Page 186 of Winter Gods & Serpents

“Severely.” I admitted. “Kil, is this alright? Us, doing this?” I’d often wondered what he thought about doing whatever that was that we were doing. I thought he hated me, or did he still? Maybe we were both…mildly aroused but we agreed to not act on it, so what did this mean? Also there stood the fact that I was marrying his king.

He groaned at the back of his throat, inhaling over my hair before planting a kiss atop my head. “Say it again, my name.”

“Answer my question first.”

“Yes, were we not friends?”

“I don’t think friends get aroused by the way I say their name.”

He laughed, hard. “A different sort of friends. We are an unusual pair, nonetheless. Fulfil my request now.”

I took off my glove and reached for his hand resting on my arm, lacing them together. “How are you warm all the time, Kil?”

He had gone silent, so I dared look up at him. Almost terrifying, being met with such warm liquid silver staring like he stared at nothing else.

“Enough with that.” The words had come out but a whisper, my voice dimmed by the terrible heavy feeling resting over my chest.

“Snow, brother,” Mal called loudly in the cold air.

I made to move away but he only held me tighter.

“Sweet crescent moon,” the younger brother murmured in realization, before backing away. “Continue—do continue. I will meet Larg myself.”

Kilian’s attention went to him. “Larg has sent for us?”

“He found out by the wall guards we were in Arynth and sent note for us. It’s about Stregor.”

He exhaled deeply and let go of me completely. “Forgive me, Snow. I am afraid this could be important.”

Where he had held and touch me felt cold, almost a lingering frost. “Of course,” I said, and then turned to Mal. “Give Larg my greetings.”

I made to leave, but I was reeled in place and right back to him. “Good night.”

I blinked surprised. “Good night.”

Yet he didn’t let me go. Confused I looked between him and where he held me and surprisingly he rose a brow. “You forgot to add something to that goodnight.”

“Good night, Kil.”

He smiled, and then barely, barely let me go.

Mal crossed his arms, shaking his head at me and his brother. “A lot of explaining to do you two.”

I tapped a finger to my temple. “All here Mal—all a hallucination. Right, darling?”

“Correct, love,” Kilian added from behind.

* * *

I apologized to Albius and not joined them for dinner last night, I was too busy arranging my plans in Arynth and overthinking of stabbing myself over and over for letting myself get carried away with Kilian. More than a dozen times I had peaked outside my door to see if he had returned and each time I met a dubious Cai.

I arrived for breakfast bleary eyed and almost swaying on my feet. I had never been a morning person before because I indulged in my sleep, and now because I could not sleep. Usually mornings were when I started feeling the most weary and dizzy from lack of thereof.

Albius and Kilian were on a deep discussion with one another. He had such a wise demure and strong posture, almost looked like he belonged between scholars not holding a sword.

“Two old men chatting, nothing unusual, the room is safe,” Mal said from behind me.

“He hears that, and you will scream like an old lady.”