Page 222 of Winter Gods & Serpents

A bright light beamed from inside the cabin, radiating a wave. Glares. There were Aura trapped in there with her. Fear had never crimpled my bones as it had now, primal fear—one sort I’d never experienced before, raw and gnawing.

The closer we got to the woodhouse the more a red figure began to focus into our view coming from inside it. Soaked red in blood head to toe her eyes shone dull sunlight beams. Carrying her sword over her shoulder, she lazily descended down the woodhouse’s stairs. Alive.

She almost did not look human, her movement unnatural as she sat comfortably on a step. “A little late, aren’t we?” she calmly teased, a smirk twitched in her lips.

I furiously ran gathering her bloodied body in my chest, she flinched and reached for her shoulder between us. I moved away panicked at what I had done, but she grabbed me back not letting me go. “Don’t ever push from me.”

“What happened, Snow I thought…I thought—” I could not even finish my words. What had I thought? “You are hurt,” I continued examining her. “Who did this?”

She did not look at me. Her face lost toward the nothingness of the forest ahead.

Caiden came from inside the woodhouse and shot a long, troubled look at her, his eyes wide studying her blood painted face before they dropped to her weapon.

“What is it?” I asked.

“It doesn’t matter,” he responded before throwing a flaming torch and blowing a swirl of wind around it, setting the woodhouse erupting in flames within moments. He had seen something to make him this distressed. For now it did not matter, what mattered is that she lives and that I have her beating heart in my arms.

“Make sure no one says anything to my father about this,” she asked Nia who gave her a confirming nod. “His loving arse will defecate itself to death from concern if he does.”

Her playful words made everyone relax and laugh. She was looking to ease everyone’s grim expressions at her condition.

“Your humour remains intact despite all, that I am glad of,” I said lifting her to my horse.

She threw me a wink. “Always.”

I let out a tired laugh, my energy had been spent worrying that my whole body had become foreign. My head rested on her thigh and she caressed the top of it gently, her tender fingers alone could calm a storm. “Fucking gods woman, you have taught me fear today.”

“And to swear, apparently. What have I done to my prim guard?”

“Ruined me, that’s what you have done.” Gathering my strength I managed to hoist my body up on the horse behind her. “You are to never leave my sight from now, do not force me to tie you to myself,” I ordered, shifting her closer to my body, aware not to hurt her shoulder.

She snuggled in my chest leisurely as if it was moulded for her particularly. “My, my, you went from me calling you a dog to you making me one.”

“More like I am yours.” That is how I felt, she had me wrapped so tight around her finger I was all hers to have how she wanted.

“Mine alright,” she said quietly.

“You on the other hand still seem to be a certain someone’s feathered bird.”

She laughed loudly, making everyone turn to us. “Darling?” she asked, playfully sniffing around. “Is that jealousy I smell? Ah, never mind, it was the rotting stink of blood.” It was my turn to laugh and make everyone turn to look at us in wonder. The two giggling mad creatures, one covered in blood and the other in worry.

I gripped her hips pulling her close to me and she let out a little yelp, her hand rested on top of mine lacing them together. Every little touch felt so whole.

“Please tell me none of it is yours.”

“Not a drop,” her answer no more than a murmur. Whatever had happened in there?

After silence fell amongst us again, impatiently I asked her, “It was the Solaryans, right? I saw a Glare.” I did not want to pressure her, but I was still concerned.

She shifted around my arms to make herself comfortable, letting a long sight out she answered slowly, “It was them.”

“What did they want with you?”

Her hesitation and tensing told me everything already—she didn’t want me to know. “Nothing,” she lied, her voice monotone. “Only stumbled on their way.”

What was she trying to hide from me? Snow still did not trust me fully after all, but I could not hold it against her.

Evening arrived in a blink, half the day had been spent traveling and the rest panicking, searching for Snow. When we met with Elias’s team at the temple, where we had left them waiting in case she came back from out of there, they had been looking with absolute horror at the gory sight of Snow. She had lied to them, explaining that the temple had had a secret passage that sent her towards the forest, where she met the Solaryan vandals who had travelled through them from the forest to the villages as well. She explained that she had fought and killed all of them since they had refused to give information and had not attempted to settle down grounds with her, attacking her almost immediately. Her story was used as more than just as a back cover.