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“Would you like that?” He wasn’t shivering, but his arms were crossed tightly over his chest. “Very sorry to disappoint you, but I’ll be fine. Perhaps it’s my cold, black heart that makes all the difference?” He shifted his icy gaze to Nic. “And here I thought we’d somewhat bonded over our drinks and secrets last night. How disappointing.” He hesitated, frowning. “Do you even hear me, Cassian?”
“Um,” Nic began. “Looks like you’re about to have some unexpected company today.”
Cleo turned, followed Nic’s line of sight, and gasped.
Heading directly toward them was Princess Lucia Damora.
CHAPTER 12
MAGNUS
LIMEROS
Lucia . . .” Magnus moved toward her as if in a dream. Was this true? Was this actually happening? “You’re here. You’re safe!”
She wore a long gray cloak with a white rabbit fur trim. Her raven-black hair hung loose, a stark contrast to the snowy surroundings, as were her red lips and sky-blue eyes.
Walking next to her was a young man Magnus didn’t recognize.
“Greetings, Magnus,” Lucia said. “I had no idea you were back in Limeros.”
She spoke so calmly, it was as if they’d seen each other only yesterday. As if he hadn’t chased after her all over Mytica, trying to stop her from letting that devious Watcher ruin her life, only to find blood and death at the temple.
All he wanted was to reach forward and take her hand in his, to ensure that she was real. There was a time not so long ago when she was his only friend in the world, the one who knew him better than any other.
Cleo and her devoted minion remained standing by the exit to the ice maze, but they were close enough to overhear this conversation. The last time the two princesses had seen each other, Lucia had allegedly tried to kill Cleo. After overhearing the cold words Cleo had spoken to Nic, Magnus was more certain than ever that Lucia had ample reason to threaten the Auranian princess’s life. He couldn’t stop himself from glancing over his shoulder to see her reaction to his adopted sister’s return. Cleo stood there, her fists clenched at her sides, with not a glimmer of fear in her eyes. No great surprise.
He frowned. “Where else would I be, Lucia? The note you left, your elopement . . .”
“I don’t believe I mentioned I’d be going to Limeros.”
“Remember, I do know you. Perhaps better than you realize. It was immediately clear to me where you’d want to go with your . . . beloved.” And then there was also the fact that, in her fit of rage, Lucia had told Cleo that the water Kindred could be claimed here. Where else would her devious Watcher want to take her?
“I’m sure you were very angry with me,” said Lucia after a moment of consideration.
“I was angry,” he admitted. “But not with you. I blame Alexius for everything.”
“Me too.”
That was a surprising admission, and one that perhaps explained Alexius’s curious absence from Lucia’s side. “You were there at the temple, weren’t you? Before the ice storm?”
o;But you liked him. Perhaps more than liked him.”
He rubbed his hand through his short red hair. “I barely knew him, Cleo. But . . . what I’d begun to feel, it . . . it didn’t feel wrong.”
Cleo nodded. “I completely understand. What our hearts want can overtake what our minds tell us is forbidden to us. We can’t control these feelings, even if we desperately wish we could.”
He began to eye her with suspicion. “You understand, do you? Why? Is your heart currently confused as well? Are we even out here to talk about me? Or are we talking about you?”
Nic always saw her clearly—more than anyone else did. She would be wise to remember that now.
She closed her eyes to try to block out all of her confusion, but all she could see was the Theon from her nightmare, staring at her with pain and confusion.
“Why would you betray me like this?”
“Cleo, look at me,” Nic prompted.
Reluctantly, she opened her eyes.
