Page 31 of Ties of Frost

My gaze snapped from the wound to her eyes, but she quickly glanced away.

“You mentioned it hurts you, too.” Her voice quieted. “I haven’t… I should have… Thank you.”

Two little words, and maybe I should have been annoyed it had taken her so long and been so difficult for her to say, but instead, the whispered gratitude warmed me. Maybe because I knew I couldn’t fully understand how terrifying this all was for her. On top of being unable to access her magic, she had let me work ice magic inside her, where it hurt her and could clash with her dragon heat. In my frustration with her stubbornness, I hadn’t considered the immense trust this must take for her.

“Thank you for trusting me to do this.”

“I don’t have much choice.” But her words lacked the bitterness I’d expected.

I focused on the puncture mark. Once again, the unnatural and aggressive cold of the curse burned and warred against my own magic. If I concentrated, I could also feel Zidra’s dragon fire simmering in the background. Perhaps she, consciously or unconsciously, was holding it back. Or maybe it had something to do with our heartbond, so the magics recognized each other? An interesting possibility, but not worth mentioning.

The ice curse had spread, but thankfully not much. I pulled it back as close around the injury as I could without passing out from the strain and pain—if I fainted, I’d lose control, and Zidra would die. It didn’t take long to ensure my magic was once again shielding her and locked tightly around the curse, but it felt like a lengthy battle. I released her arm and leaned back.

“Done.”

“Thank you.”

Despite my concern over how the curse had spread, I smiled at her sincere acknowledgment. “I know it’s hard, but you need to make sure you keep your dragon fire moored as much as possible. We’ll need to avoid any excitement or fighting until we find Rouven.”

Zidra snorted. “That may be difficult with a league of assassins hunting me.” She bit her lip and glanced toward the door.

“No one is crazy enough to attack a Haven full of rengiri,” I reassured her.

“I suppose.” She focused on her hands folded in her lap. “But you’ve already gotten caught in the middle of this twice. What if they send more assassins and other people get hurt, or worse?”

“Please.” I put on my most confident, winning grin. “We’re Kyrmaris! Recipients of the Emperor’s Merit! No assassins stand a chance. They’ve failed twice. They’ve probably given up already anyway.”

That had been the wrong thing to say based on how Zidra wordlessly went behind the screen to change into a loose, flowy shirt and pair of trousers. She didn’t acknowledge me as she climbed into the other cot and settled in facing the wall.

My spirits fell, and I resisted the urge to reach for the heartbond again. She wouldn’t appreciate me spying on her emotions so often.

I changed into a pair of linen sleeping trousers, and then I blew out the candle mounted on the wall and felt myway to my own cot. After a moment’s hesitation, I whispered, “Good night, Zidra.”

Several heartbeats passed in silence. I smothered my hurt and closed my eyes.

Then, so quiet I almost didn’t hear it…

“Good night, Kyr.”

Thirteen

Zidra

Kyrundar was still sleeping when I woke. Only a hint of light showed in the sky through the window over his cot. Even after I dressed, he still slept, sprawled over his narrow bed with one foot hanging off the edge. His silvery-white hair spread out over his pillow like a halo, and I had the oddest impulse to stroke it.

Instead, I clenched my fist at my side.

This heartbond must be doing something strange to my head. That was enough to reignite the frustration with my situation that had faded with his gentleness and reassurance the night before. Of course, if the heartbond was getting stronger, that was my own fault. I shouldn’t have accessed it last night to check his sincerity. I couldn’t imagine using the bond would make it any easier to break, and we had to break it.

Even if spending this much time with Kyrundar had reminded me that between all the rivalry, we had been friends.

Even if I couldn’t deny his kindness in saving my life, sharing words of reassurance, and putting up with my fears and irritability.

Even if his whisperedgood nighthad soothed me in a way I couldn’t explain.

I was a wyveri and he was an ice elf, and it didn’t matter that intermarriages were not unheard of. I knew a few offspring of such unions, in fact.

The bond still had to be broken. Wyveri rarely married outside the clan. As demonstrated last night, Kyrundar didn’t understand what yoking himself to a wyveri meant, not really. And marrying an elf? One with a light elf mother, too, like the light elf king-turned-emperor who had banished my people to the islands? I might as well surrender all pretense of ever making my family proud.

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