A Court of Snow and Storms

9. A Mother's Plea

The artwork above is not mine.

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    Wynter blinked his eyes open with a groan. Sunlight streamed through the windows of his bedroom. He lifted a hand to his forehead. Dull pain pounded through his temples. Did someone...hit me? He wondered. How long have I been out?

    "Wynter?"

    He stiffened at the sound of the familiar voice. Wynter managed to sit up, gazing at his surroundings. He was in his room, lying on his bed. His mother sat in a chair beside him. Viviane's blue eyes were dark with concern.

    "Ho...How did you get in here?" Wynter asked. "The wards..."

    "They kept Kallias out, but not me. I think you must've focused them solely on him when you were panicking." Viviane clasped her hands tightly together and rested them in her lap. "I know you don't want me here, Wyn, but when Colette told me what happened, I couldn't stay away. What did those people do or say to you to trigger something like that?"

    Wynter began rubbing his arms. "I don't remember exactly. They were insulting me and I just...panicked."

    "Kallias said he could hear you screaming even from outside. He was seconds away from asking Helion to come and break your wards."

    "Helion?" Wynter blinked in disbelief. His father had been worried enough that he'd almost summoned Helion Spell-Cleaver, High Lord of the Day Court, just so he'd be able to get into the house. "Why didn't he?"

    "Cyrus knocked you out."

    "I knew someone hit me," Wynter grumbled, touching his temple. "How long was I unconscious?"

    "All night and most of this morning."

    He sighed. "I suppose I should thank him. I think...I remember Colette being there, but I thought she was..."

    "Melantha," Viviane finished for him.

    Wynter nodded. "Did I hurt her?"

    "No, Colette is fine. So is Cyrus. They were just worried about you." Viviane slid off her chair and came to his bedside. Wynter shrank back, turning his face away from her. He felt her dismay as sharply as a knife. "Wynter, please talk to me. I haven't seen you since we left the Dawn Court. That was a year ago. A year and nothing. No letters, no messages, nothing. I only hear about you from Kallias and Colette."

    Wynter closed his eyes, not answering. "If you won't talk to me, then talk to someone else. Anyone! Invite Mikael to stay with you for a few days. See if you can visit Nyx and Venelia, and their daughter. Please, you can't be alone anymore."

    "I'm not alone. Colette is here, and so are the guards."

    "But that's not the same. You need companionship. Friendship. Someone you know and trust well enough to be around."

    Wynter shook his head. "I couldn't ask Mikael to come. Aramis is only two months old. Mikael won't want to leave Estelle alone for weeks yet. He writes me letters and that's enough. As for Nyx and Venelia, they're busy with Eira."

    His heart skipped a beat, speaking the baby's name. Nyx and Venelia had chosen it because it meant "snow". They named their daughter after him.

    "And," he continued, "Venelia told me in her last letter that they're planning on spending a few weeks in the Spring Court so Tamlin can see her and the baby."

    He had to wonder how Nyx felt about that plan. From what Mikael had told him, things were bad between Nyx and Tamlin. Their relationship had grown steadily worse since Melantha kidnapped Venelia a year ago. Wynter hoped that they would both behave, if only for Venelia's sake. He imagined it was hard for her to try to balance her relationships with her father and mate, especially when they hated each other so much.