Page 18 of Ties of Frost

Kyrundar trailed me out of the cellar and walked at my side back through Castle Grivolen. When we emerged from the ruins, he turned to me.

“To West Quarter Haven, then?”

“No need for you to go out of your way.” I’d rather not be seen flying through Laedresh with him any more than necessary. “You can leave me at the gate. I can walk the rest of the way.”

He opened and closed his mouth. “Are you sure you don’t want to rethink this distance-might-break-the-heartbond theory? What if something happens with the curse in the middle of the night?”

The mention of the heartbond jolted me. “Wait—I haven’t felt your emotions in a while.” I grinned. “Thank Iskyr! You see? The bond was an accident, and it’s already fading!”

Kyrundar didn’t look convinced. “My mother and father said that a heartbond is strongest right after it forms and sometimes if one of the couple is in peril. It might be settling in, fading into the background unless we concentrate on it.”

I didn’t like that possibility. Wyveri didn’t usually talk about heartbonds beyond the very basics until the day before the wedding, when they would pass on the knowledge. I had never so much as accepted a token of interest from a man, so I wasn’t familiar with the finer details of heartbonds. Even if I had been, shifter and elf bonds were uncommon, and for all I knew, they might differ from elf heartbonds.

“You’re displeased and uncertain, and that scares you,” Kyrundar said softly. “I’m sorry. I promise I never would have willingly put you in a position to feel like that.”

I stiffened. “You guessed that based on my expression.”

He glanced heavenward. “Zee, concentrate on me. What am I feeling?”

The thought of spying on Kyrundar’s emotions on purpose made me recoil. Who thought these heartbonds were a good idea, anyway?

Sorry, Iskyr. I almost cringed, as if our god might strike me right then and there for doubting his wisdom, even though I knew Iskyr was not so unforgiving and vengeful.

Instead, I directed my unease at Kyrundar. “That feels invasive and rude.”

“I give you my permission. Now it isn’t invasive.”

“All right, fine.”

I wasn’t entirely certain how to concentrate on Kyrundar’s emotions. Did I need to stare at him intently? Imagine his feelings like a rope I could grab? Mentally picture my soul reaching toward him and touching his soul? Or simply think about him and open my heart and mind to his presence?

That would involve letting down the walls of displeasure I had constructed. I had a sensation of humor that I knew wasn’t Kyrundar—as if Iskyr were amused with me.Fine. I forgive Kyr. I don’t trust him or like him or want him around, but I forgive him.

I turned my focus back to him. An emotion filtered into my consciousness, like music so distant and quiet I had to strain to hear it, but the moment I stretched toward the feeling, it swelled.

“Why are you so sad?” The words tumbled out of my mouth without proper consideration.

The corner of Kyrundar’s lips tipped upward. “A lot of reasons. None are important right this moment.” He turned toward Laedresh and created two floating ice disks. “Come on. I’ll take you to the gate. Unless you’ve changed your mind?”

Eight

Kyrundar

Zidra tilted her head. “Changed my mind about what, exactly?”

“About me taking you all the way to West Quarter Haven?” I stepped onto my hovering slab of ice. “It’s so much faster to fly over the buildings. And it has the added benefit of avoiding awkward conversations with well-wishers.”

“Wait!” She gaped at me. “Did you fly over the buildings to Merael’s?”

“Yes—”

“So maybe no one saw you holding me while I was unconscious?” At my nod, her shoulders caved like she’d dropped a heavy weight, and the look of relief on her face almost made me laugh.

I wasn’t offended. Mostly. After all, I wouldn’t be overly keen on Laedresh gossiping about me being unconsciousand carried by another rengir, either. Still, I elected not to tell her that I had made such a racket at the entrance to Merael’s Infirmary that it was entirely possible people had seen us.

“Why did we fly through the fire-blasted streets on the way here, then?” Zidra’s scowl held such fury I was surprised her eyes weren’t glowing red.

My face heated. “I didn’t want to risk you sliding off. I don’t do this often, and you’ve never traveled by ice disk before, so I thought if you lost your footing or I didn’t hold it steady enough, well, best not be twenty feet in the air. But it went so well, I’m not worried about going higher and faster on the way back.”

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