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Stephen blew out a long, slow breath. “I suppose you have a point.”
“Upsetting her is not going to accomplish anything. I listen to her speak of freeing herself one day, and I try not to sound overly pessimistic. I didn’t think she was ever going to do anything rash, and then she succeeded in bringing you here.” Tirani hopped to her feet. “I already worry about her. And us. As you and I are also stuck in Marindal, it's in everybody's best interest that she not do anything dangerous to attract Thirvar's attention.”
“We'll be careful,” he promised.
“I certainly hope so.”
Stephen watched her weave her way through the rows of vegetables on her way back to the castle. The story Tirani had told was unsettling, and he was unsure of whether or not Liora should hear it herself. Their safety had to be their primary goal, but despite Tirani’s apprehensions, he had faith in Liora’s plans for their escape.
Chapter Twenty-One
A dusting of snowflakes drifted over a vast, empty plain. Several rocks peeped out amidst the icy drifts, their charcoal sheen breaking up the monotony of the endless white landscape. Despite the weather conditions, the current temperature was not as cold as Stephen would have expected, and he felt comfortable in his light jacket and sturdy boots.
He wandered around the desolate area, searching for a solution to his solitude. A minute or so passed before there was a disturbance in the air in front of him. Ripples scattered across the scenery like a pebble tossed into a pond. Liora’s form materialized on the snowy terrain, clad once again in her violet cloak, and she stepped onto the world of her creation.
A wide grin spread across her face and she rushed toward him. Their salutatory embrace was short-lived, as she left his arms to gaze at the serene panorama she had crafted for them. She turned her face toward the sky, letting the falling flakes melt on her cheeks and nose, and giggled. Dropping to her knees, she picked up a handful of snow and let it fall through her fingers.
Stephen smiled at her childlike amusement. He knelt beside her and copied her actions. The snow had the same texture and consistency as any other snow he’d ever touched, yet it didn’t feel cold against his bare fingers. He didn’t have long to ponder its strange qualities before a compact ball of it hit him square in the shoulder.
“Hey!” He laughed as Liora fashioned another snowball, and then dodged her next projectile. She stood up and took several steps backward while he scooped a weapon of his own into his hands. Lifting the bottom of her heavy cloak, she skipped away from him as the snowball whizzed past her ear. “This isn’t fair!” he called after her, getting to his feet. “You know I can’t chase you!”
She ran in a wide circle around him, then returned to where he stood, flinging her arms around his shoulders. “Fine! But I still win!”
“If you say so.” He chuckled again. “How often does it snow in Marindal?”
“It doesn’t.”
“Never?”
“Not that I’ve ever seen.” She frowned and looked out over the snow-covered field. Though the confusion was apparent on her face, Stephen resisted the urge to ask the lingering question.
Something shifted in her eyes, as if she saw something which was not there. It only lasted for a brief moment before her enchanting smile made its appearance again. She dropped down to the ground and lay on her back, running her fingers through the fluffy drifts at her sides.
He joined her, taking the hand closest to him and closing his eyes to avoid being blinded by the gentle snowfall. “It snows a lot where I’m from,” he said.
“Do you like it?”
He considered the question. “There, it’s usually an annoyance. Here, with you…I love it.” He inched closer and slipped an arm around her, letting her rest her head on his shoulder. “Sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever get back home. And sometimes I also wonder if I’ll ever get the chance to show it to you.”
Her eyelashes fluttered against his cheek as she moved her face toward his. “I’d like that,” she murmured.
“Really?”
“You sound so surprised!” Laughing, she flipped over so she lay face-down on top of him. “When we make our escape from Marindal, we can go anyplace we’d like. We can go anywhere and everywhere. We’ll find a way, I’m sure of it!”
“I believe you. I do.” Her tousled curls enveloped him in a golden curtain, blocking out the wet snowflakes, and he looked into her sparkling emerald eyes. “But it doesn’t matter where we wind up, as long as I’m with you.”
She brushed her lips against his, her kiss as light as the flurries lazily speckling her hair and clothes. “We’ll be together. I promise.”
Her breath on his skin and her body covering his was enough to make a familiar heat rumble inside him. His cheeks grew warm as he struggled to verbalize his feelings, his old apprehensions about revealing too much resurfacing. “Liora, I…I’ve only known you for a short time, but…but I…”
“Shh.” She put a finger to his lips. “You don’t have to say anything else. I know what’s between us. Regardless of how we met, or how we continue to meet, it’s as real as anything I know.” Kissing him again, her tongue entered his mouth and consumed all the words he’d been unable to find. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight against his body.
The blood coursing through his veins stoked a fire within him that was incongruous with their wintry scene. It was further fueled by her hand sneaking toward the closure of his pants. Though he’d fantasized about her touch for far too many of his waking moments, something prevented him from giving in to her. “Liora, wait.”
She pulled back to look at him. “What’s wrong?”
The ever-present compassion in her eyes still had the capacity to fill his heart with amazement. “We don’t have to…you know. I don’t want to wake up yet. I just want to be with you for a little longer.”
