When Snow Falls

-Chapter 10-

Cold.

That was all I felt.

It ran through my entire body, swirling in my bloodstream and traveling to my nerves. Just this frigid cold that took all breath away. It crackled with life, but it hissed death.

I moved my head slightly, too weary to do much else. I was just tired. Everything hurt. Everything weighed the same as lead.

Raoul.

Was he okay? Had he woken up? Was he... wherever I was?

Preferably alive? Alive is always good.

I breathed in slightly. Evergreen. The world smelled like evergreen.

So, I'm cold and I smell evergreen. Have I turned into a Christmas tree or something?

Slowly, I peeled open my eyes. Instead of the blinding yellow light I anticipated, crystal blue sparkled from the room. Snow-white flowers covered the walls. Delicate snowflakes of glass hung from the ceiling, gently swaying back in forth.

Definitely not the forest.

I gripped the side of my bed tightly. It didn't vanish at my force, so real it was.

Not dreaming and...

I pinched my arm. Pain shot through it.

...not dead.

Carefully, I sat up. If I wasn't dreaming, then where on earth was I? I'd never seen a place like this before.

On that note, where was Nutcracker? Where was--

"Raoul," I breathed. All thoughts of my brother surfaced to my mind, along with the anger at Nutcracker.

Don't mind him, Clair. Find Raoul.

I brushed off the blanket that covered me with a huff. My breath formed a cloud, then dissipated in the chill air.

At least, I guessed it was cold. The temperature felt fine to me.

I hopped off the bed and onto the floor. The ground was as slick as glass. I grinned a little at the memory of the last slippery floor I was on. The alarmed face of Kir was something I didn't want to forget anytime soon.

A pang hit my chest. Was he even still alive, or had he died along with the castle?

A voice in the back of her mind cackled. The captain always goes down with the ship--even if that ship is a kingdom.

Pain shot through my head. I sucked in a breath and touched my forehead with the tips of my fingers. Something felt off. Wrong.

Like I wasn't just me anymore. Like I was more.

Footsteps thumped on the floor outside. "...need to keep her calm. We don't want a chance of Miralis coming into effect."

Miralis?

The footsteps came closer to the door. I scurried over to the wall and pressed my ear against it.

The voice changed from one I recognized to a calm, female one. "You do realize that she attacked you, do you not, Prince?"

Prince? Who was "prince?" The only person I may have possibly "attacked" was Nutcracker, and he was a block of wood.

"Neo mec nimes aso! Noch biyein fürcipe."

I blinked. That was definitely not any language I understood. It actually sounded Dulcian. There was no doubt in my mind, however, that the person who had just spoken was Nutcracker.