Chapter Fourteen

 

 

 

 

“I expect you found the castle to your liking?”

Both Shade and Dylan jumped at the frosty voice that emanated from the doorway. They were back in her room, the one she had initially awoken in, and had been chatting quietly as they sat on the bed. Dylan had also woken in his own room but found hers more comforting. Maybe because she was in it.

“Corb.” Shade stated. Her eyes widened at the Ice King and she jumped to her feet. Dylan had moved around the bed to stand by her, ready for a fight if need be. “What’s going on? Why are we here?”

His flat expression gave them no clue of his mood. Mother of pearl irises made him seem more like a ghost than anything else. He was handsome, with his sharp nose and carved jawline. The long mane of white and black hair was tied tightly into a lone ponytail which trailed down his back. He looked different somehow. He was no longer wearing the white attire he’d worn when they’d arrived. He was now dressed in his black riding attire, the lieutenant’s uniform he’d worn when he’d led Aveta’s army. He looked somewhat tired, as if he’d been riding for many hours. Dirt clung to his boots in small clumps, trailing bits all over the snowy floor.

“It doesn’t matter anymore why, it matters that you are here now, both of you. Forever. I’m glad you’ve found it cozy enough and have each other’s company, as I am away a lot, dealing with Aveta and the Unseelie army. I still lead them for now, and there have been some changes going on that I personally have to take care of.” He slowly pulled off his black leather gloves and rubbed his eyes, looking more and more exhausted. “I’ll take my leave now. Continue to enjoy the grounds, but I warn you: don’t try to go past the gates of my castle. You will not be able to pass, and it will alert me immediately.”

“Wait, how do we find you if, you know, if we need to ask you something?” Shade attempted to stall him before he disappeared to who knew where for who knew how long. “And why can’t we remember anything at all?”

Corb sighed, partially turning away from them, obviously annoyed. “I will explain a lot of this later. There is nothing to fear, for this is your home now. That’s all you need to know.” With that, he disappeared behind the closing doorway as if he’d never been there. Only the small specks of dirt left in his wake told otherwise.

“Well, that wasn’t very helpful.” Shade groaned and plopped back onto the bed, staring up into the open sky above. The snowfall had stopped, and only white clouds shifted above like billowing puffs of cotton. “That Aveta he speaks of, do you know who that is?”

Dylan slumped onto the bed, leaning on his arms as he turned toward her. “Not a clue. It does sound oddly familiar, doesn’t it?”

“Yes.” She slipped in between the sheets, more out of habit than from the cold, and bunched the pillow under her dark locks. She felt homesick, but where was home? She had no memories of home and couldn’t remember, try as she might, if she had any family. It was an odd and sad feeling, like a lost photograph which should have been the most precious of treasures.

“I guess it’s just you and me, then.” Dylan traced his fingers over her cheek, sending sparks of electricity along her skin. “Are you tired?”

“Yes, but I’m not sure why, I’ve been sleeping forever, it seems.”

“Me, too. I’ll let you rest. I’ll be down the hall, three doors to the right, if you need me.” He sat up to leave, but she curled her fingers around his wrist before he got away. Turning to see the fear in her eyes made him stop cold, unable to leave her in such a state.

“Please stay. Don’t leave me alone in this place,” she begged.

He nodded, crawling back up to the pillow next to hers. He shifted until he was comfortable but remained above the sheets. He knew they were close, but he couldn’t remember how close they really were. In the meantime, going slow seemed to be the right thing to do.

A flash from her necklace caught his attention, and he reached out to stroke the two ampules hanging from the silver chain. Another charm, a familiar-looking acorn-like seed also hung there, held in place by a metal loop. Something about it made his mind tingle, like a forgotten memory, and he stared at it a good while.

“They’re beautiful. What are the vials for?”

Shade tilted her head down to peer at the necklace. The charms sat on his fingers as he softly caressed them. The blood-red fluid inside sloshed and glinted in the harsh white illumination of the room. She shrugged, unable to recall what the necklace was for.

“I don’t know. I can’t seem to remember. It is beautiful though, isn’t it? I feel like it must mean a lot to me.”

Dylan let the charms slip back onto her skin and nodded. “They must, yet here we are. We can’t remember any of it. Do you think anyone misses us? Would anyone know where we are?”

“I’m not sure. Maybe.”

He reached out and continued to caress her hair gently, spiraling her locks around his fingers and staring into the infinity of her eyes. Shade smiled as she watched him get comfortable next to her. This way, she would be able to rest without her nerves waking her every two seconds. Just being near Dylan could keep her fear at bay. She continued to study the lines of his face as he watched her right back. Slowly, her eyelids dropped, and sleep lulled her away to a sweet dream.