Snow White, page 9
part #1 of Ever After Series
For staring at you and thinking about all the ways I could taste you.
“Apologize?” Azura says, straightening.
“Yes, um… my brother.” I close my eyes. Yes, that is why I came up here.
“Why would you apologize?” she scoffs.
I blink a few times, wringing my hands together. “I um… hm.”
Why can’t I form a single coherent thought?
“Why would you apologize for him?” she asks. She stands, and the shoulder of her robe slips, revealing more bare skin. I feel my face heat and my belly clench as the damn liquid between my thighs rolls down my leg.
“He’s my brother,” I choke out.
“And not your responsibility,” she says, stepping forward and touching my cheek.
I press my face into her hand, staying silent for a couple of minutes. I know I should be thinking about what she is saying, but it is so hard when she smells this sweet. The need to stay close to her nearly overwhelms me.
“You’re so warm,” I whisper.
“And you don’t like that?” she asks.
“I do. I always feel cold,” I whisper. “Not that it bothers me, but I just… Your warmth feels nice.”
She frames my face with her hands. “How about now?”
“Perfect,” I whisper, a shiver running down my spine.
“Why were you apologizing?” she asks, rubbing her thumbs against my cheeks.
“I just… I didn’t like how it ended.”
“Your brother doesn’t like me, I’m assuming?” she asks, dropping her hands from my face. My heart sinks. I am bereft without her touch.
“Actually, I think he does.”
“Oh?” She laughs.
“He kicked a princess out after I, um… I stood up for you,” I say.
Chapter Twenty-three
Azura
I’m shaking off the feeling of salt air on my skin from being in Eric’s presence when Snow finds me. I can still smell his briny scent burning my nose.
“Stood up for me?” I ask, raising a brow in confusion.
I don’t think I recall anyone ever doing that. Everyone feared me, as they should. I am known as the Wicked Bitch, the monster parents teach their children to fear, the wolf in sheep’s clothing. Snow sees none of that. She only sees the good. It’s going to break her when she finds out the truth.
Why does the idea of hurting her hurt me?
Those glacial eyes that so intrigue me will crack and break when she discovers my plans for her father. They’ll turn dull and lifeless. She’ll be just like everyone else, broken by the world.
Broken by me.
She nods. “I told Eric that out of all the princesses, you were the only one who was nice to me. Then Veronica bickered with him, and he kicked her out.”
I’m using you, Snow. Why can’t you see that?
Snow is the key to the king. Before Eric’s powers masked his mind, I saw that my friendship with Snow was putting me far ahead of the rest of the competition. Yet, Snow is too pure to see my artifice.
I shrug at that, adding, “Hm, so he’s not as empty as I thought.”
He’s worse than empty. He’s a storm with skin. Eric is on the verge of imploding, and no one else seems to notice.
Snow lets out a breath. “I think you’d like him. He isn’t terrible.”
Eric isn’t terrible. He’s a mirror held up to my face. He’s what I would have been if I had a loving family, a doting father, and a warm mother. If I’d been chosen to be a Vessel, Dark Magic wouldn’t have been a part of my life. But, even if things were different and everything in the world was provided to me, I would still have a hole in my heart. I hate Eric for showing me that. I hate how alike Eric and I are.
I scoff at Snow. “He has a giant hole inside.”
Right in the middle, just like me. Snow has never noticed because she thinks the best of everyone.
“No, he doesn’t,” she says, her lush bottom lip sticking out and her brows furrowing stubbornly.
“You don’t see it, do you?” I murmur.
Snow huffs, the smell of frosted apples escalating in the room. “No.”
I draw a circle on my chest, right over my heart. “Big hole right here.”
Just like me.
Just like Snow will have when she finds out the truth. I’ll break her.
Snow steps closer and takes my hand, pressing my palm against her chest. I have to stop myself from moaning at the feel of her lush curves beneath my touch. “What about me?”
“What about you?” I whisper hoarsely, trying not to pull her closer.
Run away, Snow, before I hurt you. See the monster that lies beneath.
She tilts her head to the side, sable curls falling over one shoulder. Her voice is a whisper that makes me lean forward, seeking more of her. “Do I have a hole too?”
I should move my hand away. I will. Any second now.
“Do you feel empty inside?” I ask, already knowing the answer. She feels lonely and lost, unaccepted and outcast. But it’s not the same as emptiness, and she’ll learn the difference, eventually.
She frowns, closing her eyes, and focusing on her emotions. “I… a little.”
I laugh softly, kissing her hand. “Do you try to fill it with useless relationships? Drugs? Alcohol?” Black Magic? Power?
She shakes her head. “N-No.”
I feel the rapid beat of her heart beneath my palm. “Because you’re not empty inside.”
You’re nothing like me. I fill the void with hatred and darkness, and still, nothing helps.
Yet, with my hand still on her, I can’t help but feel achingly present. I am more in touch with this moment, with myself, than I can ever remember being.
She moves closer to me, going on her tiptoes before pulling back. “Thank you.”
It takes me a moment to realize she has backed away. “Thank you?”
She nods, giving me a small smile. “You always make me feel better.”
“You’re welcome,” I say, though my stomach twists. If my plans are successful, I’m going to end up as her worst nightmare.
Wicked bitch. Evil sorceress.
“I will see you at dinner?” Snow asks.
Build walls. Push her away now before it’s too late.
It hurts me to do so, but I have no choice. I have made my bed, and now I must lie in it. There is no path forward for me other than the one I chose.
“I might not come down.”
She pauses at the door. “Why not?”
I move back to my vanity, resuming lotioning my legs. “I’m not feeling up to company.”
She looks down at her hands. “Oh… I shall leave you then?”
Don’t say it. Don’t say it.
“If you want to come back with your dinner, I wouldn’t mind,” I blurt.
Damn it.
“Just me? Or Belle as well?”
Just you.
“Whichever you would like,” I say, burying myself deeper and deeper into Snow’s life. The more time I spend with her, the closer we become, and the more betrayed she will be. But I can’t seem to stop myself from craving more of her and her refreshing innocence.
She smiles, and I hate that I feel a rush of joy from having brought her that tiny measure of happiness. “I would. We will come back for dinner.”
I force myself to look away, going back to my legs. “If that is your wish.”
“Y-Yes… I… see you then.” I force myself not to stare after her as she runs from the room.
Chapter Twenty-four
Snow
How I kept control of my body, I do not know. Every inch of me was yearning to touch Azura’s silky smooth legs and run my fingers through her silver hair. The liquid from my core drips down my thighs, making the walk to Belle’s room challenging. The ache in the pit of my stomach continues to pulse. I would give almost anything to have Azura help me soothe it.
I inhale deeply, trying to calm the overwhelming hunger. I need to behave myself and push these thoughts from my mind before they make me do something I will regret.
After collecting our meals, Belle and I return to Azura’s room. Belle has been a little more silent since the conversation in the dining room. I wish she would tell me what is going on in her mind, but I know not to pry for answers. Both she and Azura prefer to take the time to process. She will tell me how she feels when she is ready.
I open the door to the bedroom and step inside. “Hi, Azura. I hope you don’t mind! I should have knocked first.”
“Hm?” Azura says, looking back at me. She is standing out on the balcony, the waning sunlight caressing her body. She is truly radiant.
“Are you alright?” I ask her as I hurry to Azura, placing my hand on her lower back.
“They’re closer.” She shivers and looks back out at the trees. I wrap my arms around hers, trying to soothe whatever is bothering her.
I look out at the trees, swaying under the moonlight. The wind rustles through the leaves, singing their nightly lullaby. Sometimes when I close my eyes, I can hear them calling my name.
Come to us, Snow. Come home.
I shiver and turn my attention back to Azura.
“Perhaps it has something to do with the upcoming harvest moon?” I ask.
She shakes her head. “You don’t feel it? Like you are being watched?”
“I have always felt it,” I whisper. The sensation of being watched feels like two burning holes at the back of my neck. Whenever I am outside, the sensation can become intense. It feels like a hot steel rod is being placed against my skin. Not to mention the voices that have only ceased to speak the last couple of days.
“You have?” Azura asks, glancing at me.
I nod, pulling her back into the room and over to the tables. “Yes, but I have never been bothered by it.”
“No?” Azura asks, glancing once more toward the balcony.
I shake my head, sitting down beside Belle.
“You know,” Belle begins, looking up at me, “if you feel like somebody’s watching you, you are probably right. You should inform your father.”
I frown. “Why would I do that? It is only a silly feeling.”
“It’s not,” Azura says, shaking her head.
“Well, what should I do?” I ask.
Belle bites down on a carrot stick. “Tell us when this began.”
I press my lips together, looking at both of them. In all honesty, I don’t remember when I first truly felt like I was being watched. The sensation has been with me for so long that it’s become comforting. It is like I have a protector watching over me, telling me the harsh truths of the world. Though how it began and where it started… I can only think of one event that could have started it.
Azura covers my hand with hers. “It’s overwhelming.”
I nod, chewing my lip. “I have never spoken the story out loud.”
“It’s just us,” Azura soothes, squeezing my hand. Her warmth relaxes me enough that my mind calms.
“We won’t tell a soul,” Belle says with a nod.
I let out a shaky breath. This is it.
“When I was seven, I got lost in the woods that border the Mystic Woodlands.” Azura squeezes my hand before pulling it away. I frown at that, my jitters returning. “It was silly, really. I went for a ride with my brother, and he raced off ahead of me, leaving me behind as we were making our way back to the castle. Then I heard a soft and beautiful voice off in the distance. Curious, I followed the sound and quickly became lost. I turned around, trying to retrace my path, but my horse spooked and threw me. He ran off before I was able to stand, leaving me alone in the woods.”
I pause and take a deep breath, the memory of the fear still vivid. Frost clouds on my fingernails, and slowly travels up my arms.
“I stayed in the same spot for a long time, but the sun was setting. I wandered off, yelling for anyone to find me, but no one came. Night fell, and the trees came alive. Vines and branches reached for me like arms, and glowing eyes glared at me from the deepest shadows. I was horrified. It frightened me so much that I crawled into the hollow of a tree. The voices that night sang to me. They tried to lure me from my hiding spot, threatening to feast on my heart until my blood went dry.”
I look between Azura and Belle, wondering if I should continue. The next part seems like something out of a fairytale. But having started, I realize I want them to know the whole story. I want them to know me.
I gather my courage and say, “I huddled there, cold and terrified as the shadows crept closer. My heart nearly stopped as four wolves slunk out of the dark, three foxes darting past them. I flinched as the small animals crawled over me. But they quickly settled close, providing warmth. The wolves took up sentinel positions around the tree while the foxes scouted. It was then I realized they weren’t there to hurt me. They stood as my guards. Deer, squirrels, and birds brought me food. I was like that for three days until my family found me. Since then… well, I guess that is when the sensation of someone watching me started.”
Azura curses under her breath. “No wonder…. You’re fairy touched.”
“Fairy touched?” I blink.
Belle nods. “Interesting observation.”
Azura looks out into the woods again. “You went to their home and came back. That leaves a mark on you.”
“Is that bad?” I ask, gulping. Though I already know the answer. Azura wouldn’t have cursed when she said the words if it were good.
Fairy touched. Now that the words have been spoken, I remember my mother speaking of this once I returned home. She said that the evils of the forest had marked my soul as theirs, and they would try to take me back.
Azura reaches out, and I place my hand in hers. She flips it over, observing my palm. “You can’t go into the woods alone.”
I tense. “Why?”
“They are trying to take you back,” she says, confirming what my mother said so long ago. “That’s why you feel like you are being watched. Why the trees are moving closer.”
“Fuck,” Belle hisses.
I close my hand in hers. “But… I like the forest.”
“Snow,” Azura says, her hand gripping mine tighter.
“I just… I can’t,” I whisper.
Don’t leave us, Snow. You must return. You must come back.
I need to go back.
“If they take you, you’ll never come back,” Azura says with a snap of her teeth.
I flinch, pulling my hand away from Azura. She is so angry. So… determined about this. She doesn’t want me to get hurt, but how can I go without being in the woods? They are my escape from reality.
“Just promise not to go into the woods without us,” Belle says.
I look down at my hands. “I promise.”
“Snow,” Azura says.
I look up at her as tears fill my eyes. “I. Promise.”
With a sigh, Azura stands and walks back to the balcony.
Chapter Twenty-five
Azura
They’re even closer.
The feeling of being watched has intensified to the point I can barely pull my gaze away from the tree line. If I look away for a moment, the trees push closer. Yet no trace of their forward march is marked.
Fairy touched!
The Vessel for the Ice Elemental is fairy touched. If the fae get their hands on a Vessel, it will be a disaster. The limited interaction I’ve had with the fae has proven it is best to stay the fuck away from them. Too easily, humans slip into their clutches and never return. The Faerie King claimed to have come from another world, where fae lived without humans, though they were divided into light and dark by a magical barrier. It is unknown what happens to the humans they take. If they were just in another realm, we could reach them, but they simply vanish when they are fairy touched, leaving no trace.
Snow is fairy touched.
The fae are trying to reclaim her, but she is mine. I can hear Belle and Snow talking to each other behind me. For the moment, she is safe, but there is something about the trees. If I weren’t already in hiding, I would’ve stormed out and demanded answers, but I can’t risk it. I can’t risk her. If I reveal myself, not only will I be placing myself in danger, I won’t be able to remain at Snow’s side, watching over her.
“Azura?” Belle calls.
“Hm?” I answer without looking back. I can’t take my eyes off the trees. What if they take Snow when I am not watching?
“Eat,” she says, and I can hear her pushing the plate on the table toward me as if to coax me back.
“It’s fine.”
“Please, Azura,” Snow pleads, sadness and concern filling her voice.
I close my eyes for a moment, hating that she has such control over me. The sound of her distress sends an ache through my body. A simple entreaty from her makes me want to tear down the world. I sigh and walk over, taking a bite of my food. “Satisfied?”
Belle smiles at me, and Snow nods, even though her eyes are still full of worry. “Sit.”
I grind my teeth. “I don’t take orders well.”
Or at all.
Snow gazes up at me, unafraid of my irritation, her icy eyes huge in her face. “Please, Azura”
She knows all the ways to crumble my resistance. I lean forward and brush the curve of her cheek with my thumb before sitting. “That’s a dirty tactic, my dear Snow.”
My fingers tingle from that brief contact with her cold skin.
Belle snickers. “She’s learning well.”
Snow’s eyes fill with tears. “I’m worried. That is all.”
It almost makes it worse that she’s not doing this on purpose, and she genuinely cares. She lacks any kind of artifice. When she begs for me to eat, it’s because she’s actually concerned for my well-being. She’s not trying to prove anything or manipulate me.
I poke at my food, moving it around my plate, “Worried?”
Snow wrings her hands together. “You weren’t eating, and you seem so distracted and far away.”
I force the fork to my mouth as she watches, hoping to soothe some of her concern. I swallow and reassure her, “I’m fine.”
