Narissa shoved away from the door. Planting both hands on her hips, she paced the small length of the room.
She wanted to be angry with him for unknowingly letting Calfair take advantage of her. She wanted to be frustrated thinking of all the heartache they could have been spared if he hadn’t been foolish enough to think she chose Calfair over him.
The mere thought of it made her skin crawl.
Narissa heaved a breath of irritation and lifted the bronze handle on her trunk. She rummaged through her belongings, gently shoving aside neatly folded piles of satin slips and lacy undergarments until she found what she was looking for. Tucked beneath the exquisite nightgowns and bundles of fancy unmentionables was a long, rectangular wooden box. Narissa carefully flipped both brass latches and opened the lid to find her collection of tonics, serums, potions, and elixirs all carefully cushioned against a bed of sapphire velvet. A dozen corked glass bottles and vials were individually labeled with tiny parchment tags in her tidy handwriting. Running her fingers over the bottom row, her pointer finger paused on a vial filled with a shimmery bright green liquid and a tag that read “veritas serum.”
Her mouth pulled to one side as she considered Lady Aria’s request.
She was grateful her personal supply of concoctions had made the trip from Azurvend to Galefell, and though she hated to part with the truth serum—for one never knew when such a potion would be useful—it would be far simpler to give this one to Lady Aria as opposed to brewing another one here.
Narissa sensed him before he spoke.
She snapped the lid shut and glanced up to find Solarius standing in the doorway of the bedroom. He looked rumpled and positively delicious with his shirt wrinkled and unbuttoned, hanging open to reveal the full expanse of his chest and solid abdomen. Her gaze trailed over him appreciatively, taking in the dip of his hips where his pants were slung low, admiring all the pieces of him she struggled to ignore when she slathered that healing ointment over his beautifully crafted body. Solarius grabbed the door frame with one hand, leaning slightly to the right while his other was carefully splayed over his injured ribs.
Narissa rubbed her lips together and replaced her box of potions, then stood, dropping into an awkward curtsy. “My lord.”
“My lady.” His voice was thick with restraint. He stared at her, seconds ticking by with painful slowness as the yearning in his gaze kept her rooted in place.
Toying with the long sleeves of her gown, Narissa waded through the tension between them. “Did you require something?”
He blinked. “I was wondering if you would like to sit outside with me?”
“In the cold?”
“It’s snowing.” Solarius released the frame of the door and rolled his shoulders back. “I could start the fire.”
Narissa’s brow quirked in amusement. “You? Start a fire? That is Asher’s realm of expertise, is it not?”
Novalise’s husband wielded frostfire, and while Narissa knew her brother-in-law was quite capable of producing fire, she was not so sure her husband harbored that same skill set.
He shrugged, rolling her humor off his shoulder. “I’m certain I can figure it out.”
Narissa stole a glance out the window. The sky was gray and ominous, and large chunks of fluffy snow fell from the sky like pieces of finely woven cotton. It could be nice to sit around a fire and watch the snow fall.
Her gaze flicked back to him. “On one condition.”
Hope washed over his expression, and for a moment he looked more youthful than she’d ever seen him. “Anything.”
“Can we get something to eat?” she asked. “I’m starving.”
Solarius grinned, heart-stopping and devastating all at once, and Narissa was reminded of why she fell in love with him in the first place.
Narissa sat cuddled nextto Solarius beneath a pile of fur blankets on a cushioned settee as heavy flakes continued to fall from the gray winter sky. The balcony of the second floor stretched overhead, shielding them from the swirling snowfall, but making for a spectacular view of the mountains. Their dark gray outlines slanted across the horizon, the peaks a brilliant white against a backdrop of slate. Narissa shared an overstuffed footstool with Solarius, their legs outstretched near the stone pit where flames of faerie fire crackled and snapped, dancing with the tumbling snowflakes.
She secretly enjoyed the way his long legs brushed against hers with every slight movement, every casual adjustment.
Shockingly enough, Solarius had managed to light the fire without any assistance, and Narissa would not deny she was quite impressed. Especially when the haunting play of shadow and light illuminated him in a way that made him look bothtempting and treacherous. But now she was curled into a plush pillow, her body just breaths from the heat of his own, and a platter of delicious treats was spread before them. There was a variety of dried meats and aged cheeses, cloudberry spread and crackers, pistachio wafers, and a bowl of olives. There was also a tiered tray filled with tiny cakes, frosted cookies, and sugared berries.
She popped one of the little cakes into her mouth, shimmying her shoulders and humming to herself as the flavors of rich raspberry and vanilla cream filled her with a sense of contentment.
Solarius’s brow lifted in amusement, the corner of his mouth tugging up one side. He tossed an olive into the air, then caught it in his mouth, and Narissa rolled her lips to keep from giggling like a lovesick youth.
He reached for another olive. “I appreciate the fact that you love food as much as I do.”
Narissa smirked and grabbed a one of the thick chocolatey cookies decorated with frosting and took a hefty bite. She sighed as she chewed, her gaze sliding to meet Solarius who was sitting back, watching her, his grin widening with mirth.
She licked a smudge of frosting off one finger. “Good food nurtures the soul. Why should I concern myself with regulated portions or the size of my waist when there are delicious cookies to enjoy?”
