Chapter 5

Nova hadn't celebrated the solstice since she was 16. She was heartbroken every time the season came upon them. The name Ramsey Ashford Hayes was everywhere. The townsfolk wanted to know what happened to their golden son.

Her dating life was lackluster. There was never any spark. Recently, she thought things might've been serious with the nephew of another coven member. They dated for three months. But when he tried to bring their relationship to a new level of intimacy, she balked. Someone else had her heart, and she was determined to wait.

The coven whispered about her squandered gifts. Geralt took his daughter under his wing, but her heart wasn't in the craft. Magic took everything from her due to lack of control and she denounced it.

But the magic wouldn't be contained.

"You need to concentrate, Nova," her mother said.

"There is untapped potential within you. The more you fight your gifts, the more dangerous they become," Geralt said firmly.

Though stern, he never pushed her further than she could handle. Inside, Nova was constantly under attack from a barrage of emotion. Her inner frenzy manifested itself in unexpected ways.

"You'll never gain control over your powers if your heart, mind, and soul are out of alignment."

There was no hope for her if she couldn't find the missing part of her. At night, in her dreams, she was whole. In her sleep, her magic hummed within, turning her into a live wire. It's no wonder things beyond her control happened.

Nova awoke in a strange bed and surroundings. The wooden walls were stained a dark walnut, but otherwise bare. The head and footboards were made of wood and iron. A large knit blanket lay over the duvet, keeping her warm.

She slipped out of bed and found herself in the negligée she went to sleep in. At least she recognized something in the unfamiliar surroundings. She pulled the blanket from the bed and wrapped it around her shoulders to protect her modesty.

Nova employed caution as she quietly exited the bedroom. Her bare feet fell gently on the cool wooden floor. Across the hall was a bathroom that didn't fit inside the cabin at all.

The bathroom had marble tiles and a stone accent wall. There was an open rain shower and a claw-foot tub. She continued her exploration, wondering what other surprises were in store.

When she approached the fireplace, she noticed broken glass along the hearth and the base of a snow globe on the mantle. Something about it resonated within her.

Her attention was then grabbed by a baby grand piano that also felt out of place. But powerful vibrations came off it as her fingers brushed the ivory keys. It had known joy and sorrow like her.

The dining table was laden with food to feed a family. She wondered if a family of bears was about to enter and reclaim their home.

A winter wonderland greeted her as she opened the front door. The view was breathtaking. The sky was blue as far as the eye could see, yet it was snowing around her, and the white powder was unmarred. Though she stood barefoot and in a nightie, she found that she wasn't cold.

She returned to the house and dropped the blanket on the sofa before stepping outside again. This time, she noticed a set of footprints that didn't belong to her. The hair on the back of her neck stood up.

"Hello?" she called.

In order to get answers on how she arrived, she needed to find someone. Not knowing their intentions frightened her.

"I'd like to go home," she said.

"But you are home, snow."

Nova recognized the man before her even though they'd never met. He was more handsome than the pictures on the news depicted him to be. They always showed him clean-shaven with neat dark hair. But this man's hair was shaggy, and his square jaw was more than stubbled.

"Ash—"

Shocked wasn't even close to how she felt. The storm that had brewed for ten years, every memory she carried of her forgotten love overwhelmed her, and she fell into the snow.