As I’d guessed, the brothers, Anna, and Clemencia nodded vigorously. My heart warmed. Maybe I should have insisted on a binding promise from all of them, but deep down, I knew no one here would betray me.
“Thank you,” I said, and then paused. I’d thought about this moment for so long, but not the exact words I’d say. A dozen options ran through my mind.
The simplest explanation struck me as the best. “Back at Riis Tower, Lord Riis pulled me aside and told me he and my mother had an affair in the past. He’s my birth father. Rhistel’s too, obviously. So, I’m Vale Riis by blood, not Vale Aaberg.” My gaze strayed to Luccan. “I hope that’s alright?”
Neve let out a snort of a laugh that she covered up, though I barely noticed because the way Luccan’s face splitinto a smile, and Arie’s eyes widened, and Thantrel’s face took on a mischievous quality, made my stomach tighten.
I’d been quite certain they’d like this news. But I’d also have been lying if I said that some small part of me worried about it. To have me as a brother—me and Rhistel—changed dynamics.
Luccan swept me into a hug so tight it crushed my bones. “Bleeding skies, our father was a scamp, wasn’t he? We might need to have a talk with him about keeping it in his trousers!”
I laughed, and Arie and Thantrel joined us. They welcomed me to the family by hugging me and punching me in the shoulder the way brothers did. I cast a glance at Anna and Clemencia, both of whom were smiling. Not a problem.
My attention dragged to the healer. She stood back, lips parted in shock. When she caught my gaze, she inclined her head.
No matter that selling such a secret could change her life for the better, I’d ensured that the price was too high. She’d stay silent.
For now, I got to spend a few hours with my brothers, my truth out among friends.
Chapter 20
NEVE
The next day, we traveled east, drawing ever closer to the main road that divided the midlands into the western and eastern portion. Once we hit the King’s Road, we’d follow it south to Myrr, where we’d treat with High Lord and the Warden of the Southlands, Tadgh Balik.
So far, the journey had been easy. Happy even. The brothers Riis enjoyed having another sibling, especially seeing as they knew and loved Vale already. Clemencia and Anna continued to bond, which warmed my heart. The two were not so much alike, but they found commonalities and that they were trying meant the stars and the moon to me.
There was only one looming issue—and unfortunately for us, it proved a large one indeed. A storm brewed in the distance, the clouds so gray and foreboding that many times, we debated trying to disguise ourselves so that we could seek shelter in a village.
However, with Caelo’s glamour magic still being limited,and my face posted all over the kingdom, we’d decided against backtracking. Onwards it was. A choice that, with each step, I questioned more.
“Should we stop here and set up camp?” I eyed the clouds for what felt like the thousandth time as we came across a pool fed by a convergence of two small creeks. Nearby, large rocks jutted out of the snow. “Water is available for the horses, and I’ll use those rocks as a wall for the shelter I build. Then we could all stay together for the night. If I only have to make one large shelter for us, I can work on walls for the horses too.”
Last night, we’d slept in three small ice huts, but if the storm was as savage as I suspected it might be, we’d want everyone together to trap in as much body heat as possible. When the temperatures dropped so much, I was especially worried for Anna.
“It’s not even suppertime,” Luccan stated the obvious, “if we stop now, we’ll lose a lot of travel time.”
“Staying in one ice hut would be better,” Arie countered, cutting a glance at Anna.
I suspected he wanted to stay near Anna as much as he wanted her to benefit from so much body heat. The pair flirted all day, but at night, Anna slept with Clemencia and Rynni, while the Riis brothers and Duran shared a hut. Only Vale and I slept alone.
“The clouds are moving faster than normal,” Duran added. “They could be upon us sooner than we think. I, for one, don’t wish to be caught riding in the middle of the storm. I say we do as Neve suggests and stop.”
Luccan shrugged, and as no one else spoke a strongopinion on the matter, we veered toward the pool and dismounted.
Glancing at the clouds again, I shivered. Howdidthey move so quickly?
“Begin gathering wood,” Vale said. “The storm will make seeing the smoke impossible, so tonight we’ll sleep by a fire.”
“Thank the fates,” Thantrel said. He, more than anyone, disliked not having a fire.
When we traveled with the humans, the fires had been outside the huts, but as Vale said, it would be wise to bring it inside tonight. I’d have to make the shelter strong, with a hole in the top and wake up a couple of times during the night to reinforce the ice, but the work would be worth it.
Others chipped away the pool’s ice, gathered water, and unpacked while I studied the protruding rocks abutting one side of the pool. After so many days of creating shelters made of compacted snow and ice, I’d developed a confidence in how best to make them to protect the inhabitants.
“Do you need help digging the snow, Neve?” Clemencia asked, like she always did. Though Clem had small magic, she was so helpful in other ways.
“Not at all.” I pointed to the area where I wished to work and twirled my finger. Snow rose in one great scoop, hollowing out the area. I did that ten more times, expanding the base of the shelter until I was certain we’d all fit and then shifted to the right and made a larger dugout for the horses too.
