Marianne LaCroix
Silk's Vault
www.silksvault.com
Erotic Romance/Fantasy/Paranormal
Now Available
Sasha, a snow fairy falls in love with Ivan Petrov, a human hunter living in the remote Ural Mountains of Russia. Longing to become human to experience the warmth of his touch, she makes a deal with Father Frost�to become human until spring.
Ivan lives alone in his cabin, but feels something is missing from his life�the love of a woman. One day he builds his image of the perfect woman out of snow. To his amazement, the snow turns to flesh and the snowmaiden emerges. They embark on a loving, sensual discovery. But what happens when Sasha's time as a human ends?
� 2005 Marianne LaCroix
�Sasha, I told you to look within you and leave this human in peace.�
She turned her gaze slightly to see Father Frost emerge from the trees, surrounded by his white robes and holding a crystal staff. Deer and birds followed in his wake, his devoted subjects in this wintry world.
�I can�t leave him, Father. Look at this creation in snow. It�s me.� She flew to his side as he gazed on the likeness.
�Yes, I know. I heard his request, too.�
For a moment, hope danced within her. �And will you answer his prayer?�
He turned to her and reached out his hand to her. �Take my hand, Sasha, my friend. I wish to give you a gift.� He paused as she laid her tiny hand into his massive one. �Know that this gift has limits.�
�Limits, Father?�
�You wish to become human and enter this man�s life as no other of our kind has done before?�
�With all my heart.�
�Then you shall�on one condition. You have the entire winter to seek love with this human. Once spring arrives, the spell will end. You shall return to being a snow fairy.�
�But if I fall in love with him, will I still return to being a fairy?� She was uncertain of this arrangement. What happened if she wished to remain human?
�Yes. I�m sorry, Sasha, but my magic can only do so much. In the spring and summer, I�m weaker, and therefore, unable to make any promises for that time. However, this will give you the chance to be with this man.� He squeezed her hand and added, �It�s better than never knowing love at all.�
It was worth the price. She would become human for a few months and live with Ivan for as long as she could. It was better to know love once for a short while than never knowing it at all. Father was right.
�Please, I wish to do this. I can�t imagine never knowing his touch. I just know we are destined to be together, even if it�s only for a few mortal months.�
�So be it, my dear.� He let go of her hand and stepped to the snowmaiden. With a wave of his arm, glitter spread through the air, landing on the snow figure and Sasha, merging their forms in a magical whirlwind.
A bizarre awareness coursed through her veins as her cold nature warmed. She was painfully conscious of how inappropriate her thin shift was for the weather, not that she ever had to worry about staying warm before. As the magic swirled about her body, she felt herself surrounded by snow�the snowmaiden Ivan had created. Her body used the snow in building her size and shape to that of a human. Dizziness overwhelmed her as she transformed into a human being. Her fairy wings dropped away, leaving only the barest of scars indicating their former existence.
Pain wracked her entire being. She had to escape. She needed to be free of the cold engulfing her, the snow biting her sensitive skin with its icy fingers. Fighting against the snow about her, she tried to move her arms. Her legs pushed against the snow, shoving the heavy, cold substance from her. Only pushing made her body come in closer contact with the bitter cold. Her nipples hardened in response as she felt her blood pump through her. It was surprisingly warm in contrast to her immediate surroundings.
It was imperative she get out of this. She couldn�t help but begin to scream. She panicked and continued to push until the snow was brushed away by a gloved hand.
Then everything went black as she fell into the painless void of nothingness.
