Winter

“Winter, Winter, Winter,” Is sung by the child-like voice. I open my eyes slowly, not seeing the child that’s singing but instead the back of a large man standing in front of me. The song drifts away as the man walks forward towards a bed. When he moves to the side, I can see Elissa. She is sitting in the middle of the bed, covers wrapped around her. A small bassinet made out of vines is by the bed. It’s the same room she died in. I glance at the man as he leans over the bassinet. He looks about forty with blonde hair that’s cut short. He’s only wearing black trousers and it leaves his pale chest in full view. There’s a mark, a phoenix very much like Wyatt’s on the middle of his chest. I can’t really see his face from this angle as he looks down but I’m guessing this is Wyatt’s ancestor, the first vampire.

“She looks just like you, my beloved,” the man says in a gruff voice. It takes me a second to realise that the baby is Elissa’s and that the baby must be my mother.

“You say that every time you see her, Athan,” Elissa says with a sigh. She looks very tired.

“And every time it’s because it’s true. She is the image of you,” he says in return and smiles at her. I look over just as Elissa starts glowing white. Every part of her skin glows and Athan falls to the ground, his hand clutching his head in pain.

Elissa says nothing out of her mouth but I hear her make the prophecy in my mind.

The blue sided human will choose a side.

When four princes are born, on the same day, they will rule true.

Her saviour will die when the choice is made.

If she chooses wrong, she will fall.

If she chooses right, then she will rule.

Only her mates can stop her from the destruction of all.

If the fates allow, no one need fall.

For only the true kings hold her fate and they will be her mates.

After she speaks the final word, she closes her eyes. Athan shakes his head as he gets off the floor, he checks on the baby just as a woman in a long, red cloak comes into the room. I can’t see her face or anything other than the ends of the white dress under her red cloak.

“Every person for miles just heard that, the demon king will find us,” she says, her voice worried rather than angry.

“Then it’s time, Demtra,” Athan replies sadly and looks at Elissa.

“My poor sister,” the goddess says and she turns her head to where I stand.

"Winter, love," Atti says and I blink my eyes open. I’m in Atti’s arms as he holds me close. Dabriel has his glowing hands on my head and he lets go when he sees I'm awake.

We’re still in the arena; it must only be moments since I blacked out. Yet it seemed like a long time in the dream call. I didn’t even mean to see that, so why did I?

So, it was Elissa making the prophecy that let the demon king know where she was and where his child was.

My mother.

Elissa must have hidden her not long after that dream and I know she died in that room. I’ve seen all her mates now, Athan the vampire, Henrick the witch, Nicolas the angel and Leo the wolf. She had mates just like me but she had the demon king as a mate too.

I sit up slowly as Atti helps me stand on the rock we’re on. I see Leigha seconds before she runs and jumps onto the rock. Warrior princess makes that look easy.

"A win," Taliana’s voice drifts over to me as I stand. I turn to see her watching me as Atti grabs my arm, Dabriel holds my hand and Leigha puts a hand on Atti’s shoulder. We disappear while I smile at her, a smile proving that I can do this.

When we reappear, we are just outside the goddess’s castle. I smile at a few wolves who bow when they see us and I look around. The outside is quiet, with just the two wolves sitting outside. The castle looks so much bigger from here as I look up at it. It’s made of smooth grey stone, the parts that were destroyed are fixed and it doesn’t look like anything has ever happened to the castle. The four towers stretch into the sky and right in the middle is the huge balcony that I spent time with Atti on. Someone has a row of flowers on the small wall that has been newly built, yet still looks like the rest of the castle.

“Let’s go and find the others,” Atti says. I see Harris come out of the castle and stop, not looking at us but at Leigha. I turn a little to see her staring at him as well, a mixture of emotions written across her face but her stubbornness wins out when she turns and walks away. Harris’s growl fills my ears and I turn just in time to see him shift into a large brown wolf, and he jumps down the steps and goes chasing after Leigha.

“Never run from a wolf,” Dabriel says gently.

“That’s something Jaxson said once, she will be okay, right?” I ask him and Atti.

“You should be asking if Harris will be okay, Leigha is the scariest woman I’ve ever met,” Atti says and then chuckles to himself.

“Well, other than you when I try to steal your chocolate,” Atti jokes. Well I hope he’s joking, I’m not that bad.

“Very true,” Dabriel nods and I glare at him.

“You are meant to be on my side,” I say and cross my arms.

“You nearly bit my finger off when I tried to taste that chocolate ice cream just last week,” Dabriel says and crosses his arms.

“Ben and Jerry's?” Atti asks me, while I wince at Dabriel.

“Yes, the chocolate brownie flavour Jaxson bought it for me,” I say.

“Then bro, you had it coming,” Atti pats Dabriel on the shoulder with a laugh. I smile at them both as I feel hands slide around my waist and I’m pulled back to a large body as cold lips kiss my neck.

“I missed you,” Wyatt says into my ear.

“Me too,” I say. I laugh as Wyatt picks me up and we move quickly away from the other guys. I take a deep breath when he stops and lets me go.

“Wanted me alone?” I ask him and he grins as he lightly kisses me.

“Yes,” he says, no other explanation needed. I glance around to see we are on the balcony I was just looking up at. There’s a blanket on the floor, with a selection of food and some roses in a vase. I smile up at Wyatt with a big grin.

“I want to show you something first and maybe get you some more clothes,” he glances down at my leather outfit. I nod and pull my wet hair out of the bun, and undo the plait. It falls in waves as he just watches me.

“You’re beautiful, Winter,” he says making my heart pound in my chest and then he walks away to the new doors. Someone has replaced the stone ones that were destroyed with large glass doors. I like it. We go into the newly painted white hallway; the floors are still the old stone but smoothed down. There are new lights on the walls and the archways to Elissa’s bedroom have new wooden doors. There used to be white curtains in the past but the light wooden doors suit it better. They are shaped perfectly to the archway and Wyatt pushes the door open. I walk in and my first thought is that the room has changed so much. Where there once was a raised stone alter and stone floors, there is now an even, cream carpeted floor. The new arch windows are massive and letting lots of light into the room. There’s a beautiful wooden fireplace on one side and two small white doors on each side of it. The main thing in the room is the huge bed in the middle, with a large white headboard; it looks like it could fit at least five people. The bed sheets are white to match the white fur rug in front of the fireplace.

“We will get other things for the room, but this is all yours,” he tells me and my jaw drops.

“The four rooms next door are for each of us, they’re just down the corridor but I’m sure we’ll take turns sleeping with you,” he says making my cheeks go red at the thought.

“We could live together, all of us,” I say in a whisper.

“When we have peace, we will.” Wyatt says to me and comes over to kiss my forehead.

“Then we will fight for peace,” I say, my words feeling like a promise.