Page 36 of A War of Ruin and Reckoning

“Tense your muscles.”

“What?”

“Do it.”

Nova focused on the carved wooden gate a mile away. Clumps of snow covered the tops of the walls. With her shuddering, everything blurred.

“Tense,” Leaf said.

She tightened every muscle.

“Hold.” He squeezed his arms around her. “Hold until the trembling calms. Release.”

She exhaled and relaxed. She still shivered. And now her nose started to run.

“And again.”

Arctic, bone-numbing wind bit into her skin like razors. Nova tensed, holding her breath.

“Spare a thought for the horse,” Leaf said dryly. “You’ll be fine.”

“Worried?” she teased after relaxing again.

He grunted. “It’s what a mate would do.”

Powdery snow exploded as angels with white feathered wings surrounded them. Nova gasped, bringing in a bolt of icy air at the miraculous sight. Her mother would have dropped to her knees and prayed.

Dressed in pale leather armor burned with intricate patterns, the four soldiers—each with bone-white hair and eyelashes—bared talons and teeth.

“Halt!” barked a male with mahogany skin and pale freckles. Nova’s heart pitter-pattered as she took in his strikingly handsome face. His cropped silver hair accentuated gray eyes that reflected the icy landscape. These owl shifters had curved round ears like the crow shifters in Grung’s army.

The other guards were two females—one with white afro hair but brown skin and the other as pale as a person with albinism. She might have entirely camouflaged against the snow if it wasn’t for the burned patterns on her leather.

The fourth guard stood back with his arms folded and an unimpressed expression. He gestured at Leaf’s face and said, “He’s a Guardian, Storm.”

“I have eyes, Alaric,” replied the first male guard—Storm.

Cool name, Nova thought. But then panic filled her when the owl-shifter’s lip curled in disgust as he glared at Leaf. The last thing she wanted was to be caught in another fight.

“State your business at Frostwing.” Storm took a threatening step forward.

Nova was sure Leaf mumbled the wordimbecilewhen he exhaled. But he slid his forearm up from her waist and banded it around her breasts. Was he groping her… now?

“We are cold and seek refuge,” Leaf grumbled.

Storm’s gaze dipped to the placement of Leaf’s hand, then up to Nova’s face, where he stared longer than appropriate. Leaf thought so, too, because he emitted a low, breathy growl.

“You’re mated?” Storm asked gruffly, his brow rising in disbelief. “A Guardian?”

It finally clicked why Leaf had groped her. He couldn’t lie and call them mated, but she could. The ruse began now.

“He’s my mate,” she confirmed, her teeth chattering uncontrollably.

“And she is freezing,” Leaf snapped. “Do not let us remain in the cold longer than necessary.”

Storm’s gaze narrowed. “Or what?”

“Or I tell the rest of the Order where their leader hides away from responsibility. It won’t be long before every Mage and Guardian turns up at your gates needing decisions and guidance.”

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