Diamonds and Ice

This is dangerous and any person would advise against it, but I can’t leave Mika without telling him good bye. Before anyone in the Governor’s mansion wakes up I sneak out of the premises with a basket of fresh baked goods. Wearing a disguise, I enter Winterlight’s small hospital to see him one last time, before Liam comes to see him and instruct what statement to give the sheriff.

Under a pretense of being some old school friend, I catch the attention of one of the nurses in a grey dress. “Excuse me, nurse. I’m here to visit Mika Midof. I’m an old friend from school.”

“How nice of you,” she looks down at the baked surprise I wrapped in a white cloth.

“Follow me,” she leads me to a large room designated for male patients.

Two long rows of beds filled with sick and wounded scratches all the way down. At the very end, there lies Mika lost in thought as he watches tiny brown-grey sparrows bouncing about. Lucky him he got a bed by a window to look outside.

“Mr. Midof?” the nurse leans in his view.

“Hmm?” he looks up at her.

“There’s an old friend to see you,” she then leaves.

Mika doesn’t recognize me. “Do I know you, Miss?”

“Mika, it’s me, Victoria,” I draw his privacy curtain, then undo the white wool shawl hiding my face.

“Good morning, it’s so good to see you. Still cold outside I see,” he observes how wrapped up in warm clothing I am.

“It’s so good to see you too, Mika,” I place the basket on a wooden nightstand and sit down right next to him.

“Then why you so sad?” nothing escapes his accurate observations.

“I can’t stay long,” a tear escapes my hold.

“What do you mean?” concerned, Mika sits up, ready to listen.

“I’m not supposed to but I came here anyway. I came to say goodbye,” out of fear of being recognized in any way, I keep my voice low.

“Good bye? Where are you going?”

“I don’t know yet.”

“When you coming back?”

“Um, ne-never,” my fingers twist the bed sheet.

“This can’t be!” Mika panics. “No, I won’t let you!”

“Mika...please...” more tears slip away.

“I’m going with you,” he declares.

“You can’t. You have family here.”

“I know, but I can’t have you disappear and be in hiding. Be all alone in God knows where.”

“Mika, I have to.”

“Why? What is it your employer trying to hide?”

“It’s for my own safety,” I didn’t prepare for such opposition. Saying good bye is the only thing I planned to say.

“If you’re going, I’m going too.”

“Mika stop. This is crazy. You’re going to eat the pirozhki I baked you, then you’re going to say what Liam tells you to say to the sheriff and then you’ll return to your family home!”

What is this fool saying?! This is not how this last meeting was supposed to go!

Just when I think this can’t get any worse, it does.

“What are you doing here?” it’s Liam.

He’s here. And I’m busted.

“Oh, look who’s here, the big boss man himself. What an honor to get a visit from you,” Mika mocks him.

“The village needs to think you’re dead. You need to go before someone recognizes you, now,” avoiding to say my name, Liam looks at me.

“No, she doesn’t. She can stay,” Mika objects.

“Please, Mr. Midof. You need to understand what danger she is in here,” Liam tries his best not to let the situation to escalate.

“Oh, but I understand it all to perfectly. If she goes, I go too.”

“No. this is more complicated than you think,” Liam won’t budge.

“If I don’t go with her, if I’m not there for her, then I won’t corporate with you. I won’t give the sheriff the statement you want me to give,” but neither does Mika and gives Liam an ultimatum.

Both of them ask me to give their conversation privacy, so I leave the hospital and go back to the mansion. Because of my carelessness, Liam has no choice but work something out with Mika. It doesn’t take long for Liam to return and calls an emergency meeting with the wolf pack. Once again, I’m left out. It takes the rest of the day for the wolves to come out from behind the closed doors and go their own way to complete their assigned role. I, on the other hand have nothing to do, but wait in the drawing room. I’m the worst and the most useless part of the team. So much so, that I’m fired for my own good.

Liam finds me trying to drown my worries in chamomile tea “Mika will be coming with you,” he says plainly.

“How’s that possible?” I place the cup down and get up from the chair.

“I’m not telling you any more than that,” Liam laughs at me for thinking that he’ll be revealing any more secret plans. “All you need to know for now is that he’s coming with you. The rest will reveal itself in time,”

“I’m so sorry, Liam. I didn’t mean this to happen.”

“I know,” he nods before leaving me to be alone again. “but you can’t leave the Mansion again, do you understand?”

“Yes, I understand,” I feel stupid, like a kid who’s been placed in time out.

On my second pot of tea, Marie pays me the next visit. I’m filled with fear when I see her standing there and stare at me.

“Hello, Marie,” I swallow.

“I hate you.”

I’m too shattered to speak, but she didn’t come to listen.

“Liam should’ve never let you in. He’s such a fool to think that human and wolf could work together. Nothing good can ever come of it, but neither he or his father would listen to their Omega. I can’t wait for you to disappear and I pray that you stay that way. I never want to see you again,” without giving me a chance to apologize for the grief I caused her, she storms out.

“I’m sorry,” my knees give out. “I’m so, so sorry,” reduced to tears, my face drops into my hands.