Page 67 of Heart of the Summer Queen

Elaric does not return that night.

Though I huddle in my blanket, I can’t dispel the chill set deep in my bones.

One moment his arms were around me, and I was living a blissful dream.

In the next, he was gone. The illusion shattered, shards piercing my heart.

I can still taste his lips on mine. I can still feel him inside me.

The ghost of our passion just makes me feel hollower.

But I can’t blame him for it. This is my fault. I knew things would never again be the same between us. I should have clung to my senses and ended our kiss before it spiraled out of control. It was selfish and foolish of me to believe we could go back to what we were, even if just for one night.

Things went too far.Ipushed him too far. And now I’ve broken the fragile remnants of our relationship. I’m not sure we’ll ever return to the tentative friendship we’ve formed over the past week.

I clutch my blanket, though it does nothing to soothe the ache within.

Part of me yearns to chase him down through the trees, to confess how I’ve spent every waking moment since our wedding night regretting it all, how he means so very much to me.

But such a confession would be for my sake alone, to earn his forgiveness and regain what I’ve lost.

Maybe the reason he feels drawn to me is because of the magic binding me to him as his fated Summer Queen. With the curse broken, he might wake up and realize he would have never chosen me otherwise.

Cutting ties between us is what I must do for his sake, even if my heart feels like it’s bleeding.

For now, we must be nothing more than allies focused on our quest. After we return to Belinda, slay Isidore, and break his curse, we will go our separate ways, leaving all this behind us.

Eventually dreamless sleep finds me. But when I wake, the pit in my stomach is just as deep.

To my surprise, as I sit up and rub my eyes, I spot Elaric leaning against a nearby tree. He faces away from me, but must sense my stirring since he turns in my direction. He’s careful to avoid my gaze.

“You should eat,” he says to the lake, voice clipped. “We will leave shortly.”

I say nothing, pretending to be fascinated with rummaging through the provisions in our sack. I find a loaf of bread and attempt to eat a slice, but it tastes like chalk.

Still naked beneath the coarse blanket, I find a tree to dress behind. Elaric turns away as I do, body tense. Though the windbites at me as I unwrap my blanket and pull on my breeches and tunic, my skin burns with shame.

Stepping back into our frozen campsite, I force steadiness into my voice. “I’m ready.”

Silently Elaric rises, conjuring the carriage and winged steeds once more. He approaches the door then pauses, partly turning toward me. My eyes drop to the ground, unable to meet his. Even slight glances cut too deeply.

Elaric pulls open the door. An agonized moment drags by while he waits, holding it open for me to climb in.

I half wish he would storm inside the carriage, punctuating his unspoken fury by slamming the door behind him. Rage would at least clarify our current positions. This ambiguity only serves to twist the knife in my chest deeper.

We should speak about last night, lay bare all our regrets and questions before the stifling tension suffocates us both.

But no matter how I try, I can’t form the words. All the desire and hurt and pain are too big to voice aloud.

I hurry past, not looking at him. Every nerve in my body tingles from his nearness as I step into the carriage. My pulse is so deafeningly loud, especially compared to the silent forest surrounding us.

Elaric enters quietly and shuts the door. I glue my eyes to the window as he sits on the bench opposite mine. The translucent trees beyond fail to distract me. But I cling to the attempt, regardless.

He directs the carriage over the forest. Neither of us speaks. The view blurs outside my window as I fixate on anything besides him and the memory of last night.

It takes several miles before the trees turn green again, showing just how far Elaric’s power has spread overnight. Only the outskirts are intact. How long will it take for people of the nearby towns to notice the unnatural state of Brimlore Forest?Is Elaric’s power well known beyond our kingdom? Will the local people blame him for the unnatural winter, or will they suspect it to be the work of a powerful ice witch?

Before long, the forest is far behind us, and we’re soaring through the powdery clouds. Golden sunlight pierces through the windows.

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