I flush again, and I open my eyes. He’s so beautiful in the moonlight that it’s almost heartbreaking. “I didn’t mean to leave you alone, Jax.”
“I haven’t been alone.Lonely, because this is the longest conversation I’ve had in days, but not alone.”
I wince, thinking of the soldiers he was with earlier, wondering howthey got along, because only Malin speaks any Syssalah at all. “I’m glad some of them are friendly.”
His eyes trace my expression. “You could have joined us.”
That chases some of the heat out of my body, and I look back up at the stars. On the first few days out of Briarlock, Iwouldhave joined them. I would have played cards or dice, and we might have shared stories around a campfire, with me translating for Jax.
But I think of the press of soldiers at camp, the nightmares that have haunted my sleep, the way that man brushed against my shoulder and I was ready to draw blades.
I shake my head.
Jax’s fingers brush over mine again. “Too much soldiering.”
He doesn’t say it like a question, but I nod anyway. It’s not the whole truth, not quite, but it’ll do. Something about the silent darkness makes it easier to admit fears in the middle of the night, even with my magic waiting right under my skin to respond to dangers that don’t exist. “Yeah.”
His fingers are drifting away, and I twist my hand to capture his before he can let go. I keep my eyes on the sky, because otherwise I’m going to pull him down to me, and I don’t want to risk another soldier seeing us. But I can’t sit here like this without touching him atall.
His fingers wind through mine, and we sit there for the longest time, just letting the wind wash over us as darkness cloaks the fields.
“Tycho,” he murmurs. “We shouldn’t sleep.”
My eyes flutter open, and I’m startled to discover Iwasbeginning to fall asleep. The breeze whipping through the grass is ice cold now. There must be a storm coming. Clouds obscure the stars overhead, and I wonder if we both drifted off for a time.
“Sorry,” I say roughly.
He grimaces. “After everything you said . . . ?I figured we shouldn’t be found this way.”
“No, you’re right.” And our bedrolls shouldn’t be the only ones empty, either, but I don’t say that.
I hate this. The chill in the air suddenly matches my mood.
“Come on.” I uncurl to standing, then hold out a hand. “Let’s go.”
He takes my hand, but when I pull him upright, he grabs hold of the front of my armor. At first, I think it’s for balance—but then he presses his mouth to mine.
I inhale sharply, but I don’t protest. Maybe it’s too much or maybe I’m too weak or maybe I’m just dreaming, because I’m lost to the sudden taste of him. My hands tangle in his hair as the wind whips around us, biting at my skin. That fire lights in my belly again, sending heat through my veins. I should let him go, but I don’t. I should stop, but I won’t.
This is reckless and foolish, but right this second, I don’t care.
Maybe fate doesn’t hate me after all.
But then I feel a spark in the wind, and it tugs at my awareness. I pull away, breaking the kiss. Our breath clouds in the air between us like it’s midwinter, the air so biting it makes me shiver.
It doesn’t make sense. We’re a few weeks shy of summer.
“Tycho?” Jax says, and from the alarm in his tone, I know he sees it, too.
But he’s not looking at our shared breath. He’s staring at my arm, at the sheathed knives along my bracer, where the hilts are exposed by the leather.
Frost forms on the steel, ice crystals gathering with alarming speed.
“Scravers,” I whisper.
I look up to the sky, but it’s too dark now, especially with clouds covering the moon and stars. All I see are flickering shadows. Wings? I’m not sure. The wind burns my eyes, and I shiver again.
Then an inhuman voice finds my ears, carried on the wind.
