23. Rules of the Game

I walked over to the window, drawn by the low rumble of wind against the glass. The sky was a furious swirl of dark clouds, the air thick with the promise of snow. As I watched, heavy flakes began to fall, blanketing the ground in a relentless surge of white.

The wind howled, whipping the snow into towering drifts, and the trees bent under the weight of the gathering mass. It was something I'd never seen before. Ominous and powerful, with the force to transform the familiar campus into an alien landscape.

Alec came up behind me. I could feel the heat coming off of his body.

Why was he so damn warm?

He peered over my shoulder, looking out at the storm. "Yeah, it should be fun, especially if we get to play the game in it," he mused, his voice carrying a note of excitement that seemed at odds with the scene outside.

"Do they still play games in that?" I asked in total disbelief. Playing a game in such a storm seemed ludicrous, almost reckless. Even if the game was indoors, peopl