Snow Heart (25 page)

For a long moment he stared at the strange triangular object. That was pizza? The thing Eliza was always begging the maids to order for dinner from the restaurants that were designed solely for pizza? It seemed so average looking with its white cheese and various toppings.

“Go ahead.” She took his hand and placed the plate in it. “I also brought other things that my grandmother made for me when I was growing up. Blue berry tarts. Oh, and my grandmother’s stew. She taught me but it never tastes as good as hers.”

He watched the piece of food on his plate, waiting for it to move. “Is it edible,” he wanted to ask just to clarify. Instead he asked, “Is there a fork in there?”

Nieves shook her head bursting out with laughter. “A fork?” She laughed more until it finally began to clear away. Alric’s blush burned with intensity. “You don’t use forks for pizza.”

Alric stopped his eyes from widening. “Then, if I may ask, how do I eat this?”

“With your hands,” Nieves replied as if that were the only answer.

His eyes slowly lowered down to the food. With my hands, he thought. That was ridiculous. Nonetheless, he awkwardly began to grab at it, unsure what side to hold and where to bite.

Her hand touched his, stopping him in his task. Nieves took hold of the crust with one hand and slid her other hand beneath the jagged part. “Like this,” she told him. He placed his hands where hers were and she let him take control. Alric slowly took a bite, weary and anxious about the taste.

Then, like a slap to the face, the tomato sauce latched onto his tongue. The cheese, a barely unnoticeable taste but it was the toppings that, as he bit into, they filled his mouth with cornucopia of desire.

“Well,” inquired Nieves who sat patiently before him. “Do you like it?”

Alric swallowed his food. “Yes. Very much.”

Nieves couldn’t stop her smile. For Alric to enjoy himself was something that sent her stomach flying and her heart racing. “Great. I have so much more for you to taste.”

“Nieves.” Alric reluctantly placed the food down onto the plate again. “Why are you doing this for me?”

Had her heart just skipped a beat? “I…” She moved her eyes to their corners and stared at the basket. “I’m not sure. I guess… I just want you to be happy.”

The air felt empty, missing and he suddenly wasn’t sure how to breathe. Had the world disappeared or was it just him? His heart was thundering like never before. Those plain meaningless words held more meaning than he thought they ever could. She had said, “I want you to be happy.” It was the same exact thought that crossed his mind every time he saw her.

Alric gasped, turning to glower at her. “Only because you dropped your frozen milk stuff all over my bedroom floor. And you didn’t even bother to clean it up.”

“It doesn’t matter.” He put away the plate and began to get to his feet but Nieves’s hand stopped him. “You should not have questioned my authority in the first place.”

“Wait. I’m sorry.”

“I know you are,” he said, brushing a hand along her jawbone. “I hope you know that I am sorry as well. I did not mean to do those things.” He lowered his forehead to the ground, bowing lowly. “Will you forgive me, Nieves?”

Alric smirked, raising himself from the ground. He crawled forward, catching Nieves by surprise. She tumbled backwards, slipping off the blanket and into the grass. An animalistic instinct was fired inside of him at the site of her weak and stranded. Her hands in their awkward place above her head.

“Alric?” she questioned his motives.

He placed a hand on the grass, his body hovering above her. Alric noted her breathing was shallow, deep, and restless. Did she feel the same strange hunger as he did? He maneuvered himself until he was directly on top of her and lowered. His lips almost reached hers but he moved them to brush down her cheek and stopped at her ear.

Nieves felt the weight of his body press against her core. Somehow her other hand knew just where to fall, as if it were destined to happen that way.

“Alric!” Someone screamed from the path, a distance away. The tall grasses hid whoever it was from site. “Alric! Nieves!” It was Aunty; her voice was now recognizable as she made her way closer.

Alric lifted himself from Nieves. He gathered her hands and helped her from the grass. Both their hearts were still flittering inside of their chests, hammering against the bones of the ribcage.

“Alric?” Aunty climbed her way out of the grass. She breathed heavily from running, sagging over to grasp her knees. “Alric, its Mia.” Aunty swallowed down a breath of air. “She tried to kill herself.”

The Head Macter stumbled, head swimming. “Where? Where is she?”

“Wilhelm’s. He’s stopped her bleeding and stitched the wounds.” Aunty stood up straight now. Her body was still trying to get used to the extreme exercise and large dose of adrenaline.

“Is she alright?” asked Nieves, frozen in her place.

Aunty nodded. “Yes. Wilhelm says he’ll keep an eye on her.”

“I knew this wouldn’t turn out well,” Alric muttered. He cursed silently to himself. “Someone should have explained this to her from the beginning.”

“Alric, in all honesty…” Aunty began.

He turned his gaze to her, hate spilling from it. “No. Monsun should have drawn the line long ago like I ordered.” Alric stormed off, back towards the main house. He was furious with the turn of events, unsure if he should hate Monsun or Mia. Or perhaps just himself.

“Alric?” Nieves tried to go after him but Aunty held her back.

She shook her head just lightly. “He needs to be alone for a while.”

Every time Nieves closed her eyes more tears seemed to rise. Poor Mia. And poor Alric. Did the pain of the Macter family never cease?

CHAPTER 35

“Aunty,” Nieves said. “Can I ask you something?”

Aunty leaned against the pole of the back porch that over looked what used to be a garden. The flowers had all wilted from the coming of winter. A winter that promised to be the worst Aunty would ever endure. She turned to the girl, wondering what question it would have to be to steal Nieves’s smile.

“Sure, hun. What is it?” Aunty leaned her head back as far as the pole would allow her.

Nieves hugged her knees, being careful to keep her skirt from being revealing. “Who are the Cursed-Ones? How many are there? And what does it have to do with Alric on the day it snows?”

Aunty leaned forward. Her eyes heavy and tired from all the crying she’d done earlier that day. Mia was still in the hospital bed with bandages wrapped around her wounded wrist. Aunty couldn’t explain the overwhelming amount of stress that crowded inside of her at that very moment.

“There are twenty Cursed-Ones this cursed-year,” Aunty said. “Last time there was fifteen. The cursed-year before that there were twenty-three.”

“Twenty,” Nieves mouthed.

Aunty gave a heavy sigh. “The Cursed-Ones you know are: Rusuto. Wilhelm. Eliza. Jacob. Mia.” Aunty started counting the people with her fingers. “The others are: Irene. Flora. Peter. Ralf. Frank. Leon. Michael. Abadon. Georg. Olivia. Bartolemé. Ria. Winfried. Timothy. Valentine.”

“Bartolemé?” Nieves remembered that name. “I spoke to him.” She didn’t think he was that smart of a person. He seemed rather oblivious to her being chained to the bed by Alric.

Aunty nodded. “Leon is the one who came during the family dinner to talk to Alric.”

Nieves simmered. Leon was also the one who kidnapped her from her home that night when Alric was angry. Who was Leon anyway? She hardly ever saw him around the house. She couldn’t recall seeing him at the carnival though she did catch a glimpse of Bartolemé with a small little girl. She looked about eight or nine.

“This place is like a small town,” Nieves commented.

Aunty nearly laughed. “I guess you’re right. Not everyone here is Macter blood. We have outside people married into the family all the time. Alric, of course, has to agree to it but he hardly ever says no.”

Nieves lowered her eyes a bit. “Alric…” She was just about to ask about finding an end to the curse when a white bird fluttered into her lap. It gave a few chirps, tilting its head every which way.

“Zeit?” Nieves moved her finger to its feet, letting the small creature hop onto her finger. Its small black beady eyes had a strange intricate design in them, carved out with red. “What are you doing here?” asked Nieves.

Aunty must have read the girl’s mind because next she was saying, “Go ahead. I’ll be fine.” She was waving her hand, nudging the helpless Nieves.

“Okay.” Nieves chased after Zeit, curious and anxious.

†

Nieves had never been to this part of the garden before. She took short glances around at the rows of thick conifer trees. It was a place that reminded her of Christmas. Trees that would look beautiful with a soft layer of snow. The concrete path she took was jagged with age, cracks and protrusions from the movement of soil and the growth of plants.

Nieves found Zeit perched on the wood of an arched bridged that looked like something from Japan. She approached him only to watch him fly away into the darkness of a tall gazebo. Sitting there with his back to her was Alric. He was sitting on his calves with his head lowered.

Softly she crossed the bridge as to not disturb him. A sudden feeling of sorrow took her heart and ran with it. She remembered this position when she kneeled before her mother’s grave, head lowered and sobbing.

Alric slid his eyes closed. “Mia is like a sister to me, better than the one I have. We were always able to understand each other. She loves solitude like me. I just…” His grasp on her arms tightened. It hurt but Nieves dealt with it. “I tried to protect her as much as I could but… no one listened.”

He pulled her arms from around him and turned to look at her. “You are all I have,” he said. “You are all I have to keep me from drowning.” His body trembled. Alric leaned forward to rest his head on Nieves’s shoulder. He held on to her as tight as possible, as if she might float away if he didn’t.

Nieves wrapped her arms around his head. “I know what you mean.” For her entire life she had been alone. Distancing herself from the entire world. Her friends barely understood. She tried her best to smile until the point that it came as easy as switching on a light.

But here, sitting here with Alric, Nieves had never felt more alive. He made her laugh like never before. He made her heart twist with delight and expectation. No one could ever love her like he could.

Her eyes widened. Yes, she had finally understood her emotions and her mixed thoughts. She was in love with him. She was desperately in love with him. Without his existence she would have never understood that her pain wasn’t endless. It had an end. It had a purpose. Mostly, she finally understood that she wasn’t alone.

She slid her hands down his head, raking the dark ebony strands of his hair. His skin felt like rose petals, smooth and delicate. Nieves lightly guided his head until her lips could firmly press against his.

His tears felt warm against her skin as they trailed between the two of them. She could even taste them on their lips.