Page 67 of A Shard of Ice

I go over to her and put my arms around her, pulling her in for a hug. For a few seconds, it feels like she might pull away, but she doesn’t; she melts into me. I want to tilt her chin up and take her lips. I want to taste her. I want so many things.

I don’t do any of them.

Instead, I pull away, and I let her go.

“I’m attracted to you too, Kyrie. I’ve had to work hard for a long time to see you as just a friend. It was getting more and more difficult. Then the storm hit.”

Her mouth has fallen open, and her eyes are filled with shock. She blinks a few times like she can’t quite believe what she just heard.

“Oh, I…um…I didn’t expect that. I’m taken aback,” she finally says. “You had feelings for me back at the salt mine?”

I nod. “Yes, I did.”

“That’s why you weren’t interested in Lona or any of the others?”

I lift my brows.

“I never noticed. I…I thought you… I never saw any signs. We were friends…great friends, but just friends.”

“I knew you didn’t see me as more. I talked myself into believing that I was fine with it. But things have changed now.”

“They have indeed changed.” She nods, biting on her lower lip.

“I’m attracted to you and see you as more than just a friend. There is no more denying it.”

“I don’t know what to say. I don’t know what I want.” She folds her arms and licks her lips. “I just want things to be…to be normal. To be…” She looks around us. “I’m so sick of running and hiding. Of trying to survive day in and day out.”

“I know you are. I’m going to find somewhere safe for you, I promise. Somewhere where you can live in relative peace.”

“What about you?” Her eyes are big, round, and pleading. They’re a beautiful hazel, leaning more toward green than brown. There are gold flecks around her irises, and they’re so damn expressive. I could always tell how she was feeling just by looking into them, and that hasn’t changed. She’s afraid and unsure and completely off-kilter.

“I’mnota nobody, Kyrie. I’m a king. And as such, I have a duty to my people. To the realm. I must take action against Snow. You need to get to safety, and I need to build an army.” I take her hand. I trace the outline of her jaw with my thumb, cupping her face gently in my other hand. “I would like nothing better than to explore this…us, but—”

She pulls away. “Of course. No…we’re worlds apart. I’m sure there’s some royal fae you’re supposed to marry. Not some lowly human.” She snort-laughs, but it doesn’t hold much humor.

“That isn’t it at all. Love and a family are not my path right now. It won’t be for a very long time. My life is going to be wrought in danger. I may not survive. I have no business thinking about love or lust, let alone a family. Not until the realm is free. That could take years. It could take decades. I may not survive it. That is the reality of the situation.”

“Don’t say that.” Her eyes fill with sadness.

“It’s true. I need to get you to safety, and that means far away from me. I’m no good for you. I will get you killed, Ky. I would never live with myself if that happened.”

“It’s been you and me for so long. I somehow can’t picture a life without you in it.” Her eyes well with tears, but she blinks them away. “You’re right. I’m a liability. I’m holding you back. I’m weak.” She shrugs.

“You’re not weak. You’re a fighter. You stood up to those bloodfae. You can ride both a horse and a camel like you were born in the saddle. You’re kind and giving. Much to my disgust, you gave away many a token instead of taking the meat for yourself, even when you needed the sustenance. You always have a kind word to say. You won’t stand for injustice. You’re perfect, Kyrie, and don’t let anyone ever tell you anything different.”

She nods a few times. Her eyes still look a little hazy.

“We should probably get going soon.” Kyrie attempts a smile. It’s tight and doesn’t reach her eyes, which still look sad.

It’s going to kill me to walk away from this woman, but I have to. I have no other choice.

24

Kyrie

“Don’t be alarmed; it’s just us,” Thesha announces as she and Xander return a little later, their boots squelching through the mud. One of Thesha’s braids has started to come undone, and her cheeks are rosy. Her lips look red and plump.

Xander’s tunic is untucked on one side.

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