The fire grew as he fed it smaller kindling and eventually larger pieces until it was roaring. He slowly stood and faced her. “You should have asked for a fire,valles,” he stated, irritation coloring his tone.
So she was back to being calledfemale.
That was fine. She could allow him to be nothing more than the Frost King.
“I am fine, my lord.” She wasn’t freezing to death, but she wasn’t cozy either. Lia had survived much worse running for her life.
He snorted. “I could hear your flat horse teeth chattering outside the camp.”
Lia rolled her eyes. “That’s a bit of an exaggeration.” She caught another whiff of meat, and her stomach growled. Loudly.
Neve walked to the table and scowled when he spotted her plate. “Do I need to feed you like a babe? Are you that incapable of taking care of yourself? Patheticsaloes.”
Gone was the passionate and slightly unhinged giant from this morning. In his place was the ice king she’d trekked across Loriia with. She deserved his hostility, she knew, but Lia had always hated bullies. “I was not hungry.”
“Your body is saying something different.”
“If I had eaten, I would have thrown it back up.” She lifted her chin. “I refuse to die with vomit on my face, my lord.”
He blinked slowly. “You think I will kill you the moment you turn your back?”
Dahlia laughed and slipped the blanket from her shoulders as the tent started to warm. She tossed it onto the table between them. “No, but I have no doubt that your Haunt would do it for you,Reillov.” It was odd that Flyka hadn’t shown up yet. She’d been waiting for the assassin to sneak up on her and slit her throat all day.
He scoffed. “When your time comes, it will not be by Flyka’s hand, nor will it be in secret. You will pay for your crimes, and I will be your punisher.”
Her gaze dropped to the fire and then back to him. “If you want to punish me, protecting me from the cold is a bad start.” Lia snapped her mouth shut and fumed silently. Why was she egging him on?
Get yourself under control.
The Frost King glided to her, seemingly stealing the breath from her lungs. He twisted a piece of her faded black hair around his finger, and a cruel smile tipped up his lips.
“Do you know how they break spies in Loriia?” he whispered. “First, they are interrogated. Sometimes, this ends up in injury. Second, we allow them toescape. One of our people always takes them in to help them heal.” He leaned in closer, his breath tickling her temple, his hand curled around her hip. “It’s this little bit of freedom—of hope—that is the key. Third, once they are almost healed, we capture them again. This is what truly breaks their minds.” He pulled back a sneer on his face. “I wanted a fire, and so I made it be. Stop thinking that any of this is for your benefit.” He sniffed heavily. “And you stink. It’s disgusting.”
Stay calm. Stay calm. Stay calm.
Lia lifted her chin and smiled. “It must not bother you since you can’t keep your hands off me, my lord.”
Take that.
Neve’s smile dropped, and he pulled his hand back as if he’d been burned. He cursed and stalked away, muttering underneath his breath in Loriian as he left.
Dahlia’s heart raced at the altercation. She couldn’t help but needle him, and perhaps he’d kill her for it one day, but there was something more going on here. Lo had educated her on what happened to former traitors. Their justice was swift and violent.
So why wasn’t she swinging from the gallows?
The Asterans were already claiming the Loriians had killed her.
Why not make it so?
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Dahlia
She losttime staring at the fire, chewing on one of her torn fingernails. Her gaze finally wandered to the tent pin. It was a last resort. Even if she did escape the tent and the camp, there would be nowhere to hide. Olwen knew she worked for Diaz. He was ruthless enough to use them to lure her out. That’s if they didn’t give Lo, Cosmos, and Lia up immediately.
No, it was only for protection if need be.
Lia walked around the edge of the room and slung a hip against the table. The last few months, she’d spent the time drowning in grief and guilt over her decisions and the loss of her mother. The pain and shame had been enough to convince Lia that she deserved an unfortunate death. But after spending just one day near Neve, Lia knew without a doubt that she would fight when the end came.
