Farron’s arms tighten around me. “Forever,” he echoes.
The hazy air shimmers with the weight of our declarations, binding us together in ways that transcend the physical.
“Now, as much as I’d love to stay in here,” Caspian says, “I think we all want to see if our little Summer fishy can swim in the icy north.”
60
Dayton
“You should know, Ezryn,” I say as I stand butt naked, staringinto the cold lake, “that this is all your fault.”
Ezryn chuckles, the sound reverberating through the helm. No doubt he’s rolling his eyes. The rest of our group showered at the hytte and are now bundled up, standing at the edge of the lake.
“Hurry up, sunshine,” Caspian calls. He’s wearing furs that are much too large for him and is still curled into the Winter Prince’s side, Kel’s cloak wrapped over his shoulders as an extra layer of protection.
This scene could be straight out of my past, the five of us princes together just doing random things like this…
There’s one stark difference. Rosalina. She stands with her beige fur hood pulled around her face, cheeks flushed pink.We’re not going to fall apart anymore. Rosalina binds us together.
“Day, come on,” Farron calls. “Cas is right. It’s freezing.”
“Just preparing myself.” I shift from foot to foot, staring into the dark blue depths. The lake is so cold, there are ice floes drifting through the water. I’ve done this plunge once before. Itwas so long ago, I’d almost forgotten about it. Shortly after the first time I slept with Farron, I’d woken with a fever so hot I thought I was going to burn to ash. I’d begged my brother, High Prince Damocles, to bring me to Winter to cool down.
And I did.
But I’m not afraid anymore.
With a yelp, I jump in.
The water slaps me like one of Quellos’s pissed-off wraiths. I don’t even have time to scream—it’s like every part of my body instantly forgets how to function.
For a second, I just sink. It’s peaceful—if you ignore the fact that it feels like I’m being stabbed by a million tiny ice daggers. I kick, my foot hitting what Ihopeis a chunk of ice and not the frozen soul of someone else who also thought this was a good idea.
But I give myself a moment to blow bubbles out of my nose. This is water. Water is where I’m home. Last time I was here, I wanted to quell a fire that blazed within my heart, but I can feel it so bright now.
My mate bond with Rosalina.Always there, always a fierce tug, drawing my gaze upward.
The sunlight filters through the surface in soft, shifting ribbons, like golden thread unraveling into the blue. It’s beautiful in a way that doesn’t make sense—like it’s out of a dream.Maybe my mate bond with Rosalina isn’t the only thing blazing beside my heart. Maybe there’s something else that’s been simmering.
And I’m not thinking of that flame…thatthingCas infected me with. No, my thoughts are of something that touched my soul a long time ago. The kind of warmth that lingers like the final days of summer—sweet and fleeting, a moment you don’t realize you’re losing until the air begins to cool and the golden glowfades to amber. It’s the ache of endless blue skies surrendering to twilight, the horizon painted in bonfire red and coin gold.
I shake my head. How long have I been down here? Bet they think I’ve frozen solid. But all at once, I’m glad I lost the bet. Beneath the water, it’s…quiet. My ears are filled with a muffled hum, and all I can do is float here, staring up at the surface.
The cold should terrify me, but instead, I feel the most at peace since I woke up on the airship.Or was reborn? Was resurrected?
I want to stay down here longer, but my lungs remind me they’re not big fans of this little experiment, and I kick toward the surface.
The water ripples above me, and a figure plunges in near me. Beautiful soft curves, long wavy brown hair. Rosalina, completely naked.
Worried about me, Blossom?I say into her mind.
She grimaces and blows out angry bubbles, the cold no doubt a shock to her system.I knew you were okay through our bond, she says back.But where you go, I go. Even this frozen hell.
Then she kicks toward me, and I don’t care about air or the cold or any damn thing. All I need is her lips on mine.
My body warms with her touch, and as we break apart, I heave in a great gasp. Wait. I heave in a great gasp through my gills.
Rosalina smiles at me, golden fins flashing. I look down at my own siren tail.
