Snow Heart (19 page)

Dan spun around. “Yeah?”

Nieves bobbed her head thinking of the words. “Have you seen Alric?”

Dan raised a brow. Had someone really asked to see Alric? Wasn’t it supposed to be the other way around? Weren’t people supposed to quiver in fear at his name? At least run in the other direction?

“No,” Dan replied. “He hasn’t returned.”

“Oh.” Nieves pulled her hands behind her back, clasping them there. “Well, thank you anyway.” She smiled before turning back to her route. The second left, she remembered.

Her heart was clenching in her chest—was Alric okay?

Dan hurried his way down the hall looking for either Rusuto or Angel to tell them the strange anomaly. Angel was sitting on the porch, her hair wrapped up in a towel. She was laughing with Alric’s older sister—Dan remembered her name as being something Italian-like.

Dan finally blurted, “That girl, Nieves, she was looking for Alric. Almost like she ‘wanted’ to be with him. It was like she enjoyed… his company.” Dan’s nose wrinkled with disgust at the mere idea.

Angel smiled wide enough to show her teeth. “Alric likes her. Haven’t you heard all the rumors going around?”

Dan thought his eyes were going to fall out. He was waiting for a lightning bolt to strike him down. Or for the end of the world to be brought about. He could almost imagine the earth crack in half and swallow him whole.

†

“It was rather boring when you were gone,” Alric said aloud. “My ideas of torture just did not sound as brilliant without your encouraging words.”

Zeit laughed lightly. “Yes. I did miss your schemes while I was away.”

“What happened?”

Zeit perked up to hear Alric say that. “That is a first. I think this Nieves is making you a little soft, Alric. You’re beginning to sound like you care about me.”

Alric moved his eyes to see Zeit’s expression. “Perhaps.”

There was a long moment—Zeit took in a deep breath. “I wasn’t at her side,” Zeit said, starring into the deep darkness of the river. They stood on the garden’s bridge with their arms pressed against the railing. “I didn’t return in time to be with her when she died.”

“I thought you liked pain,” Alric commented.

Zeit surreptitiously sighed. “I do. I like being in pain but this time it was different. It was inside of my chest. I could feel a hallow emptiness there.” His hand clutched the cloth of his shirt where his heart might have laid. “I just wanted to be there when she died. I wanted to be the last thing she saw and heard. I wanted to hold her to make sure she knew I was there, keeping her safe.”

Alric replied, “I tried to make her leave. She said she wouldn’t let me go through the pain alone. She promised to be at my side until the end.” He took down a deep breath—seeing for the first time how good breathing felt.

Zeit slid his hands into his pocket. “Nieves is… Well, I’ll let you figure that out on your own.”

Alric looked to him. “Tell me. What is she?”

Zeit took Alric’s face into his hands and leaned forward until his mouth pressed against the boy’s ear. “In love. Both of you are in love.” A white light pierced the darkness. White as snow, the bird fluttered away into the night sky blending in with the flickering starlight.

In love, Alric mocked, was unreasonable. Nieves could not love him. He was a Cursed-One—most of all he was the head of all the cursed. He was a monster. Alric could never be loved. It was just a part of the rules. He knew that Zeit must have been wrong. There was just no way.

He slid into the comforts of his own room, flicking on a switch to brighten every corner. Though he had to acknowledge the fact that the room still looked rather dark and demented. In the morning he’d inform someone about better light bulbs or possibly more lamps.

It struck him as odd that his room felt different. It felt as if something had been moved. As if someone had been in there messing with his things. Something was missing. Then it slowly began to sink in: Nieves wasn’t there.

Where is she? he thought glancing about the room. Had she gone with Wilhelm for more ice cream like last time? Or was she outside on the porch? He hadn’t seen her while he made his way through the garden.

After realizing her things were moved to the room Aunty had given her it became apparent. Nieves was sleeping in a different room and in her ‘own’ bed rather than his. He sat down onto the couch and stared at the armoire with its kimonos tucked neatly inside. Kimonos Nieves would never wear.

He thought about getting dressed but his legs didn’t feel like cooperating. His body just sat there paralyzed and unable to do anything. He would have slept right there on the couch if Nieves hadn’t kept entering his mind.

Alric stood up and pulled open a drawer. He chucked the clothes he was wearing and slid into a pair of men’s pajama bottoms. Over and over he told himself that Nieves had a mind of her own and he couldn’t just control her. Then again, he was the Head Macter and she was on Macter land. But he decided that forcing Nieves to do anything would only lead to her getting hurt—just like the other times.

Fever. Hitting her head against a rock. Running away and nearly getting killed. Her following him out of curiosity. Badly bruising her wrist. Slipping on ice cream. Falling into the koi fish pond.

Alric realized slowly that he was smiling. He shook himself mentally considering how immature he was being. Nieves was just a girl and there was nothing more to her. She was a girl like all the other girls in the world.

Yet, why was he walking out of his room and down the hall in search of her?

“Nieves,” Alric whispered, sliding open her bedroom door.

She sat up in bed, the darkness just barely taking hold of the room. “Alric.” Her voice sounded relieved of something. Had she honestly been worried about him?

He stepped inside, sliding the door closed behind him. “Is it alright with you if I sleep in here tonight?”

Nieves looked at her bed. It wasn’t large but it wasn’t small either. There’d be enough room for two people. “Sure,” she said looking at him as he padded across the room. “I don’t mind.”

Alric crawled across the bottom end of the bed and slid beneath the covers. He didn’t say a word for the rest of the night. There was no need for words or explanation. They just sort of knew that somehow the nights would be long and lonely without the other.

Nieves couldn’t sleep, anyway. Her mind kept thinking about Alric and if he was safe or not. She wasn’t sure why she was concerned about his safety. He threw a fox spirit creature without touching it. He tossed Boris out a door while standing feet away from him. Alric could obviously take care of himself.

She stared into the darkness then finally let her mind settle a bit. Alric was safe. He was at her side—technically sleeping behind her—but he was there and he was very much alive.

CHAPTER 26

“Birthday Time!” Rusuto sang while prancing down the hallway to Alric’s bedroom. He had enough energy in him to do a ballet style spin before opening the Head Macter’s door. “Happy Birthday, Alric! It’s time to go, Cheerio!” Rusuto let his smile slip off his face as he blinked a few times. He let out a high pitched scream which alerted Aunty that Alric had most likely thrown something at him for entering without knocking.

“He’s vaporized into tiny little molecules of mist!” Rusuto whined sliding down the doorframe and slumping onto the floor. “And it hasn’t even snowed yet.”

Aunty narrowed her eyes. “Stupid fool, he’s probably out on the porch.”

Rusuto quickly recovered. “Oh, yes, I forgot about that.”

Aunty gave a low heavy sigh and walked over to the garden doors. “Hey, punk, you out there?” She slid them open to find the whole porch empty including the garden—at least the part she could see. Her sunglasses slid down from on top of her head to land perfectly on her nose.

“Is he there?” asked Rusuto, who was poking his head out to glance about the porch. He slowly began to whimper. “You lied to me.” Tears began to fall like waterfalls from his eyes.

“Shut up.” Aunty bit her inner cheek. “Maybe he’s with Wilhelm getting a checkup. You know how punctual Wilhelm can be about Alric’s health.”

Rusuto nodded, his face beaming with light. “Oh, I’ll go get him!”

Before Aunty could stop him Rusuto was already racing across the rock garden and towards the small building around the main gate where Wilhelm took appointments and performed his medical practice.

Aunty tapped her index finger against her chin. “Maybe he’s with Nieves.”

She walked past the kitchen where Angel was sitting on a stool at the counter, chomping down on a red apple. She caught site of Aunty, smiled and waved. “Hey. Dan left with Sailles and her family, already.”

Aunty nodded her head to confirm. “Have you seen Alric or Nieves?”

“No.” Angel didn’t think anything suspicious. “The last I saw of Nieves was last night when Dan said she was looking for Alric… while heading to her room…” Angel’s eyes flickered. “Alric and Nieves… Well, I’m sure they didn’t do anything if they’re sleeping in the same room… together.”

Angel chomped down on the apple. “I’ll head down with Rusuto and Wilhelm.” She dashed out the door then slid to a stop in order to peck a kiss on Aunty’s cheek. “Tell me all the details when you find Alric.”

“Good bye.” Aunty pushed Angel out the door.

After checking up on the progress of her plans for Alric’s party she made her way outside of Nieves’s bedroom. She gave a gentle tap onto the wooden frame and waited for some form of reply.

Nothing.

“Nieves?” Aunty slid open the door and poked her head inside.

With the heavy curtains drawn over the windows the room was thickly dark. The little light from the hallway filtered into the room casting a little bit of light against the bed. Clearly Aunty could see the silhouette of Nieves and Alric. What was more surprising, Aunty could see that Alric was laying half of his body on Nieves, arms wrapped around her like she was a security blanket.

Aunty debated within herself—she hadn’t expected this.

“Okay,” she whispered to herself. “Just tell Alric then leave.”

She tiptoed into the room and kneeled down beside the bed. Up close there was a definite visage of calmness on Alric’s face. For once he looked at peace. If his lips were any closer he’d be kissing Nieves’s neck.

Aunty tapped Alric’s shoulder. “Alric. Alric, wake up.” She shook his shoulder just enough to shake him but not Nieves. “Hey, punk.” Aunty slugged him.

Alric moaned, pressing his head closer to Nieves in his sleep. He drank down a deep breath of her scent before shifting back into his sleep. But another shove from Aunty stole him from his dream. He opened his eyes wide, confusion covering him.

“Alric, you have a couple hours to get dressed for your party. I didn’t want to wake up Nieves in case she might… well, I wanted to give you guys some privacy.” Aunty slowly stood up and turned to the door. “At least you two still have clothes on.” She shook her head, a smile playing on her lips.

Alric waited until the door closed. Nieves felt fiery warm in his arms. Her breathing was light and gentle. Even her heartbeat was soothing to Alric. He closed his eyes wishing that morning hadn’t come. If he had things his way there would be no birthday party—instead he’d spend the day in bed with Nieves, just simply holding her. Nieves was a miracle drug to him.

She moaned after what seemed like minutes in his hold. “Snow.” Nieves turned her head away from him with furrowed eyebrows. After swallowing down a breath of air, her hands quickly grabbed Alric’s shoulder, nails digging deep.

He clenched his teeth until her nightmare past.

“Nieves,” he muttered. He lifted his head to look at her face then lowered it until his lips were to next to her ear. “Nieves. It’s morning.” He suddenly became aware of his position on top of her. He brought himself to his knees just when she was opening her eyes.

“Alric?” Nieves moved her eyes over his bare chest. He was like a canopy over her. His hair just barely fell into those black empty eyes. “What—”

“I was…” His mouth opened but he couldn’t find his words. “I was just…” How could he possibly explain himself? It looked as if he were going to crawl on top of her. Alric didn’t want Nieves to think he was a pervert.

Nieves wiped her eyes of sleep with the back of her hand. “Is it morning?”

“Yes.” Alric sat down onto his calves. “Aunty said we have a few hours to get dressed before the party.”

Nieves took a while to smile. She laughed and sat up like a rocket. “It’s your birthday!” Nieves leapt to hug him, her arms holding tight. “Happy Birthday, Alric.”