The Crimson Snow (A Realm of Chaos and Void #1)

Chapter 28

The Enchanting Wolf

In the grandest state of the Otherworld lies the Wraithwood household,

A manor draped in shadows, brimming with treasures,

Gold, and artifacts, the finest riches in all realms.

Yet, the most fiercely guarded of them all are the books,

Histories hidden and silenced secrets bound in leather and ink.

There is a whispered tale of these tomes being stolen,

But the truth remains a mystery,

Just like the dark, forbidden knowledge within their pages.

Retrieved from Encyclopedia of Wonders and Chaos Volume II

by Lysara Sorrowspring, Ch. 16, p. 98.

Seraphine Ashcroft

The first thing Seraphine felt was the cold kissing her cheeks. She looked around and, for a moment, felt like she was in a dream—a winter dream.

The pond, or the library section itself, was enclosed in a sphere. It was cozy, with bookshelves lining the curved walls and inviting sofas and tables near a crackling fireplace. However, what surprised her was the sphere’s dome, which had a small opening showing the night sky—a deep blue canvas filled with stars. Through this opening, the most magnificent thing fell slowly into the pond.

One after another, snowflakes landed on her nose, just like they had back in her forest. They were cold, almost real, but she knew it was just magic. The Otherworld was full of magic, but this one tugged at her heart. Her memories.

Seraphine remembered how she loved watching those delicate flakes dance, following them whenever she wanted to feel and wander alone. They also reminded her of her father, bringing a smile to her lips. Leander was akin to that—a beautiful, soft snowflake in the midst of a hard storm. She sometimes thought snowflakes were just butterflies that had shapeshifted to adapt to the cold.

“I knew you would like it,”

Evren said as he gently pulled her hand, guiding her out of the pond.

Such a caring predator Evren is. “I do. Are they real?”

“Yes, you can also find snow here in the Otherworld near the south. I went there centuries ago and made sure to bring back some enchanted snowflakes. I can’t help but love the beauty of those icy drops. One day, perhaps I can take you there. You will surely love it.”

Evren moved, standing out of the pond and wrapping his arms around her, pulling her up. They were both soaked and very close, so close she moved away quickly, hiding her eyes, hiding every possible clue of what was on her mind.

She made sure her gloves were in place too. “Let’s find some answers.”

Seraphine started to walk to a bookshelf, trying to steady her heart. She saw Evren from the corner of her eye. If she was honest, Evren looked like a dream, washed in sparkling glitter and water.

There is something so wrong with me.

“While I love the enthusiasm, Crimson Eyes, let’s grab some dry clothes first. You will probably catch a cold,”

Evren said, sounding like he was enjoying himself.

“You better have something cozy.”

He winked at her and moved to retrieve something from a storage box. In a few seconds, he held a pile of clothes. “This should work. I didn’t find any fancy gloves like yours, but here—”

He pulled out something from behind.

“Mittens!”

Evren sounded as if he had just taken a bunny out of a hat like those traveling magicians in Coldhaven.

Seraphine couldn’t hold her laugh. “You seem overly excited about the mittens.”

“I see, Crimson Eyes, you’re mocking my taste in fashion,”

Evren said, handing her a pile of clothes and taking another for himself. Without much thought, he began to pull off his shirt and unbutton his oddly-designed breeches right in the middle of the place—in front of her.

For Brannon and Aurum’s sakes.

His hair was still damp, drops of water and glitter roaming over his body. As soon as he was shirtless, she noticed the intricate tattoos and scars. Then, he moved his hand slowly, touching the edges of his breeches.

“I appreciate you appreciating the view, but I think I’d like some privacy since I’ll be removing everything from my waist down,”

he said mockingly. Seraphine realized she had been practically drooling over him.

Oh, for the Ancients, get a hold of yourself, Seraphine Ashcroft.

Evren laughed. “Unless you wish to see, in which case I can always—”

“No, thank you. I am not interested in the view at all. I just got lost in my thoughts. I barely saw you,”

she said, stumbling over her words and feeling the heat rise in her cheeks while turning around.

She heard him moving and then the soft drop of clothes.

“Whatever you say, Crimson Eyes.”

Looking around, she realized this place was extraordinarily beautiful. A warm feeling enveloped her at the thought of the treasure trove of knowledge before her.

A raspy, fake cough disrupted her. “Ah, I believe you should change now, Crimson Eyes. You’re still damp.”

She turned around to find Evren fully clothed, wearing an oversized old shirt and soft black pants. She always marveled at how normal he sometimes looked—a prince in oversized clothing.

Feeling rather daring and wanting to fake courage, she took the clothes and looked at him. “Sure.”

Without breaking eye contact, she removed her pale dress, letting it pool at her feet, leaving her in almost nothing but mere pieces of undergarments.

“I should look away.”

His voice was raspier, just as his eyes darkened, pupils taking all over his wonderful clear blue, gray, and snowy eyes.

Lifting her chin and trying hard not to cover herself, Seraphine let a smirk pull on her lips. “Unlike you, I do not care whether you stare or not.”

She did care, but she was daring him to shy away. She wanted to show that she had all the control over her emotions. Over him.

However, he stood there, matching her challenge. Evren gulped as he watched her, and his eyes narrowed, as though he had too many berry roses or human wine. She continued to move her hands around her until she stripped down completely, cold air touching her skin. Still, this was nothing in comparison with the heat she received from his eyes.

Never breaking eye contact with him, she put on a light camisole and a soft cream dress decorated with fur on the top. Finally, she put on the mittens, which were a bit too big for her and looked at him. “You’re looking quite pale. Is something the matter?”

Seraphine tried to sound confident, but her voice was faint, betraying her own wish to pretend this wouldn’t affect her.

Evren moved closer until they were inches apart, and a few drops of water from his hair fell on her cheeks. “You are an evil, pretty thing.”

He smirked while lowering his head inches away from her lips.

For a moment, she thought he might kiss her again.

Instead, he moved his head to the side, kissing away the drop of water that had fallen on her cheek, his lips staying there for a few seconds, leaving her a little drunk on his closeness. He pulled away, blue fire in his eyes and a knowing, delicious twist on his lips. “But so am I, Crimson Eyes.”

Seraphine sighed in delight while settling on the comfy couch. Evren was beside her, both of them surrounded by a pile of books. “This is interesting.”

Seraphine had also found the tales book she had borrowed on a nearby desk. It seemed like Evren could shadow the books directly to this place, but he wasn’t strong enough to shadow them both here without going through the pond. Yet, she was secretly grateful. She had enjoyed their time underwater.

“What is it this time?”

Evren asked for what felt like the thousandth time. They had spent hours here, and every book or note had been useless.

However, there were some fun facts that Seraphine couldn’t help but share. “Here, it says that Aurum once fell in love. Is that even possible? For Ancients to fall in love?”

Evren looked thoughtful. “He probably fell in love with himself. I’ve heard tales of him being overly narcissistic.”

“So you both are no different at all,”

she joked.

Evren tickled her feet, making her giggle. Somehow, a couple of hours before, her legs had ended up in his lap. It felt comfortable. She stretched out like a cat and yawned for the fifth time in barely an hour.

“Anything else that caught your attention?”

he said, drawing small circles on the sole of her foot.

Seraphine read through another note on a page. “This is a strange-looking family tree.”

She pushed the book toward Evren.

He arched a brow, waiting for her to explain.

Seraphine rolled her eyes and cleared her throat. “No Ancient had a direct lineage. I mean, they created you all from whatever magic source, earth, mud, but it’s not like they gave birth.”

Evren opened his mouth to say something, but she cut him off with a glare. “But here, there is a line connecting Aurum to a descendant. Not the usual lines that represent the creation of beings. No, this one comes directly from him as if—”

This time, he traced the line that Seraphine had mentioned before. “As if he indeed gave birth to someone and not solely created them from magic.”

Evren seemed curious. A child from the Ancients was something never heard of before.

“She must be quite something, perhaps even a hidden entity, if this is accurate and my line of thought is in the right place.”

Seraphine was overly excited. The Otherworld was full of wonders, but uncovering secret information from the Underworld, the realm hidden in shadows that had never been visited, felt revolutionary.

Evren tickled her feet again, and she giggled a little, pushing his hand with her foot. “How do you know it’s a ‘she’? The tree literally just shows a silhouette,”

he said funnily, arching one delicate brow and looking at her as if she was even more wonderful than discovering a secret child of an Ancient.

A part of her felt—knew—it was a she. Yet, Seraphine shrugged, and Evren laughed. “A daughter. From one of the Ancients. Well, if that’s true, then she must be the second most feared and powerful being in the realms.”

Seraphine leaned forward a little and took another book that was piled nearby. Now, this one had a pitch-black cover, and there was a thorn in the center. A spike. It reminded her of the nightsith roses.

Seraphine carefully opened the book, and the pages were empty.

Strange.

“Prince Wraithwood,”

she called. Seraphine knew he hated that title, but she had been feeling more comfortable, and mocking him was just a delight. He made a face that almost brought a full smile to her lips.

This time, he was the one pinching her little toe. “What is it, Lady Wraithwood?”

She rolled her eyes and moved to try to kick him, but he restrained her legs and laughed fully, the two little dimples appearing on his cheeks. “Do not come at me, Crimson Eyes. You were the one who started with the formalities.”

“You are a prince,”

she said matter-of-factly.

“For Nemera’s wing, I am far from that. But anyway, what is it that is filling that head of yours this time?”

She handed Evren the book she held. “Careful, there is some kind of spike on the cover, but it seems enchanted. I cannot read it. Can you see any content on the pages?”

He opened the book and went through the pages. “Those are all blank. I see nothing.”

“There must be something in that book.”

Evren agreed, but there was no way to know now if it was useful or not, so he decided to return to the main hall of the Mystweave Library and ask Raggart or Dorah about the book. Perhaps there was a way to unlock it.

Evren moved to help Seraphine stand up, and she let him. Then, he picked her up in his arms and carried her all the way back across the forbidden section. She was so tired that she did not even protest. He held her legs and body while moving underwater, her drifting eyes focusing on his eyes and his dazzling hair.

For a moment, Seraphine’s mind was quiet, and she found that very calming, familiar even. While she hated to admit it, Evren’s hold and nearness were always full of light and warmth. Little by little, she started to piece him together and felt surprised by how much sweet darkness and dangerous warmth he was. Before closing her eyes and drifting to the sweet embrace of her dreams and the smell of Evren, she realized she had been accepting that she liked his company a little too much.

A soft caress touched her ear, and Evren kept repeating her name.

Still in his arms, she opened her eyes slowly, looking at him. “What is it?”

Seraphine asked sleepily as they finally reached the main hall of the Mystweave Library. He released her of his embrace, and cold air surrounded her right away.

She tried to move toward her chambers, located on the fifth floor, but Evren stopped her. The sky was beautiful through the great crystal roof—different from the human world, with stars that seemed larger, almost as if they were closer. The moon, ever-changing in this realm, tonight glowed white with golden spots, casting a magical shimmer on the shadows.

Evren took her hand, still covered by the wet and funny mitten from their underwater journey. They needed to figure out a way to keep more clothes on both sides. At this point, they might need to change two or three times a day if they kept visiting the forbidden section.

“I must show you something.”

Evren pulled her hand and guided her across the halls and paths of the library, past the familiar bookshelves on the fifth floor that concealed the entrance to Evren’s room.

Seraphine started to say something, but Evren cut her off with a look. He took the key book, opened the secret door, and led her inside. She hadn’t been near his room since the incident. At first glance, the room appeared the same, but the more she looked, the more she realized it had changed.

The room felt bigger, more expansive. Instead of just one bed, there were two. Some shelves had been replaced by wardrobes, sofas, and an extra desk. The chamber was now two times more spacious than her cottage and her own chamber, with plenty of room to move around. She noticed a few new details: new crafts on the walls, which were now crimson-colored and adorned with cream figures.

Still, what surprised her the most was the furry little thing, white as snow with the same crimson eyes as hers, sitting on the bed closest to the window.

“Scarlet!”

she exclaimed, rushing over to her beloved pet. The small creature leaped into her arms.

Evren Wraithwood

The past few days, they had fallen into a comfortable routine, and Seraphine seemed more at ease with him. Still, the shadows of the past always had a way to sneak up on them. There was so much at stake, and Evren wondered if all these dreamlike moments with her led them both toward an era of terror.

The best course was to keep her close, so he arranged his room to fit her in. Seraphine might torture him for that, but he had some cards up his sleeve, and Evren knew she would eventually agree. That beloved pet of hers was just the tip of the iceberg, and he was thrilled to show her a couple more things he had done to make sure she felt at home.

Because it is her home.

Evren wanted it to feel like that again.

“While I love having Scarlet here, I need to ask, why in the realms are there two beds? Do not tell me that you expect me to share chambers with you,”

Seraphine muttered, scrutinizing the room. Despite her words, her eyes were sparkling and darkening into his favorite red shade.

Moving around the room, Evren looked to the floor, again, somehow hesitant. He would never force her, so he walked until he stood between the beds. “I know you wanted your own chambers, but I am unable to create one room out of nothing.”

He was such a bad liar, and she looked at him knowingly.

“As if…”

Seraphine’s lips twitched as if she was trying hard not to laugh while she petted Scarlet’s long ears.

“Yet, I rearranged this place so we both could fit and…”

Evren said, opening a new wardrobe. “I also had Raggart go shopping, which was not a delight for him or me. But here, I wanted you to have new outfits. I even got a nice red cloak, better than the one you used to have. I felt like you might want some reminder of…”

He trailed off as he felt Seraphine moving to his side, still wet from their underwater journey but stunning, drops of shiny water covering her hazel hair. How can a being hold such power over me without even trying? The mere act of her breathing was enough to bring him to his knees.

Evren saw her delicate gloved hands touching the fabrics of the different dresses and tailor-made outfits, all of them to her liking, he was sure. He could give himself credit for that. Years chasing her had taught him what little things could make her eyes shine.

“These are lovely. Stunning, I mean, I have never seen dresses like these, all colors…”

Then, Seraphine moved to the cloak, the same red as her eyes, made of the finest selkie hair and inked with roses. “The cloak is… I could never afford something like this. Still, I cannot share a room with you. That is not—”

“Ah, but you will when you know what I hid behind the pillow on your bed,”

he interrupted, knowing her curiosity would be piqued. Her eyes shone, the crimson in them twisting until they looked like rubies.

“What is it?”

she asked, moving toward the pillow, but Evren stopped her.

“You must accept to be my roommate first, Crimson Eyes,”

he said, grabbing her hips and pulling her close enough that there was no space between them. He lowered his head until his lips brushed the shell of her ear. “I promise to behave. Unless…”

“Unless?”

she echoed, her voice a breathy whisper.

“Unless you wish me not to,”

he said, then kissed her ear. He could feel her sigh.

A little out of breath, sleepy, and perhaps slightly enticed just like him, she muttered, “I would not wish that, even if the realms were about to crack again and the life of everyone else depended on it.”

Evren chuckled, his breath warm against her ear, and brushed his nose across it, softly tracing its shape before moving lower, caressing her face and cheeks. She made no move to pull away. If anything, she seemed to be melting with him, torturing him with the delight of her essence.

“Is that so? Because I would break the realms and even myself just for you. I would paint the whole world crimson just to see your eyes every second of my life. I would create a new library from scratch if that meant seeing a spark in your smile.”

He moved so close that their lips were inches apart, a breath away from connecting. “And for you, I would behave and never bother you, though it is my undoing since I yearn for your closeness, your little remarks, and the feather touch of your lashes and lips. If I wasn’t clear before, I hope I am now. I want you close, as much as you allow me. Even if it is close to nothing, I will take it all.”

Seraphine closed her eyes, her lips parting, anticipation hanging in the air like a taut string.

However, Evren had made a promise. “So what do you say, Crimson Eyes? Would you accept my offer? Do we have a deal?”

he asked, pulling back just enough to create space between them for her to decide.

When she opened her eyes, it was his undoing, her smile radiant. “I wish I could capture that speech and bottle it up, prince,”

she said, moving closer and kissing his cheek briefly.

Evren had to remind himself to keep himself steady. She stayed close to his cheek, and this time, his heart felt like it was about to explode.

“Yes, we have a deal.”

Her breath mingled with his.

“Well then.”

Stepping back reluctantly, he gazed at his feet again. If Evren dared to look at her, he might just break his promise to behave. “I hope whatever is under the pillow is to your liking.”

Moving aside to give her space, Seraphine still brushed her body against his. It might have been intentional. That cunning fox.

“If this ends up being some kind of silly thing, I—”

she began, but her voice trailed off.

Evren knew she had found the letter intended for her brought here from the human realm, thanks to his cat sith.