The Mist Thief
I woke wrappedin endless furs. All night the chill from the storm seemed to have seeped into my bones.
A flutter raced through my heart when I looked to the side and found Jonas asleep in a chair, his chin propped onto the claw of his hand, his neck angled in a way that seemed horridly unpleasant.
My body ached, my head still pounded from the time spent in the thick darkness and cold of that burrow, but Elixist tonics had halted any fevers and chills from taking hold. I slipped out of the bed and tried to cover the prince with a fur without waking him.
Jonas snapped his eyes open. “You’re awake.” He scrubbed a hand over his face and sat straighter. “How do you feel?”
“I’m fine.”
Jonas reached out and traced the edge of my jaw with his fingertips.
Gods, he was beautiful. The draw to fall deeper into my nightmare prince was worse than before. The man scoured a forest for me, never stopping until he found me, then risked his own neck sliding into an abandoned burrow, set to flood or fall apart if the storm had worsened.
“You should get some better sleep,” I whispered. “I will not be going to the Otherworld or lonesome rides anytime soon, Husband.”
It was an attempt to keep my tone light, but Jonas didn’t grin.Instead, he rose, and gave up his seat to me. I had no time to protest before the prince was on one knee, my hands clasped in his.
“There is something I must say if you are feeling well enough. I know why you left the palace yesterday, and I know how much this will pain you to hear.”
He paused, and I could not breathe.
I steeled myself for his words. It would hurt, but I had already decided before the burrow, Jonas Eriksson was my choice. Be it friendship, lovers, accomplices in some tricky scheme, I wanted this life more than I would ever want Arion.
“You must know that you are wrong, Wife.”
I cocked my head. “Wrong?”
“Horribly.” The prince tightened his hold on my hands. “I know you believe it is impossible, and frankly, I was beginning to think the same, but you’re wrong. I won’t bring it up again after today, and swear to never tell another soul about your folly.”
A smile twitched in the corner of my mouth. “What are you talking about?”
His jaw flexed. In the next breath, Jonas cupped the back of my head and pulled my lips to his.
This kiss was not like the others. It was fierce and gentle, slow and hurried. Jonas kissed me like he wanted to leave the memory of it on my lips until I met the Otherworld.
By the time he broke away, I could hardly draw in a deep enough breath.
“What was that?” I whispered.
“The condition in the alliance is shit, Skadi.” He pressed his brow to mine. “I mean, it’s not if that is truly your choice, but I swear to you—gods—I swear, I am not playing some sort of game here. I do not spend my time with you to trick you into believing something that is not true.” Jonas pressed a kiss to the place behind my ear. “I do not say I want you in a jest.” One of his hands abandoned mine and glided up my thigh. “I do not touch you out of obligation.”
I shuddered beneath his hands.
“I assumed you knew the conditions.” Jonas lifted his head. “Eldirard mentioned it after the signing, but after what Arion did, I did not think it would ever matter. I did not anticipate caring, Skadi, I won’t lie to you. But I knew I would still never treat you so horribly you would wish to return to that bastard.”
I rubbed my thumb over his knuckles on the hand holding mine. “I didn’t know of the condition. When I received Cara’s missive, I didn’t know what to even think.”
“You thought I have been merely trying to keep you at ease this whole time?”
My chin dropped. “You would not be the first to speak sweet words to gain my compliance.”
In the next breath, Jonas pulled me against him, a new sort of fury in his eyes. “And if you would give me a damn name, I would leave a path of their entrails on the ground for doing so. My actions with you are not a ruse, Skadi.”
“Here, we scheme,” I whispered. “I have heard such words more than once in these walls.”
“You are not a scheme.” Jonas pulled back and removed a vial of something murky from his tunic. “I do not know what has happened in the past to leave you convinced I could never care for you, but I will not demand you merely believe my words. I’d like to also show you.”
