning into ice. She looked at her hands as they started to turn blue.

"What is going on?" Kristen asked, falling to her knees. "I feel like my whole body is turning into ice."

"Kristen!" Kathrine rushed over to her. "Please stay with us."

"So, you still like going after kids first," Thomas accused as he threw a flaming blade at Bill.

"Yes, yes, it does," Bill admitted, dodging the blade. "Okay, Kristen, there is only one way out of this – you need to teleport. It will feel weird, but it's like teleporting out of a wall of ice."

Closing her eyes, Kristen concentrated on teleporting next to Tierney. When she opened her eyes, she reappeared next to Tierney, and the ice fell to the ground where she was before.

"Oh, I see you have fairy powers, little one," Bill remarked with a smile. "Just like Tierney and Thomas's mother."

"Yes, I do, you asshole," Kristen retorted.

"We need to stop him and find Carlyle," Kathrine declared.

"Oh, Carlyle," Bill laughed. "He is feisty, like his mother. That is a fact."

"What do you mean?" Kathrine turned and looked at Bill.

"I'm just saying he has a mouth on him like his mother when she was his age," Bill continued, still smiling.

"Shut up, Bill," Thomas laughed. "I see you still like to talk a lot."

"Oh, Thomas, I like you," Bill said with a laugh. "Only if I had a taste of you."

When Bill finished his taunt, he ran towards Thomas with his ice sword. Thomas blocked the attack, and as the ice and flames collided, they fizzled into smoke.

"You've got to do better than that, Bill," Thomas taunted with a smile.

"Oh, I am," Bill declared as he made his sword colder, causing the flames to disappear. "Your flames are gone."

"Damn," Selena cursed as she ran to Thomas. "Thomas, look out!"

Suddenly, an ice blade appeared behind him and stabbed Thomas in the back.

"Thomas, no!" Tierney yelled as she threw a blade at the ice assailant. The blade hit the ice figure, and bright blue flames devoured it, evaporating it just as Thomas fell to the ground.

Bill started laughing. "Oh, little Thomas, you're not as bright as your sister."

"Thomas, you will be fine," Tierney assured as she fell to the ground, cradling his head. "Hold on."

As Tierney placed her hand on his chest, green light began to emanate from them.

"Oh, Tierney, always there to save your big brother," Bill scoffed as his blade disappeared. "Now that Thomas is out of my way."

"Don't even try," Selena warned with anger.

"Oh, Tierney, my dear," Bill laughed. "It won't hurt a bit."

"If you lay one finger on her, I will kill you," Kathrine declared with anger in her voice.

"Oh, I see now," Bill remarked as he looked up and spotted Kathrine. "This must be your daughter, Tierney."

"If you hurt my mom," Kathrine threatened, anger intensifying.

"Oh, my, that power she has," Bill observed. "Just like Dean."

"Kathrine, I will be fine," Tierney assured, still holding her brother. "You need to run."

"Oh, no," Bill said as he lifted his hand, and a wall of ice started forming around them. "You're not going anywhere, sweetie."

"Bill, let them go, and you can have us," Tierney pleaded, tears streaming down her face. "Please, let them go."

"No, my dear," Bill sneered as his teeth started to get sharper. "I need your daughter and the others."

"Kathrine," Niall whispered as he looked around at the wall of ice. "What do we do?"

"We have to fight," Kathrine declared, turning to Niall. "It's the only way out."

"Okay," Niall agreed as a bow appeared in his hand. Pulling the bowstring back, an arrow materialized. He released the arrow towards Bill, but it slowed down as it got closer.

"Oh, my boy," Bill taunted with a smile, revealing his sharp teeth. "You need to do better than that."

"Crap," Niall muttered as the arrow shattered into dust. "My arrow didn't come close to him."

"Let me try," Kristen offered as she threw her dagger. It teleported right as she released it and reappeared next to Bill.

"That was closer than," said Bill, stopping the dagger in mid-air, "that pathetic arrow."

Kristen noticed that the dagger was covered in ice. As it fell to the ground, the weapon disappeared and reappeared next to her.

"What are we going to do with all this ice in the air?" Courtney asked, looking at everyone.

"There is nothing you can do," Bill declared as he walked over to Tierney. "If I kill you two right here, I will be rewarded."

"Fuck you, Bill," Tierney spat, locking eyes with him.

"Sorry, I don't have time to do that," Bill sneered as he got closer. "I said, leave them alone."

The confrontation reached a critical point, and the group faced an uncertain fate within the icy walls of Bill Bay's creation.