Claire found Alek waiting for her in the courtyard and the sight of him made her heart ache as though it were being crushed.

They did not speak of what was to come for there was no need. It hung over them like a cloud, dark and threatening, but they refused to let it tarnish the time they had left.

Like the days before, Claire took carefully stored away each moment, no matter how seemingly insignificant, tucking them away in a secret place within her heart.

"Dance with me," Alek insisted when their exploration of the palace brought them to a grand ballroom. Its floor was made of a pale blue stone that gave off the illusion of water, and its walls were narrow pillars crafted to look like the trunks of trees which stretched upwards to form a roof of beautifully carved leaves.

"Now?" Claire declared with a laugh. "But there is no music."

Not that she really needed it.

Alek smiled and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a small, ornate box which fit neatly into the palm of his hand. It was round and decorated with swirls of gold and tiny silver snowflakes set against a dark blue backdrop.

He held it out to her.

"What is it?" Claire asked. It looked too delicate to touch.

"Open it," Alek insisted.

Claire reluctantly reached out and took the small box between her fingers. It was surprisingly heavy and Claire couldn't help but wonder why.

She lifted the lid and music poured out, soft and melodic. It filled the space around them, and it took only a moment for Claire to recall the song.

It was the song he had taught her that fateful day in the music room.

Tears sprang to the corners of her eyes and she couldn't speak.

Alek took the music box from her hands and set it on the floor by their feet. In response, the floor seemed to come alive. Light rippled outward from where the music box rested, pulsating in time to the beat.

He then caught Claire up in his arms, one wrapping securely around her waist to pull her close, the other rising to take her hand, his fingers entwining with hers.

"Will you dance with me now?" he asked quietly, laughter lighting up his eyes.

Claire could only nod.

Night swept over them like a sad song, beautiful and melancholic. The sky, awash with deep golds and brilliant reds as the sun began its descent, took on a boundless depth as stars began to blink into existence, one by one.

The reds and golds soon gave way to cool blues and purples, before finally settling on a black so deep it was like staring into nothing and everything all at once.

They found themselves once again in the courtyard though this time there was no fanfare, no multitudes of fae waiting with baited breath to see what would happen next. There was only Claire and her companions standing in anxious silence.

Alek stood to her right, his eyes on the ground, his face expressionless. Draz stood on her left, his eyes narrowed, burning bright with defiant anger and sadness. Elysia stood before them, with Rollan at her side. She looked tired, and, unless Claire's eyes were deceiving her, a bit sad as well.

Rollan's expression puzzled her. He was watching her with open curiosity, as though he had been thinking about something long and hard but could not come up with an answer.

"It's time," Elysia said at last, her voice quiet.

Claire nodded and turned towards Draz. He looked away and she saw his fists clench. She reached out and took hold of one fisted hand. "Take care of him for me, until I get back, okay? Please?" Draz looked at her then and offered a tight nod. She released his hand and pulled him into a tight hug. He returned the hug, his arms locking around her for just a moment before letting go.

Claire turned towards Alek who stood still as a statue. "Wait for me," she said quietly, "I'm coming back, so just--"

Alek turned, the movement quick, and caught her in his arms, cutting her off with a kiss before she could say anymore. Claire didn't protest, simply curled into him, her chest growing so tight she felt like she might never breathe again.

She felt something hot and wet against her cheek and struggled to stave off the tears she had promised herself she would not shed. She quickly realized, however, that the tears were not her own.

Drawing back, she looked up to see Alek's eyes wet and glistening. He lifted his hands to cup her face and let his forehead come to rest against her own. "Why do you always say such stupid things?" he asked quietly, his voice thick with emotion. Claire couldn't help it, she laughed.

"Someday I'll learn," she replied, her hands rising to cover his own. "I love you, Aleksandr Drosselmeyer."

"I love you, Claire Bronte," Alek teased.

"Belmont," Claire corrected. "It's Belmont."

She pulled away from him then, she had to.

She knew that if she lingered any longer, she wouldn't be able to go at all. She turned to Elysia who had finished opening the doorway that would allow Claire to return home.

Through the shimmer, Claire could make out the familiar outline of the New York City skyline. Her heart ached dully in her chest as she realized just how much she had missed her home. She hadn't given it much thought over the past few weeks, but seeing it now brought an unexpected rush of conflicting emotions.

Feeling a hand on her shoulder, Claire turned to see Alek standing behind her. In that moment, she knew the true meaning of heartache. It felt as though a hot poker had been thrust into her chest, each beat of her heart sending waves of sharp, burning pain through her entire body.

"I'm going to fulfill my promise to you, Claire," Elysia assured her.

Claire smiled, the tears having finally worked their way free to spill down her cheeks. "Just don't take twenty-five years okay?"

Elysia laughed and shook her head.

"This isn't goodbye," she assured them all, stepping backwards towards the shimmer of light and the ghostly visage of New York City. "I'll see you soon. I promise."

Claire turned, stepping into the light which flowed around her, engulfing her.

"Claire! Wait!"

She looked back, the world and people she had left behind already growing more distant and indistinguishable. She recognized Rollan though, waving frantically at her. She could make out only one phrase before everything vanished in the blink of an eye.

Your mother.

Claire woke with a start, her entire body jerking into awareness as though she had been woken from a dream about falling just moments before she hit the ground. She was back where she had begun, somewhere the heavy, booming chimes of a grandfather clock resonated, concluding at twelve.

It was midnight.

Had it all been a dream?

Looking around, everything appeared to be in order, nothing destroyed or left in shambles. Her heart thudded against her chest.

Lifting her hands to her face, she still felt the wetness of tears against her cheeks, her lips still bore the warmth of a final kiss, and before her, resting on the counter, was a tiny music box which played a song this world had never heard.

- The End -

* Author's Note *Wattpad only lets me pick one person to dedicate this too, but I am going to dedicate it to all of my readers, those I have now and those I hope to gain in the future. They always say to write for yourself, and I certainly do that, but I write for you all as well. Reading for me was always an escape and as a writer I strive to be that escape for someone else. If I made one person smile or laugh, or feel just a little bit better, then I feel I have succeeded. Keep a look out for all the changes, edits, and additional content I will be adding to Winter Fire! I love you all and I hope to see you all again with Winter Embers!

I want to encourage you to check out my other works like Star Runner ( YA Scifi ) Into the Wilds ( YA Fantasy/Steampunk ) and Obsidian Hearts ( YA Modern Fantasy )