By moonlight's shadow

Chapter 29

The moment Snow looked at Raphael and her face broke into a smile of million dollars. It was just like her face looked that it had been kissed by the sun. Raphael knew that it was because of his presence that her anxiety which she had been feeling from the past few minutes had dissipated and he could feel it in her aura.

“I am sorry for interrupting your class, Rebecca but it is imperative that I have a conversation with Ms. White immediately,” said Raphael without letting his emotions get in the way.

Rebecca did not smile but just nodded and gestured Snow towards the door.

Snow came out and closed the door behind her.

Raphael looked at her and he did not say anything. He just kept silent and then handed her a parchment. It was a true leaf parchment and Snow had never seen anything like that.

Every twig and blade of grass grows winter "leaves" of ice crystals, frost deeper than the fleece in my gloves. And never is the woodland silent, though it is quieter than any city street for sure. There are the birds above, calling, pecking for grubs. There is movement of mammals, mostly small, sometimes not. There is the water that flows quietly until it meets the sharp rocky scree slopes and forms the waterfalls.

It is to the forest I go for rest, for serenity that flows as cool river waters. There is something about the sparkle upon the blue, a melody without a rhythm, music without sound. Above wave the great arms, clothed in the greens of every palate and none, the verdant hues of nature's free dreams. In that place I become a part of that art, of that three dimensional creation of time and space, of a greater evolutionary span than my brain can fathom. It's when I stop knowing and begin feeling, it's when I hear with my heart the voices of these mighty trees, "Sister, welcome." In this forest I am with my tribe of wood and leaf, among the giants whose roots hug the earth. It is a place of ancient souls, of the creatures who dwell with the sweet sounds of moving water and bird song. Somehow this is more home than home, perhaps one day I'll learn why.

Snow looked at the parchment and then looked up at Raphael in shock.

“What is this?” she asked as they walked through the corridor.

“I was hoping that you would be able to tell me that Snow,” said Raphael in a soft voice. He knew what had made this thing happen but he wanted to understand Snow’s understanding about it. But it seemed that she was absolutely clueless and tensed about it. Her hair was gradually turning white from the roots and they were in such a place where any student or teacher could come at any moment and he could not allow that to happen.

“I have no idea Headmaster King…I don’t know what this is and how did this happen but I do know that this was the very thought that I had in my mind when I reached that place yesterday. The one which you called the Land of Fae. Now I don’t know how you can get the exact same words in a parchment at all!!!!I mean how on the seven levels of heaven is this possible?” asked Snow and her voice was rising in its pitch.

“Let’s go to my office and we can have a discussion about this there itself Ms. White,” said Raphael. That same moment he wanted to pick her up and kiss her senseless and then wanted to say that there was nothing to fear as his princess for he was there for her in every problem for an eternity. But he also knew that she needed to know how to fight for herself and she needed to understand the powers which coursed through her veins. And that was something which he could only support her in but she had to make her own path towards her destiny. It was a difficult choice and the vampire inside him wanted nothing other than to protect her and then make her feel safe but as a royal he knew that it was beyond him.

Snow nodded at him and then both of them reached their office in record speed and Raphael clicked the lock of the door from inside and the click made Snow turn towards him and look at his eyes and then smile but it was not the smile that Raphael was hoping for. This girl was not the one which was the one in his room yesterday night. This girl was scared and unsure of herself and Raphael hated himself for it. Since he could not help her from feeling that way.

“Sit down Snow. It locked the door because this is serious and I did not want anyone to disturb us in the middle of the discussion,” said Raphael as he took his sit behind the table.

“Awww…you are a spoil sport. You know that right???” asked Snow as she smiled like a minx and sat down on the chair. The spark in her eyes were almost back. Raphael’s fangs descended of their own accord and he did not even realize that until Snow raised her brows at him and coughed.

“Your fangs are down Headmaster King. It seems that someone did not have their breakfast,” teased Snow as Raphael self-consciously touched his fangs with his tongue and then forced them to retract back in his gums.

“Do you really think that after living for over thousand years not having some amount of blood is going to affect me in any way? Come now Snow, you know that I am too much reserved and powerful for something that trivial to happen. But I will admit something which kills me to say but it is true, that you affect me so much with your presence that it becomes thoroughly difficult for me to even consider keeping myself in check. And you are the only one in the last thousand years who has affected me in such a manner,” said Raphael and Snow blushed and her eyes again changed to purple and hair went complete white. Raphael now understood that the vampire inside her had completely taken her over and she was very close to reaching her mating age.

Snow stood up from the chair and then gradually walked towards the chair in which Raphael was seated. She looked at him just in the way that a lioness gazed at the gazelle she was stalking. The smile which hung on the corners of the lips made her seem nothing less than feral but the softness in her gaze changed the way she looked. Snow had no idea that Raphael’s presence affected her so much that she resembled a snow flake, the first flake of winter. She reached the chair and did not even touch Raphael, she was close enough to do so but she knew that not touching him would only heighten his senses and make him strung like the strings of violin.

She perched on the top of the table and placed her heel on the handle of his chair. It was a daring and utterly sensual move and Raphael did nothing but raise his brows at her while she pulled his chair closer to her.

“You did a good thing when you locked the door, Headmaster King,” said Snow as she bowed down towards Raphael but did not touch him. Not with her lips, not with her fingers and but with her eyes.

“I did not know that you were going to be such a tease Ms. White, while I must say that what you are doing is considered severely inappropriate under the school discipline guidebook but moving you away is a thought which is miles away from my mind at the moment, so I am glad as well that I locked the door,” said Raphael as his fangs descended again and this time he did not bother to hide he love and lust in his eyes.

Snow came even closer to him and then smelled his hair. But she did not touch him.

“You know Snow, I am not contagious. And if you touch me, then I am not going to punish you for that purpose,” said Raphael as he tried very hard to keep his hands to himself and not return the favour through his hands and mouth.

“You aren’t going to punish me, but you are most definitely going to punish yourself for not being able to control yourself from doing something immoral. For you still consider I am too young for you, isn’t that correct Headmaster King?” drawled out Snow as Raphael looked up at her and hissed.

“You should never think that you can say such things about the one creature I care most in my life, Ms. White,” said Raphael as he pulled up Snow from the table in a single move and as Snow wrapped her legs around his waist and buried her face in his neck smelling his essence he groaned in pleasure. He then sat down on the chair once more and softly pulled her face holding her neck and looked in her eyes.

Snow did not say anything but saw the love and admiration which shone in his eyes.

“You are the most beautiful and amazing creature I have encountered in my entire life Snow White. You are not only a royal by blood but also in your being. You are fascinating, beautiful, gorgeous and intelligent and you are powerful beyond comparison. But you have to remember that there is nothing to be scared of, I am always here for you, no matter what you do or what you become you will be always be the sweet girl that I have known since you came here,” said Raphael as he kissed the top of her head.

“Even if I drain a witch dry?’ asked Snow, gingerly and Raphael’s eyes widened in horror.

“What??? Did you drink from Rebecca, Snow?” asked Raphael in his no nonsense voice and looked at her sternly. Snow looked at him with innocent eyes and then nodded her head saying no. Raphael peered in her once more and then finally he breathed in softly.

“Why did you have to say such a thing?” asked Raphael as he mentally noted to check the tapes once Snow was out of the room.

“Because there is something which happens inside me when I am around the witch. It is like I lose my control and I want to drink her dry and then kill her. Moreover her, having hots for you does not make the fact any more pleasant at all. It is like something calls inside my blood making it boil, but I know that it is not physically possible since we are cold creatures,” said Snow as Raphael raised his brows at her statement.

“Rebecca is a friend and she owes me a favour which is the reason she is in the Academy. The basic purpose of her presence is not only to reinforce the glamour spells and the charms which hold everything in place inside the castle but to understand the source of these strengths which are buried inside you. You are the sole reason that I have appointed her as a teacher. Why would you think that she is lusting after me?” asked Raphael as if it was an incredulous question.

“She needs to answer my questions Raphael. I don’t understand what is happening to me but I am losing control fast and that is something I dislike utmost,” said Snow as her eyes narrowed in thought.