A Court of Snow and Storms

2. Little Gestures

    Wynter sat in a chair near the window of a cozy sitting room. A fire snapped on the hearth. He could hear the rhythmic click of Colette's knitting needles as she worked. She was on the other side of the room beside the fire, giving him plenty of space.

    True to his word, Wynter had gone out riding, but only for a little while. When he'd finally emerged from his bath and regained feeling in his limbs, the sun was already setting. He wanted to be back before the moon rose, so he didn't miss his next visitor.

    Like his parents, this visitor was never admitted into the house. That didn't stop her from coming almost every other day. Wynter scanned the gates of the grounds, waiting for them to open.

    Perhaps she wouldn't come today. He told himself he wouldn't be disappointed if she didn't. That was what he wanted, wasn't it? He wanted her to give up on him and go on with her life. Still, a sliver of pain crept into Wynter's heart as he pondered the thought. And a part of him, the part that knew who and what she really was, wondered if he'd truly let her go when she did stop coming.

    "It's cold out tonight," Colette remarked. "Perhaps you should ask her in when she gets here."

    "If she gets here," Wynter corrected. "And it's cold every night. It's cold every day. It's always cold here."

    "Well, it's colder than normal," Colette chuckled. "And she'll come. She always does."

    "I wish she wouldn't."

    "You're a very bad liar, Wyn."

    "I know." He straightened as a slender figure appeared at the gates.

    The first set of guards let her pass. She made her way up the path and a smile crossed her round red lips. Her mouth moved as she spoke to the guards at Wynter's front door. She sat down on the marble railing of the staircase, as she always did. She pulled the hood of her cloak down, and smoothed her hair. Hair that was black as night. Blacker than Melantha's had been, and longer and straighter too.

    Wynter studied her, though he'd long ago memorized her features. They had introduced themselves to each other just before Melantha kidnapped him. Wynter's hand fell to his pocket, where a note from her was kept. She'd slipped it into his pocket the very first time they ran into each other. They hadn't spoken that time. The note contained only two words. Words that she had explained when he saw her after destroying Melantha.

Thank you.

    Elodie Rohese lifted her gaze and Wynter caught a glimpse of crystal blue eyes and flushed cheeks. A moment later, Elodie, or Ellie, as she had asked him to call her, returned her attention to the guards at her side.

    The younger of the two guards, Lev Baird, grinned brightly as he spoke to Ellie. He raked his fingers through dark brown hair, his blue eyes twinkling. Lev was a decent male. He was ruggedly handsome, with a faded scar that ran over his left eye. Wynter had seen females lose their minds over that scar. It always reminded him that his would make any female sick.

    Wynter swallowed the instincts that gripped him as Lev hooked a finger beneath Ellie's chin. She tilted her head out of reach and Lev raised his hands in surrender. A part of Wynter wished Ellie would just give in to Lev's advances. Maybe then, she would forget about him. The other part of him thought he might tear Lev's throat out if he touched Ellie again.

    "You're going to break the glass if you glare at it like that any longer," Colette called. Wynter blinked, relaxing his face. "If you want her, you should say so. You don't have any right to look like that otherwise."