“We have company, Ever.”
The snow vanishes as they drop their connection, and I wonder what power Kyra has to do that or if it’s mostly Ever.
I shift and walk the few steps towards her desk, where I drop the books Micah sent.
“What are those?” Kyra asks.
“Books.” My voice is gruff, and I curse to myself. I should not be so hostile towards her.
“We can see that. Who are they from?” Ever asks.
She’s turned her body so she’s sitting on the edge of the bed now. She’s had a bath and changed her clothes, and as I look at her, I see the slight blush on her cheeks as she watches me take her in, remembering the words from earlier.
“Micah. Said that there are more references to Fifths in there.”
“Really?” Hope springs from her voice, and it’s crippling.
“Is the dinner hall clear?” Kyra asks me.
“Err, more or less. You’ll be fine. I’ll walk you out if you wish.”
“No need.” She smiles at Ever, and they seem to giggle at one another before she slips out of the door, shutting us in together.
“What was that about?”
“Oh, nothing.” Laughter lingers in her words.
Despite the candles, it still feels dark in here, like the light itself is conspiring against my fucking mind.
Small droplets of water collect on the floor where the snowflakes have melted, the room still cool from their influence.
“It’s been hot today,” she mutters, and her eyes dart around the room, anywhere but at me, as if that’s enough of an explanation for the remanence of snow.
“It has. Novandia must be in a mood.”
She tilts her head at me, and I want to ask her why, but she beats me to a question.
“Have you really never been to those mountains? The ones with the snow. I thought you said you climbed them with Calix.” Her voice is soft. Tentative.
“Not where the snow sets. They’re deadly. Not to mention what dwells in them.” I think about the Sur’gos that made up our bedtime stories as a child—that and the Jarkoreth that dwell in the Variscite Forest.
“Okay, I think any more Kirrian information might be too much for today.” She huffs out a forced laugh. I keep forgetting how much of our world she doesn’t know about yet.
“No fairy tales tonight, then.” I pull out the chair at her desk and sit down before I change my mind and lie back on her bed.
“You offering bedtime stories now, Ten?” She smiles.
Goddess.I clench my jaw. “If you ask nicely, I’m sure I can come up with something to help you fall asleep. I promise.” The image of her wrapped in my arms, caged under my body, flashes to mind.
I surround the thought with the protective blocks Kamari has been teaching me, not wanting it to push into Ever’s mind. We weren’t practising yet, and I didn’t think that would be the best image to try and project into her mind, no matter how I might want to see how she reacts.
She’s gone through a lot this morning. My heart thumps harder inside my chest as I skirt around the memory.
Her eyes look to me, such a beautiful green, flecked with diamonds and stars.
I drop my head and rest my arms on my thighs.I’m going to break.Every part of my body screams to taste her. To kiss her lips. To touch her.
It’s irrational. Something is drawing me to her, and whatever connection we formed earlier is now wide open and crying out for it again.
