Snow Heart (9 page)

Monday, Alric considered it for a while. And only the twenty-fifth. His birthday was in a matter of days meaning he had a short time to live. Unless the snow didn’t come which would be fairly unlikely.

He looked over his shoulder at her trying his hardest not to smile. “I know. I simply wanted you to hope for it then take it away.” He turned to the Zen garden and closed the door shut behind him.

Nieves sighed rather softly and made her way to the table and its meat-eating plant. She looked at the beauty knowing its viciousness. This plant, in a way, reminded her of Alric. He was handsome and gorgeous beyond belief but his heart was dying. Nieves would do her best to revive that heart.

“Alric,” whispered a soft girl’s voice while sliding the front door open with a hush. A girl who appeared to be just a teenager stepped into the room and glanced around. Her eyes caught site of Nieves and froze there.

The girl named Mia, as Nieves discovered, trotted across the room graceful as a crane. She slid down to her knees and bowed lowly until her head pressed against the floor. “Alric, sir.” Mia was dressed in black and white striped socks with a short red pleated skirt. Along with a black jacket that was suited for cold weather.

He slid the shoji door open but Alric didn’t bother to turn and look at her.

“Monsun offered to take me to the city for shopping,” Mia said with a wavering voice. Nieves could hardly believe the girl had to ask Alric to leave. “He promises to stay with me the entire time.”

Alric replied dryly, “It’s too dangerous.”

Mia looked up with a gasp. “I won’t be alone, sir. Monsun promised.”

“No, Mia.” Alric lifted his hand and watched the rays of sunlight slide across it like ribbons. He noticed the paleness of his skin compared to others. “Tell Monsun I wish to speak with him.”

Mia raised her head abruptly. “Oh, hell. Alric don’t punish him.”

“Mia,” Alric plainly stated. “I simply wish to speak with him.”

“Just let her go!” Nieves screamed, getting to her feet. “Stop imprisoning people! If you want to punish someone punish me. Just let the girl go!”

Alric’s hand tightened into a fist almost like he wanted to grab the sunbeam. “Mia,” he growled, “get out of my room.”

The girl didn’t hesitate. She looked merely sixteen as she ran to the exit and away from the angered Alric—the very same man who wanted to “speak” with Monsun.

Nieves swallowed down a large ball of fear that leapt into her throat and tightened painfully. Her stomach twisted until vile bit at the back of her throat. After taking down a deep breath, she said, “Stop pitying yourself. I finally get that your dying but… you’re not dead yet. Instead of trying to hurt everyone you should be living your life.”

Alric looked over his shoulder at her, lowering his eyes to the ground. “Live my life, you say? I cannot leave these grounds. I am stuck here in this place from the day I was born to the day I die. I don’t get to live my life like you.”

Alric huffed while trying to hide his smile. He could not believe what she suggested. “You think I want to be around you? In all honesty, you disgust me. You are the most repulsive creature I could ever know.”

Nieves turned her eyes to the meat-eating plant. “Yeah. I know.” She felt like a fly that landed on his beautiful leaves. “You are completely right.” Her sister had said those words in the same way many years ago.

Alric turned his attention to the flowering trees on the vast amount of Macter Land. “I’m taking a walk and you are to come with me.” He left the room down the steps and for a moment Nieves wasn’t sure if Alric remembered about the shackle and chain. In a moment’s glance Alric returned with a key in his hand to set her free—at least, that’s what Nieves thought.

CHAPTER 11

Nieves noticed the difference immediately. She no longer had a heavy weight holding her ankle down. With the chain being gone her legs felt light as feathers. It was either being free again or the cold nipping inside her chest but she felt much better.

“I cannot wait until it snows again.”

Alric wanted to grunt at the thought.

“Then again…” Nieves turned her eyes to the sky and stared at it for some time. It was a gray haze that usually signaled winter’s arrival. She knew the snow would come to remind her of the past.

Alric noted the pain in her tone—something he was about to latch onto. “What is it? Did something happen to you?” His voice was emotionless but he tried to sound less dry.

Alric wanted to know what gave her agony. He’d be able to use that later on.

“My parents died on the first night of snow when I was little,” she replied. “I’m always afraid of the first snow.” She sighed while pulling her attention to the path. This would be the first year without her sister’s company. Erika had never been comforting but at least her presence settled Nieves’s nerves a bit.

“Thank you,” Nieves said to get her mind off of things.

Alric glowered at her from the corner of his eye as they neared the bridge. “For what are you thanking me?”

Nieves lifted her arm and touched the sleeve of the “cotton kimono” as to what Wilhelm had called it. “For giving me this when my clothes were ruined.”

Alric smiled. “You’ll pay me back for it when the time comes.”

“I don’t have any money,” Nieves confessed.

“Money?” said Alric just to hear the word in his mouth. “Why would I want money? I have everything I want and I’m rich beyond my years. I don’t want money.”

“Then how will I pay you back?”

Alric turned to her and raised a hand to brush it against her cheek. “You have such a lovely body to spare, don’t you? I’d prefer that over money.”

Nieves’s heart leapt into her throat as her stomach churned. “What?” Her face began to burn with intensity and most likely turning crimson with a blush.

“Is that a problem?”

She couldn’t find the words to say as she backed away from him. He wanted her to pay him back with her body and that was just out of the question.

Nieves began to consider her strength and Alric’s strength. Did she have enough energy to run and get away? Did he have enough to catch up with her?

“Going to run somewhere?” asked Alric, knowing he had full control of the situation. In fact, Alric knew better than anyone that Nieves wouldn’t even make it to the gate on her own. His cursed powers could keep anyone contained behind those walls.

Nieves tightened her jaw in hopes to muster an ounce of courage. “No. I won’t run away from you, Alric.”

He laughed at this. “You’re words are stammering, my dear.” He took a strong step forward until the distance between them was closed. His eyes stared heavily through her as his warm breath brushed across her skin like fire. “What do you have to fear but the pain of my touch?”

“Alric…” Nieves gave a weak hesitant smile. “Please, don’t do this.”

“Alric, sir! Hello!” Angel yelled from the bottom of the hill, where the path had curved. “Nieves, I came to see you!”

Nieves wouldn’t let anyone know it but she was scared out of her wits. She was afraid to be left alone with Alric yet again. Rushing her thoughts one after the other she tried to come up with a plan.

Nieves was not going to let Alric hurt her.

CHAPTER 12

“That’s not necessary,” yelled Angel for the hundredth time.

Alric lifted his cup of tea and sipped from it. He ignored Angel’s persistence and enjoyed himself as much as he could. Secretly, he enjoyed listening to her yell. It reminded him of torture.

“Unchain her,” Angel continued.

Nieves sighed for she knew Alric would get his way. Being chained to the bed again didn’t seem as horrible with Angel there. At least now she had company that was somewhat normal. Angel didn’t enjoy torture, murder, or pain. She, in fact, was normal.

“Sir,” a man said tapping his knuckle against the door. “You wished to see me?”

Nieves took in his neat appearance—a white cotton long sleeve shirt with a black silk vest. His eyeglasses rested on the tip of his nose while tucked under his arm were a set of books. His black dress pants and shoes were firmly pressed and cleaned.

“Monsun,” Alric greeted coldly.

“Hello Monsun,” Angel said with a smile.

Monsun, the prestigious character, took a look at Angel with curiosity. “Angel. Rusuto. What are doing in here?” His eyes glanced to the unknown person in the room—Nieves. “Who is she?” He’d never seen her around the main house until now. And he knew almost all the children of the Macter family. He was, after all, their teacher until Alric allowed them to venture to the city schools.

“You told Mia she could go shopping with you?” asked Alric who held his tea glass with eyes closed—he over looked Monsun’s questions without a care.

Monsun opened his mouth to speak then paused. He finally replied, “Yes.”

Alric set down the tea cup and was just about to get to his feet when Nieves yelled. “Don’t! Don’t do it! I don’t want to see anymore abuse!” Her eyes were about to leak tears. She couldn’t take it anymore: herself, Boris, her sister, Wilhelm, and anymore who might come along. The pain was just unbearable.

“Please,” whispered Nieves.

Monsun couldn’t think of anything to say—mostly he wanted to yell at the girl for speaking out against Alric. Yet, a part of him wanted to protest. For the first time he didn’t want to defend Alric in any way. He wanted to protect the girl.

Rusuto gave a small laugh. “Nieves, please, calm down.”

Just as anyone might predict, Alric huffed and ignored Nieves’s pleas. He rose to his feet while saying, “I’ll do with him as I wish, girl. Calm yourself down and quit your whining.”

Monsun, inches taller than Alric, steadied himself for the beating.

Nieves gasped while doing the unthinkable. She lunged forward and wrapped her arms around Alric’s waist from behind. She clung to him for dear life. “Alric do not hurt him. Do not hurt anyone. This is… cruel. Stop it.”

Alric growled lowly—he wasn’t used to being disobeyed. “Rusuto, get her off of me this instant!”

Rusuto slowly got to his feet with a sigh. He spontaneously chuckled while commenting, “I swear, the two of you are like bickering husband and wife.”

Alric gave Rusuto a death scowl. “What?”

“It is quite true,” Angel added. “I think it’s rather adorable.”

Nieves clutched her hands, digging her fingers into Alric’s white dress shirt. Her lukewarm tears stained his clothes as she buried her face into his back. “Please,” she whispered with a dry throat. “No more.” From all the stress of the day and the day before, it was then that her body gave out. Her knees buckled beneath her.

Alric’s eyes widened with disbelief. He felt slightly frozen in his place as Rusuto and Angel rushed to Nieves. A sickening feeling over came him—he had felt her warmth vanish too quickly and it was a symbol. To the Head of The Macter Family it was a sign that life was being taken away from him and it made him ill.

The room began to spin on its axis until nothing but shadows embraced Alric.

†

“Don’t fret so much,” Rusuto repeated the same words he’d been saying all evening. The sun would begin setting in a few hours and he knew Wilhelm must have been tired from worrying over Alric. “They’ll be fine.”

Wilhelm let the suggestion pass over his head for both Nieves and Alric fainted. He couldn’t believe his ignorance to let the two of them be alone—Alric in his sick condition and Nieves who had hit her head possibly causing a concussion. Now both of them were sleeping soundly in bed next to each other. That alone was something to strife about. If Alric were the first to wake then Nieves didn’t stand a chance at surviving.

Yet, Nieves couldn’t be removed from the room considering she was chained to the very same bed Alric was sleeping in. Moving Alric was completely out of the question. If he awoke in someone else’s room he’d kill not only Nieves but the entire staff along with her.

“This is a lose-lose situation, Rusuto.” Wilhelm stood up and closed the medical bag. He’d checked both their vitals and nothing seemed amiss. They both just needed plenty of sleep to recover—it was the best medicine at that point.

Rusuto giggled gently before saying, “Do you remember that old nursery rhyme?”

Wilhelm sighed heavily. “This is no time for childish games.”

“The pendulum swings, To and fro, While all the birds sing, High and low. Time will reach every soul.” Rusuto pulled his hands behind his back and skipped his way to the door. “You know what that means don’t you?” he sung.