“What about a waterslide?”
“Perfection.” I scoop her in my arms and kiss her. “Tell me, Blossom. Did you come to Castletree to refresh the roses or foranother reason?”
Rosalina raises a dark brow. “I did need to give magic to Castletree.”
“And anything else?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I press our foreheads together. “Come on, Rosie. You’ve been looking at me like I’m going to disappear since I arrived in Frostfang.”
She knots her fingers into my tunic. “But youdiddisappear.”
Dreads crawls through my stomach. “I’m not going anywhere. I promise.”
“Alright.” She loops her arms around my waist. “But don’t be mad if I want to keep you close for a little while, okay?”
Her touch replaces that dread with warmth, and I draw Rosalina against me. Gods, she feels so good in my arms.
“Absolutely no objections to that. Would it be inappropriate to throw you down on these briars and eat you out right here in the High Tower?” I nip at the soft skin of her neck. “Sort of like fucking in a monastery.”
She tilts her head, beautiful brown curls spilling over her shoulders. “I’m yours, Day, body and soul and heart. Anytime, anywhere.”
“That’s a dangerous offer.” I draw her into a deep kiss, sliding my hands down to pull on her skirts. “What if I want to throw you down on Keep Wolfhelm’s dining table just to piss Kel off?”
“How can you always make me laugh when everything feels so heavy around us?”
“So I’ll take that as a yes?”
A scream sounds from down the stairs. We both straighten, and I instinctually draw Rosie closer.
Rosalina’s eyes widen, and she bolts to the doorway. “That sounded like Marigold.”
“Rosie, wait!” I sprint after her. My boots hammer against the stone as we race down the spiraling staircase.
We burst into the entrance hall, and my stomach drops. At the bottom of the grand staircase, Marigold is pressed against the far wall, her face pale as death, her chest heaving. In front of her, a massive bison snorts, its horns lowered.
“That’s Konreth,” Rosie gasps.
Konreth, a member of the Winter staff.
“It’s daytime. Why is he in his animal form?” The staff rarely, if ever, shift to their animal forms during the day. But the way Konreth is stamping…it’s not a person in there. It’s a beast. My heart sinks. This is far too familiar from when Farron lost himself to his wolf and eerily similar to Keldarion today. Could that have something to do with it?
“Stay back!” I bark at Rosalina, throwing out my arm to stop her. She ducks under it, her skirts flying as she runs straight into danger.
Gods damn it, Rosie.
I slide down the railing, passing Rosie and landing in a tangle of briars. Konreth turns to me and snorts, pawing at the ground again, his muscles coiling like a spring about to snap. I take a steadying breath, letting the magic stir in my veins.
The bison lunges.
A quick flick of my wrist, and a blast of wind slams into the beast’s side, throwing it off course. It skids wide, and in that split second, I dive forward to grab Marigold.
“Hang on!” I grunt, rolling us out of the way as the bison crashes into one of the pillars. My back hits the ground, and I shield her with my body as the beast shakes its head, disoriented.
“You alright?” I help her to her feet.
“Oh my!” Marigold screams, placing a hand over her chest. “I don’t know what’s making my heart race more: almost getting speared by that bison or being rescued by the strapping High Prince of Summer.”
