Page 20

H ead down, Theo trudged forward. The wind howled and icy flakes scraped at his cheeks. He held a gloved hand over his eyes and searched for any sign of Sebastian. The cold air raked at his throat, feeling like pins and needles in his lungs with each breath. Still he hiked up the tall snowy hills. They became rockier and more treacherous with every step. Soon they went from hills to a mountains with wicked winds and even colder air.

"Prince Sebastian?" he called as loud as he could, but it felt like a whisper compared to the raging storm. Still he called again. "Prince Sebastian!"

He walked for what felt like forever in the snow, hiking up and down hills and along steep rocky paths coated with ice. The snow was so deep he had to take high, laborious steps that made his thighs burn.

"Where is he? I just need a sign and this would be easier," he mumbled to himself in frustration. A gust of wind knocked him over into the freezing powdery snow and down a steep sloping side of the hill. Wincing, he got to his feet with arms out to steady himself.

Then he saw a pale glowing white light. The glowing white being was further up the mountain, standing still and watching him intently. It hasn't hurt me yet so maybe it's not dangerous.

"Hello?" Theo called. The being stayed still and continued to stare. "You've seen me before, right?" Still no reaction. "Have you seen a snow leopard with five tails?"

The being turned and started walking. Thick strands floated gently behind them despite the whipping winds. It was as if they were walking on another plane of existence. Their glowing white body nearly vanished into the snowfall.

Unsure what else to do, Theo rushed through the deep snow to catch up. "Excuse me? Can you speak?" They abruptly stopped in their tracks and turned to face Theo. He could see the outline of their androgynous face with large eyes and full lips. Up close he could see the long strands of hair were actually long locs that undulated behind them.

"I need to find the prince. You keep popping up and you glow, too, so I think we're both kissed by the veil and share a connection. Maybe we can help each other out here?" The being didn't speak, and Theo tried to think of a new way to communicate. Before he came up with anything, a howling wind came across the lands and whisked around him at increasing speeds until Theo was literally sucked right into the air.

"Help!" Theo called, reaching for the being, but they just watched as it carried him away up the mountain. He spun, tossed, and whipped about. He shielded his face from the ice crystals with his arm and cursed the unrelenting wind. Then all at once the cyclone dissipated and he was falling. Panic shot through him as he realized below him was a cliffside with a bed of jagged rocks.

He let out a strangled cry, covered his head, and waited for the brutal fall. He was suddenly ripped out the air into a pile of snow. He gasped in surprise as he sat up to see his savior: a snow leopard with five tails, and Theo's cloak in his mouth.

"Prince Sebastian!" A deep relief washed over him. That buzzing restlessness finally quieted. Before he could say more, the prince tugged him forward. Not having much of a choice, he got up and stumbled along since the prince's four legs were faster than his two. Sebastian's paws didn't even sink in the snow, only adding to his swift, graceful pace. After walking a ways, the mouth of a cave hidden on the side of the mountain appear. Had he not been with the prince, Theo would've missed it entirely.

The moment they were tucked inside, Theo undid his cloak so his scar could light the space. It was dimmed from his shirt but bright enough that he could see Sebastian standing before him in his nymph form, awash in his teal light.

Theo stared at his naked body. Its magnificence was undeniable. The splashes of opal stone on his body shined faint rainbows in his green light. His eyes drifted down between his thighs and saw he was well endowed, but before he got a good look, a hand swat his chest. He snapped his attention up to meet the prince's glare. "S-sorry," he stammered.

"What on earth are you doing out here? My note specifically told you to stay in the castle." He clenched his fist and his leopard ears pinned back. "Were you using this storm to run away again? What a reckless and careless idea. If you're going to keep trying to run, you could at least be smart about it."

"I wasn't running away," he said, relieved the prince hadn't addressed his wandering eyes.

"Why should I believe you?" he said, crossing his arms.

"Give me some credit. The gates the opposite direction across flat grounds, not mountains. I nearly found my way out in the dark my first day here, so I wouldn't get this lost even in a storm. I was worried about you." He sat against the wall of the cave and let out an exhausted sigh. "My legs ache too much to stand, so sit next to me while you continue your lecture."

After a long silence the prince sat next to Theo and glanced at him. "Why did I worry you?"

"I've never seen a blizzard like this before but even I can see it's horrible. I didn't think you should be out here alone." He rubbed his hands together. He felt a bit silly now as he explained himself. "I know it was foolish, alright? Maybe it's guilt from yesterday but it felt right to come. By the way, I'm not sorry about running, but I am sorry for belittling the pain of you and your people. That was wrong of me."

"Oh." The prince was quiet again as if deep in thought. Finally, he leaned back against the cave wall. "Thanks for caring about me, but being out here isn't safe. If the weather didn't kill you, I could have by mistake. I forgive you for what you said. I could have given you more grace. Of course, a prisoner wants to run. Also"—he looked down at his hands—"I'm very sorry for what I did the other day while partially shifted. I behaved...inappropriately."

His antlers glowed a soft rosy pink and their light blended with Theo's teal until they were both bathed in a soft purple the color of irises.

"Um, thank you for apologizing," Theo said, his face feeling hot as he remembered it again. "For what it's worth, I didn't dislike all of it. So, don't go feeling too bad, alright?"

Sebastian blinked a few times. "You didn't dislike it?"

"No. I didn't. I uh...actually liked parts of it a lot. So, like I said, you’re fine."

"Oh." Sebastian's antlers flared brighter, making the room a warmer purple.

Theo tried his best to ignore the new tension that was blooming between them in the dark. "Why do you sneak out to the mountains anyway?"

"We need to eat. Food is hard to come by, but no one else can hunt in these conditions. This beast I've been cursed to turn into has made me suited for hunting in this difficult environment. So, I decided to come out here on the worst days and hunt. The only people that know are Collette and Marcel since they prep the food."

"It's dangerous for you, too, isn't it? No one knows you're out here. What if something happened to you?"

"I know the risk, but I also do it for selfish reasons," he said hesitantly. "I get urges to hunt prey animals now. It’s because I'm slipping. I know it's disturbing, but I need to quell the desire. I can't tell anyone yet. It'll cause more speculation and worry than my other actions already have." He wrung his hands. "Please don't tell the others. I will eventually, I just need more time to process it myself."

"I won't tell anyone. And it's not disturbing. You're partially a snow leopard. It makes sense. I imagine repressing your natural urges must be exhausting."

"It is." He flashed a sweet smiled at Theo. "It's nice to talk to someone about it and not feel judged."

Theo's words locked in his throat for a moment. A smile like that surely broke a few dozen hearts. He swallowed and did his best to not show his thoughts on his face. "How about from now on we go together? I can help. We took down a bear without proper preparation. If we planned it, I bet hunting would be more efficient."

"And if I attack you by mistake again?" he said with a dry laugh.

"To be fair, you only did that twice and the second time, you meant to attack me, so that was technically controlled. As far as I'm concerned, you only attacked me by mistake once."

"Always teasing. But fine, I'll consider asking you next time but for now let's stay here until the storm passes. I've hunted enough and this weather's too bad for you to walk back. I still can't believe you did this alone."

Theo felt like the prince was only pacifying him but let it go for now. "I was alone for most of it but toward the end I saw the white glowing being out in the snow. Did you see them?"

"A glowing being?" Sebastian frowned. "Our world is so vacant and the storms so extreme. It can play tricks on you. Especially if you're saying it was white. It could have been the snow."

"I get that, but I got close to them. I followed them before the snow cyclone picked me up." He huffed. "I don't understand how no one else has seen them. They don't seem dangerous. Just odd."

"I believe you. I'll look into it."

"Thanks," he said, shivering. "Aren't you cold?"

"I don't feel cold like the others anymore." Sebastian moved closer so their shoulders were touching. "Stay close. I'll keep you warm."

"You don't have to, I..." Theo's words evaporated as he felt the heat of the prince's body near his. Sebastian's big, fluffy tail snaked behind him and wrapped around him like a thick blanket. The tip ended near his face and brushed his cheek.

"Better?"

"So much better." He hugged the tail and nuzzled his face into it. "This may be the softest thing I've ever felt in my life." He looked to Sebastian and even in the dim purple light they made, he could see his hungry eyes. His ears were pinned back and his fangs lengthened but he didn't seem angry now. Theo swallowed and fought his instinct to flinch as he stared back. "Should I not touch your tail?"

"I don't mind. Especially if it keeps you warm," he said, tightening his tail around Theo like an anaconda. "I'd rather you not freeze because you were worried about me. Anything else I can do to help you feel more comfortable?"

"A conversation could be a distraction. And hopefully distract you from wanting to eat me. "How was your night last night?"

"Fine," he said with a shrug. "Did Oliver and Jacques treat you well?"

"Obviously," he said with a slight laugh. "Did you spend the whole night with Lyle?"

"No." He tilted his head. "Why?"

"Just asking." Thank goodness. " Tell me about your family. I don't actually know that much about your past and I'd like to know the people who thought you two could possibly be a couple."

"Well, I don't really know what to say. My mother was the parent I connected to most. She had such a softness to her despite everything. She never wanted to marry my father. She wanted to wait for her chosen, but my father didn't leave her much choice. He wanted a water nymph child, and she was the best bet. She understood what it was like to be thrust into a world of politics against your will, and I suspect she felt guilty for birthing me into a royal family. I craved tranquility and stillness. Being in or around water calms me but there was rarely time to indulge when I was being trained to inherit the throne. Even so, she did her best to give me those quiet moments."

"If you didn't have to rule, what would you do?" Theo asked curiously.

"Well..." He looked off into the dark them smiled. "When I was younger, I dreamed of running away and settling down by a lake. Now, though, I have this dream of settling near some hot springs. I've been surrounded by snow for too long and I just crave heat. Sadly, that'll have to stay a dream."

Maybe it was because he had gotten to see Sebastian with his friends, or maybe it was the way he gently shielded him from the cold. Whatever it was, suddenly the injustice of the curse suffocated Theo.

"What about you?"

"What do you mean?" Theo said, not following since he was lost in thought.

"You have to have something you yearn for that's a little silly?" He peered at Theo with a small smile. "I want to get to know you, too, while we're here."

"There's this flower I dream of finding," he stammered slightly under the prince's piercing gaze. "It's a blue rose. If been looking for it for a while."

"A blue rose?" He tilted his head. "Is that difficult to find?"

"A true blue rose is, yes. Most are a trick of light and are actually purple. A real natural blue rose doesn't exist in the human world at all. There's allegedly some in the veil. But they only grow under distinct conditions. They need to be near water, they need to get specific hours of moonlight, blue birds nest near them, and more. This makes them hard to find."

"What a particular flower. What do you plan to do when you find one?"

"I'd have to sell it. I have things I need to pay for like my sisters’ traveling and schooling. If I had some money left over, I'd buy myself a greenhouse like I've always wanted."

"You've wanted a greenhouse?"

"Yeah, I love breeding flowers, so a place to work that wasn't a little shed would be nice."

"I think you should keep the blue rose if you can." He flicked the tip of his tail softly against Theo's cheek. "Just cherish it."

"Maybe I will." He laughed and petted his tail again. "You're being playful today."

"Perhaps I feel like being kind to you after what I did the other day."

"Whatever the reason, I like it. This, sitting here and talking with you, is really nice," he said, looking up at him. For the briefest of moments, Sebastian's eyes flicked to Theo's lips. When he looked away, Theo's chest ached with disappointment.