Page 33 of A Blightress of Wrath
Ieyed him, wondering what plans he was concocting.
Wellyncleared his throat. “Well, suppose the loft could make do, but some of the slats in the roof are broken.Beenmeanin’ to get those fixed so it might be a bit cold up?—”
“Wehave magic to keep it warm, thank you,”Revreplied quickly, pinching my backside and pulling me closer whenIsqueaked in response. “I’lltake a look at those slats while we’re there.”
“That’svery kind,BaronRevich.Thankyou, lad.”
Asthe hour grew later and the stories of farming grew longer,RevandIgathered our blankets and murmured our goodnights, trekking out into the winter storm that still raged, blowing jagged flakes into our faces as we raced to enter the side door of the barn.
“Illuminare,”Revcalled, lighting the inside of the stone room, disturbing the animals.Ourhorses neighed in stalls at the back corner while a few dozen sheep called out at the disturbance, inciting a riot from our sudden appearance.
“Compaynen,”Isoothed, calming them instantly to settle down huddled into their beds of hay.Istepped forward, blankets in hand and looked around.Thepale stone bricks stacked around the open room appeared to be taken straight from a quarry and were covered in decades of grime. “Isthis what you had in mind for trying something new?”Iasked, glancing over my shoulder atRevwho surveyed the room himself.
“No.Butup here?”Henodded toward a narrow wooden staircase that led to the loft of the barn.
Ifollowed him up the rickety stairs to bales of hay stacked five high, enclosing the space with a fine layer of dust and straw strewn about the floor.Athin layer of snow had settled in the middle of the loft, and glancing up,Isaw the sky through broken slats of the roof.
Withouta word,Revused his blue tendrils of power to sweep away the snow, laying a few blankets down over the creaking floorboards.Helaid himself on them to face the opening above, folding his hands behind his head.
Ibarked an incredulous laugh. “Youwant to sleep there?Undera blizzard?”
“Whereelse can we stay warm and see the stars?” he asked softly.
Ilaid down beside him, curling up to his solid body, looking up into the open sky. “Howcan we see the stars through this storm?”
Silverflakes fell in the silence, drifting down from the dark grey clouds.Ifollowed them with my eyes as they settled softly onto his black waves, his dark lashes, melting across his warm cheeks.Iraked my fingers through his hair, pulling myself up to smile over his full lips, brushing the straight line of his dark brows, the sharp edge of his jaw.Inthe still quiet,Iadmired the manIloved.Isoaked in every detail, solidifying to memory the face of the manI’dshare any space with.Barn, forest, fortress, inn—wherever this man slept,Ionly wanted the space to sleep beside him.
“Well,Karus,”—he closed his eyes, his lips pulling into a mischievous grin—“that’s entirely up to you.Ifyou can cause a winter to rage over months and months outside ofFelgren, what makes you think you can’t blow away this little storm?”
Icursed.Weknew it was true.Ofcourse we did.Thewinter that came toArcaynenIsleseven years ago was the same winterIhad caused inFelgrenthe night my memories disappeared from holding theSimulairSolumspell so long.Andwhere that long winter lost its grip on the isle after only a few months, insideFelgren, it had lasted years.
Ihovered over his face, touching his lips. “Howis it thatIcan control the weather,Revich?”
Hisjaw ticked, and he pinned me with a sharp look. “Youare not her.Justbecause she gave you some of herself does not mean you will have her history.”
Iclosed my eyes, forcing the storm from the sky.Imoved the clouds with my wind.Icleared the snow from the ground with my warmth.Idrained the puddles with the inhalation of my breath, pulling the cold water into the earth, letting it flow down to the roots in the soil.
WhenIopened my eyes again, he was no longer watching my face.Hestared at the place in my chest where my heart beat in a steady pulse.Icaught his hand in mine as he reached out to touch me.
“Thisis yours.”Ipatted our hands against the space of my ribs where my heart was caged behind bone and sinew.
“I’llnever let you fall like that.”Henodded to my chest. “Yourheart stays right here whereIcan always feel it.”
Ikissed him and fell beside him again, draping a leg over his waist.Wewatched the night sky, now clear of its storm with a hundred stars twinkling across the black.
“Iwonder what stories they’ll tell now,” he said, murmuring a spell of warmth to wrap around us. “Whatstories will come of the night they hosted a handful of magic wielders who blew away the storm and thawed the frozen earth?”
Ichuckled. “PerhapsI’llhave my own rhymes and songs one day.”
“Oh,I’llencourage it,” he teased.
Weheld each other for a long moment, enjoying the stillness and the silence in the warmth of our embrace.
Revbroke the quiet. “Adaynthsaid he granted your request.Whenyou asked him to help keep me safe and happy before taking the power ofBaron, he said he’d done it.Healso said he didn’t thinkI’dever know what that meant.”
Ifrowned, tracing the leaf pattern on his black vest. “Doyou think it has to do withSaelyn?”
“Thatwas my thought, too, butIdon’t know how.Itwas that night, you know.Whenwe made her.”
