Excerpt: Splinter

A number of the snowflakes began to converge in the middle of the blizzard outside Kai's window. Faster and faster they swirled, until they began to take on a shape, melting and wringing together until, finally, I could see that they had taken on the form of a woman dressed warmly in rich furs. Slowly she floated closer through the storm to Kai's window, until there was less than a few feet between them.
Her sunken blue eyes blazed from within the sharp, hollow features of her face. With every movement, thousands of tiny snowflakes sparkled in her snow-white hair. Peering closer, I could see that her eyebrows were frosted over with miniature icicles that glinted forbiddingly in the light. Thin blue veins peeked out from under her furs, twisting up and around her neck until they reached her face. She was terrifyingly beautiful.
She reached out with one pale hand until she touched Kai's face. Slowly her fingers caressed his cheek. Kai stared at her, entranced. Her pale blue lips parted to speak.
"You are mine," she breathed as she leaned forward to kiss him.