Snow Heart (27 page)

CHAPTER 37

After having dinner with unexpected guests, Alric found himself drained from the long day. Yesterday’s stress was still hammering inside of his head. Mia, he thought for a moment. How could she have tried to take her life and abandon him there alone? Then again, he remembered he wasn’t alone. Nieves promised to stay with him through the pain and suffering of being a cursed.

But, did she really mean it?

“Alric?” Nieves whispered, tapping against his bedroom door.

She had left during the dinner to check up on Mia. Wilhelm hadn’t left his office in fear Mia might try and do something to herself again. He stayed with her like he said he would.

Alric sat up in bed. “You can come in Nieves.”

There was a moment of hesitation then she slid open the door. “I couldn’t sleep,” she admitted. “I was just wanting to know if you were still awake or not.”

Alric bent his knees giving her space to sit down. Nieves got the hint and crawled onto the bed. He placed his head on his knees and whispered, “I cannot find sleep easy either. I have been thinking about what will happen.”

“What do you mean?”

“When it snows,” Alric replied. “I have… decided to give you a house here on the land if you will take it. I will not be around to take care of you. Or perhaps I will give you enough money so that you may live in the city.”

He bit his lip as if that would help him think more clearly upon the situation.

Nieves’s heart clenched inside of her chest. “No. No.” She shook her head unable to wrap her mind around what he was saying. “I—”

Nieves crawled into bed and slid beneath the covers. She faced him with light tears in her eyes. “Promise me something,” she said.

Alric’s hands fumbled to slip around her waist. His heart raced. He pulled her against his body and held her there. “I cannot promise you that I will live after the first snow.”

He moved his hand along her body until he could trace along her jawbone. Alric leaned forward until his lips captured hers and forced her mouth to open. She sighed warmly into him.

Nieves wanted to argue but she felt far too tired. She’d talk about it in the morning. Until then he would hold her through the night and that would be enough.

†

Alric had been pulled away from Nieves early that morning. The skies were thick with gray clouds and Nieves watched them gravely. She knew it would snow soon. Much more sooner than she would like. Aunty had seen the fear in Nieves’s eyes. She linked arms with the girl and invited her on a walk through the garden.

Nieves agreed, still uncertain about the weather.

“Aunty,” Nieves had asked in a low voice.

Aunty pushed her lips to one side before saying. “You shouldn’t worry about it so much. The snow will come and we can’t do anything about it, hun.”

Alric’s aunt stopped walking in a jolt which spun Nieves around to face her. Her eyes were deep and endless like Alric’s. They knew and saw more pain and suffering than any person ever should.

“End the curse?” asked Aunty.

Nieves gazed and waited.

Aunty closed her eyes and heaved out a heavy sigh. “My grandfather was a Head Macter like Alric. He told me that the only way to end the curse was to find the Fox Maiden’s tree and chop it down.” Aunty lowered her head to watch her foot move a pebble around. “The tree is somewhere on the Macter land but… anyone who’s ever seen it can never find it again.”

“So…” Nieves turned her eyes to the forest. “The tree is in there somewhere?”

Aunty brushed Nieves’s hair with her fingers. “Yeah, honey, somewhere in there. I just haven’t got a clue how to get there.”

Nieves turned around ready to state her plan but something caught her eye. Something that stopped her heart and breath at the same time. A small white flake on Aunty’s black shirt. Its tiny little crystals were unique and indescribable.

“A-aunty? Is that… snow?”

Aunty stared into Nieves’s eyes like a deer in headlights. “Snow?” She jaggedly looked down at the white speck as it melted into her clothes. Another speck fell onto her and then another.

But Nieves wasn’t listening. Her mind went slovenly. Her thoughts reached out to their farthest ends of space. The world was falling to pieces and the only person to keep her from falling apart was Alric. He couldn’t… He just couldn’t die on her. The snow was taking away another loved one.

“Alric!” She screamed for him while racing up the steps of the porch.

He stood there looking out at the small flakes that landed onto his dying withered garden. He watched as the snow decorated the rocks then slowly melted away.

Nieves leapt into his arms. “Please, you can’t! You just can’t!”

“I’m sorry,” he whispered into her ear, pressing his lips against her cheek.

She clasped him tighter thinking it would keep him from floating away. As she buried her fingers into his back she wept. Nieves cried hot fiery tears that burned like acid wherever they streamed. “Promise me you won’t go, Alric. Promise me you won’t leave me.”

Alric opened his mouth but he couldn’t lie to her. He couldn’t promise that.

Nieves angrily pulled away from him and stared with burning hate. “There has to be another way! The Fox Maiden’s tree… I… I’ll go find it. We can search for it and cut it down.”

Alric shook his head. “No, Nieves. This isn’t a fairytale. It’s just not how life works. Just accept this.”

He turned away from her and walked into the house, closing the door behind him. He wanted desperately to tell her how much he cared but saying that would only hurt her more.

The best thing to do was keep apart so the pain would fade better.

†

Wilhelm glanced out the window out of habit. For some reason he was expecting the world to change yet every time he looked out there, everything was the same. He was still in his office working for the Macter family. Except this time as he looked out the window he saw Alric, standing there watching him. Wilhelm looked closer this time, more observant. Then it struck him hard with a breathtaking blow.

Wilhelm couldn’t bring himself to look away. He blinked his eyes hard and opened them, hoping it’d all vanish. But Alric was still standing there and it was still snowing. Wilhelm finally muttered, “Mia. It’s snowing. We have to go.”

Mia gave a sudden tremble, dropping her soup mug on the floor. “What?”

“Come.”

†

Bartolemé took down a deep breath of frigid cold air. It nipped at his weak flimsy lungs greedily. He buried his hands deeper into his pocket while Alric took his seat at the head of the meeting table. Alric’s entire court was there, ready and knowing what was about to happen.

“Well,” Bartolemé said, pulling out a small notebook. “I’m guessin' we shouldn’t waste any more of your time, Alric. So, let’s hurry this up.”

Alric didn’t reply. All he could think about was Nieves’s hurt expression and her whimpering pleas. She didn’t want him to die. She wanted him to stay with her, perhaps forever just like he had dreamt. He wanted to fall asleep next to her every night and wake up next to her every morning.

“Enough,” said Leon, in a deep bass voice. “This is not a moment for all of us to be fighting.” Everyone was rather surprised. That was the most Leon had ever said at one time.

“We most likely only have a few hours,” explained Wilhelm.

Rusuto sighed. “Ah, my hubby is so well informed.”

Wilhelm glowered for a moment. “As I was saying: Alric will change in a few hours. We have that time to prepare ourselves.” He looked to Alric who was sitting mindlessly daydreaming.

Wilhelm sighed. Why did he have to die? He knew the answer just like every other person sitting at that table. Alric would change into something remarkably demonic. Once that that happened Alric would be lost to them forever. The Demon would only think of murder and revenge. It will try to leave the Macter land and enter the city where it will kill and destroy all in its sight.

Yes, Alric would have to die no matter what.

Nieves hadn’t broken the curse as everyone had hoped. Alric was in love but the curse was still going. The faint blue markings were already making themselves present along Alric’s back and arms. The ancient symbols were foreign to them all but they knew that it meant the time for battle was arriving.

“We stick with tradition,” Bartolemé barked.

Alric again had fallen out of the conversation. He pulled his eyes to the group, thinking briefly on what might happen in the next few hours. He placed his head on top of his hand and left it there, deliberating. He played the events through his mind like it was all just a movie.

Winfield slowly got to his feet. “I have to agree with Bartolemé.” He bowed his head to the Head Macter. “Our tradition has always been to cage the head-cursed when the snow falls. It’s a safety measure.”

“It’s ridiculous,” blurted Irene. She got to her feet. “Alric won’t murder us.”

“Speak for yourself,” growled Ralf. “I’ve seen what he’s capable of.”

Valentine, the same age as Alric, got to his feet. He hardly ever spoke to anyone and often kept to himself. He’d only spoken to Alric once in a blue moon. It was the most he’d spoken with anyone in the family.

“Tradition is important to be upheld,” he said. “But I believe we should ask Alric what he would prefer.”

Everyone turned their attention from Valentine to Alric at the head of the table. He was starring into the dark cherry wood sheen of the desk. His eyes were rather empty and lifeless while he daydreamed.

“Alric,” Valentine called out calmly. “What would you like us to do, sir?”

He raised his eyes to Valentine, taking in his long tied back hair and gorgeous emerald eyes. “Do with me as you wish. I do not care what happens to me now.” He turned his head from the group and stared into the wall. His mind worked furiously to keep her from his thoughts but he continuously failed.

“Caged it is,” Bartolemé spat. “It’s safer that way.”

Valentine went to protest and so did Wilhelm.

“No,” Alric stated to Valentine and Wilhelm. “I want to be caged.” He imagined it would be safer for Nieves. She wouldn’t be able to see him. He wouldn’t be able to see her. More than anything, Alric wanted Nieves to be free of him. He wished for her heart to heal and that her mind would forget all traces of him.

“Alric,” Wilhelm whispered. “Wouldn’t you rather spend the last hour of your life with Nieves?”

“So, it’s true?” asked Irene. “About the girl?”

Many of the people began to mutter and whisper the rumors they had heard. They wondered why love hadn’t broken the curse as they had all assumed it would.

“I wish to never see her again,” replied Alric. “Now take me to my holding cell and leave me there.” He got to his feet and waited for them to take action. Alric glared at them with stern professionalism.

Bartolemé took a while to react. He noticed the thin shimmer of tears in Alric’s eyes. “To the… cage,” he slowly said.

Valentine lowered his head effortlessly. “If that’s your wish, sir.”

CHAPTER 38

Nieves kneeled down on the porch and stared at her fumbling fingers. They pulled at her shirt unsure what to do. She was about to lose someone important to her. Someone who cared about her more than her own sister. There had to be a way to keep Alric with her. It was selfish, she thought, but she couldn’t let him go.