Page 132 of Winter Gods & Serpents

“Can I ask?” he called again. “Why do you sleep in there?”

He asked. No one asked.

Searching for my weakness. Looking to invoke my fears. He is still my hunter. Hesitation hovered all around the air, but somehow my body turned to him again. “My head, it goes absolutely quiet in there,” I confessed before I left towards the centre of the maze. I owed him no explanation, yet I gave him one—again.

Nestling in the middle of my siblings' resting place, I fell into such a lovely hard slumber. This place to me was the pure absence of madness.

Chapter 25

Red and Her

Kilian

It had been hours since I threatened to kill her father, to which she had laughed and said nothing; the same long hours since she laid asleep on the frozen snow. Had she thought it a joke? Did she not know I rarely joked, especially about the sort?

“Princess?” I called behind the maze wall, but no response came. She had made me promise not to cross to her. Especially you, she had said to me. Especially I was not to cross it, what was she trying to hide? Was it my presence that could taint the only place she ever felt calm?

“Snow, it has been hours, we have to get you inside,” I shouted loud enough even the wall guards must have heard me, but she did not respond, and I was growing anxious. “Come out woman, if you are playing with me and trying to get me to lose my head I assure you I can give you five thousand other ways for you to entertain yourself, so come out.”

After the third time I decided to go after her. I would deal with her anger, it had never been an issue with me before.

It first struck my limbs to a still and then my chest, almost viciously. She laid on the snowy ground in the middle of three resting places. My breathing tightened taking in the mad woman sprawled between the graves, an arm over one of them. Serene Krigborn it read, her mother. It did not take long to realize who the other two belonged. She slept soundlessly almost too comfortably, her cheeks red from the cold and she slightly shivered.

I flicked my hand in the air and moved the snow on top of her with my magic. Quiet, she said her head went quiet in here. How much she must have loved them, her family. How much she still did.

She looked so calm, so frail and so magnificent. I lowered to my heels studying her in this unusual form. I had to wake her up, but I did not want to. For a small forever I stayed and admired and contemplated her. I’d never seen a storm so calm, yet so thunderous and pained.

She stretched like a napping cat, ready to shift awake. I went back behind the wall, flicking my hand in the air to drag snow over my steps. If she knew I’d seen her, she’d push me away again, avoid me.

After a few minutes she came half asleep from behind the wall. Her crown shifted sideways, and she clutched her pillow and blanket tight to suppress her shivering.

I clenched my jaw shut to prevent letting out a laugh. She studied me for a minute, her eyes fell oddly to my chin and then headed without any words towards the castle. Odd never begun covering her.

The little murderous vixen turned to a human woman in flashing moments in front of me, I did not know which was mightier or scarier.

I followed her to the library, a bored look accompanied her surveying eyes. The room filled with officials who had turned to stare at her all the same, and I could not blame them. When she had come out this morning I had stumbled back at the sight of her, her sheer beauty radiated, how she wore her poise, how her eyes of yellow crystal had shone like torches, her strong presence that of a warrior who had been through more than just war but through pain, heartbreak, and darkness; how they always did. It had taken me long enough to realize that beyond everything she was headstrong, powerful, thoughtful, and deeply caring for those she loved.

She guided us through the library and sat us in a corner table, grabbing a book, lazily flipping through it till a known figure headed in our direction. He was tall, slender, his skin a rich brown and his hair greyed all over, it was the general I had seen around Snow, the one who’d warned her about Brogmere.

She jumped from her seat and hung her arms around his neck, giving him a tight warm hug. I had not seen her this affectionate before with anyone except Nia and Caiden.

He eyed her bruise in concern and then threw a suspicious gaze towards me. “I see your two friends have finally left your sight, getting awfully confident now, aren’t we?” he said in a strong tone partially aimed at me, he did not trust me as well.

“I can have all the lives of everyone in this castle Sam, before most of them have a chance to whisper my name, having skills like mine does wonders to your self-confidence,” she said playfully, making the general laugh. It was no laughing matter, she actually could.

He glanced over at me before turning to the princess again. “That was a very close one. Twice now, Snow, twice,” he enunciated. “Too many opportunities I have let you brush danger.” He let out a sigh and rubbed his jaw in frustration. “The two Adriatians, they had given correct information. My soldiers traced few Adriatians and found your doubts to be true, your father has been forming a Auran squadron. I truly wish you’d be convinced when I tell you is precaution.”

I had my doubts that had been the reason Adriatians had sided with Silas. Larg had told me Silas collected Aura of all sort, but why did it worry miss dark head?

She folded her arms. “If your attempts to portray my father an innocent hoarder of Aura had not been torn to shreds by his own action, I could.”

He shut his eyes tight. “I am afraid he will get a hunch of this pretty soon, especially after what you did in Brisk, let this go now.”

“Tempted,” she said bored. “But bear with me, Sam. You know my senses have never betrayed me.”

What did she fear?

Samuel peered at me. “You were supposed to be her leash, tie her up and hold her still and safe.”