Page 18 of Stolen Thorn Bride

Humiliation froze her to the spot for a long count of three. She could feel a blush spreading from her cheeks, down her neck, and probably all the way to the soles of her feet before she recovered enough to make a tiny whimpering sound… and slam the door shut.

He was supposed to be in bed. Recovering. He was supposed to have no strength—at least not right away—so that he might eventually acknowledge some sort of gratitude towards Kasia for saving him.

He wasnotsupposed to be lurking in the hall outside her room, looking handsome, dangerous, and just a little bit angry.

She thought she’d married a burden—someone who needed saving.

This man didn’t appear to need saving from anything.

And leaving him in the hall like this probably wasn’t helping his mood any.

Telling herself she couldn’t afford to be intimidated, Kasia opened the door just the tiniest crack.

“Go away.”

Silence. Maybe he already had.

She opened the door just far enough to peer out, but no. The annoyingly gorgeous elf was still there, and he was staring as though she’d taken leave of her senses.

“Is this a human practice I am unaware of?” He sounded stiff and cold, and Kasia found that her irritation suddenly eclipsed her embarrassment.

“Yes,” she snapped sarcastically, “of course it is. We humans are quite fond of being surprised by strangers at awkward moments. Particularly when we have nothing better to wear than a sheet!”

His expression shifted to an ominous frown. “I seem to recall Nuala being tasked with providing for you. If she has not done so, the oversight will be corrected.”

Kasia sighed and somehow did not roll her eyes. “It wasn’t Nuala’s fault,” she admitted, wondering why she bothered to defend someone who hadn’t bothered to treat her with even the barest degree of politeness. “I fell asleep in front of the door, so she couldn’t have gotten in last night.”

Her words were met by an uncomprehending stare. “You slept on the floor.” A statement of disbelief, rather than a question.

She didn’t bother to explain. It wouldn’t help his opinion of her to learn that she slept on the floor every night at home because there was only one bed, and she preferred for the little ones to have it.

When she stayed stubbornly silent, he spoke up once more, staring insistently at the air just over her head.

“I believe we have things to discuss.”

A colossal understatement.

“But it can be done from the road,” he continued. “Please prepare yourself for our departure within the hour.”

Perhaps she would have responded better had she not been hungry. Or perhaps there was no situation in which his high-handed behavior would not have irritated her beyond all reason.

“No,” she said, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

“No?” His gray eyes kindled, and emotion finally flashed in their depths.

“You heard me. I’m barely awake, I haven’t eaten since… I don’t even remember when, and I currently have no clothes.”

His gaze momentarily dropped to her sheet, provoking another sudden rush of embarrassment.

Between his regard and her own defiance, her heart was pounding so hard, she would be surprised to learn that he couldn’t actually hear it. But she wouldn’t be bullied. Miach had promised he would do his best to get her home, and she intended to hold him to that promise.

“Those can all be remedied swiftly,” her new husband finally responded. “I find myself unwilling to linger in a place where I have been unconscionably betrayed, and yet…” His pause was uncomfortably long and followed by a sigh. “I will not compound the evils of the day by abandoning you to an uncertain fate.”

And even though she had nothing to do with any betrayal—after all, she was as much a victim as he—Kasia felt the sting of his disappointment. At least she could relieve him of some degree of his frustration.

“Consider one of your burdens lifted,” she said, raising her chin and regarding him coolly. “I am quite happy for you to abandon me wherever you choose, so long as I am allowed to return to my life.”

One perfectly arched eyebrow lifted in response, and his lips curled sardonically. “I have no idea what they might have told you,” he announced, “but allow me to correct any misapprehensions now. The bonding ceremony that joined us cannot be revoked or undone outside of death. While I do not understand what that entails for an elf and a human, the potential ramifications cannot be ignored. We cannot risk being separated for the immediate future. Should the bond weaken or break, either or both of us may not survive the event.”

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