Page 28 of Winter Gods & Serpents

“Much easier than drown it all together, with the ship at hand we can sail to distant seas. Imagine a whole ship in our control, how many others can we drown. Imagine how much better it would be to drown it ourselves instead of having another do it for us.”

She shook her head hard. “Let us drop the metaphor, all this sailor talk is drowning my head.”

“Get Cai, I will enter Winter court.”

“I thought—”

“Plans have changed again, well, somehow.”

“It scares me when you get those eyes,” she murmured between the pinched cheeks. “The ‘I am itching to cause some damage’ eyes.”

“Well, I am itching,” I said, scratching my back. “I should not be getting so close to dogs.”

She scowled. “You are not allergic to dogs.”

“To Isjordian foul mouthed bitches I am.”

She glances sideways onto the corridor, before turning to slap my back. “You crude, vulgar woman.”

“Hello, little princess,” Elias said, startling Nia upward. I knew sooner or later he would approach me, but I was yet to decide if I wished to explore my chances with Venzor with him or his father.

“Hello,” I said tracing a look over him. “Big dog?”

Nia nudged my side in warning.

He laughed, though my words were meant to offend. “I never seem to get a moment alone with you.”

“I am allergic, to dogs that is.” Nia pinched my under arm enough that I almost squirmed in pain. Ignoring the shooting pain, I stretched my shoulders to relieve some of the tension. “How can I help, Elias?”

“Have a walk with me?”

Nia reached close to me and murmured, “Have a walk with him.”

“You have a walk with him,” I murmured back, rubbing my arm.

Ouch, her pinch was inhuman.

She pinched me again. “He is in your father’s court. Do it.”

Elias blinked confused between the two of us. “Is there something the matter?”

I blew out a tired breath and went to hook my arm to his. “That walk, are we having it or not?”

We made rounds over the massive winter gardens, but he’d not said a word. “Elias, you’re running us out of laps to run.”

“Do you remember much from back then? When you were younger?” he finally spoke.

What? I took a few minutes of silence to grip the sort of trick he was trying to play with me. “No, not much.”

He brought us to a halt. “Then I suppose I will have to take you on more walks till you remember.”

What the hells was he on about? “Let me know prior, next time I’ll bring my leash. Shouldn’t Fren be taking you round? You’re her poodle.”

He laughed and ran a hand over his long blonde hair. “She is my leash, not my owner.”

I stuck my bottom lip out. “Father dearest forcing you to marry the snow spirit?”

“You don’t need to get the answer out of me, you know that is the truth.”