Winter's Dead Bride

Chapter Eighteen

Sunday 9 December, morning, Land of Never-Ending Autumn.

I rubbed my eyes open, tasting a gruesome taste of iron in my mouth as I stretched, yawning. I was still in a daze as I turned to my left and saw Teí working at the desk with Honey by his side, peeking into what he was doing. Hmm...Teí... Why did it taste so disgusting? Like something had died inside my mouth...

Like dried blood?

"You're finally up?" sighed Teí, looking over his shoulder at me.

I yawned again then blinked at him, taking in the situation properly this time. After a little more of the drowsiness, I quickly realised that this was his room and I instantly let go of his blankets that I had been clutching on to.

"Sorry! Mo-morning Seventh Minister — oh, I mean Teí!" I quickly said as he gave me that look that meant he hated me calling him by his title.

"Are you feeling better now?" he checked, watching as I fleetingly made my way off his bed.

"Uh...Yes? Did something happen?" I puzzled, crinkling my nose as the disgusting taste filled my mouth again.

Like I had eaten some kind of rotten raw meat...

"I guess so. I found you covered in a heap of snow outside two nights before and you were dangerously trembling as if you had been hit by a major snowstorm," he informed gravely, his voice low as he tapped his pen against his copy impatiently.

"Outside? What was I doing outside? And snow in Autumn?" I questioned in disbelief, walking over to him barefoot.

He nodded, "Exactly what I'm wondering...unless you're so connected to your home that the snow follows you..." he joked before becoming serious again. "That'd be dangerous because, on that same night, news arrived from your town in Winter that someone was seen killing and freezing people on the Blood Moon. A witness had told the Government's Guards and when they returned, they found the whole streets' people dead, trapped underneath the ice, including a small child who was only a few weeks old... Strangely enough, he was also coated by a thick boulder of ice," he explained, showing me what he was writing.

"A person...? A person freezing people...? Could, could that be right?" I mumbled, scrolling through his work, impressed by his theories.

"The person is the virus? I think it is worth the guess though, especially now with this major clue and we can only trust the witness for now but we kept him in custody in case he had something to do with it as well," he informed, looking up at me now.

"The virus is a person? That doesn't make any sense...," I mused, my mind completely blank as I tried to imagine a person being capable of killing so many people in one night.

This person must be cruel too, a serial killer cruel enough to end the new life of a baby! Could they be using magic? And if so, who in Winter has magic that strong? Strong enough to end all the civilizations—

"Hey, how's the medicine?" asked Teí, storing his work to one side on the table and then taking out a brown envelope.

I pulled a face at him, the bitter taste reawakening inside me as he mentioned the word medicine. So he was responsible for this? Was he trying to get me back for something?

"Tastes like blood or something like that. Did you add iron into it? It tastes horrible," I muttered, wanting to throw up as the disgusting substance bit the back of my throat.

"Blood..?" he puzzled, his eyebrows raised as he watched me making my exaggerated expressions.

I nodded, noticing his tensed jaw as he looked at me like I was losing my mind.

"I gave you a mixture of sugared lavender and honey — anything sweet I could find... so how come...? Maybe the mixture was off?" he wondered, not letting go of my gaze.

"Hm...it doesn't matter it just tastes really nasty," I commented, waving away the matter as I detected the worry in his eyes.

"Hmm... If that's the case... then I guess it's alright but I'm hoping it doesn't have any side effects," he worried, looking at me a while longer before sighing again.

"You seem down, what's wrong?" I asked him, taking in his look of desperation.

He grumbled something inaudible under his breath then handed me the photographs he had taken out of the brown envelope earlier and I anxiously accepted, feeling slightly overwhelmed that he trusted me with these.

"More than twenty people were frozen to ice in that town including the baby. I can't really look any further than you when I'm thinking about ice since you come from Winter so I need a favour...," he told me as my eyes widened at each horrifying picture of the frozen people with morbid looks drawn on their faces.

"You want me to investigate the town? Try making some potions for the ice? Return to Winter?" I guessed, shooting him with all the possible things he could say.

But he shook his head, smiling for the first time. It was gentle yet so sad...

"Sending you back to Winter would be the worst crime in the history of the Seasons," he assured me, accepting the pages back.

I gave him a quizzical look, searching his eyes for any hints.

"I want you to help me find the antidote. Well, I need your help because I obviously can't do it alone anymore," he smiled, putting the photos face-down on the table.

My breath became trapped in my throat as I blinked at him, not believing a word he said even for a second.

"Are you actually serious?" I checked but he returned a serious look, saying nothing but still answering my question.

I slammed my hands against the table excitedly, scaring Honey and she ran under Teí's chair.

"This must be a dream come true! I accept," I smiled, my eyes bright.

"Really? You don't mind balancing the responsibilities of being part of Autumn's Final Government and this?" he confirmed, looking impressed.

I blushed, taking my hands from the table.

"Yeah...who knows, I might actually be a big help, right?" I offered, beaming.

"You're a living miracle," he complimented, giving me a half-smile.

Or your only true curse...

I quickly shook the strange thought from my mind as it took me by surprise and returned his smile. He looked under a lot of stress, he deserved my help...

"Hey, let's start now," I declared, dragging him up from the table.

He only laughed, letting me hoist him up.

"You're suddenly eager. I wish I could be like that again," he complained, acting envious.

I giggled, amazed that he could make such a sweet expression. We were growing closer but he never failed to surprise me every day.

"The sooner the better," I answered, allowing him to entwine his fingers into mine.

We caught each other's eyes and I never wanted to look away again but I became too shy at some point and quickly looked away.

This has been happening a lot lately. Us, becoming lost in each other's eyes like a cliché of a shy couple. But sadly, that must just be my sour imagination playing tricks on me again as reality drags me back to face it.

I'm living in an era of doom and chaos but he needs me so I'm going to give it all I've got left inside me and I'll stay by his side forever...

Oh, curse me! I sound like a lovesick fangirl now!!