“Sometimes, I am unsure if he loathes me or is enraptured by me,” I tell her truthfully.
“My cousin issucha curmudgeon.” She shrugs. “Don’t take it personally.”
“I won't—" I see the glint of a dagger as a figure rushes toward me. I recognize the man as Aurelia and Violet’s father—we are in danger. “Rowena, look out!” I push her out of the way, covering her body with mine as we fall.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
The dagger whistlesthrough the air so quickly that I lose track of it, wondering if I will meet my end. I brace for impact, hands moving to cover my face. A sudden gust of cold, icy air shoots past me as Rowena and I hit the dirt with a heavy thud. Glancing up, I see the man's body covered in a thick piece of ice—his blade frozen inches from my gut. A bolt of terror shoots through me as I scramble back, unable to regain my footing.
“Raelys,” a voice calls out. Hands grab my shoulders, steadying me enough to turn my head and meet Wrath’s gaze. “Are you all right?” he asks.
“I’m fine,” I say between ragged breaths. “Rowena?” Pulling out of Wrath’s grasp, I quickly turn to face her. Rowena is lying on the dirt beside me, but she’s no longer moving, her body still and lacking color. I shake her shoulder. “Rowena?!” I start to panic. “Why won’t she wake up?”
“She hit burnout.” Wrath circles us, bending to pick Rowena up in his arms. “Can you walk?”
I nod and stand, brushing the dirt off my dress. Wrath places a gloved hand on the ice, shattering it into tinyfragments. The man's remnants disappear into the breeze. I watch Aurelia’s and Violet’s father melt away into nothingness. How am I going to tell Aurelia? Should I tell her? I debate whether she will feel relieved or mournful.
“Come, Raelys.” Wrath walks away.
I follow him up the castle's steps, examining Rowena’s condition. “She froze him to save me?”
“Yes.”
Disbelief fills me. I didn’t know Elvarrans could produce ice from their fingertips. Sebastian can manipulate the wind… so what else are they capable of? Wrath and I enter the castle, rushing through the corridor. At the end of the hall stands a massive door, flanked by guards on either side. Their hands rest on the hilts of their weapons as they wait, unmoving from their post.
“Call for a healer," Wrath says to one of the guards, opening the door and stepping inside.
I follow him, suddenly realizing that I’m in Wrath’s bedchamber. Every detail speaks of wealth and luxury; not a single item is out of place. The thick velvet curtains frame the doorway to the large balcony overlooking the garden. In the center lies a plush bed. To my right are tall mahogany shelves filled entirely with books. A tapestry hangs from the wall, bearing the crest of a serpent breathing fire—the crest for House Bainbridge.
He gently sets Rowena on the bed and presses two fingers into the inside of her wrist. Wrath releases her, stepping away. “She’ll be okay.”
A sigh of relief leaves me.
“You pushed Rowena out of the way in place of yourself.” Wrath never misses the slightest detail. “Why?” he demands.
“I consider her my friend,” I reply. That answer isn’t goodenough because I feel the magic creep up my throat. “I knew he was after me anyway,” I say against my will.
“What do you mean?”
“Must you always wrestle my words from me?” My voice slightly rises.
“Answer my question,” Wrath commands.
“That was the father of the girl I requested you to employ. When I freed her from his clutches, he swore that I’d pay for it.” I tell him the truth.
“You are lacking self-preservation skills, Raelys.” Wrath scolds me as he walks away. He pushes open the double doors to the balcony, putting some distance between us as he steps outside. “You would have been killed if Rowena were not there.”
A gust of crisp night air flows into the room, sending a chill across my alcohol-flushed skin. It sends a spark of confidence through me, leading me to follow him. If he wants to quarrel with me, fine—I’ll unleash my pent-up fury on him.
“I’m still alive, aren’t I?” I counter. “That must mean I have excellent self-preservation skills.”
“Says the woman who made a deal with me," he says derisively.
“A deal requires two parties,” I remind him. “You only care if I breathe or not because you need me to break the curse.”
Anger flashes across Wrath’s features. “You can look me in the eye and tell me Rowena deserves to suffer like that? She will stay in that state for weeks, all because she used her powers to saveyourlife.”
“You’re acting like I wanted this to happen.”
