Page 55 of Ties of Frost

Once a small fishing village, Gamnica had grown since the founding of the Empire of Laedresh into a thriving center of civilization. One of the imperial mints was in Gamnica, as were some of the most respected trade guilds and the most prestigious university on the continent, and a few major trade routes connected here.

Thus, like Laedresh, Gamnica boasted several cathedrals and sanctuaries and a few Havens. Kyrundar led us along the cobblestone streets to Lighthouse Haven. Technically, it wasn’t a lighthouse anymore, although it still had the small tower attached to a spacious manor. As larger ships frequented the harbor, a far larger lighthouse had been built on a shoal. The story went that a shipwright had purchased and expanded the abandoned lighthouse with the intent of living there. One day his son was caught on the sea in a storm, and the man had promised Iskyr that if his son returned alive, he would gift the lighthouse to a religious house. After his son survived, he turned the lighthouse into Gamnica’s first Haven. His descendants still paid for its upkeep.

A couple of the rooms were taken, marked by closed doors with sea monsters carved into the wood. I strode through the first open door I saw, ready to sleep in a bed. Kyrundar sat on one of the three cots with a contented sigh.

“Mm, I thank the wealthy citizens of Gamnica for keeping this Haven outfitted with the softest linens and the most comfortable feather mattresses.”

“The life of a rengir isn’t meant to be one of gentle comforts.” I shook my head, fighting a smile. After our rough night in the countryside, I was grateful that some people chose to provide for the Havens as their offering to Iskyr.

Kyrundar snorted. “Just because we vow not to own anything we cannot carry and disavow greed doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy quality and comfortable things. We aren’t members of the Pachissian Order who think Iskyr is best served by asceticism.” His nose wrinkled.

“Good thing, too, or we’d have broken our vows last night, since they swear to abstain from all physical pleasures and passions.”

I immediately regretted the words. Our vowsdidinclude honoring the other holy brotherhoods and sisterhoods, but the Pachissian monks were so irritating. They tended to believe every other order was inferior, and as staunch pacifists, they often declared rengiri shouldn’t be allowed to fight people, only beasts and monsters.

Mostly I wished I hadn’t let the words slip free because Kyrundar looked up from removing his boots and pinned me with his gaze. The subtle upward slant of the corner of his lips, the slight tilt of his head, and the fire smoldering in his piercing blue eyes all sent blood rushing to my face.

“I’m going to change.” I darted behind the dressing screen in the corner.

“I…am going to do my best not to think about that.”

“Kyr!” I stuck my head past the edge of the screen and scowled at him.

He laughed. “Meanwhile,Iam going to change over here. So stop peeking.”

I had to be red as a fire salamander. I fled behind the marginal safety of the dressing screen, wishing I could vanish. Or at least stop thinking about Kyrundar coming to my rescue in just his linen sleeping trousers with the moonlight highlighting his muscles…

Why did he have to be so stupidly attractive?

To give both of us time to cool down, I changed slowly. My clothes really needed to be washed, but that meant letting them dry, and we didn’t have time for that. Finally, I took a steadying breath and emerged from behind the screen.

Kyrundar was already nestled under the blanket on his cot, which was both a relief and a disappointment. I hurried to my cot and crawled inside. My nose twitched. It was chilly near the sea, but it didn’t seem right that I smelled snow.

“Are you using your magic?”

“I put a line of magicked ice across the threshold and around the window,” he confirmed. “No person or magic should be able to enter the room without it waking me. Sleep well, Zee.”

“Good night, Kyr.”

Warmth filled the heartbond. I smiled in the dim light shining through the windowpanes and surrendered to sleep.

Knocking woke me when the pinks of sunrise still tinted the sky. I groaned and rolled out of bed. With mysword in hand, I stumbled to the door.

“Who’s there?”

“Sajen,” called a familiar voice.

I wrenched open the door and blinked at the burly gryphoni. “Sajen?”

“Is Kyrundar awake? I can sense this line of ice is enchanted, but I don’t know if that means it’s going to attack me if I cross it.”

I looked over my shoulder. Kyrundar sat up and rubbed his eyes as he shook his head. I motioned Sajen inside.

“I wouldn’t use a dangerous enchantment inside a Haven,” Kyrundar said through a yawn. “That would be irresponsible.”

“Glad you got some sense in your head since your early years at Harcos,” Sajen quipped.

Kyrundar laughed and joined us in the middle of the room. “How did you know we were here?”

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