Page 58 of The King of Frost and Shadows

“Lira,” a way-too-soothing voice called from far away.

I needed to save the guy I hadn’t meant to kill. The ice spike was supposed to hit lower, in a spot that wouldn’t kill him, just harm him. I wasn’t sure what I needed to do, but this time, I couldn’t allow him to die.

“Wake up,” the same voice said, and I recognized who it belonged to.

Tavish.

Why was he interrupting me when I was trying to save one of his people? I pushed away and said, “I’m sorry. Let me help you. I didn’t mean to.”

The ground shook as if to keep me away, so I pressed harder. I just needed to close the distance between us toreach him, but every time I moved a step, the man I needed to save moved farther away.

A deep growl caught my attention, followed by a weight being flung off me. My eyes popped open, and I yelled, “Stop!”

19

LIRA

Iblinked, but each time my eyes opened, the scene remained unchanged.

Nightbane had lunged over me and pinned Tavish down beside me on the bed. The wolf snarled, drool dripping from his teeth and his mouth wide, aiming for Tavish’s neck.

I’d normally fear for Tavish’s life, but his jaw was clenched from anger, not fear.

“Get off me,” he gritted, something dark brewing in his eyes, turning them onyx. “Or you will regret attacking me.”

I remembered how Nightbane had cowered in fear when Tavish had punished him for protecting me during my feeble-ass escape attempt. I couldn’t let either of them get hurt, and if I didn’t intervene, one of them definitely would, and I feared it would be Nightbane.

“Hey, it’s okay,” I said, attempting to sound soothing. I sat up and petted the back of Nightbane’s head. Tavish must have been trying to wake me from my hellish nightmare. “He wasn’t hurting me. I had a bad dream, and he was helping me.”

Nightbane stopped snarling, but he continued to stare Tavish down, his eyes glowing with clear mistrust.

I turned over, scooting my knees underneath me so I could lean more on the animal. His fruity smell comforted something deep within me. “I’m okay. I promise.”

Turning his sizable head toward me, Nightbane scanned me for signs of injury. He huffed and moved off Tavish then sat right next to me.

I scratched behind his ear as Tavish opened his mouth and closed it, speechless.

That was a first. He should be silent like this way more often.

Between Tavish looking like a fish out of water and Nightbane’s comforting presence, some of the horrors that had been plaguing me slowly faded away.

“What’s going on between the two of you?” Tavish clicked his tongue. “He doesn’t like being touched. The relationship between you doesn’t make sense.”

“Maybe if you didn’t scare him, he wouldn’t be that way with you.” I cuddled into Nightbane’s side, his body like a heater, warming me more than the blankets.

Tavish huffed, but instead of continuing the conversation, he touched my arm and asked gently, “Were you having a nightmare?”

His tenderness caught me off guard. These small moments when he showed me kindness didn’t usually last long. After my bath, he’d sat at the table with me as I ate and then created the pile of pillows between us, offering me his bed again. Even though we hadn’t talked much, I could feel the way he watched me, and it felt different … more vulnerable, like now.

Even if Iwantedto lie … I couldn’t. “No. It wasn’t a nightmare.” A sob got stuck in the back of my throat, making me sound like I was gagging.

Lovely. That was worse than crying.

Nightbane narrowed his eyes at Tavish.

“If that beast doesn’t learn respect again soon, I’ll be forced to teach him again.” Tavish frowned back at the cù-sìth.

I buried my side in Nightbane, the animal relaxing at my proximity.

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