Page 2 of The Heart of Winter

SARIEL

PRESENT DAY

"I’ve got this weird feeling that I’m gonna die a virgin," I said, stretching out on the lounge chair and tucking my hands behind my head.

Blue glanced at me over his electronic glasses, wrinkling his nose slightly.

"You say that like it’s some kind of tragedy. I’ve been like this my whole life, and I don’t see the problem. Sex is overrated."

I knew we’d never see eye to eye on this. My uncle couldn’t have kids, and because his mating glands were removed after an accident, he was asexual, at least by his own admission. So, I just sighed.

"I’m just tired of being the odd one out. I wanna be like everyone else."

Blue had his tablet resting on his lap, and when he looked up again, I caught a flicker of irritation cross his face.

"Sariel, you’re overthinking again. What’s with the mood today? Why are we even talking about this?"

I pouted slightly and shut my eyes, so I wouldn’t have to look at his pale face, still marked with three small adhesive bandages and thin scratches, a reminder of the bombing attempt on his life just a few days ago.

"A freak like me has even less chance of finding the perfect mate than most people. Because he’d have to be a misfit too," I muttered, sinking deeper into my sulking mood, feeling bored, discouraged, and just generally bitter.

The past two months had blurred into the same dull haze, and I could barely stand my own presence, let alone expect anyone else to. I craved something to pull me out of it: a purpose, a focus, anything to ignite some energy in my lethargic body.

A change. I wanted it, was ready for it.

"For God’s sake, Sariel, finding the perfect mate is like winning a small-town lottery. Maybe a handful of people in a hundred get that lucky. The rest have to settle for a cheap hot dog from a crowded food stand."

Rolling my eyes, I snorted. "Damn, Blue, you’re never gonna make it as a stand-up comic. Or a poet, for that matter."

"I’m a Nobel laureate and the top scientist in this country. That’s all I need," he shot back with a wry smirk.

His arrogance didn’t bother me, so I just shrugged. It was what had gotten him to the top, the kind of career the rest of us could only dream of. Especially considering what had happened to him as a teenager: an accident, a stray bullet near a shooting range that damaged his reproductive organs so badly that doctors had to remove them.

But Blue never let anything stop him. With relentless effort and pure genius, he climbed his way up, eventually becoming the CEO of the world’s largest pharmaceutical company and earning a Nobel Prize for his groundbreaking work. If anyone had a right to a little arrogance, it was him.

Another yawn and another stare at the surface of the pool. I just became the embodiment of dullness, the epitome of it.

Blue’s residence was in a pretty unique spot—right on top of a massive skyscraper, one of many owned by our family. The entire rooftop had been turned into a lush garden, and right in the middle sat the most luxurious, most secure house I had ever seen.

It had to be. Blue was a constant target of various groups who weren’t too happy with his scientific breakthroughs or his social initiatives, projects that didn’t exactly align with popular beliefs or mainstream opinions.

The weather was nice. I stretched lazily and looked up at the sky. It was late September; sunny, with a cool, refreshing breeze sweeping across the top of the tower. We were sitting on a kind of fancy wooden deck, partially extending over the edge of the swimming pool.

I closed my eyes for a moment, just soaking in the peaceful setup. I loved it up here. It felt like a quiet little island in the middle of a chaotic city, where I could relax.

Even though Blue was sitting right next to me in his lounge chair, he was still working, as always, fingers gliding over the tablet on his lap, the tiny lights on his glasses blinking as he transferred data.

He was so small, almost like a teen, with that slim, delicate frame, even though he was a bit over forty. It was hard to wrap my head around the fact that so many people wanted him dead, considering his ideas ‘dangerous’ simply because he dared to challenge the way people thought.

"I'm gonna dance a bit, if you don’t mind," I said casually, standing up and stretching my arms.

"Sure, be my guest."

Blue didn’t care. He wasn’t my father. My dancing never bothered him, but he never paid much attention to it either, like it was insignificant. Maybe that’s why I never felt shy around him.

After pulling out my phone, I put on a trendy tune. A quick stretch, and that was it. I walked over to the other side of the pool.

One deep breath, and I rolled my shoulders, shaking off the stiffness as I stepped to the center of the wooden deck. The morning sun filtered through the shrubs and trees lining the rooftop, casting messy patches of light across the floor. Behind me, the pool was still, a weird contrast to the restless energy building up inside me. I bounced on my heels, cracked my neck, already feeling the rhythm before I even started moving.

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