“Noelle,” a voice whispers, echoing softly in her ear.
A breeze brushes past her cheek, causing her to turn in the direction it came from. “Hope?”
Noelle’s surrounded by whiteness in every direction, and for the first time, she feels the bite of the cold air against her skin. Noelle wraps her arms around her body as she tries to move forward. Something brushes past her with a gentle touch.
“Noelle,” the voice hums lowly.
“Hope!” she shouts, spinning back around.
A bright light circles toward her, blinding Noelle as it finally reaches nearly in front of her. She’s forced to cover her face and try to peek from behind her arm. Energy pulses through her the moment the light calls out her name.
“Huh?” Noelle darts to a sitting position, feeling a shiver snake down her back from the reoccurring dream. Her knees curl into her chest. “Nik?”
He does not reply.
“Nikolaus?”
She gets up and heads to the desk in the corner, grabbing a pen and paper. For some time, Noelle contemplates what to say, feeling as if there is nothing and yet everything to express. This isn’t the first time she’s attempted to write to Hope. She’s tried it every day since she and Nikolaus arrived in Alyona.
The cabin door suddenly opens, causing Noelle to jolt.
“Hey, Snowflake,” Nikolaus greets. He removes his jacket and heads toward her. “I didn’t think you’d be up.”
She shrugs and looks back at the blank paper before her.
“Still trying to write to Hope?” He kisses the top of her head and hugs her from behind.
Noelle nods as her eyes fixate on the paper, willing the letter to write itself.
He brushes his fingers through her hair. “Do you think you—“
“There’s always more that I could say,” Noelle says. “My best friend could have—“
“She’s alive, Snowflake,” he reminds, kneeling next to her. Nikolaus guides his mate to look at him.
“She could have died because of me,” she states sharply.
The windows rattle.
Nikolaus takes a hold of her face. “She is also alive because of you.”
A tear drips down Noelle’s face.
“Snowflake,” he calls sweetly.
“No.”
“Staying there, waiting for her to wake, would not have helped,” he reminds. “Hope knew you were leaving before what happened at the lake.”
“I—“
“Josiah is with her,” Nikolaus says sweetly. “You left a note for her and Grandma Sapphria. If they need to reach you, they’ll be able to.”
“I don’t have my phone,” she counters, keeping her eyes shut. “Remember?”
From diving into the lake, chasing after Hope, Noelle’s phone sank to the bottom.
“Neither do I.” Nikolaus chuckles. “We can speak with animals, or have you forgotten?”
Noelle’s eyes fling open.
“There have been many times Nova’s owl, or other animals, have aided her with sending a message,” he states. “That is what was done well before phones.”
“What if I’m too far away and—“
“Noelle,” he says with a huff.
Her gaze lowers. “I’m making it more than it needs to be.”
“You care,” Nikolaus replies, covering her hand with his. “You care for your friend…a friend you see as a sister. It is understandable.” He checks the window and notices that the weather is subsiding.
“I’m sorry,” she says. “I don’t mean to—“
“It is to be expected,” Nikolaus replies. “There is much you’ve had to endure the past few weeks.”
Noelle chews on her tongue as she tries to remember the days which seem to blur into one. “Has it been that long?”
“You wanted time to still be close to Hope,” Nikolaus reminds. “You—“
“I could write to Grandma.” She turns toward the desk.
“I think that is a good idea,” he says encouragingly.
A soft smile tugs at Noelle’s lips as her head bobs. “Good. She can fill me in on what’s been going on.”
“Are you hungry?” Nikolaus asks, rising to his feet.
“Hm?” she replies, though barely paying him any attention.
“Food,” he says, directing Noelle by her chin to look at him. “Are you hungry?”
She offers a curt smile. “Yes.”
Nikolaus’ body relaxes. Noelle hasn’t eaten much and hasn’t been this happy since before the day they left Frore. “I’ll make something.”
“Thanks.” She resumes her attention to the letter.
It doesn’t take long to compose her note to Grandma Sapphria. She almost informs her of her location, but Noelle knows that there’s a chance that Grandpa Jack or one of the Blades could see it. The last thing she wants is to inadvertently invite them to Alyona.
As Noelle seals her message, there’s a knock at the door. Nikolaus answers it after placing the food he had prepared on the table.
“Good Day,” Nova greets. She peeks around her brother-in-law. “How’s—“
Nikolaus extends his arm and allows her to enter.
“Hey, Elle,” Nova calls, entering the cabin.
Noelle smiles and rises. “Hi. I’m sorry I haven’t been social. I—“
“No need,” Nova assures. “Everyone’s excited to meet you, but they understand why there’s been a delay since….” She glance at Nikolaus for a moment. “Sorry, I—“
“Can you help me with something?” Noelle asks as if she didn’t process Nova’s last few words.
“Sure,” she agrees, moving toward her. “What can I do?”
“I wrote a letter for Grandma Sapphria and—“
“Lia can get it to her,” Nova offers, extending her hand to take it.
“Really?” Noelle asks with a hint of happiness.
“You’ll need to gather some mice for her for when she returns,” she snickers. “She’ll—“
Noelle’s face falls.
“I’m just joking,” Nova says.
Noelle lets out a breath of relief.
“Though, she’ll be grateful for cuddles,” she adds.
“Before and when she returns,” Noelle agrees.
A knock is heard at the door which elicits a grunt from Nikolaus. “Sit and eat, Snowflake.”
Her eyes narrow at him as Nova takes the letter.
“I told you, you need to get used to it.” He chuckles, happy to see his mate acting more like herself. Opening the door, he greets, “What—“
“Hey, Uncle Nik,” Nicky says.
Nikolaus lets out a huff.
“Hey, kid,” Noelle greets, moving toward him. She hugs him. “How are those pictures working?”
Nicky smirks with a hint of a blush. “Good.”
“Good?” she balks. “Just good? I can’t believe—“
“Snowflake,” Nikolaus calls.
“What?”
He gestures to the table. “Sit. Eat.”
“We can go,” Nova offers, shooing Nicky toward the door.
“Why?” Noelle asks with her smile fading.
Nova’s attention shifts to Nikolaus, uncertain of how to respond.
“There’s plenty for everyone,” Nikolaus states. “Sit so she will.”
As they gather around the table, Noelle doesn’t start eating right away, so Nova pours both of them a drink and starts eating. Nova’s action gets Noelle to do the same which pleases her and Nikolaus. He laid out a wooden board full of meats, cheeses, bread, a few spread options, nuts, and dried fruits.
“Grandfather was wondering if you’d be helping today,” Nicky states.
Nikolaus doesn’t comment and chugs his drink.
“Help with what?” Noelle asks, taking another bite.
“Noth—“
“Uncle Cozen has been avoiding Grandfather,” Nicky explains, wincing the second he catches his uncle with a displeased expression.
“If your father needs—“
“He doesn’t need help,” Nikolaus says, interrupting Noelle.
“Then?” She looks back and forth between the three Sleighers expecting one of them to answer.
Nova leans over to Noelle and whispers, “Family issues.”
“Mm,” she hums, taking a sip of her drink. Noelle glances at Nikolaus and hopes that he might share, but then again, she’s not one to share her issues openly either. Plus, she knows he’s less likely to share when others are around.
“Why don’t you and Nicky help him, hm?” Nova suggests, rising from her chair. She pulls Nicky up by his shirt and guides him toward the door.
“What? Why?” Nicky whines. “I’d rather hang out with—“
“Girl time,” Nova states, looking at Nikolaus. “Noelle needs some girl time.”
“I do?” Noelle pops a dried apricot into her mouth.
Nikolaus lets out a disgruntled huff. Though he doesn’t like the idea of it, he gets what his sister-in-law is trying to do. Noelle hasn’t
left their cabin since they arrived, which was about two weeks ago. Those who know Noelle have come to visit, but she hasn’t been beyond the bed much until today.
“I need some girl time,” Nova adds. “I’ve barely gotten a chance to know my new sister-in-law.”
“Technically, they’re not mated yet,” Nicky counters. “They—“
“They are,” Nova returns. “Did you not see the band Nikolaus marked them with on their fingers?”
“Dad said—“
“No one cares what your dad has to say about the matter,” she interrupts, pushing them out the door.
“But—“
Nova slams the door in their face, locking it. She lets out a huff and spins around, forcing a big grin when she looks at Noelle. “Men, huh?”
Noelle snickers. “What was that all about?”
“Men don’t get that women need time alone,” Nova says, resuming her spot at the table.
She uncorks the rum and pours them each a glass. After offering Noelle a cup, they clink them together and chug back the liquor in one gulp.
“Ah,” Nova sighs. She doesn’t ask and pours another round. “So, Elle. Tell me about yourself.”
Noelle stares at her blankly. “You pretty much know everything.”
Nova raises a brow. “You can cut the shit, Elle.”
Noelle chokes on her spit. “I—“
“I’m not trying to be rude,” Nova says. “I just know that it’s not easy being around a group of people you barely know, even if one of them is your soulmate.”
Noelle leans back in her seat with one foot resting on the seat, cupping her drink with both hands. “What do you want to know?
“Well,” she sighs. “I’ll start with myself and we’ll go from there.” Nova doesn’t wait for a reply. “Nikko and I are from Alyona. We’ve known each other most of our lives.”
“It isn’t hard to know everyone in a small clan,” Noelle states.
“What do you mean small?”
“I—“
“Frore has what, a few thousand people?” Nova guesses.
Noelle nods, taking a gulp of her drink. “Around five thousand.”
“Alyona has at least fifty-thousand people,” she returns.
The second Noelle processes the number of people, she chokes on her rum, causing it to burn her nostrils and chest more than her throat.
“Sorry,” Nova says. “I should have waited.” She offers Noelle a few napkins.
“It’s good,” she replies, coughing. “I just didn’t….”
“It’s almost as big as Everspring,” she adds.
Noelle glances at the table and takes a block of cheese. Once she swallows, she states, “I haven’t heard many people outside.”
“We’re on the outskirts of Alyona,” Nova shares. “This is one of the places some of us built to get away from family when needed.”
“Oh.” She looks out the window. “That makes sense.”
“Had some trouble controlling your powers?” Nova guesses.
Noelle grimaces. “A little.”
They’re quiet for a moment.
“Can…can I ask you something?”
“Of course,” Nova agrees.
“Where were you guys when…you know?”
“What do you mean?”
“I didn’t expect you all to come rushing to our aid,” Noelle says. “I know that exposing yourselves would—“
“I’m sorry we couldn’t help,” Nova states. “But, we were pretty close.”
“How?” Noelle asks. “I made the weather pretty—“
Nova snickers. “You know how Silas can grow new trees from a twig, right?”
Noelle nods as she sits up.
“He can also camouflage too,” she adds. “As long as we were all linked, to anyone passing by or glancing in our direction, we looked like trees.”
Noelle grins. “That’s pretty cool.”
“It’s a tricky ability,” Nova says, leaning back. “It takes a lot of focus and energy.”
“I bet.”
“I’m certain that he’s used it to spy on women, but he denies it.”
Noelle sighs. “I wouldn’t put it past me to spy on someone if I had that ability.”
“Right?” Nova picks up some nuts and toss them in her mouth.
Noelle is quick to follow. “Do you think he’ll show me how he does it?”
“Silas is a tricky one,” she replies. “He’s funny about who he lets in.”
Noelle’s head bobs. “Makes sense with the ability.”
Nova hums agreement.
They eat a little more and have another round of rum, not forcing conversation for several minutes.
“I have an idea,” Nova shares. “But, I want it to be a surprise.”
Noelle smiles. “I like surprises.”
“You do?”
“Mm,” she replies as she chews.
“Can…can I ask you something?” Noelle says.
“Sure.”
“When did you and Nikko know you were soulmates? I mean…you said you’ve known each other most of your lives. Does it happen right away for everyone or at least one of you…I mean us?”
Nova leans toward Noelle. “If this ever gets back to Nikko, I’ll deny we ever had the conversation and I will haunt you.”
Noelle smirks. “Done.”
“Nikko is eight years older than me,” she states, shifting back against the chair. “I liked him when I was a teenager, but it wasn’t until I was twenty-three that I knew.”
Noelle leans forward, eager to hear more.
“Nikko claims he knew when I was eighteen, but was waiting to do something about it until I was older. Despite my infatuation with him, I made him work for it. I dated a few others in the clan before I felt it, the connection, and even after. I wanted to make sure, you know?” Nova lets out a sigh. “We know when we’re ready.”
Noelle grins as she sits back, taking another handful of nuts and dried fruit. “I felt something the first night I saw Nikolaus. It freaked me the fuck out.”
“Felt like colliding with a tree on your bike, huh?”
Noelle nods. “More like I couldn’t breath, yet was given the first breath of life in t
hat moment.”
“Did you know he was a Sleigher the night you met?”
“No,” she snickers. “It wasn’t until the first night we kissed, when Hope pointed out….” Noelle’s voice fades.
“You okay, Elle?” Nova sits up.
“Yeah.”
“We’ve all had accidents when learning how to control our abilities,” Nova assures.
Noelle’s eyes dart up and she stares blankly at Nova for a long moment. “Where someone almost died?”
“Some gets injured,” she sighs. “Some worse than others."
Noelle’s expression softens as the distant gaze returns.
“Cozen fell to the ground several times once he learned how to get up in the air,” Nova snickers. “It was funny to watch.”
Noelle offers a forced smile.
“With our clan, most start seeing their abilities when they’re teenagers,” Nova says, redirecting the conversation. “I think it depends on the maturing of the person. I can share this…you don’t
connect with your soulmate until after you know you have your gift and can control it.”
“I didn’t know I had them,” she reminds.
“The rest of your clan, other than your Grandmother, don’t have abilities,” Nova reminds.
Noelle’s head bobs. “Why do you think we lost our abilities or why our clans have been feuding?”
“I never thought about it…not until now.”
Noelle’s mouth scrunches to the side. “Nikolaus says he has some speculations.”
“The unknown feud?” Nova guesses.
“That’s one of them.”
“Well, anything is possible.” When Noelle doesn’t comment, Nova continues. “How about that surprise, eh?”
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