‘Will you? Well, she named herself the king’s shadow, which, as my regent mentioned in his letters, means she’s helping him to keep my kingdom together.’ Orm grinned, and the honest happiness on his face broke the last barrier. ‘Then there’s her magic. She’s a vivamancer.’
My brother gasped. His pupils widened as his hand grasped the edge of the brazier. I winced, readying myself for the stench of burnt flesh, forgetting that as a rider, he was immune to heat and fire. ‘Are you sure?’ he asked shortly, while his rapid eye movement told me he was talking to his dragon. ‘Vahin asks what race of being she is.’
‘Human?’ I said, uncertainty growing as pity entered my brother’s eyes. ‘Not that it matters, but Sana would have told me if she wasn’t.’
‘Vahin says vivamancers aren’t fully human. One of her parents must have been Elderkin, and some races… This might cause issues.’ He placed a hand on my shoulder with a heavy sigh. ‘I’m sorry, Rey. You shouldn’t have learned that from me.’
‘I’ll discuss it with her after this mess is done with. Sana only just discovered she had this magic. She probably doesn’tknow,’ I said, forcing a smile before changing the subject. ‘How many dragons will you leave? We encountered a threat their fire could’ve easily removed. With enough dragons on regular patrols, the void cubes won’t be a problem.’
‘Rey… you need to talk to her. Vahin can take you to Truso and back in one night. I’ll stay here in your stead. Fly home and talk with your woman. My treat. Tell her I’d love to meet her,’ he said, ignoring my question, but I shook my head.
‘I can’t drop everything when my soldiers haven’t seen their loved ones in weeks. What kind of man would I be?’ I said, fighting with the desire to see her, even momentarily.
‘One night won’t make any difference,’ Orm said, leaning over the fire. ‘You can’t lead an army with your heart at war with itself. Clear your head so your men have your undivided attention. Go, Rey. Consider it a favour to me. It’ll be nice to be a soldier again, even for one night. I miss it.’
I didn’t like that he’d seen how distracted I was, or how eagerly I embraced this excuse. Orm was a gifted commander and wouldn’t give me poor advice. And if I’d be back by the morning, nothing should be amiss.
‘Fine, you win. Call Vahin, and don’t break my army. Ivar will brief you on everything you need to know, and… thank you, brother.’ I reached out to clasp his arm. We shared more than blood, and his understanding and acceptance made it much easier to convince myself I wasn’t abandoning my duty.
We walked outside, I briefly checked on the status, and Ivar reassured me there had been no sightings of the enemy. The place was as peaceful as any military camp could be during wartime. He also took Orm’s taking command in his stride, dispelling the last reason to stay.
Vahin’s flight was swift, the land below a blurry sea of black. Occasional patches of white, where the moonlight caught the snow, highlighted the hills, and isolated flickering torchesexposed the homes of the people below. The further we flew, the more towns and villages appeared, but they disappeared swiftly, victims of the unmatched speed of the dragon. After an hour, all I could taste were the icicles clinging to my beard and the sharp winter wind that burned my lungs.
I was dressed for the weather, but even sitting on the dragon’s warm scales, the frigid air still left me shivering violently. In the end, I gave up and asked the dragon to fly lower, hoping it would be warmer. It didn’t seem to help.
Even worse than the cold was the unease that once I faced Sana, I wouldn’t know what to say, or that my inner turmoil might twist my words into something hurtful. Deep down, I didn’t care about her Elderkin bloodline or lack thereof; it was the secrecy that my mind focused on. That she’d hidden it affected me more than I was willing to admit.
By the time we finally landed, I was an icicle, shaking equally from the cold and my doubts. I turned to thank Vahin, surprised at the amusement in his vivid blue eyes.
‘Return here before dawn, King Reynard. I’ll take you back, and I promise to fly lower this time,’ he said, his deep, rumbling voice reverberating against my chest even after he leapt back into the sky, leaving me with thoughts darker than the starless night.
Chapter 17
Reynard
The city, wrapped in winter’s grip, didn’t notice its king’s arrival. My boots crunched on the fresh powdery snow as I rushed towards Sana’s house, hoping to find her there.
Roksana answered moments after my fist pounded against the door. ‘What’s the emergency? You’d better have a bloody good excuse for waking me up in the middle of the night.’ Her voice, laced with worry and annoyance, was the sweetest music to my ears.
‘I hope you like your surprise, Viper.’ I whispered, grinning.
Roksana’s eye appeared in the door as she opened it a crack. The moment she recognised me, the door was yanked back, and she leapt forward, hands tracing over my face and chest as she examined every inch of my body. I waited, smiling when the breath exploded from her lips, and she threw herself at me, nearly tackling me to the ground.
‘Rey… what’s going on?’ She closed her eyes, swallowing hard, her hands tightening on my collar. ‘Did the ice wraiths attack again? Gods, your cloak is frozen stiff!’ Her voice wobbled, and when she looked up, tears rolled down her pale face. My ideaof surprising her was suddenly less amusing than I thought it would be.
‘Let’s go inside, Viper,’ I said, scooping her into my arms as gently as I could.
‘No! Answer the question,’ she said, frowning when I ignored her. ‘Tova left to join you. If you’re here, we need to get him back, and the soldiers… When will the wounded arrive?’
‘Sana, look at me!’ I said firmly. ‘I flew here on a dragon, and it was freezing cold. The army is safe and sound under my brother’s command.’ I stroked a strand of unruly hair from her forehead. ‘I came to see you. There’s nothing wrong, I promise.’ Sana wriggled out of my arms, still frowning, and I used this moment to close the door, shrugging off the stiff cloak. Then I reached for her again, cooing softly. ‘Come here, Viper.’
‘You mean it?’ she asked. I nodded. ‘Good. After Tova… I don’t like surprises.’ Sana gave me an apologetic smile. The next moment, she was in my arms, her face buried against my chest. I held her close, savouring how right it felt to have the warmth of her body pressed firmly against mine.
‘I didn’t have time to warn you, but let me make it up to you,’ I whispered, scooping her up. I enjoyed the cute yelp she made before snuggling into my embrace. Her presence, arms wrapped around my neck, breath teasing my ear, made me forget why I’d travelled here. It was only Sana and my need for her.
Before we crossed the threshold of her bedroom, I whispered. ‘Are we alone? I had a long, cold journey, and I dream of resting in your bed, especially with your legs wrapped around me.’
‘Reynard Erenhart!’ She burst out laughing when I kicked her bedroom door open. ‘Those aren’t the words I expect from a virtuous king.’
