"But still?—”
"Solhearts have hierarchies of their own. We were at the bottom, treated like filth by our own kind."
"We? So you were just a peasant in Forlaith?"
"They call us dirt crawlers, actually." Reese looked away. "I don't like talking about my past. Especially not Alistair. I think he hurt you to get under my skin."
"Did it work?" I blurted out and bit my tongue. My natural desire for gossip had overcome me.
For a moment, I worried I'd upset Reese. His expression hardened, and he wouldn't look at me. Then, he lolled his headto meet my eyes and raised an eyebrow. "Yes, Mare. I think it worked."
"Right, in the glade. . . " I rolled my tongue in my mouth. "The wings were. . . a nice touch. I've never seen anything like that before."
"A nice touch? Have you or your brother ever paid anyone a genuine compliment?"
"No, never." I shook my head firmly.
Reese laughed, and I smiled. Swallowing, I felt the humor fade from my bones. "What did you do to make Alistair hate you so much?"
A hollow look entered Reese's eyes, like he was a thousand miles away. "We had a falling out. When I inherited the Paragon mantle, the last bit of goodwill between us snapped. He saw it as me joining the enemy."
"I had no idea," I breathed. "Growing up, I always thought?—”
"That Forlaith was a glittering paradise of snobs?" Reese smiled sadly. "Everyone thinks so. But it's anything but."
"Still, it must make all this complicated, knowing your friends are the faces behind it."
"It doesn't. Anyone who associates themselves with the shadows deserves death. My personal feelings won't stay my blade."
My throat tightened until I could hardly breathe. I tried to say something witty, something to distract from the rising panic.
Reese would not hesitate to kill me when he learned the truth. I'd always suspected as much, but to hear it confirmed . . .
He must have noticed my distress. Reaching out, he brushed my hair from my eyes, tucking it behind my ears. His fingers lingered on the side of my face, tingling spots of warmth against the cold.
I couldn't resist. Closing my eyes, I leaned into him.
Laws had always seemed so simple. People wed within their station to members of their race. I'd never questioned that.
Reese was a Solheart, and I was a mere Stormborn. We would never be allowed to be together, even without . . .
Without . . .
Reese pulled his hand back and stood abruptly. "We'll be leaving soon. Get some rest until then." He spun on his heel and strode away.
I gritted my teeth. He was right to leave.
But I wanted him to stay.
At the edge of my tent, he froze. A scream erupted nearby. It sounded like the haunting moans of the dying.
Reese bolted outside, and I struggled to my feet. Clutching my side, I limped after him.
Thin white birch trees rose in thick walls around us, and snow covered the silver grass. Three small tents gathered around the dwindling embers of a fire.
The scream had come from the tent to our right. Tripping over the snow, I slipped inside and bumped into Reese's back.
Liam was sitting up, face beaded with sweat. He looked up at me, but I couldn't see his eyes.
