Page 179 of A Lord of Snow and Greed

“Stars, what am I doing?” I whispered.

It was late, after the hour of the aura owl. Vale was probably sleeping.

Even so, I’d come this far. Farther than I’d managed in days. Steeling myself, I let my hand fall, once, twice, three times. My nerves jolted with each knock echoing in the hallway, but I forced myself to stay in place. To not run like a coward.

I waited. And waited. A full minute passed, then two, and nothing happened. Was he really sleeping so hard?

No, I’d shared a bed with him. Unless he was drunk, Vale did not sleepthatsoundly.

Was he ignoring me?

My fingers itched to open the door, but I knocked twice more first and waited again. When he did not open the door, I turned the knob and peeked inside.

The room stared back at me, empty, the bed cold.

Where in all the nine kingdoms was he?

“Vale?” I called out in case he’d stepped into the adjoining bathroom.

No answer.

I shut the door and pressed my back against it, exhausted from the emotional journey I’d taken.

“But where is he?” I whispered.

I’d worked myself up to come here, to speak with him. Though terror wracked my bones over what he might say, I also didn’t want to give up.

Perhaps Caelo was awake? Maybe they were in theknight’s room drinking? That felt right, so I began making my way there but quickly ran into a servant.

She cocked her head ever so slightly, the only indication of her curiosity. “Are you lost, Princess Neve?”

“No, I was looking for Prince Vale. Is he with Sir Caelo?”

The servant swallowed. “No, Your Highness. He’s not.”

“Do you know where he is?” I noted how she wrung her hands.

“I do.”

“Where?”

“I showed him to another room. One he requested to see.”

“Take me.”

She pressed her lips together. “Are you sure? You two have been?—”

“Now,” I demanded, surprising myself with the force of my tone. I bit the inside of my cheek. “I’m sorry. It’s been a long day. Please show me to the prince.”

She didn’t argue further, just waved for me to follow, so I did, down the corridor and up a set of steps. We climbed and climbed until there were no more stairs. We’d reached the top level of Riis Tower.

“Who’s up here?” I asked.

I’d been under the impression that no one slept on the highest level. Largely because it was far from the kitchens and the den where people liked to congregate.

“No one. The prince is . . . visiting.”

Visiting who?

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