Winter Tails: A Limited Edition Winter Shifters Collection

by Fox, Piper

  “Now what?”

  “Now I’m considering an alternative solution.”

  “Which is?”

  “Axel asked me to run away with him, and I think I might do it.”

  “Oh? Tell me everything!”

  “He asked me to run away with him, and after speaking with my mother just now, I really think I might.”

  “Why in the hell would you not?”

  “Because the people of Byliar are counting on me. Because my father would have done anything to protect them.”

  “Your father would have done anything to protect his people, yes, but not at the expense of his daughter’s happiness and freedom. If you go to Canois, you’ll be nothing more than a slave to that man. Another piece of property for him to tote around until he gets bored.”

  “I’m so torn right now.”

  “Why are you torn? I mean, it seems pretty clear to me what you should do.”

  “Easy for you to say when this isn’t the choice you have to make.”

  “You’re right. What did Axel say?”

  “He wants me to meet him tonight. In our spot. He said he would wait for me there and we’d leave together before sunrise.”

  “Look, I’m going to miss having you here no matter what you decide to do. You need to follow your heart here. Do what’s best for you because you’re the only one who is thinking of that right. Everyone, including Axel, has an agenda. What’s your agenda, what do you want for yourself?”

  “I just want to live my life, Vanessa. Like everyone else gets to.” Naomi sat on the bed next to her friend. “You know, my father always promised me I would live the life I chose. My mother hated that, but it filled me with so much hope. The moment I learned of his death, I felt that hope leave me. And here I am, not even a year later, and what I feared is coming true.”

  “Only if you let it.”

  “If I let it,”

  “Like I said, this is your life. Do what is best for you.”

  Soft taps on the door were our cue to end our conversation. A moment later, Min entered carrying three large bags.

  “Time to pack?”

  “It looks that way.”

  Vanessa helped with the minimal packing effort. Of course she grabbed a few items for herself. When they finished the task at hand, Naomi filled the three bags with what she thought vital to her trip. Left alone in her room, she looked over all her possessions that didn’t fit in the cases.

  It surprised her to find that she wasn’t sad to leave most of her things behind. They were just things, but very little held actual value. The only things that truly meant anything to her, she received from her father, and they packed most of those items.

  Everything except the vanity. She’d have to arrange for it to go with her. She didn’t care what her mother had to say about it. It was her most prized possession. It would also take several dragons to carry it, if not transported by land.

  She sat at the vanity, running her fingers along the cool stone, and considered what her friend said. Vanessa was right. Her father wouldn’t have asked her to give up her happiness for temporary peace. He wanted the world for his daughter and under no circumstance did she see him selling her off to the callous king.

  Naomi looked in the mirror at herself. Though she had many of her mother’s features, her eyes were her father’s, the color was different. Where hers were an icy blue, his were an earthy brown. But the shape of them was the same. The long lashes, thick brown and freckled framing were all his. She wished she could look into his eyes once more and ask him for his advice.

  Such wishes were wasted energy. Instead, she took a deep cleansing breath and focused her intentions on finding clarity. When she exhaled, she let the breath carry with her ice. The tension building could only be released by expelling the energy a flight would have taken care of. Instead, she allowed herself a quick burst of breath. It was the only way to expel the energy. Typically, she did this while lying in bed, so she could see the air turn to ice and fall on her face, a personal snow storm.

  This time, the ice met the mirror, causing it to fog. She lifted her hand to wipe away the condensation but stopped when flakes of ice materialized and moved across the glass. She watched, and her heart slammed in her chest as the flakes came together to display a message. One she knew was from her father.

  Follow your heart, it will never lead you wrong. I love you always.

  As she read the words, she sobbed. Even in his death, her father still helped her through her most troublesome times. She placed her hand against the glass as the message faded and thanked him.

  Her mother was active a lot later that night. Every time she thought it safe to leave, sounds of aides shuffling outside her door stopped her from calling her wings to surface. With very little time before the Moon began its descent, the palace finally fell silent and Naomi took to the sky.

  She rushed across the sky, no longer caring if anyone saw her. She had to reach him before he left. The thought of starting their lives together pushed her to move faster. The quicker she got to him, the sooner they could leave, and the further away they could get before her mother realized she was gone.

  A fresh layer of snow covered the grounds of the hidden field. The white powder had been falling from the sky all day. It got heavier as the night went on. Naomi landed and searched for Axel, but he wasn’t there. She looked to the sky; the moon was still prominent, another hour until it would make its move, and yet, her love was nowhere to be found.

  She remained there, hoping he would come to her. But as the moon left the sky giving way to the son, Naomi was still alone. She sat in the field, with fresh snow clinging to her hair and skin, she cried. How could he not show?

  Despite the exposure of the sun, and despite the anger she would receive from her mother, she shifted into her dragon form and headed home.

  * * *

  Min waited for her in her room. Tea prepared and clothing for the day laid out. She made no comment of her absence. Naomi bathed and dressed with tears still falling from her eyes.

  “What’s on the agenda today?” She asked Min as she styled her hair into a single braid that fell down her back.

  “I have nothing for you.” Min reported.

  “Nothing from my mother?”

  “No, it would appear you have the day to yourself.”

  “Well, that’s oddly refreshing.” Naomi placed the brush on the vanity. “Please get Vanessa for me? I think it might be good for me to have some more girl time before I’m shipped off into matrimony.”

  “I-,” Min hesitated to answer her.

  “What is it?”

  “Vanessa,”

  “Yes?” When Min didn’t answer her, Naomi turned in her seat and grabbed her hands. She continued with a gentle tone, “Whatever it is, you can trust me. Tell me what you know. Nothing will happen to you.”

  Min looked over her shoulder at the door as if afraid someone would burst in to stop her confession. She lowered her tone and reported, “They took her into custody last night.”

  “What?” Naomi jumped from her seat. “Why? What could she have possibly done?”

  Min held her hands up, begging Naomi to lower her tone. “I shouldn’t have told you, but something is wrong. It didn’t feel right.”

  “Where is she now?”

  “In the vaults.”

  “The dungeons? Why would she be there?” The vaults were a collection of magically reinforced cells that the queen reserved for the worst offenders, people who required magical binding to stop them from shifting to their dragon forms. The last person they held down in the vaults had murdered fifteen women and children.

  “I don’t know, but another aide saw her leaving the palace. She hadn’t made it off the front steps before the guards grabbed her.”

  “I need you to cover for me.” Naomi stood and pulled the black robe over her dress. “I need to go see her.”

  “I-,”

  “Look, you said I have nothing on my li
st today. As far as the rest of the world is concerned, I’m not feeling well.” Naomi approached the mirrored wall behind her closet door. The lower panel of glass was actually a concealed panel. Using her foot, she pushed it in to open the secret passage from her room.

  The corridor was an escape route if the palace was ever under attack. The only thing she’d ever used it for was exploring parts of the palace that she wasn’t meant to see. Like the vaults. She learned when she was a teenager that the tunnels split off, and down the narrowest path was a hidden access point.

  She was never sure if it was there, and she never asked. From the substandard construction compared to the other paths, it looked more like a creation of desperation leading her to fantasize about stories of prisoners escaping.

  As she ducked into the passageway, she hoped she wouldn’t find her friend locked away. Maybe someone had given Min worthless information. In all the years she’d known her, she couldn’t remember one time the girl brought her bad intel.

  She made it to the narrow path with ease, but the years that had passed since her last use of the space brought more width to her hips and volume to her bust. Still she squeezed through and after confirming that no guards were nearby, she stepped out into the dungeon. There were ten cells lining the walls. With each one she passed, she found relief that Vanessa wasn’t within it. Until the sixth.

  “Vanessa?” She peered through the bars into the shadow where she could see long auburn hair stretched across the ground.

  The hair moved as she lifted her head. Vanessa jumped to her feet and ran to the bars. “Naomi! What are you doing here?”

  “Me? What are you doing here? What the hell happened?”

  Vanessa looked to the heavy metal door at the end of the dungeon and lowered her voice. “Your mother happened.”

  “What?”

  “I was leaving yesterday, and the guards grabbed me. They accused me of stealing the things you said I could have. They dragged me in to see your mother.”

  “She accused you of theft?”

  “She wasn’t worried about any damn clothes.”

  “What did she want?”

  “Information about you and-,”

  “Axel?”

  “Yes,” Vanessa dropped her head. “I’m sorry, Vanessa. I didn’t want to tell her anything, but she threatened me. She said she would hurt my mother and she would lock me away in here if I didn’t tell her everything I knew.“ Vanessa lifted her hand full of her hair. “She cut my hair.”

  Naomi realized then that the long locks were not attached to her friend’s head.

  “Oh my god, Vanessa, I’m so sorry.”

  “She said if you don’t go,”

  “What?”

  “She’ll do a lot more than cut my hair off.”

  Naomi reached through the bars to grab her friend. She pulled her as closely as the bars would allow to hug her. “I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise.”

  “I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to tell her.”

  “Oh, my god.” Naomi dropped her arms. “Axel.”

  “What?”

  “He wasn’t there. I went to meet him. I wanted to be with him. But he wasn’t there. I thought he changed his mind, or he gave up on me.”

  “Oh-,”

  “I can’t believe she would do this.”

  “You-,” Vanessa started, but the sounds of movement outside the door stopped her. “Get out of here before they come.”

  “I can’t leave you here.”

  “I’ll be okay, just make sure you are.”

  Naomi turned to leave but stopped. “You’ll get out of here. I’m going to go to Canois and marry their king. No one else will suffer for this, especially not you.”

  “Naomi,” Vanessa called out to her, but Naomi continued to the exit. “No, don’t do this. You can’t give up! That is what she wants!”

  There was no room left for debate. Her mother made herself clear. If Naomi didn’t cooperate, she would make the people she cared about to suffer. As she maneuvered through the path back to her room, she could only consider Axel. Was he okay? Was he alive? She did not know what was happening with him and no clue where to find out.

  The queen controlled everything, and the people, the guards, and the aides were loyal to her. Naomi had Min, but she also didn’t want to put her at risk either. By the time she closed the glass panel behind her and stepped back into her room, a stronger emotion replaced her sadness. Anger.

  Naomi marched through her room and out the door. She knew where her mother would be. Back in her tearoom as if she’d done nothing wrong. As if she hadn’t taken the love of her life and locked up her closest friend. She didn’t care that her hair and clothes were now dirty and disheveled from moving through the hidden passageways. All she cared about was confronting the woman who’d ruined her life.

  “How could you?” she burst through the doors, nearly knocking over one aide.

  “Have you lost your mind?” her mother looked up from her plate of cheese. “Since when do you burst into my space unannounced?”

  “Since you decided it was okay to lock my best friend away! Why is Vanessa in the vaults?”

  “Because she has sticky fingers.”

  “Sticky fingers? I gave her those things. Besides, we both know that’s not why you locked her up.”

  “You’re right, it’s not. I locked her up because she betrayed her people by telling you to run off with that useless boy!”

  “He is not-,”

  “I don’t care what he is. I care what he is not. And what is not, is the King of Canois. The man you’re meant to marry.”

  “What did I ever do?” Naomi fumed. “What was it I did to you that was so bad that you would force me into this knowing how miserable I will be? What was it that turned your heart so cold?”

  “I owe you no explanation for my action,” She stood from her seat and looked her daughter straight in the eye as she called out the order. “Guard! Take her and lock her in her room.”

  “What? No!” Naomi struggled as the men grabbed her arms, dragging her from the tearoom.

  “You’re going to marry the king. You’re going to make your people proud!”

  “Don’t do this!”

  “And make sure that damn passageway is closed off!” the queen called after her.

  * * *

  They locked Naomi in her room. The guards did as her mother said and locked the hidden passageway. Even if she could unlock it, there were guards on twenty-four-hour duty on the other side. They even sealed her windows shut and outside the steady patrol of dragon guards.

  The day passed slowly, each hour another marker of the approaching king. She tried to break free, but there was no exit. She thought Min could help her, but when her meal came, Daphne, a mute aide who her mother had tortured so much she rarely lifted her eyes from the floor, carried it. And when the last hour struck, the brass vibrations of trumpets sounded outside her windows.

  As the announcement of Cornel resounded, Naomi’s bedroom door opened and in marched a crew of aides carrying the outfit of her mother’s choice. Before long they dressed her, fixed her hair and did her makeup, all without her help. She was nothing more than a doll being set for display.

  When she was dressed to her mother’s liking, they marched her out the door and to the court where she would meet her husband to be.

  Her mother sat at the head of the court, in the crown chair surrounded by the blank faces of the dignitaries of Byliar. They propped Naomi in place, sitting in the chair next to her mother before the doors opened.

  With as much fanfare as she’d ever witnessed, they ushered Cornel into the room. He had twenty men with him, marching on either side as he walked down the aisle wearing clothing the color of vomit. Naomi cringed as he neared, and she could see more of him. His greasy hair, his greying skin, and the boils beneath his neck. This was the man her mother wanted her to produce children for.

  “Cornel, so glad you could make it.”<
br />
  “For a gift as delightful as this,” he pointed to Naomi as if she were nothing more than an offering, a statue made in his honor, “of course I would come in person!”

  Naomi’s mind went blank as he exchanged further pleasantries with her mother and only returned to the conversation when her mother called her name.

  “Naomi,” She scowled. “Don’t be rude.”

  “I’m sorry, what?”

  “You will accompany the king. It's time you two got acquainted before you leave.”

  “Oh, yes, of course.” Naomi stood and with the help of the guards descended the three steps to where the disgusting king waited.

  “Excellent,” Cornel grinned, and with the sight of his yellowed teeth came the putrid smell of the decay in his belly. It was all Naomi could do to keep from audibly gagging.

  Surrounded by his guards, they walked into the private room just left of the welcome court. As the doors closed behind them, music played as her mother’s guests celebrated the beginning of their relationship.

  “I’m so happy to see you, Naomi,” Cornel spoke as Naomi walked over to the window. She ran her hand across the seal, wishing she could open it and fly out.

  “It’s nice to see you as well,” Naomi’s answer was as dry as her throat felt.

  “Well, you don’t sound all that happy to see me.” The heels of his boots tapped against the stone floor as she approached her.

  Naomi kept her eyes forward. She watched the clouds instead of him. She thought about the freedom of the sky instead of his hand at her back. And when he turned her to face him, she thought of Axel, the man she loved and she hoped he was okay.

  “Now,” Cornel moved the hair from her face. Her mother insisted that she wear it down. He would like it that way. “How should I expect my bride-to-be to welcome me?”

  Naomi said nothing.

  “With a kiss, of course!” He leaned in, intending to press his dry lips against her’s.

  Naomi couldn’t help herself, her face scrunched up, and she leaned away from his approach, and when the tang of his breath reached the back of her nose; she gagged.