Page 28 of Once Upon a Midnight Clear

The mayor looked up at Nicholas, his face drained of color. “What are we to do now?”

Nicholas turned to him, grasped him by the arm as he looked down at the shards in his hands. “I swear to you I will find a way to mend it.”

“But how?” the mayor asked, his face drawn with grief.

He shook his head. “I don’t know yet. Save the pieces for me.”

The mayor nodded as he turned to pick up the remaining pieces, even though some were no more than tiny shards.

“Nicholas?”

Leaving behind the comforting shadows of the alley, Ella’s heart raced with a mix of surprise and uncertainty. Her eyes narrowed in confusion, searching for answers as she studied his face. The lines on her forehead deepened into a puzzled frown, reflecting her bewilderment at witnessing the encounter between him and the mayor.

He hurried over to her, pulling her into a fierce hug.

“Are you all right?” he breathed into her hair.

“Yes, I’m fine.”

But she had never felt so helpless as she did watching the horror of Malvina’s attack unfold.

“We need to get out of the village.” He took her by the hand and led her back into the alley. “It’s not safe for you here.”

“Where are we going? The alley is a dead end,” she said.

“Is it?”

He quirked a grin as he paused at the wall at the back of the alley. He pressed a stone near the middle. It sank into the wall and, a moment later, a small door slid open.

“Watch your head.” He released her and ducked under the doorway, disappearing on the other side.

Taking a deep breath, Ella followed. On the other side, he depressed another stone, closing the door. They stood on the edge of a forest surrounded by foliage. The stone wall of the alleyway was at their backs. Snow drifted down, coating the trees in a light dusting.

“Stay close,” he said and started down the length of the wall to the south.

“Where are you taking me?”

“Into the wild. Where it’s safe.”

“It’s safe in the wild? But it’s snowing. And it’s cold. What about shelter? And food?”

“Don’t worry,” he said, sounding reassuring. “I’ll take care of you.”

“But—”

He turned to her, placed a gloved finger over her lips. He gave her a small smile. “Trust me. Can you?”

She didn’t know why, but she did. She nodded slowly. “Yes.”

“Good. We’ll be in shelter before night falls.”

He started walking again down the length of the wall. She kept close, stepping where he stepped and making sure she didn’t lose sight of him in front of her. The sun was already dipping toward the horizon, bringing on colder temperatures and a frigid night. She hoped he was right in that they would have shelter by night, because she certainly didn’t want to freeze to death in this strange land.

Chapter 11

Ellashiveredunderthethick cloak, despite its warmth. She pulled the hood down on her head and bowed it to keep the falling snow out of her face. They’d been walking for hours. At some point, the wall of the city had ended, leaving them in the thick forest with nothing but trees and bracken and more trees. As the day turned into night, snow fell thicker and heavier. Her breath plumed white in front of her.

Nicholas glanced back to make sure she was keeping up. “We’re almost there.”

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