Snow Heart

by Knight, Arvalee

  “What do you mean?” asked Sailles.

  Alric tossed his head to look out the door. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “Zeit are you a cursed one?” Nieves whispered.

  He chuckled into his hand. “Me? Hell no.”

  “What are you then? You’re certainly not human—they can’t turn into birds.”

  He stood against the wall next to the window and thought of the word to describe himself. “I’m something you people would call a… psychopomp.”

  Nieves raised a brow at the alien word. “You are a… psychotic ceremony?” Psycho meaning crazy and pomp meaning ceremony as to what Nieves’s logic was. She just couldn’t understand how that worked to be used to describe someone.

  Zeit tried to douse his laughter as much as possible. “Not at all. In better terms I’m your modern day ‘Grim Reaper’. I used to be anyway. Right now I’m working for Alric.”

  Nieves crouched, pressing her knee onto the grassy ground. “You’re the Grim Reaper?”

  “Yes.” He nodded his head casually.

  “Why are you working for Alric? Shouldn’t you be… you know, be doing… whatever you Grim Reapers are supposed to do?”

  Zeit tried to think of a way to explain his obligations to Alric but there didn’t seem to be a way. Was there any form of explanation for the unexplained? “Think of this as my extremely long vacation. I cannot go back to being a ‘Grim Reaper’ until Alric dies.”

  Zeit cupped his chin in deep thought. “He sort of… owns me in a way. Alric was the one who summoned me from the… ‘Afterlife’ and now I’m here to serve him.”

  Nieves slowly nodded. “I guess I understand that. Then—”

  †

  “Do not dare act as if I am the one who has done something wrong,” Alric yelled from the house. “You left me alone for all these years! And now, suddenly as I am dying, you decide to visit me?”

  Sailles took a step forward unsure how to explain. “Please, Alric… it’s more complicated than that.”

  “Oh?” Alric grinded his teeth, eyebrows furrowing in the center. “I’d like to hear your explanation but I don’t want to see you anymore.” He went to leave the house but a hard painful slap across the face stunned him in his place.

  “Don’t treat your sister like that,” Nieves barked. “She’s still family even if she did abandon you.” Nieves thought slowly of Erika—her sister also abandoned her just like Sailles had left Alric.

  Alric couldn’t figure out if he should yell at her for leaving his room and slapping him or yell at Zeit for letting her leave his room. “Where the hell are you Zeit?”

  Zeit was just in the process of plucking a yellow dandelion when Alric called his name. He poked his head from around the corner of the house and smiled. “Me? Oh, I’m just picking flowers,” said Zeit casually.

  Alric narrowed his eyes. “Aren’t you supposed to watch Nieves?”

  “I am.” He smirked pointing to the girl. “She’s right there. Thus, I’m watching her. I have not left her side.”

  “Idiot.” Alric turned away from him to Nieves. “You were supposed to remain in my room.”

  Nieves shrugged. “So?”

  She doesn’t care, Alric fretted with irritation. Was his authority nothing to her?

  “Alric,” Sailles said gently. “Who is this?”

  “Nieves this is my sister, Sailles.” Alric glanced to Sailles and said, “Sailles this is Nieves.”

  “Hello,” Nieves greeted with a smile.

  Sailles darted her glances through the three people. “Nieves? Is she part of our family that I haven’t met?”

  “Nope,” Nieves replied. “I’m a Vanderhimmel.”

  “Alric!” Sailles called out with shock. “You let a complete stranger live on the Macter estate?”

  Alric spun around with full rage. “Stranger? The only stranger here on this land is you Sailles. You haven’t been here in eleven years and you suddenly think you belong here?”

  Sailles was stunned—she couldn’t figure it out. Nieves lived here… And she slapped him but he didn’t do anything about it.

  Nieves shoved Alric’s shoulder. “Stop it, Alric. She’s still your sister.”

  Alric glowered at Nieves as if trying to stare into her thoughts to understand the secrets and crux of her mind. He realized Nieves was having the same difficulty with her own sister. His expression softened from angry to calm emotionless.

  “Sailles,” Alric said bluntly. “You can bring… your child and… husband onto the grounds.” He never kept his eyes on Nieves as if letting her know this was on her shoulders not his own.

  Alric turned to Sailles with diplomacy. “But they will remain in the main house. They are not to leave the house until you leave the grounds permanently. I don’t want them prying their way into Macter affairs.”

  Sailles gave a weary smile and headed passed Alric towards the white path. “Thank you, little brother,” she said before departing from them for the gate.

  Nieves beamed happily.

  “As for you, Nieves…” Alric was not pleased with being disobeyed. Not only had Nieves went against his orders but also Zeit, whom was under his control. “You are to return to the room.”

  Nieves rolled her eyes. “Fine.”

  Alric raised a brow at Zeit. “Remember who your master is.”

  Zeit smirked. “Does this mean you’ll torture me for my bad behavior, ‘my lord’?” If there was anything Zeit loved it was mocking Alric and being tortured by the people around him. He was somewhat of a sadist and masochist rolled into one.

  “I’ll clip your wings.”

  Zeit let the smile fade into nothing. “You… would clip my wings?”

  Alric didn’t reply. “Watch her this time.”

  The Grim Reaper tried to put back on his smile as Nieves walked to his side. She was talking to him about something along the white path that made Zeit laugh. His worries about his wings were being melted away by the words of the girl.

  This plucked a string of envy inside Alric.

  “Zeit!” Alric called out.

  The two of them paused and turned around a little confused, waiting to hear what else Alric could have to say.

  “I have something else I need you to do,” Alric informed Zeit. “I need you to bring me Bartolemé immediately. It’s now your top priority.”

  Zeit folded his arms. “I’m just running errands all day, huh?”

  Alric glared.

  “Would you like me to drop off Nieves at your room first or after I find Bartolemé?” Zeit was obviously not one for being told to do something by another person. In a way he was like Alric—giving orders but never one to take them too well.

  Alric replied, “Leave her here. Bartolemé is more important.”

  Nieves looked up at Zeit with a small smile, one that said she was admiring him and encouraging him to take the order without back-talking.

  Zeit turned to her, mussed up her hair like an older brother would do then walked away. His body shivered and shimmered with light until nothing was left but a white bird flittering away.

  CHAPTER 20

  Alric and Nieves walked up the white stoned path until they stood feet away from the north gate that led to the city—the gate just outside the main house. It was the same gate Nieves had entered through. Boris had forced her into the car, even as her grandparents were sorrowfully standing idly by. They had wanted her to stay but Erika had custody.

  “If you want I can return to your room,” Nieves offered.

  “No.” Alric held his hands together in front of him. “I… don’t want to be alone when dealing with them. I hate meeting new people.”

  Nieves pursed her lips to keep from smiling.

  “What do I say?” Alric looked over into the waving grass that rustled and hushed in the wind. He found her presence next to him to be calming—making this meeting not so difficult.

  Nieves looked to him not sure what he had meant by that. “
To whom?”

  “To her husband. And child.”

  She laughed a little. “Say hello. Tell them the truth.”

  “The truth?” Alric narrowed his eyes. “I hate children. Their disgusting and unkempt—you want me to say that to Sailles and her husband.”

  Nieves ran her fingers through her hair trying to think of the right words to say. “How about you say to the husband, ‘Hello. It’s nice to meet you.’ Then tell them they have such a lovely daughter or son.”

  Alric looked Nieves in the eye unsure what to say.

  The crunch of gravel drew their attention to a slick black vehicle that rolled up into the long thin grass. It slowed to a stop then cut off. Sailles exited the vehicle and went to the back doors where her daughter sat impatiently.

  “Thank you,” Alric said looking away from her—as if ignoring the fact that he just said those words aloud to someone.

  Nieves noticed his actions and softly replied, “You’re welcome.”

  Sailles held her daughter on her hip with her husband at her side. He was dressed in a graphic t-shirt and faded blue jeans—the husband was. He looked like a person ready for a good vacation.

  “Hi there,” he said with a wide smile and greeting visage.

  Alric looked to Nieves out of the corner of his eye then turned his attention to the husband. “Hello… It’s… nice to meet you.” He had a hard time saying those words but he did his best. “You have… such a lovely daughter.” He eyed the child, resisting a disgusted expression.

  Sailles smiled—she felt shocked how kind her brother was being.

  The husband grabbed hold of Alric’s shoulders and forced him into a hug. “Hah, right on ya, little brother-in-law.”

  Alric’s body tensed at the touch of another person. The last time he’d been held was with Aunty but even she knew that a full on hug was too much for Alric. He hated being held. It made him worried and self-conscious about the scars along his back. Never once had Alric been bold enough to wear a short sleeve shirt.

  “Nice to meet you too,” Alric growled sarcastically, pulling away.

  Nieves laughed hesitantly at Alric’s harshness.

  “Well, who is this little lady?” asked Sailles’s husband.

  She smiled replying, “Hello. I’m Nieves. And you?”

  “The name’s Jeff.” He smiled pulling Nieves into a hug, letting her go to pat her head. “You remind me of my little cousin, Diana.”

  Alric glowered away, ready to be gone with Jeff, Sailles and their daughter. “We should get you inside,” he said, pulling Nieves away from Jeff. “You most likely need rest after your journey here.”

  Jeff stretched, pulling his arms behind his head. “Yeah, dude. I’m tired of airplanes and cars. I need a real good nap, you know?”

  Alric slowly nodded his head. “Sure.”

  “Be nice,” Nieves muttered under her breath.

  “Nice?” Alric blurted, unable to keep his calm composure. “Tell me why I should be nice to someone who I’ve never met, who happens to be married to a sister I haven’t heard from in eleven years then got her pregnant?”

  She seethed out the words, “You’re so heartless.” Nieves balled her fist with irritation.

  “What?” Alric yelled, “She abandoned me to be abused by my parents! She never came back to see me. She never wrote me or invited me to her wedding! She never called me to tell me she was having a child!”

  Sailles reached out to her brother. “Alric?”

  “Get away from me!” He angrily yelled and began to walk away.

  “Wait, Alric.” Nieves reached out and took hold of his shoulder.

  Alric spun around and grasped her wrist. “Don’t ever touch me again.” He threw away her wrist and angrily walked back to the main house. He was too enraged to think about anything else but the pain in his chest.

  †

  Alric sipped down the warmth of the tea. He didn’t bother to speak with Aunty or even look at her. She was jotting down ideas into a journal. Every once in a while she looked at Alric, almost waiting for him to say something. Finally Aunty couldn’t stand the silence any longer.

  “Alright, what is it?”

  Alric looked at her as if waiting for her to answer the question.

  Aunty tossed down her pen and folded her arms. “Don’t give me attitude, punk. Sailles is your sister no matter how you look at it.”

  Alric grumbled a sigh. “That’s what Nieves said.”

  “She’s right and you know it.” Aunty didn’t care if she had to speak the truth to Alric, no matter how harsh it had to be.

  Alric felt like it was the hundredth time he defended himself from the very same accusation. “She left me here to rot, Aunty. For eleven years my older sister ignored me and shut me out of her life. I have no reason to consider kindness towards Sailles.”

  Alric slammed his tea cup down onto the kontatsu table. The room was small and empty of just the two of them. Two walls of the room, opposite of each other, were closed shoji sliding doors.

  “You’re right,” Aunty replied in a gentler tone.

  Alric looked at her with a softened expression. “You agree with me?”

  “I’m on your side one hundred percent. Your sister should have written to you… or sent some form of information to let you know she still cared.” Aunty closed the journal and capped her pen.

  Alric was relieved to know someone was on his side.

  “I’m still angry with you,” Aunty informed.

  “You… said you were on my side with this.”

  Aunty gathered her things and stood up, bending and stretching her legs each one at a time. She felt a little stiff from sitting for so long. She was used to the all night parties and dances during the travels she took throughout Europe. It wasn’t like her to be sitting down for so long.

  Alric was impatient. “I don’t understand.”

  “You should apologize,” Aunty told him.

  He leaned forward pressing his elbows into the table—something he hardly ever did. “Sailles doesn’t deserve an apology,” he said to his tea cup of which he hovered over.

  Aunty hugged her journal with one arm. “Not to Sailles. To Nieves.”

  “Nieves…”

  Aunty headed to the door. “You bruised her arm pretty fucking badly, kid.”

  He snapped his attention around to her.

  “Yep. Wilhelm took a look at it and gave it a bandage.” Aunty let her right hand brush strands of her hair behind her ear. “She doesn’t blame you so there’s no reason to worry. Still, Alric, you should apologize to her. Even if you hate saying sorry to people.” Aunty slipped out of the room leaving Alric to deal with the guilt on his own.

  CHAPTER 21

  The kiss of winter wind nipped against her skin as she looked into the ripples of the koi pond. The various fish swam about nipping at the small insects that would be brave enough to land upon the water’s surface. About the pond were small lily pads and water grasses. It was a pond that looked like someone took care of it often.

  Nieves heard the sounds of footsteps behind her. She turned just as Alric was sitting down with her on the edge of the pond—a rock wall that made up the pond’s interior.

  She gave a smile to him and he scowled in return.

  “Oh,” she said looking to the pond. “You’re still angry.”

  Alric tensed, resisting from hurting her. “You should be angry with me. I could have broken your arm.”

  “This?” She raised her mummified arm. “It’s nothing, really.”

  Alric gritted his teeth and tightened his jaw. He wanted to scream at how foolish she was acting. “Don’t you get it,” he said through clenched teeth. “You could have been hurt severely.”

  Nieves shook her head. “It’s just a bruise. Why is everyone overreacting?” She remembered how concern Wilhelm had been when he found out. Hiding a large bruised shaped like someone’s hand on her wrist was not as easy as Nieves thought it would have been. Wilhelm had
acted like Alric was a mad animal that could lash out at any moment.

  “You’re leaving,” Alric stated. “I want you off the estate and in the city by sundown. I never want to see you again.”

  Her eyes widened with disbelief. “You… What?”

  Alric turned at her and looked her straight in the eye with anger. “I hate you, Nieves. I want you gone.” He stood up and began to walk back towards the main house.

  “Alric.” Nieves reached out for him while trying to stand. “Please.”

  He regretted turning around—he regretted it more than anything. Her tear stained cheeks and the hurtful sorrow in her eyes felt like too much. Alric knew he couldn’t let Nieves stay. It was too dangerous for her to live with him. The snow was coming and soon… No, he told himself, he had to make her leave.

  “Go, Nieves. Go pack your things.”

  She swallowed the lump in her throat but she couldn’t speak. The harder Nieves tried to fight back her tears the more they slid free. “I won’t leave,” she muttered. “I refuse to let you go through this alone.” Mostly, Nieves was afraid to leave to the city without anyone. Erika wasn’t alive no matter what anyone said. “Please. Don’t abandon me, too.”

  His heart jolted to a sudden stop—skipping two or three beats—then resumed its objective. Alric had never heard those words before but he could almost remember himself saying those words to Sailles.