Page 88 of A Requiem of Fire and Ice

“Who’s Desmond? An ice elemny?”

I smile. “Yeah.”

“Did he die when the Kingdom of Crystal fell?”

“No.” My fingernails dig into my skin, and it’s hard to keep my voice from breaking when I say, “My, uh..I killed him. It was by my hands or my dad’s, and he enjoyed slow torture, so…”

Prince Reen flicks his cigarette into the darkness after one last intense puff. “I’m curious.”

“About what?”

“How are you still standing?”

I shrug. “I had no choice.”

Prince Reen narrows his eyes. It’s as if he sees right through me. Agitation and irritation shudder through my bones, so I look away before he can see any more.

“Let’s play a game.”

A smile appears on my face. “The only games I’ve ever played are those I have played with you.”

When I look back at Prince Reen, he’s tapping his finger against his arm and has a pensive look across his sharpened features. It’s something I notice he does whenever he’s deep in thought. He tries to figure out the meaning behind my words when I say something he can’t fathom.

As much as he keeps me on my toes, I do the same to him.

“I’ll think on it more now and get back to you once I figure out an entertaining one.”

“What did you have in mind before I said that?”

“A simple question-by-question game won’t be much fun for you. So, I will think about it more and get back to you tomorrow night.”

“I can’t wait,” I say drily.

Prince Reen breathes a laugh.

“What?”

He shakes his head. “Nothing.”

“Fine,” I hiss. “If you aren’t going to tell me, I’ll wait until your game. Then you can’t shut me down. Double fucking standards.”

“Sure, Crow Tit.” Prince Reen pushes off the railing, raises his hand in the air and waves with a sense of uncaring nature as he heads back toward his room. “Keep acting like I’m the only one who shuts down when asked a question. I’m still waiting for an answer as to why you awakened for a short time when we were in the apartment.”

What the fuck is a crow tit?

I look down at my chest and flush at the thought that he’s belittling how small my breasts are in a way I don’t completely understand. Which is fucking funny, considering he has a monster dick!

Why doesn’t that sound like a negative compared to flat-as-a-board or this fucking new crow tit one?

Whatever.

I move up the stairs to my room, but slow my pace when I notice Astin leaning against my door. Hollow silver eyes roll in my direction, and the gaze of a hawk sharpens the dark circles underneath his eyes.

“Hey,” I say. “What’s up?”

He doesn’t answer. He’s a man who lacks words unless he needs to have a conversation, and even then, what he says doesn’t hold any depth or emotional pull. Any form of small talk feels like chatting with a bloody brick wall. He does, though, offer me a smoke when he sees me. It’s a joke between us because every time he sees me, it’s an awkward situation.

“No thanks,” I say. “The smoke burns my throat too much. It’s more of an air and fire elemny thing they enjoy. Sometimes even water, but never earth or ice.”