Page 80 of Autumn Queens & Shadows

I sighed. “Remind me to go over ten new words a day with you every morning.”

He raked a look over me and hooked a finger on the ribbon tied around my waist. “Remind me to go over what else you’re hiding from me every evening.” A slow smirk rose on his face. “It’s blue.”

“What an excellent observation, Your Majesty.”

“Not your colour,” he said, chasing the length of it around my stomach with his finger.

When the feel of it turned intense, I pushed his hand away and he rolled his eyes up to mine. Before he turned to leave, he taped a finger to my chin. “Next time you get naked before me, man up and turn around, too. I lack the imagination to make it up.”

No matter how cold it was or how much frost I dressed my skin in, my body grew so hot I could erupt.

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that,” Elias said, rubbing his eyes and sighing, bursting my little jittery bubble. “Can’t say it will be easy.”

The man had grown three layers of black circles under his eyes so I bit back a nasty reply. No one could deal with my dirty work if he dropped dead. “Yes? You came here to tell me something I suppose.”

“You were right,” he said, “Soldiers have spotted the Isline animals all over our forests.”

“Could it mean something?”

“Oryn says so.” He waved a dismissive hand in the air like the sceptic he was. “He kept rattling about the healing land.”

“The land has been healing since ten years ago. Why now?”

“Want me to make a guess?”

“No?”

“Good. My guesses were shit.” He raked a quick look over me. “Have you not seen Neo anymore?”

I blinked. “No, actually. It has been a while now.” Almost since Malik had shown up.

“Huh.”

“What?”

He shook his head. “Nothing. It’s good. It’s good,” he repeated. “Would never trust a damn Empath to be a foot near me let alone—”

“Shhh,” I hissed, going on my toes to press a hand to his mouth. Had no idea how this man had not spilled all my secrets these past ten years with how careless he was.

“Afraid Malik won’t take well to your man toy messing with you?”

“One day, Elias Venzor, I’m going to cross stitch your stupid lips shut.”

Glancing up at the skies with a pair of tired and lifeless eyes, he boredly said, “Heavens, let that day be today.”

Chapter twenty

The Past

Thora

I was so alone I was about to lose my mind. The large room was about to eat me whole and leave nothing of mine behind. Even if I had spent six months alone in it when Malik had been taken by my father, now that I knew he was here made it feel different. Emptier.

Something crashed against my door, and I jerked upright, a hand over my heart. “How embarrassing, Thora Isa Krigborn. Grow a backbone,” I murmured to myself, quickly pattering on the doors and pulling them open.

Malik’s body crashed against mine, almost making me drop backwards. Bless those training sessions Cai had dragged me to.

The scent of alcohol assaulted me and made me gag. “I am going to be so cross with you if you vomit on me,” I shouted, trying to get him to stand upright.