Page 28 of Let It Snow
But while I struggle with my shyness, one problem remains unresolved. The nesting set!
How should I…
Wait a second… It just dawns on me, damn it, I’m a sorcerer. A hylomancer! Why didn’t I think of that sooner?
Without waiting for Snow, I pop open the trunk, and fix my eyes on the pillows, as if to pin them down mercilessly. Or pull.
My power… it’s so shallowly under the surface, I can sense it, like a strong current barely held in place. All I have to do is basically let it work!
I feel the stream of energy rising inside me. Old reflexes awaken, instinctive, like muscle memory.
And then the pillows slowly start to lift into the air.
Snow steps out too, leaning against the car, watching it all with his mildly humorous look again.
"Brilliant," he says, and… winks.
Why do I have to blush… constantly? Why does he affect me like this?
Snow analyzes my face for a while, he probably sees that I need a break from the intensity that’s been surrounding our meeting. He slowly nods. "Good night, Summer," he says.
Then I guide the pillows out of the car. Along with the rest of the pillows, the ‘fake pillow’ flies out of the trunk too, with the stolen hoodie hidden inside.
They all float upward, scarves and ribbons trailing, like a massive violet and lilac cloud.
I turn toward Snow and give a stiff, awkward bow: my version of thanks, or at least something meant to resemble it.
He responds with a small, but serious nod.
With the pillows hovering above me like balloons, I circle around the house and start climbing the ladder. The thought crosses my mind—maybe I could try flying too—but I don’t have the courage to manage both myself and the pillows at once. So I climb the conventional way, while the pillows drift up with me. A moment later, I unlock the balcony door and let the whole cloud of cushions swirl into the room, dumping them onto the bed in a glorious heap.
Nesting euphoria hits me full force.
I have it. I can finally start.
I dive into them, laughing, though I don’t even know if it’s at myself or out of sheer embarrassment. But one thing is certain, I’m not stopping until my nest feels perfect.
Of course, right away I pick out my littletreasurefrom among them, my sneaky loot. Me, the little scheming thief, I’ve successfully swiped Snow’s hoodie. And I’m not planning to explain myself.
I slowly lift the hoodie to my nose and take a deep breath. What surprises me is that it smells a little different from Snow’s shower gel. It’s pretty worn out by now, but I can still catch the faintest hint, like a distant note echoing far away, and it makes my head spin.
Oh, dear Fate! What a beautiful scent! Heather, fresh wind… I press my face into the fabric, desperate to smell more, but it’s too delicate, so distant, that I finally let out a low AO mating growl of sexual frustration, craving more.
Could this hoodie be from before Snow started using suppressants? Has a faint trace of his original scent survived? Who knows… it’s too weak for me to be sure. But what Ididcatch sparks a sudden thought in my head: what if Snow and I have high genetic compatibility? That would be… mmm… nice.
I hum softly, rubbing my face against the hoodie, searching for ‘pockets’ of scent, but it must have been in the trunk for a long time.
Oh well, I sigh. It’ll still come in handy. And it’s got a nice color, matches the rest!
The clean, fresh fabrics and smooth textures of the nesting materials all around me make my chest loosen as I shift closer to the edge of the bed to take it in. This is something I want to pour myself fully into.
Grinning with bared teeth, I start working on the nest, weaving the pilfered hoodie into its foundation.
Then I continue with a line of pillows set along the frame, shaping them into an oval. A long scarf winds back and forth across them, locking them into place. I add a golden rope, then stack smaller pillows on top as the next layer, weavingcords through so they tuck under the lower level and hold firm. Finally, I wrap the edges with a wide shawl, circling the whole nest several times before tying it off with soft chiffon bows and a few fabric flowers for good measure. Nice.
Maybe someone else would think it’s a little over the top, but I love it. Gold, silver, and violet blend into a pattern that feels beautiful to me. Part of me thinks it could use some white accents later, but for now, I’m satisfied. Snow’s hoodie is now also neatly built into the wall.
I settle in the center, running my fingers along the edge, leaving behind faint trails of scent from the glands at my wrists. I don’t know if I’ve built nests before, those memories are just as foggy as the rest, but this one feels justright.
