Page 28 of Court of Bone and Amethyst

He tosses one set of the clothing toward Owyn, or rather, at Owyn’s head, but the sorcerer catches it easily. With a smile he says, “I’ll give Sarielle her privacy, of course.” He strides out of the covered area to find somewhere else to change.

“Zyren,” I begin, but he drops my pack on the ground and strides around the corner out of view.

With a sigh, I retrieve the bundle of clothes and begin to strip down so I can add the insulating layers underneath my existing clothes. I really don’t understand Zyren’s whiplash of emotions all the time. It seems nothing I do makes him happy. I remind myself yet again that a guardian doesn’t have to like his ward. My heart, however, has a harder time with this truth than my mind does.

It’s going to be a very long journey north.

I thought thelands south of Frost Haven had been barren and desolate, until we enter the lands north. Snow begins to drift down less than two hours into our journey, coating the craggy hills around us in a layer of stark white. By late afternoon, wereach a vast, flat area dotted with small lakes, dozens of mirrors reflecting the silvery sun, which hides behind steel-colored clouds. Far in the distance to the west, I can see something rising from the plains.

“What is that?” I ask, not to anyone particular, pointing toward it.

“The Elarian Ice Forest,” Zyren responds, his breath coming out in clouds of white.

“It’s said to be cursed,” Merla adds, her voice holding a tremor of fear.

I swing my gaze to her. “Cursed?”

“It was the home of ancient gods, or so the stories go,” Owyn says. “Few travel there. Those who do are not heard from again.”

“Even the guardians do not venture there,” Zyren says. “I don’t know that I believe the tale about the gods, but whatever is there clearly suffers no trespassers.”

“Well then, I’m glad it’s far away,” I say with a shiver.

“We’ll be skirting closer to it tomorrow,” Zyren says, “But not too close.”

“How much farther do you think it is to the Court of Memory?”

“Six days, give or take. If that blizzard doesn’t slow us down.”

I follow his outstretched hand as he points north to a darker patch of sky far in the distance. It looks like a band of storm clouds. The sky overall is so gray, I hadn’t even noticed.

“I can’t tell yet which way it’s moving,” he adds.

“I’ve been watching it,” Owyn says. “It looks to have a slight westward bend.”

A muscle in Zyren’s jaw twitches. “Perhaps. Let’s hope you’re wrong.”

We make camp a couple of hours later next to one of the lakes. There are several tiny huts scattered about it, made of rough-hewn timbers with thatch and animal hides for a roof.

“Does anyone live here?” I ask.

“Fishermen, in the summer,” Zyren says. “It is rarely used at this time of the year, so close to winter.”

His words prove right, upon inspection we find them all empty. We use two for the horses, unsaddling them and draping extra furs across their backs for warmth. There are three remaining though it’s too cold for anyone to sleep alone.

“Sarielle and I will share a hut, and you and Merla can share the other,” Zyren says to Owyn.

“Perhaps Merla and I want to share one, and you men can have your own hut,” I interject. I don’t care for the way he discusses us like we don’t have any say in the decision.

“I amnotleaving my queen alone all night.” Zyren bites off each word between gritted teeth.

“I won’t be alone.” I glare up at him. “I’ll have Merla. We’re more than capable of defending ourselves.”

Merla’s cheeks, already red from the cold, turn even darker. When Zyren turns the force of his gaze onto her, she nearly flinches. “What do you say, Merla? Do you want to be responsible for the safety of the Queen of Valaron?”

She opens and closes her mouth a couple of times, and Zyren shoots me a smug look.

“It’s fine, Merla,” I say, aiming an even more pointed glare at Zyren. “Don’t worry about it.”

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