Winter's Kiss

by G. Bailey

  Winter

  "Wow, you lasted a minute longer than usual," Leigha’s sarcastic tone comes through as I groan face-down on the grass.

  “That’s what she said,” Alex shouts over.

  I roll on my back as Leigha looks down at me with a smirk.

  "Bitch," I pant, and she laughs.

  “If you would just work on your powers, we wouldn’t need to do this,” she says as she offers me a hand and pulls me up. Fighting against Leigha is hard. She doesn't give me a break and happily kicks my ass every morning. She’s a good teacher, she shows me how not to attack her and corrects my moves. So, I can last a minute against her now, and we have only been fighting like this for five days.

  "You’re not using your vampire skills, your extra speed, and strength. You’re still thinking like a human," she says as she walks around me.

  "I was human until recently, how do I think like a vampire?" I ask her sarcastically.

  "You don't think, you are a vampire. It’s inside of you, you just have to realise who you are," she tells me.

  "You sound like you’re going to break out in song in a minute," I say.

  "I'd rather break your face, but I'm trying to be a good girl," she deadpans. I try to hold in the chuckle and fail, she just glares at me.

  "Why don't Alex and I fight? Drake has trained her, and she is good, better than you," she says, and I swear I almost hear the, anyone is better than you, she wants to add on. Alex is watching us from the side as she paints her nails, Drake is with Wyatt this morning.

  "Okay," I shrug. I watch as she calls Alex over, and they get into position. It's hard to watch them fight because they move so fast. I have to force myself to slow them down and watch. It's weird to see Alex move like this; she avoids nearly all of Leigh’s hits and sweeps under her arm when Leigha almost gets her. Leigha is better in the end, she manages to get Alex by her shoulder and flip her over.

  "You broke my nail," Alex says from her place on the ground.

  "You’re such a girl," Leigha stares down at Alex who looks at her.

  "You could be too," she suggests, a faint blush appears on Leigha’s cheeks as an answer. I’m about to step in when a gigantic boom from a distance distracts me and fireworks flash in the sky, what the hell? The guards, who are here training, run too quickly for my eyes to see until we are left alone.

  “Get to it love,” Atti whispers in my mind.

  "Finally, I thought it would take forever for Atti to come up with a distraction," I say with a big smile, as black smoke fills the air in the distance.

  “Big fucking distraction, what did he set on fire?” Leigha asks as Alex gets up off the floor.

  "I said to distract our guards, not the entire castle," I say, and Alex looks at us both.

  "What are you guys up to? And why are we still standing around talking if we have somewhere to be?" she says.

  "You’re not going to like it," I mumble, and Leigha grins.

  "You can go in first," she suggests to Alex, who looks ready to punch her.

  "Did you get the wine?" Leigha asks me, and I nod. I run over to my bag I've been carrying everywhere and pull out two bottles of Wyatt’s costly old wine.

  I hope he doesn't kill me when he sees they are missing.

  Leigha nods at me before running off towards the far tower. Atti made the blast as far away from the tower as possible, which is perfect for us. I don’t think he meant to do it on purpose.

  Alex and I follow Leigha, me moving slower because I don’t want to drop the wine. We get to the tower, and Leigha kicks the door open, smashing the wooden locks.

  "We aren't meant to look like we have been here," I mutter.

  "Anyone would just assume the mini-demons did it," she shrugs. I suppose she has a point.

  "Here," I shove the bottles of wine at her and she huffs at me.

  "Mini-demons? Are you two out of your fucking minds? You know they are little devils, right?" Alex says loudly behind us.

  "They just like to party, you had a lot in common with them when you were younger," I say.

  "I can't remember those times," Alex waves a hand at me, and I chuckle. We move up the dozen or so steps of the tower, avoiding broken wood, and rolls of toilet paper chewed into tiny pieces and strewn all over the place. There are dozens of bottles of beer and other drinks making the place look like a frat party gone wrong. Loud dance music is coming from the highest room in the tower.

  Leigha opens the door when we get to the top, and Alex screams. The room is full of rats, I hold in a scream as they all stop to look at us. The scene changes so quickly, it makes me feel fuzzy. The rats aren't rats at all, they are little people who glow a slight blue. They are brown, grey, and I see some with blue skin. They all have white hair and big squashed-in looking noses, their feet and hands are as large as their big stomachs. They are wearing rags over their bodies, some have little rags in their hair holding it up and they’re about the size of a small rat, no wonder their glamors work so well. They don’t need to change size. Leigha holds up the two bottles of wine.

  "We need to talk, the princess brought you five-hundred-year-old wine from the prince’s private collection, you know the one that’s locked up tight, so you guys can’t get in," she says, and a hiss is returned from them. I duck as something is thrown at us. I glance down at the water dripping from my leg and the condom on the floor. I glance up in horror as I see them lift dozens of condoms filled with water.

  "Fuck, you little shits," Alex shouts as more of those things are thrown at us. I get soaked as we scramble out the door. I gaze behind me as Leigha is hit with a random sofa cushion and drops the wine. They roll across the floor as I get hit in the back with water,

  "Stop!" I shout as three demons take the wine as Leigha tries to get up but they are still throwing things. Alex pulls the cushion off Leigha, while I held up my arms to stop the incoming water condoms they are throwing.

  A sharp bit of wood hits my arm, when they throw a chair leg at the wall near my head, and it leaves a nasty cut.

  "Out, out, out!" I shout, and Leigha and Alex don't waste any time following me out the room. I slam the door shut.

  "They are nuts," Alex says, squeezing the extra water out of her hair.

  "You have a condom in your hair," Alex point at Leigha. She’s right, she does.

  "What?" Leigha pulls out the condom and holds it in front of her in disgust before dropping it.

  "They looked like they were using them as balloons, they must have stolen someone's supply," Leigha says with a slight chuckle, which makes us all laugh. We all look at each other and start giggling until reality hits.

  "This was all pointless because they won’t help us," I sigh.

  "Hello," a small voice says from the bannister of the stairs. A mini-demon is sitting on the edge, he looks different from the others. He is a slightly blue, with white hair tied with a little rag. He is thin and has big, grey eyes that watch us closely.

  "Hi, I’m Winter. This is Alex and Leigha." I introduce them both with a wave, and he nods.

  "I am Milo," he says and stands up. I watch as he does a tiny bow, so cute.

  "Hello, Milo, we need some help," I say.

  "I’ll help you," he replies. His voice is small and sounds like a small child.

  "We need to know what the king is doing," I say gently.

  "Bad man," Milo shakes his head.

  "Yes, he is," I nod.

  "He is bringing king back," Milo says, he struggles to pronounce king, so it sounds a little like ring.

  "I don't understand," I frown as he shakes his head at me.

  "I’ll help you," he nods.

  "Yes, you are but what king is he bringing back?"

  "Your family," he says looking at the cut on my arm.

  "My family? That makes no sense, Milo," I frown. I think of Jaxson, but it doesn’t make sense.

  "You will. King is coming," he says and stands up. Tiny little white wings come out his back, and he flies over
to me. He lands on my shoulder and sits down.

  "What are you doing?" I ask.

  "You keep Milo safe, Milo helps you," he replies.

  "You have a pet demon, only you Win," Alex chuckles, and even Leigha looks shocked.

  "He isn't a pet," I say, and I look at him.

  "I am your friend," Milo says with a smile.

  "Do you know anything about a king coming back, guys?" I ask Leigha and Alex who both shake their heads.

  "We need to ask the boys and look through the books. Just be careful about it," Leigha says, and I nod, agreeing. We all leave the tower and get back to the courtyard without seeing anyone. I tell Milo to hide in my bag, and he happily does when I tell him there is chocolate in there. I guess I can share or get more.

  About five minutes after we start training again, Atti and Wyatt come into the courtyard. Atti is covered in black soot and Wyatt doesn’t look any better. His blond hair is covered in it.

  "What happened?" I ask innocently.

  "Atti got a little fire happy when showing some human children a firework show." Wyatt glares at Atti.

  "I was just keeping the little ones happy, I just need to work on my aim," he winks at me.

  "Yeah, hitting the stables wasn't the best idea," Wyatt says dryly.

  "Are the horses okay?" I ask, feeling worried.

  "None were in there, thankfully it was being cleaned out. No one was hurt, but it took a while to put it out because it was magical," Wyatt glares at Atti and comes over to kiss me gently.

  "How is training?" he asks. I watch as he turns my arm over and looks at the cut.

  "Uneventful," I mumble as I look over at my bag. Milo chooses that moment to poke his head out covered in chocolate and grins at me before going back.

  Yep, Wyatt isn't going to like our new roommate.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Atticus

  "So young prince, what brings you to my court?" The vampire king asks as he sits on his throne. Disgust fills me as I see the human people on their knees in front of him. Their empty stares across the empty room are haunting but I know I can't help them. They won't be alive long anyway by the thin, pale looks of them. Death would be a mercy for them. “Other than destroying my stables to please a few children,” he says, but he doesn’t care.

  "My queen sent me to discuss the proposition you gave her," I say loudly. The four members of the council are sitting on their chairs to his left, and Wyatt is standing by the window.

  "She refused me. There is little to discuss. I found your dark queen more agreeable. She has helped me with the item I needed," he says, a mysterious smile appears on his face when I get angry. I’m sure my eyes are glowing.

  "She is no queen," I grit out.

  "Oh, but she is," the king laughs. The sound is hollow even to my ears.

  "Little boy, you should run home to your queen before you find out what I gave the dark witch in return for her help," he says as he stands. I clench my fists, resisting the urge to fight him, and I turn to walk out.

  I flash once I'm outside the throne room and go straight into my mother's home. When you are close to someone, you can go to wherever they are as long as it isn’t warded. Not many wards keep out a witch anyway, they aren’t meant for that. Our magic can easily find a gap and then open it. My mother’s city has a powerful ward, but only against other races, witches can leave or return if they wish. I just think of my mother and my magic guides me to her.

  I find her in her sitting room, sitting in a large, leather chair with her familiar’s head on her lap. My mother’s familiar is a bear. An enormous white one with the scariest fucking eyes you've ever seen. The bear is called Bart, and I always find it funny to call him that. The Mother said he has a longer, complicated name and calling him Bart is easier. I understand that, Mags and Jewels have demon names that are very long and annoying. When you touch your familiar, their true demon name is whispered in your mind.

  "Mother," I say, and she turns to face me. She looks tired, more than she usually does.

  "You’ve finally come back to see me," she says.

  "Winter was ill, I couldn't leave her, and she is in the vampire castle now. I'm sorry I haven't been back sooner," I tell her. It’s not exactly unusual for me not to visit for weeks, I have my apartment in the city and don’t live in the castle. I have a room, but I prefer my space where none of the witches who want my attention can find me. My mother found the place for me, she understands my need for space sometimes.

  "Come closer, Atticus," my mother holds her hand out for me. I walk over and take her small hand in mine. Not that I’m stupid enough to mention it, but my mother’s age is catching up with her. I know she must be close to a hundred and eighty years old by now. Her light hair is greying, and her magic seems weaker these last few years. She is still stunning, she always has been.

  "With Winter at your side, you will become a real king. Whatever happens, my son, know that," she says. I kneel in front of her and push the big bear out the way. Bart grumbles but moves.

  "Nothing will happen, you will be queen for many years yet, and, hopefully, if I can convince Winter to have my little ones, you will be a grandmother to them," I tell her. I'm talking at least twenty years after we have mated. I want to enjoy Winter first.

  "Maybe. Maybe not. Go back to your mate, she will need you soon," she tells me but won’t look at me.

  "Mother, are you well?" I ask her. She seems so pale. She looks away from me at the windows of her room. The room itself is one of the best places to see the city, other than the throne room. You can see our high walls in the distance, the fields inside them where we grow our herbs, and the jewel trees glitter all around the city. The rows of homes we built that are topped with different colour roofs; a city that's never been touched by the human world. It's wonderful, much like its ruler.

  "I am well, my son. Don't leave your mate alone too long. I've warned you once, and I will once more," she stops speaking to look at me finally.

  "The vampire king is messing in dangerous waters. Either way, there will not be a good outcome for your mate," she tells me.

  "Mother," I start but she waves a hand at me. I know the conversation is over. I wonder what my mother was like before she lost her mate. She has never been a bad mother, just distant with me. Mother always looked at me like I’m a ghost sometimes, I know I look very much like my father.

  "Go," she says, and I nod. I stroke my hand over my mother’s cold hand before flashing to the training yard where Winter should be. I hear her straight away.

  "I like Milo, and I'm keeping him," she shouts. Even when she shouts, it isn't that threatening.

  "He is a mini-demon Winter, not a pet!" Wyatt replies loudly, and I hold in the laugh as I stop on the top floor that overlooks the training yard. Winter is standing with her hands on her hips looking furious, as Wyatt stands opposite her. Wyatt is holding a tiny, blue demon, his face covered in black and white stuff.

  "You’re just mad because he ate your Oreos," Winter replies. Yep, the demon is done for.

  "We are not keeping him," Wyatt shouts louder, and I laugh. I tune out their argument as I look down the corridor. Watching Winter and Wyatt is one the council members. I don't know what his name is, but Wyatt told me he was the one that threatened Winter when she was alone. He has the royal vampire crown tattooed on his shaved head, but that's all that's special about him. I flash straight behind him and wrap my hand around his throat. I call my fire powers, so my hand is slowly burning him. Not enough to kill him, but it’s painful and burning his throat enough that he can’t speak. I can tell from the way he holds back a scream, and he tries to move my hand away that it hurts. Luckily I'm bigger than he is and a lot fucking stronger.

  "If I catch you watching her again, I will find ways to make you wish you never saw her," I say in a deathly whisper and let him go. He drops to his knees gasping as he turns to glare up at me. "Cat got your tongue?" I laugh. "Don't worry, I don't need an answer, but my c
ats will have your tongue if you don't heed my warning, vampire," I tell him and walk away as he is still gasping for air. His vampire healing will heal him, eventually.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Winter

  "I can't breathe," I gasp out. Repeating the same thing I’ve been repeating for the last ten minutes.

  "Just a little more," Alex says as she finally ties the last part of the corset to the massive dress I'm wearing. It's dark red, tight at the top where the corset pulls in my chest and stomach. The skirt flows in layers down to the floor and hides my lovely, silver heels. The skirt is filled with little, sparkling gems, so when I move, the dress sparkles. I look like a bloody princess for once; I’m not sure I like it.

  Wyatt had it made for me, with Alex's help for styling and getting the size right. I've never been a girly girl like Alex, but I love it.

  "Go and have a look at my work. You finally look like a princess and not my jeans-loving sister," she playfully says.

  I smile at Alex and pull her into a hug before letting go.

  I walk over to the mirror in the bathroom, and I don't recognise myself. My hair is straight, and the top part is up in some fancy bun. My makeup is perfect and makes my blue eyes look bigger. I know that they look brown to everyone else, but it's still amazing. My necklace is tucked between my breasts on a longer chain we found in the wardrobe, the crystal reminding me of Atti. I wonder what he and the others will think of the dress.

  The dress does make me look like a princess, straight out of a fairy-tale book.

  It's weird and beautiful at the same time.

  "You look stunning, Sweetheart," Wyatt says behind me, and I turn as he walks into the bathroom. A wave of desire fills me when I see him in his tux. He looks amazing, and part of me just wants to rip it off him to find the impressive body underneath. I smile when I see he is wearing a red bow tie that matches my dress. I'm sure it was done on purpose.

  "You look so sexy," I blurt out way too quickly, and he laughs. I have no idea why hot guys like me. I can be seriously uncool.