“Saints,” I breathed. “I would have died on the spot.”
I made the mistake of meeting his eyes—those charming, warm, inviting pools of gold. I snapped my head away.
Reese wrapped an arm around me and leaned me against his side. Warmth pressed through my clothes, and I sighed in relief.
I kept my head up for a long while, reluctant to lay it on his shoulder. A crick formed in my neck, and I hesitantly gave in. The ice clinging to my cheeks melted away when it touched him.
I felt every muscle in his shoulder tense, every cord in the arm behind my back tighten. His hand slid down my arm and curled into a fist, pressing into the bed at my side.
“You and the prince,” Reese said abruptly, jaw tight. “Were you courting?”
“Laiserian?” I perked up, happy to talk about someone else. “Yes. We’d only just begun, though, and considering my situation . . . I don’t imagine it’ll work out.”
“Paragons have married into royalty before.”
“That sounds like a great deal of work. I never wanted to be queen of Aenir. I just wanted to find my people.”
“Find Tirnanog?” Reese tilted his head, and it brushed mine. “Why do you need to marry Laiserian for that?”
“Because no one will do anything. And no one will listen to me, as I am.” I bit my tongue before my next words emerged.
A nobody.
“Killian tried to reach Tirnanog once,” Reese said softly. “He told me Cierthine stopped obeying him when he drew too close to the storms.”
Even a Paragon had failed? I ran a hand across Cierthine.
Was it really hopeless?
My hand trailed off the black blade and tumbled to hang off the bed. Reese caught it, cradling my fingers in his.
Lifting my head from his shoulder, I looked at him in surprise. His hand tightened around mine, and his lips parted before sealing back together.
He stood abruptly. The hand that had held mine tensed at his side. “I should let you get some sleep.”
The cold sank deep into my bones the moment he stepped away. My lip trembled as I watched him approach the door, hoping to find a dignified way to ask him to stay.
But there wasn’t one.
“Can’t you stay?” I asked.
Pleaded, really.
He paused, hand on the knob. “I can tell you value your honor. I didn’t want to?—”
“I’m too cold for honor, tonight.”
“Alright,” he teased, smiling again. “I can coddle you foronenight.”
Relieved, I leaned back against the pillow stiffly, hoping to avoid touching the soiled sheets. Reese sat heavily beside me and pushed me over. I gasped as my cheek struck the sheets and propped myself up, staring at him in abject horror.
“Paragons,” he said. "Don’t live in luxury. Get used to it.”
“You said you were going to coddle me.”
“My apologies, my lady. Would you like a back rub to accompany your dirt bed?”
Scoffing in disgust, I rolled over. Warmth enveloped my back.
