Page 141 of A Reign of Chromes & Shadows

Henry opened the door, smiling; until he saw their faces. Confusion flickered across his features, but he didn’t ask. He simply stepped aside.

Rain collapsed onto the nearest bed, boots still on, clothes still dusty. He clung to Snow’s hand like it was the only thing tethering him to the world.

She climbed onto the bed beside him, leaning against the headboard. Rain pulled her hand to his chest, hugging it like a child clinging to a comfort toy.

Snow stroked his hair gently, brushing it from his face.

Rain closed his eyes, focusing on the rhythm of her fingers.

He didn’t let himself think.

If he thought, he’d feel.

And if he felt…

He might not come back from it.

Chapter 41

Darkness met Rain as his eyes blinked back into awareness; thick, velvety, and still. For a moment he didn’t move, letting the quiet settle around him like a blanket. His body felt heavy, boneless, the kind of exhaustion that seeped into marrow. The room was empty, but faint murmurs drifted up from below: soft voices, gentle laughter, the crackle of a fire.

His eyes adjusted slowly.

Snow had folded clean clothes neatly at the foot of the bed.

His boots were gone; she must have slipped them off without waking him.

He’d been dead to the world.

He pushed himself upright, limbs stiff, and padded into the en-suite. The bright light stabbed at his eyes, making him flinch. He twisted the shower faucet and stepped under the steaming water, letting it beat against his skin until the last of the desert grit and heartbreak washed down the drain.

When he finally emerged; scrubbed raw, hair damp, dressed in soft grey clothes, he felt marginally better.

He descended the stairs slowly, letting his power drift ahead of him like a soft pulse. It guided him toward the living room.

And the sight that greeted him made something in his chest loosen.

Snow sat perched on the edge of an antique studded couch, gently combing through Scarlet’s loose auburn curls. Scarlet sat between her knees, back straight, hands folded neatly in her lap, looking impossibly small and impossibly proud.

Rose was curled in a rocking chair by the fireplace, legs tucked beneath her, a mug of hot chocolate cupped in both hands. The firelight painted her in warm golds and soft shadows. She was smiling, as she spoke animatedly to Henry, who listened with the patience of a saint.

Rose spotted him first. Her smile somehow grew even brighter.

“Rain!” she chirped, her voice like sunlight through stained glass.

Everyone turned.

“Hey,” he said sheepishly, moving to sit on the corner of the couch. “It’s good to see everybody settled in.”

“I haven’t lost control at all!” Scarlet announced proudly, bouncing onto her knees and spinning to face him.

Rain’s smile came easily; the first genuine one since the bar.

“Wow, that’s impressive. Is that the longest you’ve gone without losing control around others?”

“Yep!” Scarlet nodded vigorously. “If I see people too close, then… roar.”

She flung her arms out dramatically, mimicking flames bursting from her chest.