A Wolf of Ice and Iron [OLD]

Chapter 19

Adras

I think perhaps Morel was a bit overwhelmed with... a lot of things. He told me some things and some of his and Winter's history. But not enough to make me understand it. I'm still unsure, I'm still... confused. But it also isn't my place to pry for that private information.

Yesterday he told me about some things, tried to fill in the blanks after he pulled Winter into the pool (something I still almost laugh about).  It there are things I want to know, which don't include Winter and Morel and are just to satisfy my own curiosity.

The house is oddly silent now. I've noticed that Morel and Winter seem to be the only faeries who frequent the place. I see other faeries sometimes, but they're always in such a rush I can't talk to them or ask them anything. They have names I can't remember, names that roll off faerie tongues but stick to mine.

I knock on Winter's door. He has a room above mine, at the tallest section of the house. He describes it as a sort of sanctuary- somewhere he can go by himself to have quiet, where nowhere else can go. That he likes it. But when I see it, it looks incredibly lonely.

"Winter," I say briefly. He hasn't opened the door yet. "I wanted to... ask you something. And see how you were doing."

Winter is a little prickly today, I can tell. After his encounter with Morel, I haven't seen him smile or look like he isn't in a rush to get away.

Now, as he opens the door, I can tell he hasn't slept for a while. His amber eyes are still so brilliant, so bright, but they are burdened by dark circles, pulling them down. His hair is messy, tousled and knotted. He wears a low-cut blue undershirt, no jacket, and wrinkled trousers. No shoes.

"Adras, what is it?" He sounds tired, so overbearingly tired. But he opens the door wider and ushers me inside to his room, which is something I didn't expect. But I suppose it's worth it, since I'm his faeling. His human. But I suppose I don't belong to him as much as Night to day. Only if you look at it obscurely.

"I wanted to ask... about Blood Court faeries," I say.

I can tell he's relieved. He expected something about his and Morel's history, I can tell that much. He deflates a little, sighing. He goes to his desk, which is littered with papers, a lit candle that fills the room with the scent of sandalwood (perhaps that's where he gets it from), and a small glow of light.

"Blood Court fae?" Winter echoes, pouring a glass of water. He hands it to me, and my fingers tap on the crystal. I sit on a couch behind me - its dark blue, with golden buttons and trimming. It looks special.

"Yes. I- Morel was explaining them to me, but... he didn't remember how you can tell them apart." I say quickly, not wanting to bring up the other faerie that clearly has complicated history with mine.

Winter doesn't show any signs of discomfort, but his eyes shift to the couch briefly, then back to mine. "Blood Court faeries are a little harder to tell from the rest. They.. they drink blood. They need it to survive."

I blink in surprise. "They do? Why?"

"Nobody is really sure," Winter says. "But they usually have a donor that willingly lets them feed off of them. They need it often." He sips his own water, looking a bit restless. "Blood Court faeries are... confusing, to say the least. Most often they're pale, sometimes they aren't. But their fangs are the only thing you can truly notice, when they're hungry. That's about it."

I'm not too surprised, I don't think. Faeries are odd. Some have wings, some can control water, some can shift into animals. I didn't know any of this before I arrived at the Court of Stars, and I don't regret it.

"Blood Court fae are dangerous, Adras," Winter says softly. His voice is hard now. A warning. "Stay away from them if you can."

"Aren't all fae dangerous?" I ask, but I'm taken aback by his serious tone all of a sudden.

"They definitely are. But Blood Court faeries will suck your life force from you, and leave you to deal with the consequences." Winter says bitterly, nearly spitting the words out like they taste rank in his mouth. He places his water down on the table before us with a soft clink of glass on wood.

I swallow the rest of my water nervously. "Alright. I... I won't."

For the first time in three days, I think about my family again. What would they think of me if they saw me now, conversing freely with a faerie they so often warned me about? Are they thinking of me now, looking for me? Somehow I doubt it. But it doesn't hurt as much as the idea of them looking for me does.

And Erenn. I miss him the most. I miss talking to him. I miss laughing with him. I miss the Erenn I had when I was younger. But I won't ever have that Erenn back.

Winter eyes me with caring bright eyes. "Are you alright, Adras?" His voice is soft. He knows what's wrong, he knows what I'm thinking. He is gentle as he reaches over and places a hand on my shoulder.

Perhaps that startled me more. The brotherly and caring gesture that Winter offers, even when he is clearly tense, and I can feel it through my shoulder where he touches. But he is sweet and gentle in this moment, and I am surprised but also yearning.

I lean into his touch gratefully. "I'm alright. I just..." I swallow. "I suppose I think about them too much."

Winter blinks and rubs my shoulder. His fingers are deft and gentle, touching exactly where I need them. "It's never too much, Adras. It isn't a bad thing to think of them."

"I just... I suppose I feel a bit stupid, sometimes. To think about people who didn't care about me." I swallow. The truth burns my throat bitterly, and I want to spit it out.

"It's never stupid to think about someone you care about. Even if they don't feel the same," Winter says. And I have this ghost of a feeling that he isn't just talking about me.