Page 85 of Heiress of Fire

The youngest Dunbar twin only nodded with an understanding smile. Davina was grateful that he didn’t ask any more questions in front of the group.

“Good, because I have had enough with the lovey-dovey today,” Snow remarked.

“What do you mean?” Davina asked.

“We think Sadoc is about to propose to Leilani!” Cara raved, jumping up and down with the other Basalan girl.

Davina turned to Leilani who had a bouquet of roses in her arms, she touched the buds with such delicacy. Lani gripped the flowers so tightly as if she were holding onto dear life. Davina forced a grin and noted, “That’s great.”

“I know! He grew a whole new garden of roses so he could gift them to me. Isn’t that so romantic?” Leilani asked, her cheeks were lined with deep creases due to her incessant blushing. “And he takes me out on all these adventurous dates and we get along so well. We never fight like Ron and Davina have recently.”

Valerie warned with a stern look, “Leilani.”

Leilani grinned again. “What? We all know that’s true. Right, D?”

Lani faced Davina, making sure that her bouquet of roses filled Davina’s peripheral.

“We get it, love is in the air. Now, can you please stop? It’s disgusting.” Snow rolled her eyes. The crystals in her sleeves clinked together as she crossed her arms.

“Snow, aren’t you the one that introduced them?” Caleb noted, motioning to a bouncing Leilani.

“Yeah, but I didn’t think she’d be this bad,” Snow said.

Davina chuckled. “You’re right, she gets a little crazy when it comes to Allaway.”

Leilani stopped jumping and glared at Davina. The Captain shrugged with a grin.

“I’m sorry, Leilani. I suffered a lot when Beacon and Valerie first met,” Snow apologized. “They were insufferable.”

Leilani shook her head, dismissing Snow’s comments. “It’s okay.”

“Hey, we weren’t annoying!” Beacon argued.

Valerie laughed as she set a hand over Beacon’s arm. “We were kids, you can’t blame us.”

“Kids? We were sixteen and you wouldn’t stop talking about him.” The icy Neptulan’s eyes pierced Valerie’s but there seemed to be a small twitch in Snow’s lips. There was a difference in Snow’s demeanor. She wasn’t being cold as she usually was and she was conversing with everyone.

Despite Davina’s sadness, seeing Snow communicating made her a tad bit happy.

“I can say the same about you and Landon,” Valerie taunted.

Horror crossed Snow’s expression, her tainted pink lips quivered. Everyone went silent. Cara and Davina turned to each other with the same puzzled look.

Davina had never heard them speak of a man named Landon before. “Who’s Landon?” she asked.

“No one,” Snow replied immediately. A muscle clenched in Snow’s jaw as she breathed through her nose and glared at her cousin.

“Snow, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to,” Valerie said.

Any sign of emotion that Snow had been portraying had crumpled at the mention of this mysterious man named, Landon. “It’s fine. I’m going home now.”

She bumped past Valerie.

Before Snow could leave, Davina grabbed her cold arm. Her sharp blue pupils dilated as she set them on Davina. Snow rasped, “What do you want, Almenara?”

“Don’t go. Let’s talk about it.”

Whatever happened between that man and Snow, clearly left its mark on her. It was a wound so deep that Snow completely shut down at the mention of him. Davina knew better than anyone that shutting down and isolating oneself only led to more anguish.

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