Harper
Rain peltsus wildly from every direction, and I’m squinting my eyes, barely able to see through the sheets of rain flowing down. Dark clouds fill the sky, and any icy wind claws at me, making my teeth chatter. But behind me, Sevrin is a welcome presence, wrapping his much larger body around me and doing what he can to keep me safe from the storm.
There.
You found a place?I ask Ebron excitedly.
I found a place. I can leave you two there to wait out the storm, while I wait it out within the safety of the mountains.
I want to tell Sevrin that we found a place to wait out the storm, but he wouldn’t be able to hear me in this weather. Besides, a second later, Ebron has started angling downward, headed for whatever place he thinks might be a safe haven for Sevrin and I until this treacherous storm calms down.
It’s hard to be aware of anything besides the rain and the wind, but I suddenly spot tree tops flashing below us. Ebronangles further down, then lands, and I blink the rain away to spot a cabin just in the distance. Sevrin doesn’t need to be told. He climbs off of Ebron, then helps me down.
Be safe,I tell Ebron.
I will be very safe,he confirms, then leaps back into the sky.
Sevrin holds my hand as we run through the raging storm to the cabin. We’re going as fast as we possibly can, when I stumble on something and hit the ground, my hand slipping from his. Crying out in pain, I grit my teeth against the sharp aching in my ankle.
Opening my mouth, I plan to tell Sevrin I hurt myself but that I’ll try to make it to the cabin, but I don’t have the chance. Sevrin picks me up, cradling me against his chest, then continues running for the cabin. As we climb up the steps, there’s a sudden relief from the pelting rain beneath the porch, but I’m still shivering like a leaf. He knocks at the door several times, but no one answers, so he turns the handle and opens it up, bringing us inside.
It’s as dark as night within the cabin, but Sevrin doesn’t slow down. He marches us through the space, and then he sets me down on something soft. Thoughtlessly, I cling to him for a second, feeling disoriented and unsure.
“It’s alright, My Heart. I’m not going anywhere. Just let me get a fire started. You’re freezing.”
Releasing a slow breath, I untangle my numb fingers from his shirt, and he stands and walks away. I can see his shape and movement when lightning flashes outside, but I have no idea how he’ll possibly get a fire started in the dark. But even as that thought enters my mind, a spark comes to life in the darkness, and the spark slowly blossoms into a fire.
Glancing around the cabin we’re in, I see that it’s one room and a bathroom. There’s a sitting area by the fire, which we’re in,a little kitchen near the door, and a large bed in the back. There’s dust on the tabletops, but it’s not thick. This is a place someone hasn’t been to in awhile, but it’s definitely still in use.
Sevrin looks up from the growing fire, and a gasp slips from my lips.
“What?” he asks, reaching for his dagger and glancing around.
“N-nothing,” I manage, unable to take my eyes off of him.
“What?” he asks again, this time more seriously.
I hesitate, then just say it. “Your face paint. It’s gone.”
“Oh.” He seems undisturbed, resheathing his dagger.
“Is that okay?”
His expression is amused. “We only wear it for our enemies. You’re not my enemy any longer. You’re my wife.”
True enough.
But I hadn’t expected him to be so… handsome. With his face paint on, he looks like a human skull, dangerous and sharp. Now, he just looks like the kind of man women toss their underwear at while he flashes them grins that get them wet and wild.Does he know how good-looking he is?
“You’re staring.”
“You just look different from what I expected.”
“Different good or bad?”
I want to melt into the floor. “Different… good.”
He grins. “I’m glad I please you, because, Harper, My Heart, I really want to please you.”
