Page 169 of Winter Gods & Serpents

I laughed along her. “I love your humour.”

Her smile dropped. “Am I overthinking again?”

I nodded. “Yes.” No, maybe she wasn’t.

We headed to her chambers, I had been up only for a few hours, but she had days of no sleep, not to mention all the energy she spent today, rest needed her at this point.

“Do you plan on sleeping tonight? You have not had a brink of rest in days.”

She nodded. “Yes, I am heading to Venzor tomorrow,” she revealed, while confusion coated my head. Venzor? What was in Venzor? Did it matter, she would have me worry again.

“Any reason in particular?” One with yellow hair and no manners? Gods, tell me that was not why she was dragging herself all the way to another city just to see him. She had not left for patrols or any other duty outside Tenebrose city walls, yet she was heading to Venzor for him. It made my blood simmer, frustration creeped over my skin.

Her eyes dipped to my chin. “I suppose we will see,” she said throwing me a wink before entering her chambers. “Don’t miss me too much.”

I pulled onto her wrist, and she turned to me again. “You have not said my name today, say my name.”

She stood still for a moment, assessing the madness I’d just spoken out loud. She reached close to me, her hands as always playing with the lapels of my jacket. Holding onto them she got on her toes and reached over my ear to whisper, “Asshole.”

I still enjoyed that more than I should, my body shook in silent amusement.

She gently touched where her dagger had grazed me earlier. “Good night, Kilian.”

I held onto her wrist, pulling her to me again. “Not like that. Like you did yesterday. Call me like I am yours.”

She was silent for a moment, her heartbeat pulsed out of the skin of her temples. “Good night…Kil.”

A spell. My name in her mouth was a spell with such power. I took a deep breath, washing over the expanse on my chest. “Yes, like that.” I counted to five and I let her go, moving away. “Good night, Snow.”

Her eyes darted lost about the corridor as she backed to her room, but I read the regret, fear, and confusion and later mine accompanied hers along. The doors shut but there wasn't going to be any sleep for her, she had seen too much today, probably brew and stew on what she had found out. But there was not going to be any calm for me either, overthinking her infatuation with that Isjordian brooding yellow head. This was going to drive me insane. If I saw him ogling her like dessert I will scoop his eyes out and will definitely cut those hands to the wrists if they lingered over her waist as if he was petting a cat.

Chapter 31

Silver and Him

Snowlin

You would hate it—you would hate it terribly, he had said. Was it wrong that I wouldn’t? A shudder erupted in me every time I remembered last night. Call me like I am yours. I didn’t know I could, I didn’t know my need for him had been that obvious that night, I never knew how it was to want someone and not be able to have them, I didn’t know how it was or how it felt to have someone like they were mine. I never had someone who was mine. His touch, had he not let me go, I would have never let him go. He had moved away and regretted what he’d said, I read it all over him. He always hesitated, was it hard to forget what I was? I shook my head and halted crunching down, letting out a frustrated groan. Insanity at such a young age, concerning.

Murky skies desolate from all light made for a thick blanket of darkness despite the hours of morning, so very typical Isjord—where night was night and day was just…a grey night. Sam and I were to meet by the stables before he headed to Casmere in pretence of the fleet check, readying it for the frozen surface sea waters. Celdric had notified us the ship had successfully crossed Brogmere Bay and would dock there today where Sam would be waiting. Hoping to find someone who could actually answer me a question properly without puzzles, missing pieces and loads of enigma. The unknown annoyed me, I was already being left out of too much, this was now the borderline.

“Please tell me you really did wake up early and not spent the night staring at either the sky or your ceiling?” Sam called, he and his team entered the stables, readied to head north.

He opened his arms first, already accustomed to my habit of hugging him. “I slept, I have somewhere to be as well.”

“Snow, please stay out of trouble till I return,” he pleaded, giving my hands a squeeze. Why did everyone jump to the ultimate conclusion that every step I took led me to trouble?

“You know I can’t make you a promise I will not keep.”

“Don't make me hold my heart in my hands.”

I offered him a smile. “Bear with me for a little while longer. When this ends Sam, come with me. You and Alaric can give each other another chance and I can have you near me forever.” I offered. I could not leave someone I care this much behind, not again—not anymore.

I saw and read the care in his eyes. “I will—I will come with you and let’s both learn how to live, together,” he said, planting a kiss atop both my hands. “Be safe now.”

He’d make me happy, but he’d make Alaric happier. I of course, will take all honours and praises for playing matchmaker of the realms.

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