Ever Winter (6 page)

“Oh! He’s heading this way!” Brisa could barely contain her excitement, gripping Shade’s arm so tight, her nails dug into her flesh.

“Ow! Not so hard!” Shade shook off her friend’s hand and rubbed the sore spots. She watched her friend’s eyes widen, drifting into a semi shocked state. There had never been a moment ever before in which Brisa had ever been so taken aback by the opposite sex. Shade wondered if it was just the effect a faery can have on a human, or was it that Brisa was seriously infatuated with Soap? It made Shade blush as she turned to watch him approach. His perfect face was enchanting, its straight lines and soft lips made even Shade’s heart flutter. The muscles lining his frame were lean and rippled as he moved about the room. The thin shirt he wore did nothing to hide them. Even with his hair partially tied back, he could make the Calvin Klein models look ugly next to him.

“Hey,” he said and smiled, leaning in for a tight hug from Shade. As he stepped away, he acknowledged Brisa, standing with her lips parted and eyes now half-mooned as she took in all of him. This made him glance at Shade as he smiled to her friend and scooped up Brisa into his arms with a tight hug. “Brisa! So good to see you again!”

Something stung Shade. She winced as she noticed the way he pulled her friend tight against his chest just a moment too long. Brisa sighed and relaxed into his strong arms and seem to be inhaling his scent. Shade knew how his skin smelled, of rustic pine and forests misted in early morning dew. She turned away, knowing she shouldn’t feel such jealousy. Soap was her boyfriend. Yet, sneaking a small glance back toward them as they parted, Shade saw a very disappointed Brisa as Soap let her go. Shade had never looked at him like that. If she loved him, why did she never look at him like that? Had she ever?

Guilt rode through her as she quickly picked up more things to stuff into her bag, ignoring the knot forming in the well of her throat.

“Are we in a hurry?” Soap questioned he peered over her nearly depleted pile of supplies. Brisa resumed her task, but her pile was infinitely bigger than Shade’s. Brisa continued to stare dreamily at the Teleen changeling.

“No,” Shade huffed.

“Okay…” Soap waited, watching her as curiosity obviously ran across his face. He stood there for  infinity, it seemed, before he turned to grab his own pack from where he had stashed it under a table, near the door. Returning, he dropped it by his feet. He now held a long sword covered snuggly in a leather hilt. Expertly tying the straps across his chest and adjusting its weight to his back, he then pulled his long hair out of its grip before offering Brisa some help with her remaining bundles. Shade swung her backpack over her shoulder and scurried out of the room before her emotions got the best of her.

She was practically running out of the meeting room by the time she reached the doors, feeling tears biting at her eyes, threatening to fill up her lids and spill over. She didn’t want Brisa, or Soap for that matter, to see her crying. Why couldn’t she hold it together? Her emotions were running rampant, and she was afraid they would run her ragged. She was the one pushing Soap so far away. He had the right to be happy, even if it wasn’t with her. Maybe it would be easier on both of them if she let him go.

Was she ready for that?

Turning the corner as she headed toward the courtyard, where the lush greenery and the overhanging branches of the willow trees would hide her, she hoped no one had followed her. She couldn’t take the humiliation of facing the others right now.

The sun was shining, bright and searing above the land. The air shifted softly with a cool breeze that made her shiver, even under her tunic and leather vest. Taking the stairs down into the alcove of a large palatial fountain made of carved stone which displayed two winged eagles dancing in the air together, she cherished the solace.  The water sprayed out between them and arched over each eagle, slamming down in a torrent of splashes that misted up and wet Shade’s skin as she sat on edge. It made her colder, but she didn’t care. She welcomed the numbing cold, for it took her thoughts away from their current state.

“Needed some air?”

Shade jumped, jerking to the right where Dylan was coming around the other side of the fountain. He watched her with still, steel grey-colored eyes shining back to her.

“Oh, yeah, I just, you know…,” she stuttered. Groaning, she stopped trying to explain and just let the silence engulf her as she closed her eyes. The gurgle of water was noisy enough to swallow her torrential thoughts.

“I always wondered why the Teleen would choose to live so deep underground, in the cold, frigid and stale air, with walls all around.” Dylan slid down to sit next to her, staring up at the Glass castle, whose tall edifices hovered above the thick expanse of trees. “Since I’ve been gone for so long, whenever I return, it feels claustrophobic to me now. Any place with too many walls and too many people feels this way.”

Shade looked up toward the former Teleen Captain of the Guard. She met his eyes as he observed her every movement. She thought about looking away, but felt glued to his face. His long black hair was growing rapidly, and now graced his shoulders with thick waves fluttering in the cool breeze. It whipped at his eyes occasionally, making him blink. His eyelashes were thick and black, and his slightly tanned, but still pretty pale skin was smooth, flawless and had a gleam of blue undertones to it. As she shivered, she watched as he let his glamour slip away and a brilliant blue fire rippled along his body, flowing over his skin in a flickering wave of flames.

Dylan edged closer to her, bringing an arm around her shoulders and pulling her into a snug embrace. He adjusted the heat he radiated to toasty warm temperature which surrounded Shade; it was like being embraced by a warmed, thick blanket. She rested her head on his shoulder and enjoyed the warmth. Without words, he had soothed her, staved the cold and the craziness of her thoughts away until all she wanted was to just sit there and relish his touch forever.

“Do you love him?” Dylan’s voice came out soft and calm, breaking her from the cocoon she had curled up into. Sitting up, she looked up into his steely eyes, so filled with sadness and longing. A long thread of her hair flew between them on the wind, but his fingers curled around the strand, pushing it behind her ear in a tingling caress. It made her breath catch at the touch of his skin. It was fiery and pleasurable at the same time.

“Soap? Yes, but,” she gulped, hoping her words would come out right. “I don’t think I love him the way he should be loved. He has a special place in my heart, in my thoughts, but he deserves more than what I can give him. He needs so much more than me.” Shade tried to pull away, jarred by her admission of troubled thoughts she had kept so tightly locked inside. Dylan wasn’t so eager to let her go as he held firmly to her waist and reached up to touch her face.

“Don’t go,” Dylan whispered and eased her back into his arms, closer to his chest and face, where she could feel his heart racing under his hot, fiery skin. She was captivated by his softened eyes, luring her back to him, swallowing her up into their depths as time seemed to slow down and the air around them stilled.

“I’m still here.” She studied his eyes, finding nothing but the love she yearned for in all this time. “You’ve been gone for so long. It’s been so cold, so strange.” Shade’s breath was stolen by the warm air, her soft voice loud enough for only Dylan to hear. His sadness resurfaced as he took in her face, pulling her even closer, their lips nearly touching.

“I’ll never leave you again; that I swear. Nothing will ever harm you again. I will never allow it.” With that, his lips slipped onto hers, soft and sizzling. She kissed him back, letting the intoxication of his scent and skin overwhelm her. Her resistance was gone, and the world spun into a blur. There was nothing else now but his lips, his face, his arms, and his heart beating in her head. Her own heart thumped inside like it would burst. His lips were sweet, like a drizzle of honey, and she hungered insatiably for them.

Their kisses deepened until each wanted to consume the other. Blue flames erupted from his skin until embers snapped off the wisps of fire that ignited the morning breeze, sending the spray of fountain water into a sizzling cloud of steam. One hand was laced through her long, dark hair while the other caressed the small of her back.

Slowing the passion, they kissed softly, opening their eyes as they melted into each other. Shade felt elated. For the first time in an eternity, her heart did not feel dull or emptied, but full and happy, even more so as his fingers traced a line down her cheek. This was heaven, at least for a moment this one day. She finally had what she’d been waiting for, longing for, needing in every way one could need another person. For one moment, Dylan made her heart sing. He never let his grip slacken, and she doubted he ever wanted to let her go. She knew this only because she felt the same. To leave him now would be like cutting off a limb, trading in satiated pleasure for tormented pain. She wasn’t willing to let go, and she hoped he wouldn’t mind that. In that moment there was so much hope for so many things.

A tiny crunch on fallen leaves demanded their attention, and she turned to see Brisa standing partially behind a willow tree. It’s long, swaying branches had been trimmed but some had still grown enough to caress the ground beneath, hiding her small figure fairly well.

Shade stared in surprise at her oldest friend. Brisa’s face was full of pain, full of resentment, a look that Shade wanted to wipe away with every morsel of her being.

“Brisa?” Shade called out as the blood drained from her face. Her human friend had already turned and was running toward the castle so fast it seemed she was running from death itself. Shade groaned, letting go of Dylan’s warm embrace as she jumped up and sprinted behind her. Brisa was already gone, and a search of the meeting room and hallways left no clues for Shade. Her friend was gone, at least momentarily, and it felt like an enormous rock hardening in Shade’s stomach. Shade realized the implications of what she’d done. Would Brisa run to tell Soap? What would she say to him?  He was, after all, still Shade’s boyfriend.

Oh my gosh
. What’s going to happen now?

Whatever occurred, she’d have to deal with it as it came. Slumping her way back to her room on the upper floor, she pondered the events of the day. Feeling lost at being ripped from Dylan’s arms and yet feeling such guilt banging inside her, it was as if every step she took was the wrong one. It was all her fault; everything was so wrong.

This place is cursed
. Or so it seemed.

Chapter Seven

LETTING GO OF
Camulus’ hand, the wide expanse of concrete and glass buildings loomed overhead like giants of masonry and stone. The alley he’d brought them to was not too shabby, but even so, it was littered with windblown debris and fast food wrappers. She pulled her jacket tighter around her body to shield herself from the cool breeze in the northern east coast. The air still felt balmy, like back home, but the sea air was a different kind of frigidness. It infused itself all the way into Shade’s bones, like gripping fingers of stifling cold.

Brisa had let go of Camulus the same moment she had. Spinning around, she marched to the end of the alley to peek at the surroundings. As she regained her bearings, she turned back and stood next to Soap. “We’re close to where this Stanis lives, but we have to go north down this street and past that bookstore at the end. It’s around the deli in one of those apartments above the shops.” She avoided Shade’s eyes as she barked out the directions.

Glancing at Dylan, Shade gave him a nod as they headed off behind Brisa. Camulus took the rear as their shield of glamour solidified and tightened around them. Nothing was worse than having your best friend mad at you. Obviously she’d kept her opinion about the kiss with Dylan to herself because Soap was his usual, cheerful self. What a relief that had been to Shade. Yet why did she still feel so ashamed, so guilty?

The sun filtered down from above, giving them a bit of warmth as they hurried down the sidewalk. The morning rush made it difficult to keep together in one group, so they separated as pairs with Camulus trailing behind. Hunching over, Shade felt so vulnerable with so many people around. It was dangerous to go out in the open like this. Aveta’s minions could be anywhere, even in a place as distant as New York City. The openness felt more suffocating than anything else, and the noise was overwhelming.