9. Snow
Chapter nine
Snow
Don’t cry, Snow.
You will get out of this. You will escape and live the life you always dreamed of.
And then you can become the blizzard you were always meant to be...
That’s what I try to convince myself. But what does it matter? It’s hopeless.
There is no getting out of this.
I truly am trapped.
My father’s enemies have finally caught up with me, and now I am about to pay the ultimate price for his transgressions.
They will go for Regina. She’s technically all the family I have left in the world, and thus, they will use me as ransom, even though she hates me.
A harsh laugh escapes me.
They think she will actually care, and I almost feel bad for the men who kidnapped me—or women, since I shouldn’t make assumptions.
Fucking idiots.
“Swearing is unbecoming of a lady, Snow. We must carry ourselves with grace and dignity.”
That was always what my mother used to say. She taught me how to be a lady in a ruthless world of men.
We have to be coy, demure, and never complain.
Arm candy, pretty much.
Quiet arm candy that never peeps or makes a sound.
As much as I loved and respected Lilith Snow, I didn’t always agree with her.
Why shouldn’t women swear? Or speak up?
We can be ruthless, too…
That’s one thing I’ve always admired about Regina. She does not give a shit what anyone thinks about her, and she knows what she wants.
She wants to get her pussy wet, then she gets it wet. She wants to get her hands dirty with the blood of her enemies, while still maintaining a perfect manicure the whole time, then she does just that.
She does everything a man does in our world but better…
Maybe there are a few things I can learn from that woman after all.
Unlike Regina, though, I will not only be ruthless, but kind, too.
It’s just about finding that balance.
So, if I could become a mixture of my two mother figures, then maybe… I can survive.
Blizzards are terrifying, but when they settle, they leave the world in a beautiful blanket of snow.
Cold, dangerous, yet lovely…
Could I be those things?
The door unbolts at the end of the hall, and it looks like my jailer has arrived.
Will it be the blond again? The one with the eye patch?
Or someone new?
I lay as still as a log when the door to my cell opens, and I feel that ice-cold eye once again.
It is him again, and a shudder skates down my spine when he leans against the wall, staring in that eerie fashion.
Thank God I have the blanket. At least I have some form of protection, even if it isn’t much.
This blanket is all I have left in the world now.
Once upon a time, I had everything a little girl could ever want and more. I had ponies, dresses, shoes, and bags…
But Regina took all that away after my father’s funeral, telling me it all belonged to her now.
So, I haven’t had much in the way of possessions for some time.
But I still had more than a blanket.
How long will it be until they torture me? They will want to know everything about my dear stepmother, after all.
What are her weaknesses?
My nose picks up on the scent of soup next, and my stomach rumbles.
The male stirs at the sound, but he still doesn’t speak. I’ve already gathered that he isn’t much of a talker.
Still, that soup. Smells like lentil.
I haven’t eaten in hours.
But I can’t trust them. For all I know, the soup could be poison.
But then, that would be silly.
Why kill me if they intend to keep me alive for questioning?
How else will they learn about Regina, their number one enemy?
“It’s not poison.”
My heart rate spikes when that silken voice reaches me, and I stiffen, biting my lip.
He may reassure me that it isn’t poison, but that still doesn’t mean I can trust him.
He is the enemy…
He chuckles. “Are you just going to continue lying there?”
Well, he’s certainly more upbeat than he was yesterday. I can count the number of words he said to me on one hand.
None.
“Don’t make me rip that blanket off you.”
I bite my lip harder, almost drawing blood, and I make up my mind, yanking the blanket away.
The light hurts my eyes when I look over my shoulder, and I swear I’m looking at an angel for a moment.
Or a saint.
But when my eyes adjust, it turns out to be another man.
He just has the hair of an angel.
His single eye softens slightly when I look his way, and something about him is different.
Not that I know him all that much, but he almost seems like an entirely different person. He's far less taciturn. Far less creepy.
Today, he almost seems human. Still eerily beautiful, but a little less frozen.
His eye does look warmer as he takes me in, a small smile curving his lips.
“Hello. We haven’t been formally introduced. I am… I am Angel … and it is a pleasure to meet you.”
Haven’t been formally introduced? Does he not recall the moment he cornered me to the wall, caging me in with his arms?
It seems I really am dealing with a nutcase.
Maybe he hit his head and forgot.
Still, I can’t stop myself from saying, “I’m… Snow.”
His mouth quirks at the corner. “Oh, I already know that.”
Of course he does. It was definitely no accident when he caught me in the woods.
Were they waiting for me that whole time? Or were they in league with Ferdinand?
It wouldn’t fit. Ferdinand led me astray so he could kill me for Regina. He’d lied to me in order to fulfil the wishes of his queen.
I’m pretty sure these men intend to use me to get to that woman, but I only assumed as much.
As far as I know, Regina could have hired these men to rid me from the family picture for good.
Now, she is the sole heir to White Industries.
I shut my eyes, taking in a deep breath. “W-what do you want with me?”
Angel falls unnaturally still, and just like that, he becomes a frozen statue again.
When he doesn’t answer, I chance a glance at his face, and that single ice-blue eye looks away from me this time.
“Why have you brought me here?”
That lone eye closes, and I find my voice. I lost my temper with him last time, and I do so again as I step closer.
“Answer me. It’s not polite to ignore someone. At least give me that courtesy this time.”
He opens his eye at the words “this time,” and now that smile returns. “Your soup is getting cold, Snow.”
I inhale, lifting my chin, trying to ignore the warmth that floods my veins at the way he says my name. “I don’t want it.”
His smile becomes crooked. “But you’re going to need it.”
I cock my head. “Why? What do you plan to do with me?”
His smile vanishes, and now he glances away again. “It’s best you don’t know.”
I shake my head. “No, I think it’s best I do. She won’t care, you know. Regina? She hates me!”
He looks at me at that, pinning me with that calculated stare.
I go on. “She has always hated me. She was jealous of me! Jealous that my father would never love her like he loved me and my mother.”
His mouth twitches. “What makes you think this is about Regina?”
I stammer, stepping back as I think up a response. “Well, who else? There’s… no one else who loves me…”
I’m not certain, but I’m pretty sure his shoulders slump at my confession.
Regina really is all the family I have left in the world. They may have missed their chance with my father, but they will sure as hell come for his widow and his daughter…
Angel sighs, moving for the door. “Just eat your soup, Snow. Trust me when I say you will need it.”
He shuts the door behind him, bolting me inside, and I cast my gaze at the soup.
He provided some bread, too, and I concede at last, picking up the tray to wolf down my food.
Once I’m finished, I curl up on the bed and close my eyes.
He was right; I really did need that soup and bread. I was starving. Now I shut my eyes, drifting off into a restless sleep.
Once again, I am trapped in the woods.
A woodland where seven sets of eyes watch me from every dark shrub.
I truly am in danger.