Chapter 16

Avoiding the eyes of the villagers and old Jorn, Snow quietly escorted Lia to his room, still bundled up in his ruined coat. Tomorrow, he would find her something proper to wear from the local tailor, but for now, he offered her the shelter of his chilly room and the promise of a warm bath.

Lia took it in with big piercing eyes that always looked on the verge of more tears.

“Why are you doing all this?” she asked. He could hear the tender disbelief in her voice.

“Us monsters have to look out for one another, don’t we?” Snow replied as he counted out the coins needed for a bath and new clothes. He sorely wanted the bath himself, but he didn’t want Jorn to get wise to the fact that he now had a guest. He’d have to ask Lia to hide when the bathtub and hot water arrive.

“You know that’s not true. And you’re not a monster.” Lia said it as she came over to sit down on the edge of the bed with him.

Snow scoffed. “I had half a mind to walk Waldron’s corpse back into the village square. I would have given him to the people as a mindless worker – so he could at least pay back some of the damage he’s dealt before dying.” Snow smirked but it was a sad smile. “But who gives an undead corpse as a gift?”

Lia then shared his sad smile. The sight made Snow turn away.

“You didn’t ask to be what you are, no more than I asked to be a vampire,” Lia replied.

Snow paused; his fingers curled tightly around a small stack of silver coins as he stared at the floor in thought. This wasn’t the first time someone had noticed that he didn’t ask to be a resurrectionist. Most didn’t know how it worked. They thought it was something he pursued the way a sorcerer might seek out demon gifts. But true magic was something one was born with and not all had the same gifts or strengths.

Willa knew how it all worked. Then again, like Lia, Willa was immortal and the guardian of the Dead Library. The thought of her brought up the memory of his last conversation with her before he left.

“What will you do?” Willa had asked as she leaned over the books he had written, flipping through the journal pages to admire the care in which he cataloged his lessons on rituals, spells, the construction of the world, and its many unseen levels.

“I’ll find a way to use it,” Snow had replied. His pack was nearly full, and it was now only a matter of sorting out which books to bring and which to burn. He couldn’t leave any with Willa. The Dead Library forbade it.

“Over the millennia, I have seen many come and go from these halls. Few have studied as long and as dedicated as you and those that did always had a plan… a great plan though often ill-advised.” Willa then reached out and laid her hand on his as he reached for a book. “Are you sure you don’t have such dreams of grandeur?”

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“Why worry about it? What I do with the knowledge is no concern of yours. You said that at the onset. If you must know, I was fascinated by my gifts at first, but just because I recognize the danger in them does not make me want to take Cicero’s path and renounce them. There must be a middle ground. There must be a way where this knowledge and power can serve up a life worth living that doesn’t fall down one of the many dark paths on display here.”

“Very well, Korvinian. I only ask because I have grown quite fond of you.” Her hands then clasped around both of his. He hadn’t the heart to pull away from the tender touch. He sat staring at her beautiful pale hands clasped around his for a long moment wondering what-if.

“You said we’re likely the last. Why not come with us?” he asked as he looked up into her blue eyes.

Willa then looked down at their hands as if she too was wondering the same.

“I gave my word.”

“And when does that end? You said nearly all dragons have left this plane. When is the promise fulfilled?” Snow’s hands pulled free only to clasp around Willa’s with a grip that was tender but firm.

He had been preparing himself to let go of Willa for some time now, but he still found it hard. From the beginning, he knew she was going to stay while he and Cicero chose their life. But he had never expected to find her so wise, caring, and stunningly beautiful – at least in this form. With long platinum hair and the figure of a dancer, Willa was grace incarnate and even Snow could not ignore it in the many years he spent there.

“Perhaps the day will come when I know the answer,” she replied as he very gently pulled her hands out of his grasp. Snow had sighed bitterly and looked back towards his journals.

“But do me this one favor when you go out there,” Willa added.

“What?” Snow looked up again.

“Find someone to have around you. No matter what path you choose, do not go down it alone.”

Snow gave his usual scoff, “Who could understand my life? Who could look on all this,” Snow gestured to the dark library around them, “and see anything other than a monster?”

“Someone might come along,” Willa smiled, “promise me you won’t push them away.”

Snow sighed. “I can’t promise that. I don’t know what my life will hold.” Snow paused for a long moment before adding, “but I will keep my eyes open for such a person.”

Willa then leaned in and gave a soft kiss to his cheek. “I guess that will have to do.”

Snow’s mind came back to the present as the chill of the room ran up his spine. Lia was still sitting next to him, seemingly unaffected by the cold or awkward pause in their conversation. Snow smiled weakly as he attempted to recover his composure.

“No. I didn’t asked to be this, but I chose to accept it. Now… let me see about a fire and that warm bath.” Snow then got up and went to the door. He intended to sort out a bath, a hot meal, and whatever passed for good wine in these parts. But before he could make his way downstairs, he found Titus on the other side of his door poised to knock.

Snow scowled at the sight of him. He still didn’t know what to make of Titus, but somehow, he continued to tolerate him. Perhaps deep down he knew that if Titus had initially meant him harm, they would have run into it by now. But Snow also knew how quickly hearts can change. Titus had just seen him let a vampire rip a man’s throat out and then resurrected the corpse in a violent fashion. Who knew what he thought of him now?