Page 41 of Throne of Ice and Blood
When he raised his arms to draw his hands through his hair, it made the blanket around him slide off his shoulders and expose his chest. My heart pounds as I stare at the vicious burn scars visible across his chest and stomach.
“Are those… burn scars?” I blurt out.
Panic flashes in Alistair’s eyes as he snaps his gaze back to me while quickly pulling the blanket back around his body again. His voice is tight as he grinds out, “Yes.”
“But I thought you couldn’t get burned by your own fire magic.”
“I can’t.”
“Then how?—”
“Just find a way out of here.” He shoots me a hard look, signaling that the discussion is over. “I’ll see what I can pick up about the location of the treasury. And I’ll keep an eye on Isera.” Then he nods towards the cell in the corner, where Lavendera is still pacing and snarling about how crowded it is. “Her too.”
“Thank you.” I hold his gaze. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
He nods. Then a hint of desperation flickers in his eyes for a second, and he swallows. “Just… hurry.”
And before I can reply, he braces his forearms on his knees and lowers his head to rest his forehead against them, hiding the expression on his face. My gaze shifts from him, to the catatonic Isera, to the panicking Lavendera.
I desperately want to reach out with my magic and take away all the emotions that are hurting them. But I don’t even know what it is that they’re feeling, let alone how it would affect them if I took that emotion away. It might just make everything worse.
So in the end, I just give them all a nod that none of them can see.
And then I slip back out the door.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
My heart pounds in my chest as I skid to a halt outside the front door to Draven’s quarters. I had planned to climb in through the window or the balcony, but a dragon shifter flew right towards the section of the wall that I was on before I could reach it. So I panicked and jumped in through another window instead. After that, I managed to get to Draven’s door without anyone seeing me, but none of that will matter if the door is locked.
With my heart still hammering against my ribs, I grab the handle and slowly push it down.
Relief washes through me like a flood. It’s unlocked. One of the servants who regularly come to the room for one reason or another must have forgotten to lock it.
While sending a heartfelt prayer of thanks to Mabona, I slip in through the door and close it quietly behind me.
The living room is dark around me. Only the faint silver light of the moon that shines in through the windows and the clear balcony door illuminates the space. I cast a glance at the door to Draven’s bedroom. It’s closed. Just like it was when he left. And everything inside the living room looks the same as well.
I let out a long sigh of relief. He isn’t back yet.
Tiptoeing across the dark wooden floorboards, I sneak back into my room and then hurry over to the dresser. Since I should already be sleeping, I throw off my normal clothes, with my climbing gear hidden inside, and then yank open the drawer to grab that short silk nightgown that is my only choice of sleepwear.
My heart jerks.
It’s not there. Why isn’t it there? By Mabona, please don’t tell me that the servant who forgot to lock the door took it away to wash it or something. How am I supposed to explain this to Draven? That she somehow just took it off my body while I was supposed to be sleeping?
Still completely naked, I yank open another drawer to check if I just misplaced it.
“Looking for this?”
I gasp. Whipping around, I stare at the back wall of my room. Or… not at the wall. At Draven.
He is leaning casually against the pale ice wall, one ankle crossed over the other. But his eyes are intense as he watches me. He’s only wearing a pair of black underwear, leaving the rest of his lethal body on full display. And he has one hand raised, his palm nonchalantly tipped forward, and from his fingers dangle a short garment. My black silk nightgown.
“Imagine my surprise when I got back from my little errand and found your room empty and your clothes missing. After I specifically told you to stay here. For your own safety.” Tilting his hand, he lets the nightgown slide off his fingers and flutter to the floor in a ripple of black silk. Then he straightens, his eyes searing into me. “Where were you?”
My heart slams against my ribs. Drawing in a short breath, I start backing towards the door.
Draven narrows his eyes at me. “Don’t.”
