Winter's Promise

by G. Bailey

  "I told you once that I knew your father from university, you remember?" She asks and I nod remembering the conversation at the castle when I called her.

  "When he moved into my street a few years later, he had a two year old daughter. You." She says quietly but I hear every word.

  "I helped him with you at the start because he couldn’t find decent childcare. After that, I fell in love with him all over again and you as well. He never felt that way for me. Your father was in love with your mother, he talked of her all the time. Her name was Isa," she says.

  "He never told me where she went and he wouldn’t tell me anything other than stories of how they met, how you were born. Your father’s name was Joey Bloom and your mother was Isa Bloom.”

  “How was I born?” I ask her bluntly.

  “Joey said it was in the middle of winter, in Scotland. The coldest winter in years and they were trapped in their house. That’s why they named you Winter,” she says and I nod, unable to respond.

  “Everything was quiet for two years and then the car accident happened. I was looking after you and Joey had left you in my care if anything happened to him." She says looking down at the ground.

  "So, you adopted me?" I ask.

  "Yes. I'm sorry I didn't tell you but I just didn't know how. It was easier not to tell you the truth," she admits with a slight sob.

  "Didn’t you think I had a right to know?" I ask, getting angry.

  "Yes," she whispers and runs out of the room in tears. I hear her bedroom door slam shut.

  "At least I know," I say to Atti. Neither of us says anything for a while. I angrily wipe away my tears.

  "Go after her and tell her you love her, Winter. That woman brought up a child who wasn't hers, for a man who never loved her back. It would be a mistake for us to leave now,” he says and I nod. I know he’s right.

  I go up the stairs, passing my old room as I go. I glance at the pink walls, the shelf full of trophies I won at singing competitions over the years. The awards in self-defence sit next to them. I push the door open and smile at the pictures of Alex and me all over the mirror. I was so happy growing up here; she was never a bad mum to me. I can’t imagine the position she must have been put in. I close the door and go to my mum’s room and knock.

  "Mum,"

  She doesn't answer but I go in when I hear her moving. She has pulled a few boxes out of the cupboard and picks a smaller black box out of it. Her room is simple with a small double bed, with blue sheets and matching blue curtains. The room smells like her and it comforts me, despite the reasons we are here.

  "Joey was a good man but he would tell me all these stories; of witches, werewolves, angels and vampires. He even believed goddesses and demons existed," she says and sits on the end of her bed. I don't say a word as I sit next to her.

  "I thought he was mad but he was so sure they existed. In his will, he wrote me this letter,” she hands me a blue envelope. I pull out a letter; it’s old and slightly yellowed. The ends are creased like it’s been read a few times. I start reading, realising that this is my dad’s handwriting,

  Dearest Daniella,

  When we met in university, I knew you would be a great friend to me. Winter is so very young as I come back into your life and I know if you’re reading this that our past has caught up to us.

  Winter is half human; her mother was half demon and half goddess. Isa could do amazing things, control animals and make people do what she wanted with only words. She saw little of the future but enough to keep herself safe over the years. Isa could also call people into her dreams; she used to bring me into hers all the time just to see me. Even as I write this and she is miles away from me, she visited me last night. I know she wants to visit Winter, but she won’t, she misses her too much and she is still so young.

  Isa told me her mother was a goddess and she created animals. She could see the future of her line and the humans worshipped her. She said a true goddess can live for thousands of years and Isa was five hundred years old when we met. I know you won't believe me but trust me on this. Winter needs to be trained, taught some self-defence for her future and when the time is right, please show her this letter.

  My sweet little Winter, the little girl who I just tucked into bed after reading the princess and the pea to for the millionth time, I love you.

  I love you so much Winter Isa Bloom.

  The moment I saw your beautiful face in your mother's arms, I knew I would do anything for you.

  Your mother loved you dearly but I was scared of her power. I’m sure you will be as powerful as she was and she would have done anything to be with you. You look so much like her.

  Isa spent her whole life on the run from her father and never really got close to anyone because of him. We were blessed with you five years after we met, and your mother was so happy. Your middle name is her name. Her name is also like her mother’s, Elissa. She thought it was nice to keep the name. She never knew her mother, as she died three years after she was born. Her protector was also killed many years later, but she escaped.

  Isa said she loved me from the first time we met and I knocked her over in a park. It’s also the last place I saw your mother, when I had to run with you and give you a chance for a normal human life.

  Isa once told me a prophecy about you, a very old one that her mother said. She said every supernatural heard the prophecy when she spoke it and now everyone is fearful of it.

  They shouldn’t be.

  You will raise them all up and keep them safe.

  I love you my sweet little girl.

  Goodbye,

  Dad.

  I wipe my tears away as I put the letter down and my mum hands me a black box. It’s smooth and deep; it’s also a little heavy.

  "I could never open it, it had a note on it saying only you could," she says. I pull the lid up and it lets me, easily.

  Inside is a crown, a massive white gem is held in the middle and the rest is a soft silver colour. There are four little gems inside the twirls holding the main gem up. There are red, green, white and black. The crown is powerful, I can feel it and it wants me to hold it. It’s like it’s connected to me.

  The crown glows blue as I touch it, the power spreading over me and I quickly move my hand away and snap the box shut.

  "A crown," my mum whispers, watching me as I look over at her. I look at my hand; hell, my whole body is glowing blue. I guess the cats out of the bag, or more the glowing Smurf in my case.

  “Why did you change my middle name as well as my last?” I ask because I never had a middle name.

  “It was part of your father’s demands, so I could have custody of you. I think it was another way of keeping you safe,” she says sadly.

  "Thank you," I say and put the box down. I move closer to my mum and hug her, she doesn’t move to respond for a while but then she slips her arms around me.

  "What for?" she eventually mumbles.

  "Being my mum, not leaving me when most people would have. You’re always going to be my mum; blood does not matter to me." I tell her. It’s true, it doesn’t.

  "Oh Winter," she sobs. I hold her close for what seems like a long time, when we break apart I notice Atti by the door. Atti looks at the box on the bed and back at me, a slight crease appearing in his forehead. I wonder if he can feel the power of that crown, too.

  "The things your father talked about are true, aren't they?" She asks, looking at Atti and then back at me. I simply nod.

  "It's hard to believe that all those things exist," she says quietly and Atti chuckles as he walks into the room. He stops at the pot of flowers near mum’s bed. Atti’s hand glows a little green as he touches the flowers and they start growing fast. He stops when the plant, which had one flower, now has dozens.

  "What are you?" My mom asks. She isn’t scared, no her face is just wondrous.

  "A witch," he says and does a little bow.

  "Okay," my mum says and grips my hand tightly. We don’t say anythi
ng as she stares at me; she read the letter and knows what I am, too.

  "Can you both stay for some lunch?" My mum asks after an uncomfortable silence.

  "Yes," Atti answers and I nod.

  "Keep the box and letter. They were always yours, Winter," she says and I pick them both up. The worn letter being the last thing I had from my father and the crown from my mother.

  "What's in the box?" Atti asks as we walk out and he goes to put his hand on the box but I pull it away.

  "An heirloom I won't be using for a while," I respond and look down at the black box. It feels like my future is inside it and already made up before I have chosen anything.

  It’s a crown for a queen and a queen is what I am.

  Chapter Five

  Wyatt

  “Wyatt, there has been news,” Jaxson says stomping into the room, where I was sitting with Winter quietly. Winter looks up with a smile at Jaxson. The quiet is ruined because Jaxson doesn’t know the meaning of it; he never sits fucking still for a second. It used to drive me mad as a kid, it still pisses me off now.

  “Yes?” I ask him.

  “Two of my wolves who watch the old castle say there are vampires in it. They have just returned to the pack to tell me.”

  “Where’s Atti?” I ask standing up. Winter holds my hand and smiles up at me. She is just as happy as I am that there are survivors.

  “Coming,” Jaxson says and the door slams open as Atti walks in the bedroom.

  “Come on then, let’s go and check it out. Here,” Atti throws a sword at me and one at Jaxson. We both hold them at our sides as we walk over to Atti.

  “I’m coming,” Winter says with her hands on her hips as she stares us down.

  “No Sweetheart, we don’t know what we are walking into,” I tell her and she glares at me and her golden skin starts glowing blue, like it always does when she gets mad these days. Her beautiful eyes get even more stunning as they glow a soft silver. Winter is stunning.

  “Not happening, lass,”

  “Atti?” She pleads after she gives a death look to Jaxson.

  “We need you here, someone to protect the pack and Freddy. Who better than their queen?” Atti says. Who knew he was the smart one? Jaxson and I glance at each other, both us wondering how he outsmarted us with Winter.

  “Okay, you’re right,” Winter says and the glow slowly disappears.

  “Be back soon, love,” Atti says and claps a hand on my and Jaxson’s shoulder. When we arrive at the castle, Atti makes us appear just outside. Big pieces of stone lay crumbled on the old staircase up to the castle doors. What once were two massive doors is now just an empty archway, with the doors covered in dust and laying on the ground. Fond memories of escaping here as a child sweep through me, this was the only place I can remember being happy. It’s clear someone has been here, the footprints on the ground an obvious sign, and the smell of blood is another. Jaxson gives me a nod as he moves behind me. He smells something. I hold my sword close as we move into the castle.

  The first room is empty, other than the massive heaps of dust and destroyed walls. I hear a tiny noise up the stairs. I jump over the five missing bottom steps and onto the landing. I land silently, feeling Atti and Jaxson following me closely. They have my back, they always will.

  I stop when a little boy comes out of an archway, his eyes widen when he sees me and he starts crying. I move closer and I know he is a vampire, I can sense him. His mother comes running out and picks him up. When she turns and sees us all, she falls to her knees with her child sobbing into her neck. Both of them look terrible, wearing old torn clothes and they are both pale enough that I know they need to feed. Children can go around two weeks without needing a little amount of blood but adults can’t do that. I turn my head when Harold, a member of my father’s council, and his son Easton come out of the room. I really hope Talen, another council member, is alive so I can fucking kill him for what he did at the castle. Injecting me with silver is a coward’s move, and could have killed me. I will rip his head off for that one.

  “Prince, I hoped you would find us here,” Harold says as he bows.

  “How many of you are here, my friend?” I ask and move closer to the woman, I offer her a hand and she stands up. I ruffle the little kid’s hair and he smiles shyly at me.

  “Four hundred of us escaped, but the rest were lost.” He says and I nod. It was my job to protect them and I didn’t. I would understand if they hated me. Whoever is left is going to have my protection and help. I don’t need to be their king or even their prince; I’m just going to help.

  “How are you feeding?” I ask.

  “The local hospital in town, which is only half an hour away," he says as the woman moves next to Easton and he takes her hand as the kid hides behind her.

  “It’s not nearly enough, and the people are noticing all the blood going missing. Most of us don’t believe it’s safe to leave this castle and have so little knowledge of the human world it isn’t safe to go and find food.” He tells me. To say they have no idea, is a vast understatement; they have no fucking clue. Most haven’t left the castle in all their lives because they didn’t want to. They have always had everything spoon-fed to them. Time for a huge fucking change; like calling humans food for one. They have got to stop that shit.

  “How did you know of this place?” I ask as not many do. This is the old home of the goddess, and it’s well hidden in the middle of the Lake District in England. There’s a huge glamour that makes it impossible to find unless you know it’s there and even then, no one ever finds it. The only reason we know of it is because Atti’s mother showed it him. He then brought us here and we used to come every week, no matter what. Jaxson had wolves watching the place just in case anyone ever found it.

  “Those that believe in the goddess can always find her home. Your mother once told me of this place, a story really, my prince. I knew it was a risk but we didn’t have anywhere else to go,” he tells me and I nod, ignoring the pain from him speaking about my mother. I wish she was here to guide me and maybe she could have stopped my father’s death. I don’t feel grief for my father, not when I know every moment of kindness he showed me growing up was a lie. The only reason he kept me alive was for the demon king and I fell straight into his trap with Winter at my side. It was fucking stupid and won’t be happening again.

  “How many women and young are there?” Atti asks and I glance at him.

  “This ruin of castle is no place for young children, look at the boy,” Atti whispers into my mind. I nod at Harold who finally speaks. I’ll give him credit; he hasn’t backed down in front of all these princes.

  “There are ten children and eight women. The rest are the guards and men that I could get out. I had an escape plan made up for weeks. Your father never told us what he was up to but I am no idiot. I will not lose my family,” he says firmly.

  “I offer you my pack and help,” Jaxson says making Harold’s eyes widen in shock; I turn to Jaxson, ignoring the whispers I can hear down the corridor. A few still get through to my ears and most are in shock that the princes seem like friends.

  “We need to make this place liveable and sort out a delivery of blood to come here.” I tell Atti and Wyatt.

  “My prince,” Harold interrupts.

  “Yes?” I turn to him as he comes to my side.

  “You are our king. Tell us what you wish us to do,” Harold says and lowers himself to his one knee, his head bent. I walk over and put my hand on his shoulder.

  “We work together.” I say and Harold nods. I glance back at Atti who smiles like a dickhead at me while Jaxson smirks.

  The next two days I stay at the castle and help set my people up. Atti took me into town, so I could convince the local hospital to order in a regular delivery of the blood we need. I made a generous donation to the hospital for it, and now every week someone will bring the blood to a meeting point away from the castle. Jaxson helped using his earth powers to clean the place up with Atti us
ing his gifts as well.

  Alex and Drake have taken over the running of the castle, while I’ve been ordering beds, clothes and human food to be delivered to us. I also used my power on a local building company; they’re working at the castle for the next couple of weeks. That cost me a fortune but I’m lucky we have a lot of money saved up.

  “This place is looking great,” Alex says walking into the bedroom with Winter. I stop to smile at her. As alwas she looks happy and beautiful. She must have been at training because she’s wearing tight black leggings and a small black top that stretches across her chest. I have to divert my gaze away from Winter when Alex clears her throat. I’m helping two guys sort their room out and the beds are finally done. I’ve done twenty of the stupid flat pack beds today, Ikea does not make those things easy to put together.

  “Hey,” Winter says looking me over. I’m sure I look like a fucking disaster, with dust in my hair and dirt all over my clothes. I lift the spare wood over my shoulder to take outside and both the girls sigh deeply, making me look at them.

  “You totally rock the hot builder look,” Alex says and Winter playfully hits her arm.

  “That’s my mate you’re talking about,” Winter says and Alex shrugs.

  “Just saying. I’m off to find Drake and then we are going to the furniture store to pick up another delivery of stuff.” She smiles and I nod. I’m thankful for all her help, I can’t stand talking to the humans in town more than I have to. One of them spent twenty minutes telling me there was a difference in two red colours of paint. I didn’t see a difference.

  “Bye,” Winter says and Alex whispers something to her. I don’t listen in but the red cheeks on Winter’s face tell me that I should have.

  “Thank you for your help,” A teenage boy says as he sits putting together a bedside unit. This is a huge change for the older vampires, not many of them are happy about it. They have gotten used to living like kings for years, trapped inside a castle with no communication to the outside world. The teenagers and children are coping a little better. They love the iPhones I brought everyone and I explained what the Internet is and how to use it.