The spot was deep enough with a narrow window barely the span of my hand that overlooked the plateau and city, but it was not private. He pushed me backwards into the area, kissing me, petting me and up against the wall inside, he asked against my lips, “Did you not miss me, Edith? Tell me you were sleepless also.”
Kissing him, fire in my belly, I responded with a hum of agreement, but I said, “We cannot do this. Someone may come.”
Our kissing grew savager by the second.
“It is the workday,” he said, spinning me around. Before I could react, he had lifted the back portion of my skirts up to my hips.
I let out a shocked breath. The chill of the air that came through the narrow window should have reminded me that we could not do this, but it only served as his accomplice, the coolness making my flesh prickle and cry out to be caressed with his heat. We came together like that, both of our faces turned toward the wall, his hands outside mine on the rock, trying to stay quiet, hoping the scant seclusion the alcove offered would keep us from discovery.
On my left side, I saw our hands, mine inside of his, both with the plain silver wedding bands. I wondered if he noted this too as I felt him smile, his lower face against my temple. Despite my utter lack of sense as I found pleasure, I had the thought that it was another smile I could not see.
He found his pleasure as mine faded, burying his face into my neck and saying something I could not make out, but his voice broke on one of the words. Then he lifted his head from my skin and as we panted together, both needing the wall for support, still hinged together by the entwining of prick and sex, he said, “See? A man starved."
90. Daughter
In an effort to appease the clamor and angst of a city on the brink of war, Hinnom declared The Thawing would be celebrated with two days of rest, the traditional celebration taking place on the second day. This was what the citizens of Pikestully needed. They had spent a short, squalling winter waiting for the days after the weather turned to say goodbye to sons and brothers marching on Perpatane’s encampment of Sealmouth.
As I was warned, Tintarian winters were formidable but over soon. The sun was breaking through the grayness more with every day that flew by. I retired my winter dress to the back of the wardrobe entirely and only wore the fall teal. At the middle of each day, it even became too warm for that dress at times. My last days were upon me. I reasoned that I had asked for three moons around midnight on the night of The Turn of Trees. I expected it to all come to an end around midnight the night of The Thawing. And when the weekend of The Thawing came, I could not convey this to my husband, who insisted his ninth weekday would still be put to use training recruits.
“Spend the morning with me,” I pleaded, lying alongside him in our bed.
“Edith, I want these young men to be ready—”
“What is one hour? Can Perch not lead them?”
He sighed. “You are hard to resist. What do you want from me? My hands, my—”
I covered his mouth with mine. “I want you to take me up to the watchtower. I want to walk along the bluff rock with you again. Like we did after The Rush of Flowers.”
Alric gave contemplative hmm. “And why is that?”
Because you showed me that view and made me feel something good when I felt alone and despondent, I said in my head. “A woman has her reasons,” I said, cryptically, kissing him again.
“I struggle to tell you no,” he groused, leaving the bed, pulling on his breeches and leaving our room to knock on Perch’s door.
He took me up the same watchtower, nodding at the guards on the landings. We stepped out onto the bluff rock, not wearing cloaks for the first time in three moons. Alric placed his hand on my lower back, guiding me to the pathway from watchtower to watchtower.
Sister Sea spread out before us on our right, churning with foam and life, a hint of rose and gold on her surface as the sun flirted with the sky. Gulls screeched as they glided over the five drake rocks. A few fishing boats dotted the sea, taking advantage of the extra day of rest leaving most other fisherman at home, their hauls that day more plentiful.
Fathoming the briefness of my remaining life and not caring if it was too demonstrative for him, if watchtower guards could see us from their windows, I put my arm around his waist and leaned into him. “Thank you,” I said into his shoulder. “This is what I wanted.”
He put the hand on my lower back around my own shoulder. “You are sentimental this morning. Are your courses due?”
“Alric, you cannot ask a woman that.”
“But you yourself have blamed being maudlin on your courses.”
“I am permitted that. You are not.”
“You have many rules, wife.”
“And the first is thinking before we speak.”
“I cannot think of what to say if my mind is preoccupied with how the breeze drapes your skirts over your thighs.”
I laughed. It was on the tip of my tongue to tell him that I loved him.
“It will be a warm day,” he said quietly. “Tomorrow too. Truly weather for The Thawing.”
