Alina looked down at her boys. "What flavor would you like? Chocolate or vanilla?"
Lucien pondered this with great gravity. "Chocolate," he declared after a moment, decisive.
Sable hesitated, his eyes fixed on the rich brown swirl depicted on the menu. "Chocolate looks… yummy," he whispered, as if sharing a secret.
When the cones were handed over, towering, fragile things, Sable froze. He held his as if it were made of glass and moonlight, staring at the perfect swirl. It was bigger than he'd imagined, and a faint, cold mist seemed to breathe from it. He leaned forward and gave it one very careful, experimental lick. His whole body jolted.
"It's cold!" he gasped, his eyes flying up to Alina's, round with shock and delight.
