“I rowed.”
I shifted my weight into my heels, spine straightening, and crossed my arms as I gazed down at her.
I rowed,she repeated.
And war waited in a quiet field of twinkling fresh powder across from us. But the battle existed here. In the flex of her hands. The arc of her chin. The stars that flew from her eyes as she searched mine.
You rowed,I whispered back. The thought unfurled like a feather, so light and soft it caught on the current of our mingled breath.
The tip of her tongue slid from the confines of her mouth, teeth following, sucking in her lower lip as she waited.
I need you angry,I growled, strokes of heat laced in the words.
She gave a rough nod, brows laced together.
“Not like that. Truly, violently angry. I need you to get up the mountain and spend the next few hours fuming yourself into a ball of rage. Hissing and spitting. The way you were when I last held you against a tree and you screamed into my face.”
I edged up to her, my hips pressing in, and brought my forehead down to hers. “Use whatever you need. Imagine Kriska down there. Imagine Thaan down there. Imagine me down there, if it fucking helps you.”
She didn’t laugh. Neither did I. My blood hummed, scalding the confines of my veins as my pulse increased, a low pounding in my ears. I sent my hand to find the base of her scalp, and I ran my fingers to the ends of her hair. “They branded you a witch. Show them this witch has teeth and claws. And fucking fire.”
She bore my stare, and I began to feel the heat of her own. Rising, flickering, fizzling.
“Show them your demons. Every one of your demons but fear. And make sure that when the fight is over, the last thing the enemy hears is their names.”
The air snapped around our heads, tiny bursts of moisture snuffing out in an instant like sparks from a flame. She gave one final fierce nod and lifted to her toes to move away, but I hauled her back with a hand curved under her nape. “And remember what I said. If they catch you. If the worst happens. If you eventhinkof leaving this world for Perpetuum. I will tear this mountain down stone by fucking stone until I reach the center ofthe world, rip Darkness from the earth by the roots of his fucking hair and barter a deal with the bastard to get you back. Gateways and Guardians and sun and sky be damned. I’ll fucking come for you, Maren. I won’t be happy about it. But I’ll come for you.”
“I know,” she breathed, fog curling from her mouth.
And then I kissed her, because what else could I fucking do but rock my soul into hers and steal the warmth from her mouth once more before we stared into the eyes of our own fates. I took her like a wolf takes a sheep, sharp teeth and ragged growls, but she tangled her fingers into my hair and attacked me with a primal hunger of her own, until I broke away before I lost myself entirely.
Angry, Leihani.I swallowed, tromping back to General Senan through trees and snow, ignoring the snide smiles of every fucking man in the area, and laid my finger on the map. “Here.”
76
Maren
“It’s bad luck to loose the first arrow,” Leal said, motioning with his hands across the ravine. “That’s why armies stand around staring at each other so long.”
Aren shook his head, eyeing Leal with a look that proved a testament to his cool temperament. “That’s not true and you know it.”
“Either that or they were just waiting for me before they got started.” Leal grinned at Aitne, who quickly glanced down to a frosted twig.
“Probably hoping you’d fall into a hole on your way here,” Aren said, conjuring a long sigh.
“You ever look at Aren very long, Lady Princess?” Leal asked me.
I shrugged my shoulder, curious where he was headed with the question. “Not really?”
“Ouch,” Aren muttered. Behind him, Dimas snickered.
Leal crossed his arms, leaning forward in his saddle. “Ever noticed how he perpetually looks as though he’s trying to squeeze out a fart without making any noise?”
When you trigger the avalanche, feel free to send it toward him first,Kye murmured into my head. I pursed my lips against a smile as Aren hurled an apple core at Leal.
“You’re the only ignorant little weasel here who’s willing to make jokes at death’s door, you apathetic bastard,” Aren said.
Leal deflected the weaponized fruit, sending it into the snow. “Don’t they mean the same thing?”
