Author's note: This story is my birthday gift to my dear friend xeadasreign. I hope you like it!

Time tends to flow backwards when you dream. It takes one's mind away from their current reality and lets it wander. Wherever it goes, be it sweet or bitter. In her dream, Icy saw her twelveth birthday. She sits in her room, alone. Someone knocks at her door. She puts away her book and goes to open it.

"I can't believe you came! How did you get permission from your dad?" Icy hugs the black haired boy. Her only friend, Darko.

"You did not think I would miss my girl's birthday, did you? My dad does not know. I sneaked out." The fifteen year old grins mischievously, then he hands Icy a box. A very large box, in a rectangular shape. "Happy birthday, snow white."

"Don't call me that." She says, trying to hide her excitement. Her mother had bought her no gift. Whisperian witches had no such traditions. "I hope you like it." Darko stares at her, lovingly. When Icy turns her attention back to the gift, his expression changes to something grim. But Icy does not see that. She is busy with unwrapping the present.

When she does, she just stares at it with uncomrehending eyes. It is a coffin. With her name written on it.

"Get in." Darko's eyes are not loving anymore. She can hardly recognize him. She shivers.

"What?"

"Get in. Save this world some misery."

The coffin opens, and she sees the black void inside. Darko disappears. Her father appears."Get in."

She is inside it now. She is scratching the surface above her. Earth. Earth fills her mouth and lungs. The dream ends.

Icy woke up alone, inside the bed she shares with Valtor. With the dream melting away, the concept of time appeared again. What was today? The calender is right on the wall.

The winter solstice. Her birthday. She is twenty-two years old.

It had been ten years since her father tried to bury her alive.

According to the culture of Magix, she should be in a celebratory mood today. But she could still taste the earth and dust in her lungs. She shook her head. What she needed was a cold shower.

Planet of Isis

Valtor was starting to run out of patience.

They had visited at least ten malls and he could not found the perfect gift yet. And this was supposed to be the planet of the best jewelry out there? Darcy and Stormy were not helping much either. They kept telling him that Icy did not celebrate her birthdays. That she was not expecting a gift. But Valtor did not care. He wanted to get her something precious. He remembered buying Griffin birthday gifts back in the day. If he bothered to get something for that old cunt, he should find something much better for his beautiful wife.

Darcy and Stormy were occupied with inspecting the precious gemstones, but he knew that they were looking something for themselves. He frowned when he saw the owner of the shop.

Of course, they did not pay for anything they got. This planet belonged to them like the rest of the magical dimension. He simply ordered the owner. "Bring me the most precious gem you own." The man disappeared, and a minute later he came back with a box. Inside was a beautiful crystal ring, oval shaped. It consisted of shades of blue and purple. It really caught the eye. It also captured the attention of Darcy and Stormy.

"She would love that!" Stormy commented, wearing ruby earrings she just discovered. Darcy touched the jewelry, she remained unimpressed. "What's wrong? Didn't you like it?" Valtor asked her, trying not to sound disappointed.

"It is beautiful for sure, looks like it belonged to royalty. But it feels so dead, Valtor. There is no energy within." The witch of darkness made a good point.

Icy loved power more than anything. What was the use of a beautiful crystal, if it was as hollow as a fake tree?

Then he got an idea. The magical treasures of Isis. He owned them.

He could conjure the magical essence of the planet and hide it inside the ring. It would increase Icy's already impressive magic to new heights.

He explained this idea to Darcy and Stormy. They were astonished.

"You will make Icy enjoy her birthdays from now on!" Darcy said, this time completely impressed. Valtor smiled proudly. "Now let's get to work! We shall return to Cloud Tower before twilight.

Cloud Tower

After the shower, she paid a visit to the rooms of her sisters. They were empty. Not feeling the need to question much, she headed to the cafeteria. She was starving.

Twenty two.

She had first set foot at this campus at age sixteen. Walking the corridors, she could still hear the noise of old days, the chatterings of hundreds of teenage witches. Teachers with grim faces and grim voices, telling them to shut up and go to classes.

She and her sisters, and the others. The invisible ones who dreaded to share a classroom with her. She always ruled this school.

Now, more than ever. Technically this was true, but the invisible witches were zombie witches now. Something in her knew that it used to feel better. Back in the days when she was a student. They could not even dare to look her in the eye. They struggled to talk to her with a proper voice. She would tell them what they are. That they were weak, useless, pathetic. All of them were true.

She saw a zombie witch coming towards her in the corridor.

She recognized the black haired witch. Shelley. She used to mess with her a lot.

On her way to cafeteria, Shelley followed her. The hypnotizing magic commanded her to serve her masters. So she tried her best.

"Do you need anything, your highness?"

Even her voice was different. Mechanical, emotionless. Icy did not bother to answer. She would take the hint and leave her alone.

Except, she suddenly felt like talking to someone.

"Sit." She commanded her. She sat at the table, her eyes staring blankly at her. She was looking through Icy, but she doubted that the girl actually saw anything. Or thought. Or felt.

She did not have the same power over a person if the person was not there anymore.

She snapped her fingers and her usual breakfast appeared on the table. Eggs, avocado, coffee.

They were feeding the zombie witches with potatoes and jelly twice a day. They did not complain. Not that it would make a difference for them if they ate something better.

"What are you thinking, Shelley?" Icy inquired. Not that she cared, but she was instantly curious of how she would react. The girl stared at her with numb brown eyes, like the question was too complicated for her to comprehend.

"Anything that would please you, your highness."

She wondered where her sisters and Valtor were. She wanted them to be here. The tower was so fucking depressing. Was there someone with a brain around here? Actually yes, there was. In the dungeons.

"What would please you, your highness?" Shut up. She made herself busy with her breakfast. But the stupid girl did not take the hint. What was she thinking when she decided to talk with her? Was that even possible? Shelley opened her mouth to repeat the same thing again, but Icy felt too annoyed to take it. "Just disappear, Shelley."

She did not bother to look at the girl's face after she said that. So she did not see Shelley taking a knife from across the cafeteria and slit her own throat open. Disappear. So this was how their brain worked.

The girl just lied there, in her own blood. Icy just stared at the body. She had suddenly lost all appetite.

She left the cafeteria and ordered the witches outside the door to clean up the mess.

Her feet dragged her to dungeons, in search of actual human company. Even though she would not be welcomed there.

"You look like hell." She smirked to the old woman, suddenly feeling more powerful. This was better than loneliness, when someone else acknowledged your existence.

"Your face is not very heavenly, either." She replied casually, even with a sense of humor. She would have preffered Griffin mad or at least hurt, but she knew how proud she was for that.

"How lonely you should be to come here to chat with me?"

"I was passing by." Icy wrapped her arms around herself. She sensed some magic inside but it was nothing threatening. Griffin had chanted the traditional Winter Solstice spell. Maybe that was why she was in a relatively good mood.

She ought to do that too, with her coven sisters.

"I would say happy birthday, but the thing is I don't want you to be happy. That would make the rest of us miserable."

She knew?

"I am good with dates, and yours is hard to forget."

For almost a minute, neither of them talked. The silence was sickening. It was almost like a graveyard. Underground. Get in. Not wanting to feel the void, she concentrated at the present moment. She wanted to get under the old woman's skin.

"Valtor was telling me about your betrayal the other day. He said that he was not surprised at all. Of course you would bow down to Faragonda. You are only half a witch."

Icy watched with satisfaction as the woman's light mood slowly changed.

"I see what you are doing, little girl. Find yourself a new toy."

"But really, I was wondering. What caused your change of heart? I don't believe you would chicken out like that, you must have done something so bad that your poor conscience could not take it."

She was doing it. Getting under her skin.

"It must have been hard for you to control all that new magic the coven had granted you. What did you do?"

"Shut up."

Icy sensed that she was getting close. Valtor had told her parts of that story. She wanted to hear it from her. She grinned in a predatory manner. "How did it taste like? The blood of the innocent fairy?"

Griffin's already pale face went completely white.

"You look just like her. Hell, you are her. You make me sick, Icy!"

She felt the thrill in her veins. The effect her words had on Griffin was astonishing.

"You refused to obey Bella. You dared to go all peace-and-love to her. You accused her of something. Valtor was there, he told me. What did you say to Bella, Griffin?"

Griffin was standing close to the bars, thus so close to Icy. She had come so close to her that Griffin could feel the actual cold around her body.

"Bloodthirsty." She muttered.

"What? I could not hear you."

Griffin finally snapped.

"Bloodthirsty! I told her she was a greedy, despicable demon who would destroy innocent lives for her selfish gains!"

Griffin bit her lip, frowning to the memory of something so hard for her to remember. What she had done. What Belladonna made her done.

She wanted to teach her a lesson. She had cursed Griffin with a temporary bloodlust. Then she had offered her a fairy.

Griffin had sucked the blood out of the poor thing.

It was the night she tried to kill herself.

The night which, Faragonda took advantage of her guilty conscience and made her change sides.

"I wish your students could see you like that, preying on an helpless woman like an animal."

"How do you live with yourself?"

Icy wanted to ask that to Griffin to push her even further, but Griffin had acted first. She had collected herself. She could not fall apart in front of her.

Besides, she had been repenting every single night for what she had done. She had been putting herself in a virtual hell every night, so that she would never forget the face of her victim.

She did not bother to explain all that to Icy.

"Valtor will be the end of you." Griffin started, attempting to take control of the conversation. "He is the kind of evil that Satan himself would bow down to. No one would survive him."

Icy grinned to that.

"You said I was Belladonna herself. That would make me the creater of that evil, and perhaps Satan should bow down to me after all."

Griffin did not answer that. She had just come and sucked the life energy out of her. She just wanted her gone.

"So don't worry about me Griffin, I am pretty sure I can survive him."

She left then. Griffin thanked the Dragon for that.

…

She is almost asleep.

Her mind is too exhausted to wander. There will be no dreams this time, but the black void.

She almost falls inside.

A warm hand on her face brings her mind back.

"Don't tell me you have been sleeping all day."

Valtor's perfume, a sharp, comforting scent. She yawns. She is glad he is here.

"Where have you been all day?" A certain amount of resentment is there. Where had he been with no explanation? Why was he being secretive?

Icy stretched her legs and arms, and sat comfortably between the pillows. She waited for an explanation.

Valtor presented her a tiny, wrapped box.

"Happy birthday, Icy."

It took her a couple of seconds to comprehend. A gift. For her birthday.

She almost laughed, this was a fairy tradition. Buying gifts for people you love.

But she did not laugh. She smiled.

"I wonder what that is." She muttered. Valtor watched her as she unwrappped the gift, eager for her reaction.

The ring was as beautiful as he remembered. But now, it was filled with power. Magical essence of Isis.

"It is a very precious gem." Valtor modestly put it, and he placed the ring on Icy's finger. At the moment she wore it, she felt her magic doubling in strength.

That was the best feeling for her, Valtor knew.

The second best feeling was feeling the man inside of her.

She closed her eyes to let herself enjoy the moment. The new magic sinking under her skin, merging with the blood in her veins.

When she opens her eyes, Valtor is watching her without blinking.

She is grateful for him.

She actually prefers someone to loneliness. This means that something is wrong. (or so terribly right.)

"I loved this." She says, wrapping her arms around his neck. He slightly pushes her aside, they are both comfortably on the bed now.

"What have you been up to all day?" He asks her, resting his head on her chest and letting her play with his golden hair.

"Not much. Would torturing Griffin count?"

Valtor was not looking to her face but he knew she was smirking.

"That's a good girl." He murmurs in a low voice, feeling himself getting refreshed, energized. Maybe that was the reason he had been drained all day; because he could not see her.

When the familiar craving of his soulmate started, he knew that Icy was feeling the same. He raised his chin to look into her eyes, and Icy's frost bitten lips suddenly connected with his. She helped her out of his maroon jacket. Her fingers found their way up and down his gorgeous arms, finally stopping at his neck.

She smiled with mischief when she dig her nail into the skin. Valtor caught her hand. Captured. This time, he smiled in mischief.

Only in his arms was that Icy did not feel the need to control everything. She could let go. She knew that Valtor felt the same. They could never imagine it was possible to be attracted to one person this much.

Their lips connected again. Their minds were filled with desire, awe.

He will burn my soul. And how pleasant would that be. She kissed him even deeper, imagining her lungs filling with smoke. He is breathing fire.

He suddenly found himself under her. It had happened quick, he had her chin in his hands at one second, and then she had the upper hand, making him feel captured this time.

And how pleasant that felt.

Who said ice was frigid cold?

He could see the lust in her eyes, and even love. Love.

He could never hear Icy say it out loud. He decided to take a chance.

He let her have her way with him. He let her adore him the way he adored her.

Then, without a warning, he caught her by both arms. She chuckled. He was on top of her now. As she playfully struggled to flee from his grasp, she saw the longing in his eyes. Then his lips curled. Only then, he spoke.

"I love you."

Nice try, she wanted to say. The first time she heard him say it, he was left with no answer. By the looks of it, he had no intention on giving up.

She was about to open her mouth. But was instantly frozen.

It would not make a difference whether she ignored him or not. He would not stop loving her.

Saying the words would be a gift for Valtor, nothing else.

It would also be perfect honesty.

They were not playing games anymore. The days where she and her sisters competed for his attention were long gone. She had nothing to lose and everything to gain.

This was not a power play anymore.

Plus, Valtor deserved a gift for what he did for her birthday. Didn't he?

"I love you too."

The words seemed so odd coming out of her mouth. But they were honest. She loved him.

Valtor wondered if he imagined that. But by the look in her face, he knew he did not. She saw the surprised look on his face, and was now grinning to him. "What? Didn't you know that already?"

That did not require an answer. He got his gift. He had better appreciated it.

As she delighted in making him freeze like that, he kissed her again.

Sleep arrives at the moonless night, letting her mind wander again.

The ring was not her only birthday gift. The first was the coffin.

Her father, traumatized. She? Was she traumatized?

Why was she having these dreams of darkness and suffocation?

She hated the things she could not control.

She saw the ring Valtor gave her. Gems. Power over dreams.

He had filled the ring with power over dreams. He knew that she suffered in her sleep.

With her new found strength, she made the coffin disappear. Her father. Everything she did not wish to see.

In her dream, she felt grateful for the man who knew her so well.