As Blue muttered, “If we lose any fingers or toes, I’ll never speak to you again,” I couldn’t help but roll my eyes, even though she stayed quiet as I opened the window.
“It’ll just be a few minutes,” I murmured, letting the icy air flood the room as I breathed it in deeply.
“It would’ve been smarter to master the powers of the Fire Court before sitting out in the ice and snow,” she retorted, her voice laced with a hint of frustration. I ignored it, slipping out of the window and feeling a shiver ripple through me as the sweat on my skin turned to ice. I brushed aside a layer of snow on the sloped roof and sat down. Water seeped into my clothes, but I was too absorbed in my thoughts to care.
My gaze lifted to the sky, where stars clustered in brilliant constellations. I had never seen them so vividly. Sicily’s stars were beautiful, but they didn’t have the same breathtaking clarity as these. I could pick out each constellation, tracing invisible lines from star to star as if connecting pieces of a puzzle.
The silence wrapped around me, thick and unbroken. It didn’t calm my mind, but it did ease some of the turmoil churning inside. I thought of the Fae realm and the desolate land I’d glimpsed, and a pang of sympathy surged within me.
Cruel, cunning, beautiful, magical. The Fae were a mix of both good and evil, the world a spectrum of grays. Knowing this didn’t make my choice any easier; it only left me more confused. They didn’t deserve to vanish-an entire race, a world of beings and children alike, erased in an instant if I didn’t intervene. But what could I do? What *should* I do?
If I chose to protect this world and keep the gates sealed, I’d doom the Fae. Or I could tear open the gates, allowing the Fae to spill out into this world, their magic threatening humans and werewolves alike. I could save the Fae, but in doing so, I’d unravel the world as I knew it.
There had to be a middle ground, some way to save both worlds without sacrificing one for the other.
The choice was unbearable-a decision I wished the universe hadn’t dropped on my shoulders. I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly at the thought that fate had chosen a young girl to bear this burden. Surely there was someone better suited, more capable.
I wasn’t sure how long I’d been sitting there, watching snowflakes fall in jagged spirals, blanketing the world below in a silent, pristine beauty. Lost in my thoughts, I hadn’t heard the soft shuffling behind me until Leonardo climbed through the open window onto the roof. My body stiffened as our eyes met, his gaze full of concern, potent enough to erode my resolve. A surge of longing jolted through me, so fierce I had to clench my frozen hands at my sides.
“Goddess, kitten. You’re going to freeze out here,” he muttered, his dark brows furrowing.
I bit my bottom lip, looking away to the quiet forest stretching endlessly before me, the treetops and mountains wrapped in thick white blankets of snow.
“What are you doing, Leonardo?” I asked, attempting to sound aloof, but instead my voice came out weary and resigned.
“I’m sitting with you,” he replied, brushing snow aside as he settled beside me. “Besides, I brought gifts.”
“Gifts?” I scoffed, arching an eyebrow at him, but I could feel my defenses slipping as he gave me a look so innocently hopeful it weakened my resolve.
“Knew that would get your attention,” he smirked, glancing back toward the window.
“How’d you know I was out here?” I couldn’t stop myself from asking. I told myself it was politeness, but that wasn’t the truth. The truth was, I wanted to hear his voice-a voice that offered the only comfort I’d felt since recovering my lost memories. With Leonardo beside me, the weight of my choice didn’t seem so crushing. Whatever I decided, no matter who was lost or saved, I knew Leonardo would be there.
“The window was open.” He gave a lopsided grin, and for a moment, I was breathless. I’d never seen him smile like that before, a rare, genuine smile that took my breath away. He was beautiful in a way that was almost otherworldly, and if not for his ordinary ears and lack of magic, I could’ve believed he was Fae.
Rolling my eyes, I felt a faint smile tugging at my lips as his grin widened.
“Just kidding,” he murmured, raising his hands in surrender. His expression softened, his gaze turning serious. “I woke up, and you were already on my mind. I just felt like you didn’t need to be alone right now, so I came.”
“You thought you’d just let yourself in?” I asked, turning my attention back to the snowy landscape. “Ever heard of knocking?”
“I make rules, not follow them,” he chuckled. A biting gust swept over us, and my body shivered painfully, teeth chattering as a reminder of the biting cold I had been ignoring.
“A-A-About those g-g-gifts,” I stammered as another shiver wracked my body, but Leonardo was already halfway back through the window.
I watched as he pulled out a heavy bundle of quilts and a large thermos. My stomach gave a pang of relief at the sight, and though I couldn’t care if it was soup or hot chocolate, I couldn’t wait for the warmth it promised. For a moment, I felt like I might throw myself into his arms and stay there, basking in his warmth as long as I could.