Wintertide Read online

  By

  Everly Taylor & Melody Calder

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright © 2020 Melody Calder & Everly Taylor

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  About Everly Taylor

  About Melody Calder

  Acknowledgements

  More by Everly Taylor

  More by Melody Calder

  Copyright © 2020 Melody Calder & Everly Taylor

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.

  This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

  Melody Calder & Everly Taylor asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

  Melody Calder & Everly Taylor has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party Internet Websites referred to in this publication and does not guarantee that any content on such Websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.

  Designations used by companies to distinguish their products are often claimed as trademarks. All brand names and product names used in this book and on its cover are trade names, service marks, trademarks and registered trademarks of their respective owners. The publishers and the book are not associated with any productor vendor mentioned in this book. None of the companies referenced within the book have endorsed the book.

  First edition

  Cover design by Sirenic Creations

  Formatted by Rozie Marshall

  This book is intended for readers 18+.

  Dedication

  To all of the people that hope for a better future, it can happen if you only believe.

  Chapter One

  I woke up slowly as sunlight poured in through the wide arched windows of my room and pulled me from my sleep. My hands ran along the slick, cold surface of my comforter and instantly my eyes flew open. Fuck, I’d done it again.

  I sat up and the crystals of ice that flowed across the plain black fabric, shattered around me before cascading down from my bed and across the hardwood floor. My eyes darted around the room and I noticed that this time the ice extended up the walls as well. “Shit, shit, shit,” I muttered to myself as tears trickled from my eyes, freezing to my skin on their way down my cheeks.

  Quickly, I swiped at my cheeks but to no avail, the tears stayed frozen as I knew they would. I needed to figure out how to fix this, and fast. My hands trembled as I pulled the blanket back from my lap and more ice tinkled to the frozen ground around me.

  The sound of footsteps in the hall reached me and my heart raced as I fought back fear and panic. I hoped whoever was out there had missed the sounds coming from my room. My mind raced with the lessons from my instructor, I needed to pull back the ice and make it appear as though nothing had happened.

  The steady tread of someone’s approaching feet grew closer and my panic bubbled to my throat, mixing with anger that I couldn’t control it. Jagged ice shot out from my hands, shattering loudly against the opposite wall before falling to the ground.

  “No, no, no,” I cried in frustration as the echo in the hall increased in pace and I knew whoever was passing had definitely heard.

  A brisk knock sounded on my door, though the person didn’t hesitate as they shoved the door open, my stomach instantly dropping. There was no question what they would do to me now.

  “Evangeline!” my mother’s high-pitched screech echoed off the ice covered room sending shivers up my spine. In response more shards of ice flew uncontrollably from my hands, hitting the doorframe just inches away from her face, making her suck in a breath, the fury clear in her eyes.

  “I’m at my wits end with you!” she screamed. “We have repeatedly warned you what would happen if you couldn’t control your powers. You know how much we have spent on your private tutors! All of it wasted!” She glared at me for a moment, her breath heaving as she struggled for her prized composure.

  Just as quickly as she entered my room, she turned and slammed the door behind her, the ice from the wooden door frame breaking free from the force. She probably went to find my father, there was no getting out of it this time.

  A loud, frustrated scream escaped me as I released the pent-up power that tingled beneath my skin. The ice shot toward the cinderblock walls of my room, shattering on impact, the noise helping to sooth my anger.

  My breath heaved as my mother’s had, though mine was from pure frustration that even given the consequences, I had no control. While hers stemmed more from anger at the shame I was bringing to our family.

  I looked around my bedroom. It was no wonder this was the only space like this in the house. Cinder block and barren instead of the beautiful plaster and ornate paintings that decorated the rest of our large home. No decorations adorned them as anything would have been destroyed during moments like these. It was just easier this way, even if it meant looking at the bare walls day in and day out.

  The only thing that kept me sane were the books that the maids snuck in for me. Not that my parents had a problem with me reading, they just wouldn’t like these books. Filled with love and romance, they showed me what I was missing and would probably never have. I dreamed of the shining knights that would take me away from this barren room and touch me in ways that I longed for. What I wouldn’t have given for just one touch, but they remained in my fantasies.

  The sound of the door slowly opening had me pulling myself from my thoughts and looking up. “Eva?” my sister’s voice asked perkily from the doorway just before she peeked around the door. She let out a gasp, her mock horror echoing across my room. We both knew that she was not surprised by what I had done here, as she had done much worse in the past. The only difference was no one but me knew the truth.

  “Again?” She arched an eyebrow at me as she stepped around the door and crossed her arms on her chest. “Daddy will take care of you this time for sure,” she laughed cruelly at my predicament. A laugh I had come to learn that she saves only for me. If only our parents knew who the real monster living under our roof was.

  “Yes, Alayna,” I snapped. “Your dear, big sister has trashed her room again. Don’t worry, you’ll get your wish soon, and I’ll be sent away.”

  She leaned against the doorframe and sneered at me for a moment before opening her hand in front of her. Bright swirls of blue, purple and green spun around
in her open palm, the electricity swirling around, both mesmerizing and beautifully dangerous.

  She glanced down at the swirls for a moment before looking back at me, “My wish was to go to the Academy. To meet all of the hot guys and really learn what true power is. Just like everything else, you had to take that away from me too,” Alayna sneered at me before she pulled her hand back and flung it against the wall next to her.

  She let out a loud cry as the energy slammed into the painted cinder blocks, instantly charring the surface next to her as they let out a small swirl of smoke. My sister let out a loud, dramatic wail. “That almost hit me, Eva! I don’t know why you hate me so much that you insist on trying to hurt me like this.”

  “Are you fucking kidding me?” I shouted at her. I really should be surprised by her actions, but I wasn’t. I knew the real malevolence hidden behind her innocent facade. My words fell on deaf ears though. My sister didn’t care about anything or anyone other than herself.

  Instantly, I regretted my words as my father stomped into the room, taking in the situation. He glanced at the blackened surface next to my sister and his nostrils flared. Alayna’s antics have worked once more. She had yet again picked the perfect opportunity to make my parents hate me even more than they already did.

  I should have learned that lesson long ago when we had fought over the same toy and she used her powers against me for the very first time. I had been playing with it and refused to turn it over to her, so she shot an energy ball at me. When I ducked it hit the dresser and started a small fire.

  At the time I was not angry with her, I only wanted to help fix it. We both knew our parents' view on magic, and I didn’t want her to be in trouble.

  So, I tried to fix it by using my own powers to put the flames out. Instead of the small flurry of snow I had attempted to create, I panicked and shot out shards of ice at the engulfed dresser. The ice flew into an ornate jewelry box, one of my mother's most prized heirlooms. Instantly, the sharp edges of ice caused it to splinter and fall into tiny pieces.

  My parents had flown into the room, full of worry that we could have gotten hurt. Quickly, my sister had come up with an explanation for the fire on the dresser, a candle had fallen from the wall. Of course, my parents hadn’t even questioned the fact that there was never a candle lit that could have fallen, they instantly believed her.

  As far as the shattered jewelry box, they could only focus on the fact that I had destroyed something else they valued. They had scolded me and sent me to my room, after telling me I was no longer allowed in Alayna’s room or unsupervised anywhere else in our house for that matter.

  Soon after, they had my room lined with the cinder blocks so I couldn’t destroy anything else of theirs and it became both a safe haven and a prison. It was a haven as I could escape my sister and my family, not worrying about facing the looks of loathing from my parents or the snide looks from Alayna. I knew it also served as a sort of prison as I was sent to my room and told to stay there, I simply wasn’t locked in.

  I only came out of my room when it was time to eat. That was by order, not by choice. As much as my parents despised me, and thought there was no hope for me to ever marry, they insisted I learn to be a proper hostess anyway. So, they made me suffer through family dinners which were naturally awkward and stiff and, of course, held in the formal dining room, only making everyone on edge as they watched for my latest explosion.

  I groaned internally as I met my father's eyes, the anger and hate reflected back at me. “We have tried everything we could think of to get you under control, but you seem determined to destroy everything I have worked so hard for,” he bit out, knowing I would remain quiet until the end of his lecture. “You will clean up this mess and join us for dinner where we will discuss our options. I need to make phone calls, and you,” he opened his arms wide indicating my room, “need that time to fix this.”

  “Father, please,” I begged. “Alayna is making it up. I didn’t do anything to her,” a sob escaped my lips as I leaned forward and my shoulders hunch.

  “Really?” he questioned incredulously before his eyes softened and he glanced at Alayna. He gave her a warm smile before he hardened again and looked back at me. “You didn’t do anything?” he chided. “Yet here I see with my own eyes the shards of ice creeping from your bed and covering your floor all the way to the windows.” He stepped forward as I lowered my gaze, his voice lowering another octave, “You have the audacity to lie to me?”

  Unable to answer, I bowed my head and covered my face with my hands. There was nothing I could say to him at this point, nothing he would listen to anyway. I felt his heated gaze on me and after a moment he barked out an order to be down for dinner in one hour. He and my sister left the room, the door shutting with a sharp click before the echo of their footsteps faded down the hall.

  “Fuck!” I screamed as I threw more shards at the wall with all the force I could. They shattered into so many pieces they glistened in the air and floated across the beams of sunlight like glitter. I watched them for a moment drift to the ground as I let my anger dissipate with them.

  Slowly, I let out a sigh, I needed to get moving if I was going to make it downstairs in time. There was no use in angering my father any more than I already had. The attached bathroom held buckets and mops since I found the need to clean my room so often, it was just easier this way.

  I retrieved the supplies and ran hot water in the bath to fill the buckets. After I lugged it back to the main part of my bedroom, I paused and studied the mess.

  Now that I had left my bed, the ice had started to melt and left my comforter a sopping wet mess. Confidently, I walked across the room to strip the bedding, I knew that I would not slip on the ice I had created. The ice crunched beneath my feet as I moved around the bed and removed sheets before I threw them in the corner. I would have to deal with them later or risk being late to dinner.

  I tossed the hot water across the floor and watched as the steam rose from the rapidly melting ice, my anger rising with it. My parents have never believed their precious Alayna could be capable of doing anything wrong. She was their princess and was treated as one.

  Her room was decorated as the epitome of pretty, pretty princess. Complete with pink and glitter vomited everywhere. I didn’t know what was worse, the pink everything, the bedazzled dresser, or the fuzzy pillows she insisted on leaving on her bed.

  It was one hell of a front to hide the nastiness that lurked beneath her peppy exterior. She pretended to have a bubbly personality, happy and full of love. But I’ve seen her true nature, the one that took joy in hurting others, including the household staff. I begged them to tell my parents the truth about her since they wouldn’t listen to me, but they refused. Alayna scared them too much and they were not willing to risk her wrath. Especially not after her former nanny attempted to reveal the truth and supposedly jumped out the window. Only Alayna and I knew the truth of what happened, and she sure the fuck wasn’t going to admit it.

  Quickly, I finished mopping up the wet floor, ringing out the mop and emptying the bucket before storing it away again. I glanced at the clock and noted I had just enough time to prepare for dinner. Just as I thought, I wouldn’t have time to take care of the bedding. It’s a good thing I’m immune to the cold and wouldn’t need it to sleep comfortably.

  I rushed to my closet and quickly discarded my dress of choice, a long mint silk gown, for a more innocent look. Mint was too close to blue and that would only serve to remind my parents of how much they loathed me.

  I pulled out a light pink, short, A-line dress and quickly replaced my soiled clothing. I studied the dress in the mirror. This one had a high neckline, complete with a lace overlay that ran down my arms to form sleeves. I hoped that not only would they deem this acceptable, but that it would aid in my parents' positive decision of my future.

  I took a deep breath and squared my shoulders as I turned from the mirror. It was time to face the music.

  Cha
pter Two

  “Do not lose control, do not lose control,” I repeated over and over again in my head as I made my way down the stairs. No matter what happened, I knew I needed to maintain the composure that my family valued so highly. At the same time, I knew I had fucked up one too many times now, and dread rolled in my stomach as I neared the dining room.

  I stopped in the doorway and waited, my eyes roamed over the ornate room as they always did. My family loved their opulence, and this area was the epitome of it. Intricate molding wrapped along the ceiling, inlaid with gold accents, the finish matching the oversized mahogany table that sat centered in the room, already set for dinner. Above the table, a crystal chandelier lit the room, tossing its false happiness across the space. There was no happiness within these walls, at least not for me.

  Of course, my parents were already waiting for my arrival. My mother stood next to the window, staring out, lost in whatever disappointment was running through her head, and my father stood next to the server, his traditional pre-dinner scotch in hand. They both turned around as I took a single step into the room and waited for their approval and permission to enter.

  I fought back the urge to fidget and run the pink lace through my fingers, instead, I folded my hands together, willing myself not to twist them under his scrutiny. My father nodded at me, his eyes as cold as the ice that had frozen my room, but it would be the only sign he would give me to join them. I thought I saw a small smile of approval tilt at the corner of my mother's mouth, though it was so fast I couldn’t be sure.

  I nodded in his direction and took my seat at the table, again folding my hands in my lap so I wasn’t tempted to squirm. They both turned and ignored me once more as soon as I was settled. I knew it would still be a few minutes until we began dinner as we would wait on my sister, regardless if she were late or not. In their eyes she could do no wrong, however, if I had been a minute late all hell would have broken loose.