Snow Time for Love

by Zenina Masters

Teebie grinned. “No reason why not. I have no other guests until your suitors arrive.”

  Nova blushed. “They aren’t just for me.”

  “You don’t understand how desperate they are to get their population up. If they can mix with another magical species and increase their numbers, they will be a lot more stable.” Teebie set her cup down. “They aren’t just here for a mate, they are here for survival. Remember that.”

  Nova blinked and she nodded cautiously. “Right. That has skipped my thought processes until now.”

  “You will catch on after you meet one. The fey around here are very different from my folk, and I am different from any other fey I have met.”

  “I thought you were a djinn.”

  “All djinn are fey but not all fey are djinn. More or less. We aren’t precisely fey but we are close cousins. We use the same energy for our magic.”

  Nova nodded and she blinked. “I think I am going to have that run and sort things out.”

  “Up the stairs, third door on the right. I will open the door for you when you get downstairs.”

  Nova smiled and ran up the stairs; she found her room, stripped, opened the door and shifted into her beast. She loved the feel of the wood under the pads of her feet, the waves of white-striped fur coming over her and the sharpening of her vision.

  She could smell Teebie in the house, and the new magic was in everything around her. The entire Bright Soul was laced with fey magic. Nova turned and pulled her door shut with a careful paw. She padded down the stairs and past her host with a lazy look.

  “Ring the bell when you come back.”

  Nova nodded and trotted through the Crossroads, taking a tour before turning toward the forest and beginning to run. Running through the woods wrapped in magic was her favourite place to be. The only thing that would have made it better was if it was snowing. She did so love snow.

  * * * *

  Jack Wilson waited for the transporter to arrive and was distracting himself with business matters. He set the designs to one side and tried to focus on the new building he was working on. The knock on his door brought him out of the number-induced haze.

  A small man was standing there, and the taste of transporter magic was heavy in the air.

  “Mr. Wilson?” The man looked exceptionally uneasy.

  “Yes. Transporter Richards?”

  “Yes.” The transporter sat across from him and smiled. “So, you are wishing to travel to the Crossroads?”

  “According to the seers, my chances are pretty good, so yes.”

  Richards swallowed. “Payment is set at a week’s worth of magic, as well as any financial compensation for goods or services rendered at the Crossroads.”

  “Accepted. When would I leave?”

  “When would you like to go?”

  Jack looked at him with his eyes flat. “Tonight.”

  “Um, I have some time open in three days.”

  “Tonight.” Jack began to pull the heat out of the room.

  “I can’t...there is no channel to the Crossroads until Friday.”

  “Then transport me to an area where I can get a portal to the Crossroads tonight. The fee is not an issue. If there is a woman who can be my mate, I do not want to be the last one to meet her.”

  Richards nodded. “May I make a call?”

  “Please.”

  Jack Wilson steepled his fingers and waited for Richards to finish his calls to his guild master and get authorization to transport him where he could catch a portal to the Crossroads. With every passing moment, the sense of urgency in him grew. He needed to get there as quickly as he could.

  “Just tell me where the transporter is who can get me there. I can take care of that on my own.”

  Richards was shivering. “Right, of course.”

  Jack warmed up the room. “Apologies. This is new to all of us. We will get it sorted.”

  Richards nodded and scribbled some notes. “Right. Thank you, Guild Master. Good night.”

  Richards handed him the paper. “This is the nearest transporter to the portal tonight. You will have until midnight pacific to get there.”

  “So, I should contact them and get myself to their offices?”

  “Yes. I will send her the information for your transport and you will sign the contract when you hand over the fee.”

  Jack got to his feet and brought out his phone. He punched the number, made the arrangements with the transporter named Ecker and got a description of the location.

  After he hung up he said, “Thank you, Transporter Richards.”

  “Uh, thank you, Mr. Wilson.”

  The dazed smile explained something Jack hadn’t counted on. Fey flare or fey fantasy was an effect where humans fell under an elf’s spell. Jack wasn’t trying to cast a spell; he just wanted a chance at a mate.

  “You are dismissed.” Jack was stern, but it seemed to work. Richards left and Jack whisked himself across the continent in a flash of wind and frost.

  Transporter Ecker was much more practical and far less whimsical. The woman took his payment, smiled that it took the form of a snowflake paperweight and settled him on the portal glyph on her floor.

  “I hope you find what you seek.” Transporter Ecker waved her hands and a column of light surrounded him.

  Jack held his breath as he was surrounded by human magic and transported in a capsule of power to the one place he was looking forward to. The Crossroads.

  Chapter Three

  Nova enjoyed rolling in the moonlit grass and scrubbing it against her fur. When she had once again marked a dozen trees with her teeth and claws, she trotted back through town.

  She stopped to greet Chuck and Ivy, was introduced to Spike and investigated the hair and nail salons. If she were here for a while this time, she would utilize both of them.

  A light caught her attention, and a beam shot out of the Meditation Centre. She trotted toward the magic, and as it shut off, she used her nose to determine that she was about to meet her first fey.

  She stepped into the centre and tried to hide in the shadows. It was ridiculous given her colouring, but the guardians didn’t seem to mind her skulking around.

  Teal and Tony were stabilizing the new arrival. He was tall, but he was in the shadows and Nova couldn’t make him out.

  She crept further into the doorway and noticed that the new open roof left exposed beams. If she had her human face on she would have grinned, but she lashed her tail and climbed the nearest post, using the open framework to get closer to the first elf she had seen close up.

  Sure, she saw the fey on the news with presidents and the heads of industry, but to see one in person was different. Nova could feel the power crackling around him, but he was wearing it.

  She stared at him, watching the waves of his magic caress him. He looked human enough, if taller and more graceful, but that was wrong, too.

  She lowered herself to the beam and watched Teal and Tony give him the wristband and the breakdown of how things worked at the Crossroads.

  Tony sighed. “I would offer to give you a tour and show you to where you will be staying, but since Nova has been eavesdropping on this conversation, it is only right that she be the one to give you the tour.”

  Without looking up, Teal smiled. “Nova, third door from the left of the front. Grab a dress.”

  Busted.

  Nova jumped from the rafter, landed in the raked sand and stalked into the room mentioned by Teal. She shifted and slipped a dress over her head, the pale fabric matched her hair. She would have been categorized albino if not for her blue eyes. They were her most startling feature, and she was never sure how folk would react to her when they met her face to face.

  Nova grinned as she looked down. The gown nearly fit. It was about three inches too short for her, but that wasn’t too bad given her above-average height.

  She was barefoot, but that didn’t matter. She often ran around without shoes, no matter the weather.

  Nova exited
the room cautiously, unsure of the response of the new arrival. It was always ironic to her that she was confident in her beast but her human form was timid. The beasts accepted her for the predator she was, the humans took one look at her and ran the other way.

  The new arrival was staring at her, and she stiffed her shoulders and walked forward. “Hello. My name is Nova Spalding.”

  “Jack Wilson.”

  Nova’s lips twitched. “Like hell.”

  He paused and a smile crossed his features. “Reygaer Frostwind.”

  His features rippled, white hair cascaded down his back and his skin was exposed as a pearly blue. His eyes were black, dark coals in the blue features.

  He had dropped his glamour.

  Teal and Tony were staring, fascinated.

  “So, have you signed the contract that indicates you would abide by the laws of the Crossroads? Is he clear to travel?” she asked Teal.

  “He is all yours. You know the drill.”

  Nova smiled and she waved for Reygaer to come with her.

  He offered her his arm, and she took it, trying not to show how the touch affected her.

  The small contact was like being wrapped in the forest, running through icy wind and being wrapped in a blanket of snow. All her favourite things were combined in that one small touch.

  He was surprised. “You feel...”

  She cleared her throat. “I am guessing that it is one of the fallacies that we have been fed since we were young. I was always told that our magic would not be compatible. Apparently, it just needs a little coaxing.”

  She took a deep breath and started her tour-guide patter. She showed him the restaurant, the café, the Crossed Star and the row of bed and breakfasts as well as the staff homes.

  That got his attention. “They live here?”

  “Of course. There are many folk who have part of their beast stuck all the time. Chuck at the Crossed Star has his eyes and his fangs stuck. He always looks serpentine, even while human.”

  “That must be horrible. What a lonely life.”

  She looked at him and realized that he thought Chuck was shunned. “His wife doesn’t mind, nor does his adopted family and all his friends. An attractive package is just part of it. Our beasts look for another beast that resonates with them.”

  “What if there is no resonance?”

  “We move on to the next person and look again. We usually know within minutes of direct contact, so dancing is very popular here.”

  He looked down at her and smiled. “May I ask you any questions that arise?”

  She nodded. “Of course, or Teebie or any of those who are running a business. Or you can ask Teal and Tony at the Meditation Centre.”

  “Why are you here?” His question was very direct.

  She swallowed. “To find a mate.” She wrinkled her nose and decided to be forthright. “I am a recall. I wasn’t able to find a mate amongst my own kind, but now that there are fey coming in, they think that it might be the missing component my beast is looking for.”

  She walked him to the door of the Bright Soul, and she opened the door. “Good evening, Teebie. I have a new arrival for you.”

  Teebie came forward and smiled. “Thank you, Nova. That dress is lovely. Did you get it at the store?”

  Lovely? Nova looked down and her dress had gone from a plain jersey shift to a silken beaded gown that rustled around her ankles.

  Nova looked to Reygaer. “When did this happen?”

  He bowed over her hand and pressed a cool kiss on her skin. “A beautiful woman deserves beautiful clothing. Before it covered you, now it suits you.”

  Teebie grinned and blinked innocently. “Well, I guess you don’t need to change. Are you heading out for dinner?”

  “I think I will be traditional and put on some shoes.” She wiggled her toes and scowled. She lifted the hem of her skirt and white leather slippers with beads covered her feet. “How did I not feel that?”

  He grinned. “It must have been my fascinating conversation.”

  Nova shrugged. “I am heading out then. Teebie will take care of you. Have a good evening, Reygaer.”

  He looked like he wanted to say something, but he nodded.

  She swanned out in her beaded gown and headed for the café in search of a hamburger.

  Nova was parked with a napkin tucked in her cleavage when Reygaer came in and made his way to her table.

  There were no other folks in the café, so there wasn’t a lot of choice for a dinner companion.

  “Please, have a seat.” She said it before he could ask her.

  He grinned and sat, speaking softly to the server who came to take their order. His order made Nova smile. She would never have pegged him for a chicken fried steak aficionado.

  “So, do you have any questions for me?” He raised his white eyebrows and smiled with his strangely black eyes taking in every inch of her.

  “Why the glamour? You are out in the human world, so why hide?”

  “Not everyone accepts the difference in skin tones. We draw more attention than the others do and that can give us a bit of a problem when it comes to seeking out a mate. Our own people are mostly spoken for, so we enter endless strings of affairs with humans that rarely bear fruit.”

  “By fruit, you mean children.”

  He shrugged. “We are a dying race. There is no getting around that. All we have left is to choose how we work for the next generations. If children can be had with shifters, we will be only too happy to share our lives with anyone who can give us a future.”

  “That sounds...surprisingly fair. Life for a life. Actually, I do have a question. How old are you?”

  His food arrived and he leaned back to let the server in. “One hundred and sixty-three.”

  His lack of hesitation surprised her. “That is...wow.”

  “How old are you?”

  She cleared her throat. “Twenty-nine. All of my sisters have children, all of my friends have children, and I have failed at every attempt to get a mate of my own.”

  “They are not all what you are.”

  She smiled at his guess.

  “No. My family are snow foxes. They are friendly, rambunctious and they love me very much, but I am bigger in all ways and a much taller human.”

  “You seem just right to me.”

  “I noticed that you are taller than the average human as well. I don’t meet many men who are six foot eight, not to mention those who are blue.”

  “Frost fey are taller and broader than other species. We need it to maintain body heat.”

  She smiled. “Do you have a beast you turn into when the impulse takes you?”

  He grinned. “I do.”

  “What is it?”

  “You will have to wait until I know I am your chosen before I tell you. Eat your burger, Nova.”

  She bit into the burger, but her mind was whirling with questions. What was he?

  Chapter Four

  After dinner, she skipped dessert and watched Reygaer indulge his sweet tooth. She had to admit that the pie looked good, but she wasn’t up for sweets after the transport.

  When her dishes were whisked away and her coffee was cradled in her palms, she looked into his disturbing eyes and tried to see his beast by sheer force of will.

  “You look like you are trying to peel back my soul.” He smiled and finished his lemon meringue.

  She blinked and pressed her fingers to her eyes. “Sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

  “I have a few ideas, but they probably weren’t as interesting as my thoughts. So, what do you do after a good meal at the Crossroads?”

  Nova sighed. “I normally head over to the Crossed Star and have a glass of pomegranate cordial while watching others dance and occasionally dancing myself.”

  “Shall we?”

  Nova nodded in resignation. “I may as well get you used to the way things work around here for when your match shows up. It is a role I have engaged in frequently.”


  She rose to her feet and he did the same.

  The server came to the table and Nova moved her charm over the small flat plate that they extended.

  “See you, Molly.”

  “Night, Nova. Have fun.”

  Nova rolled her eyes and took Reygaer’s arm as they left.

  “So, what did you do there?”

  “I swiped the charm over the payment plate. You use it at every spot that isn’t the bed and breakfast. The charm will change shapes with you if you do actually shift shapes.” She mentally smirked as she threw in the bit of doubt. She had learned that shifters displayed themselves quickly if you pricked their ego.

  “You will have to wait and see. First, we should see if you can keep up with me on a dance floor.” He winked and led her into the Crossed Star.

  A few more arrivals must have come in since Reygaer arrived. The Crossed Star was humming with activity and music. The music continued, but the activity stopped as Reygaer walked in with her.

  He paused and she smiled. “Hiya, Chuck.” She waved at the fanged bartender as she hauled the elf to the dance floor.

  As they passed, Chuck called out, “Evening, Nova.”

  She squared off against Reygaer and looked up at him. “Did you want to drink or dance?”

  He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her against him, his body was delightfully cool. Her palm was snug in his, and he shivered as they started to move to the music.

  “You seem to know quite a few of the regulars here.” He pulled her close and whispered it in her ear as they swayed gracefully on the dance floor.

  “I was here for quite a while. When you spend nearly a month here, you get to know people.”

  “What do you do in the human world?”

  She shrugged. “I work for my family’s greenhouse. I do the books and keep the boilers running.”

  He whispered in her ear. “You are a mechanic?”

  She shivered at the cool air caressing her and brushing against her neck. “Heating and cooling specialist. I had an apprenticeship out of high school but never did more with it than getting my certification and working for my family.”