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“Why are you just standing there?” she shouted, running her hands through her hair, making it more disheveled. “You’re the king! Why did you let this happen? Saren’s brother is dead. My father needs a healer. Will one of your guards heal him?”
“Many people suffered tonight,” he said, a hint of melancholy in his tone.
“Did you not hear me?” she seethed. “My father is wounded and losing blood.”
He inched closer, jaw clenching as he hovered over her. “Your village should’ve performed the sacrifice.” Morozko’s eyes hardened as they dropped to her hand.
Eirah drew the ice blade from her waist and held it up to his throat, teeth clenched. His pale blue gaze flicked back to hers, staring deep into her. “Why are you talking about sacrifices at a time like this? Help my fathernow.”
He swallowed roughly, though a hint of a smirk touched his lips. But gone was his ever-present confidence.Good.“Are we back to you threatening me with blades so soon?”
“Your Majesty?” a deep voice boomed from behind her, and she turned to see the captain of the guard pointing a sword at her.
“Leave us be, Andras. I was waiting for you to return, so you could heal her father,” Morozko said, motioning toward Saren’s cabin. “If he dies, you die.”
Andras nodded and ventured inside.
Eirah dropped the dagger to her side as she whirled around to follow Andras. Morozko’s strong arms grabbed her, hauling her to his chest. “You will stay here. I will not have your emotions get in the way of him saving your father.”
I hate you. I hate you mostly, but sometimes… Sometimes I don’t hate you at all.
“Perhaps it’s better if you hate me all the time.”
Eirah wriggled out of his grip, balling one hand into a fist, the other gripping the dagger at her side as she faced him. “You can hear my thoughts in this form too?” Could she not even have privacy in her own mind?
“Only when you project yourself rather loudly. I don’t hear everything. But earlier in the snow”—he leaned in, his fingers tilting up her chin—“when you landed on top of me, when I was on top of you, I heard every one of your lust-filled thoughts, little bird.”
Her nostrils flared as she backed him into a nearby tree. “Why are you saying these things? Why are you saying this when there is so much death around? When my father is in pain?”
A voice growled from the back of her mind that wasn’t her own.Perhaps to distract you, so I don’t have to see you hurt. “Why not? Death is a part of mortal life, is it not? Frosteria is the land of death and snow.” His tone was sharp, but hints of sorrow broke through his eyes.
Eirah wrinkled her nose, stewing at what he’d said, but not the first part, not the part that had made her heart lurch. His mouth hadn’tmoved. “I heard you! You don’t want to see me hurt!”
Morozko scowled. “If you plan on ending my life, grant me the mercy of a swift one.”It’s as if sheisa witch…
Why wouldn’t he admit such a simple thing? “You didn’t answer me! And I’m not a witch, you fool! Those are a myth!”
His nostrils flared as he gazed down at her, a dark intensity brewing in the depths of his eyes. “Suppose I didn’t answer,” he whispered. “But here and now, you could end my life, Eirah. Just do it.”
“Is that truly what you want from me?” she spat, her hand shaking as she squeezed the dagger. “For me to end you so it can destroy the whole world?”
“No, right now, I would rather take something from you.” He leaned forward, cutting her off with his mouth before she could speak.
Eirah gave in to the kiss, surprising herself when she was the one who deepened it. She kissed him harder as he pulled her closer. He nipped her lower lip, then slipped his tongue between the seam of her mouth, letting it dance with hers. She mirrored his movements as if she’d done this a thousand times when she never had before. The kiss was taking her away from the pain of Petre, from her destroyed village, from seeing Saren suffering, from her father currently being healed…
Her eyes widened, and she drew back when she realized she was kissing the king in the middle of a destroyed village.
“A first of many things, little bird.”Why do I want nothing but to kiss her and never stop?
“So it was.” Eirah sighed. “And it will be our last.” The words rang false—selfishly, she wanted nothing but to kiss him again and not only to take away the pain.
15
MOROZKO
Morozko’s lips still tingled from the kiss. Despite the death and decay around them, he wanted to draw Eirah in for another. The loss of her body pinning him against the tree struck him harder than he cared to admit.
Eirah may not have verbally confessed it was her first kiss, but he’d heard the thrum of her thoughts in his mind. Her first with him, and the last, if she had anything to do about it. In truth, he was pleased that it was his lips that had claimed hers first. And knowing it could be the last ignited a wicked fury that blazed violently inside his chest.
