Page 94 of Winter Gods & Serpents

Heated stares bunched from the soldiers in my direction. All loomed with desire to tear my head off.

“Head or all limbs one by the other first?” Caiden asked, unsheathing his sword.

“No one touches him,” she ordered, dismissing all her battle-ready soldiers. “He is mine.”

On command everyone retreated, even Caiden who a second ago stood murderous, they all obeyed as if her words stood above law of everything. Were they that scared? Even him, her friend?

“To kill,” I added. “Just so we are clear on that.”

She bit her lip, holding in a smile. Her tired eyes tracing me top to bottom and it…frustrated me enough to have me shift on my feet.

“Yes,” she said before mounting my horse. “To kill, of course.”

Chapter 20

Wounds and Healers

Snowlin

Samuel arrived by the stables at the same time we did, his eyes widened taking in the scar on my neck, the matted blood, and the bandage across my chest under my jacket.

“One of them will explain, otherwise I might eat your horse, Sam,” I said trying to move past him.

“I will send a healer to your chambers.” I motioned to talk back but he interrupted me. “You will be seen by one, or I will tell your father. Take your pick.”

Letting out a long sigh that sent shooting pain down my whole body I turned narrowing my eyes at him. “Your soldiers are right, you can be vile at times.”

He patted my cheek. “Whatever keeps you healthy and alive.”

The warmth of the castle wrapped around me like a vile hug in scorching summer, the one that left you scraping the feeling of another off your skin. I savoured the smell of fresh baked bread going down the servant dining chambers. Sometimes the scent would fill me quicker than food, sometimes it would be all I had for breakfast, dinner, and lunch.

Ken shook his head at my bloodied sight but went right back to cook my favourite stew. My soldiers all sat hungry next to us and my three guards positioned themselves across me side by side, looking like they had plenty to say.

Ignoring their stares, I tapped my fingers impatiently on the table, shifting in my seat as my stomach roared like mountain beasts.

I glared at the silver eyed snake with the corner of my eye and as if noting the heavy wishing for him to bleed excessively from his skull, he turned blankly, and stared at me for a few moments before he laid back on his chair and raised a brow full of challenge. I held back a chain of curses. He would not get the honours of experiencing my fury just yet, so I flashed him a tight-lipped smile. He huffed a sigh shaking his head. This silent conversation between us was more infuriating than when he used words, ones he spoke very sparingly anyway and full of opinions.

The second Ken placed the hot bowl in front of me, my eyes rolled back at the delicious steam laced in the smell of spices. I ate so fast I might have coughed over a dozen times, and each instance Cai laughed and the Adriatians stared confused.

“Your father will tear this place down if he finds out you abandon dinner with him to eat here,” Nia said, leaning on the archway of the dining chamber. She must have faded back before our arrival. “But you might choke yourself to death before he gets a chance. Chew then swallow Snow, chew then swallow,” she teased and the two friendly fools in front of me shook with silent laughter, the joke of course missing mister stern.

Throwing Nia a very polite hand gesture I resumed my eating.

“Ah, yes, one of the many manners of a princess,” she said, taking a seat.

She and Cai dove deep in conversation regarding some sort of herb, all conversation my hearing had forgone to muffled noises of bees.

I leaned on my bench halfway fading to sleep when my head jerked to the left making me almost jump up in pain. I hissed and clutched my shoulder.

Nia moved quickly, pulling my hair covering the wound on my shoulder behind my back. “W-what…is this?”

“A dagger hit me,” I said in a wide yawn.

“I believe the correct term is stabbed,” Cai explained. “She helped Kilian stab her, as one does.”

She turned looking at me bewildered, waiting for a longer answer, one that I was too tired to tell, more like I don't know what it was.

“It was what I deserve, after all I am so very twisted,” I mocked, clutching my wound still radiating in pain.