Winter's Bride - Candace Wondrak Page 0,49

to have Morana in my arms when the moon was high in the sky. I had the feeling I’d never known true peace or bliss, and I wouldn’t, not until I had her by my side.

One day, I sat on my throne, a beautiful golden piece, the sun shining through the windows behind me. It was much like the throne room my brother had, only everything was warmer. The colors on the walls and floor, my throne, even the framework around the windows behind me. Everything in this castle was touched by me, by magic.

I leaned back, my knees apart, resting my chin on a hand as I waited. I could not stroll through any of the villages; I’d tried. Too antsy, too jittery, too nervous, for whatever reason. As if I was worried Morana might somehow choose to stay with my brother, even though he’d told me to take her.

She wouldn’t… would she?

It was possible she still felt compelled to, since she’d volunteered in the place of her sister. Perhaps I should go to her, talk to her, see where her mind was currently at? Hmm. I did not want to pressure her, but at the same time, I would not let her sit back and sentence herself to a slow death with my brother. I just wouldn’t do it.

I got up. That’s what I would do. I didn’t know how long it had been since I’d last seen her, since she’d asked for one month to think about everything, but it’d been too long. Every hour I was not with her, each minute I did not spend in her presence, was too much. I needed her here, with me.

Magic enveloped me, transporting me to my brother’s castle on the other side of the kingdom. To my utter shock, I stood in a throne room that was lit with mostly sunlight coming in through the windows, not by the ice glowing on the walls. My mouth fell ajar, for I could not recall the last time I’d seen clear blue skies over my brother’s castle. Such weather was over mine, but here? Where Winter ruled regardless of how warm it was in the kingdom?

I didn’t know what to think.

Moving toward the window, I gazed up at the sky through the glass, amazed at what I saw. It was almost funny; the sky looked the same here as it did over mine.

I turned away from the window at the exact moment my brother appeared. He stood near his throne, having transported himself there, just as I had. Again, I found it odd, because my brother often went on and on about how he did not like using those powers.

Abner stood, his silvery stare meeting mine with a short nod of his head. His shoulders were squared, his back straight, his person wearing a regal outfit, clothes befitting a king, all light blue and white, not a speck of dirt anywhere on him. His white hair was combed to the side, not a strand out of place. He appeared more kingly than he ever had before, and I could not help but wonder if he owed his newfound demeanor to Morana.

“Brother,” I started, moving away from the window, holding out my hands as I walked toward him, studying his appearance. “You look well.” Well was actually an understatement, I think. He looked good.

“Thank you,” Abner spoke. He glanced over his shoulder, at the long room before us, probably to make sure we were alone, that Morana had not suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Unlike us, she did not have that power, though. “I actually feel well, too.” He returned those eyes to me, sizing me up, as if he knew why I was here. “You’ve come to see her, haven’t you? To see if she’s made her decision?”

I dared to nod. “I did. What can I say? I miss her. Her smile, her fiery spirit—everything that makes Morana who she is.”

The corners of his mouth quirked upward into a smirk. “She is not like anyone else, isn’t she?” I noticed my brother had a bit of color in his cheeks. He was still the pale god of Winter, but there was something different about him.

“She is not.”

“I never thought…” Abner stopped himself from saying whatever it was he was about to.

I took yet another step closer to my brother, cocking my head as I asked, “You never thought what?” There were many things he could’ve said, but somehow I knew it