Page 11 of Midwinter Wiles & Valerian Dreams
Lumi presses the point. “It’s not your fault, Valkie. Lumi is not condemning you for how you were raised, little snowdrop. Wilder and Point Fae have been kept apart for ages, a separation that continued to be enforced by your father and now your stepmother. You’ve never known different, but Lumi senses you’re about to learn, aren’t you?”
Grumbling, I turn again to the reflecting pond. Turning my head this way and that makes the stars in my midnight hair sparkle. If the rest wasn’t so horrifying, I suppose the hair could be sort of pretty, but does my skin have to be so pasty? Mostly, I can’t get over the ears. I refuse to think of them as mine. They barely peek from between the blue curls, and no matter how my red lips shine or my hair sparkles, I know deep in my gut that I’m not that unrecognizable woman. This Wild One.
I look downright Unseelie.
Lumi has a point, though. Absolutely no one would look for me like this. I’m not sure whether to beg Lumi again to give me a different reflection, or just to burst into tears as the last terrible days catch up to me.
Before I can choose, another image joins mine in the pond. The face of a man appears over my left shoulder, with fair skin and messy, pale hair—a Wild One in every sense.
With a scream, I whirl, ready to strike with my ice magic, ready to fight, ready to…
There’s no one there.
Panic drums in my chest. Nothing. No one.
My foot slips on the bank, plunging into icy water and throwing the reflections into shards. I scream again. The only answer is Lumi calling my name.
“Where did he go?” Frantic, I scramble out of the water, searching. Who was it? An attacker? A spy? Assassin?
“Who?”
“The man! He was right there. He practically leaned over my shoulder. Why didn’t you warn me, Lumi?”
“Lumi saw no one.”
“He was there! I saw him.” I flail my hand toward the pond.
Lumi floats low, casting her glow over the rippling water as she gives a curious hum. “Reflecting ponds do sometimes show…more. A vision, perhaps.”
“Vision? Like an omen? Oh,sweet waters, I’m going to die, aren’t I? Was that a reaper? Don’t let me die looking like this, Lumi!”
“Breathe, Valkie. You need rest; that’s all. You’ve traveled nonstop with hardly any food beyond scavenged berries. Maybe you’re seeing things in your tired state. It will all look better after some sleep. As Lumi said, there’s a village, and an inn with a mule on the sign. We go there.”
I’m too shaken to argue. My new appearance, the disappearing man, the days of freezing in the woods following the cutting betrayals, it’s all too much. I should probably thank Lumi for all the times she looks out for me and keeps me calm, but all I can manage is a tight nod. I just want out of these woods. I’m going to have to face people with this new, horrid appearance.
There’s a gnawing pit in my stomach that is only partly from fear of huntsmen finding me. I can’t imagine this will go well.
The afternoon sun warms the cobblestones, melting ice from steeply sloped rooftops as I edge along the outskirts of Ylvara. I learned the village’s name from several shop signs—Ylvara,the place of the wolf.The irony isn’t lost on me; I feel hunted, the weight of eyes on me from every shadow.
It’s bigger than I expected for a town in the middle of the Frozen Forest. Cautious, I stick close to the forest’s edge so Lumi’s magic can maintain my disguise. The little moon can turn into moonstone, so I need a way to keep her with me in that form. Unfortunately, I can’t simply drop her in a pocket since her reflections need light to work. I need a pendant, somethingsimple enough for a Wild One. For now, Lumi is dim above the trees, invisible against the sunlight.
Scents of roasting meat and the clamor of merchants guide me to the market. Townsfolk crowd the streets, their arms laden as they bustle along, making my heart thud with every bump. It’s all so overwhelming.
And the people! There are all sorts, mingling and milling together, calling out to one another. I can’t help staring. That woman has horns! I count no fewer than four different tails. There’s typical pale-skinned Wilder Fae, but also ones with shades of green, violet, and blue. A girl with feathers covering her arms walks past me, swinging a basket of bread.
I tug my cloak tight around me. It’s glamoured to look as plain and patched as those on the fae outside the capital so I don’t stand out, though I’m beginning to wonder if that would matter here.
Still, I keep expecting to hear cries of “Imposter!” at any moment, and have the town turn on me. The breath is stuck in my lungs, my ears playing tricks with every sound. I anticipate sleigh runnerswhooshingup beside me, firm hands grabbing me and tossing me inside, carting me off to my death.
Don’t act so suspicious, Valkie, Lumi whispers in my mind.
Easy for her to say. I’ve never been great at acting.
At the edge of the market, I find a jeweler’s stall. The vendor, an older man with a lined face, observes my approach through deep-set eyes. My gaze darts away from the scrutiny.Storms below, I can’t do this.
Chin up, little snowdrop. You’re not doing anything wrong.
With Lumi’s encouragement, I take a breath and approach.
