Page 131 of Winter Gods & Serpents

I halted and turned to him, pulling my hair behind my ear to reveal the bruise hidden there. “I was not clumsy, just…thinking.” Embarrassing moment I wish to forget, maybe that was why he was not scared of me, even my limbs were traitors who disobeyed.

“Think sitting next time.” He neared, scent of citrus flowers with him, he smelled delicious, like lemon desert. His fingers grazed my brow and I sucked in a breath at the contact, something between electric and touch of morning rays of sun, both rough yet very gentle.

I felt the crawling sensation under my skin for a few moments and then a long moment of stillness. Confused I looked at him, his fingers still resting atop my skin and he looked down at me…worried. “What?”

“When I swore to protect you it included against him as well, next time he touches you,” he shook his head interrupting himself, “there will be no next time.”

“What, you will kill the King of Isjord?” I asked playfully but it was still what he implied.

He stood so near I could see a vein tighten in his neck. “If you ask me I will, and if you tell me those marks on your back are truly done by him too, I will do it right now.”

His words fell hard on my ears. If I asked him, he would? Why would he tell such crazy and heavy lies? Was it an attempt to console me after seeing me hurt? He was here to protect my physicality not to caress my emotions. But I saw his silver eyes, no starlight shone there anymore, his tensed dimple had appeared, it felt as if he was being truthful.

“For now, I just need you to stay very still right here while I sleep,” I said, batting my lashes lazily hungry for sleep and moving away from him.

“You will only stay for a few hours. I need a princess, not a block of ice.”

“But of course, Your Majesty, your order is my command,” I teased, giving him a mocking bow with an impish smile.

His eyes closed in annoyance at my behaviour, he was so stuck up, teasing him was easy. Cocking his head back, he gave me an examining look that had my toes curl. “Red is your colour, Princess.”

“Is it?” I asked, looking down on my attire. “I suppose so, this one makes my breasts look good too.”

“Yes, but they looked better with nothing on.”

I raised my eyes surprised at him, only to find his expressionless features sterner than ever. “Well,” I said with a shrug. “There is nothing under.”

He stilled and his mouth parted slightly open as if to say something before his eyes travelled down my attire.

“Staring won’t burn my dress off, darling.”

He shrugged a wide shoulder. “Asking might.”

Shameless smug idiot who’d learnt to frustrate me back. “Good joke.”

“Am I joking?” he asked, staring at me like he was about to solve a puzzle. “Then you should laugh.”

Somehow…I laughed.

“There,” he said quietly, staring at me will a soft stare. “Smiling again.”

And then as if on que it dropped. What was happening?

“Why are you avoiding me?” he spoke, bringing me to another halt. “After Brisk, even in Brogmere you would not look at me for longer than a few seconds.”

There was no shame in the truth, not that it would matter to him anyway. “Because you weird me out, I can’t seem to keep my tongue back to your answers, I can’t seem to lie to you, yet I don’t wish to tell you my truths either.”

“Don’t avoid me, I won’t ask without your permission.”

It was now a game of push and pull, this was nothing. “Missing me, Kilian?”

“Yes, I missed how you say my name the most.”

It was nothing, he is only playing with me. “I suppose even the contortion of the natural has some flair.”

“Very, the beast is funny too.”

Another smile creeped in my face. “Good night.”