“I really love it when you refer to me as a thing. Really does it for me. Keep this up and you’re going to find that bed very, very cold.”
He shook his head, a grin spreading across his face as he continued to forge forward on the path. “That tapestry couldn’t be that old. That means someone in Vitor knows the truth or at least suspects it. They don’t have Oberon ruling the city—maybe some of the history wasn’t erased. We should find out as much as we can before going to the queen. If we go to the queen.”
“That’s another thing I don’t understand. The war ended generations ago. The tapestry shows the final battle. How can I be Queen Mab’s daughter?”
Ace paused for a moment, visibly collecting his thoughts. “Maybe she survived and hid and had you later. I really don’t know, Mouse. But let’s try to find some answers.”
I nodded and focused on the path in front of us as it became more muddy and slippery. We forged ahead, navigating the forest until we reached the small hunter’s lodge. Someone had a perverse sense of humour calling it a lodge. It was a one room, wooden shack with a covered stack of logs outside. The last person to use the shelter hadn’t restocked the wood pile, so we had limited supplies.
We stumbled into the stark cabin, drenched to the bone and shaking from the cold. I peeled off layer after layer, letting the clothing fall in a pile on the floor.
Ace closed the door behind us and stood near the entrance, his gaze scanning my body.
I let the last of my clothes drop to the floor.
His gaze darkened but instead of closing the distance between us and warming me up, he leaned against the wall and crossed his arms.
“What?”
“Just wondering if you’re going to demand I bow before you.”
“Demand?” Cold rain continued to drip down my body, pebbling my chilled skin. I lifted an eyebrow and stepped toward him. “Are you saying you don’t want to go down on your knees before me?”
His lips quirked. “Demand might’ve been too strong a word.”
“Mmm.” I took another step. “You would be lucky if I permit you.”
His gaze flashed. Now that I knew he housed a wolf inside, I saw the feral animal streak across his gaze.
“That seems like an abuse of power,” he said.
“The only abuse of power is you withholding your heat.” I jabbed my finger into his chest. “I’m standing naked and cold in front of you, and you haven’t done anything about it.”
“You’re also wet.”
“That seems to be a perpetual problem around you.” I lifted my chin. “Are you going to do anything about it?”
He did in fact do something about it. Multiple times.
24
I pulled out the map from O’Reilly’s cabin and carefully unfolded it. After Ace had helped me warm up last night, I’d pried it free from my pocket to find it relatively unscathed from the rain. I’d let it dry by the fire again, but it was still a little damp. I studied the lines and landmarks on the map, my attention snagging on the mysterious town again. It had to be nearby.
“I think we should make a quick stop.” The narrow trail to the left matched the smoothly drawn line on the old parchment. I veered off our current path to follow the trail.
Ace spun quickly to follow me. “Where are we going?”
I pointed at the map. “Remember that crossed out town on the old man’s map? It’s close. I think we should check it out.”
Ace ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t know, Mouse. It could be dangerous. There’s only the two of us.”
“I’m not planning to run into the town and announce who I am or lay siege to it. I thought we could just…you know…” I swirled my fingers in the air. “Swing by.”
Ace raised both his eyebrows. “Swing by?”
“Yeah. It’s one of those terms they used before the gates opened. It means?—”
“I know what it means, Mouse. I just don’t like it.” Worry pinched his brow and from the pop of muscle along his jawline, he clenched his teeth.
