Page 56 of Fate and Flame
“If we can get to the top of this mountain, we will be able to see down the mountain range more clearly. The tree is atop one of these mountains. I’m hoping we can see it from here and then we’ll have a better idea. I want nothing more than to get out of the Wind Court.”
“Me too. I’m freezing,” she said.
“Come sit by me in front of the fire.”
She stood and moved to me, sitting in my lap as I wrapped her into my arms and then covered us both with furs.
“I don’t think I ever thanked you,” I whispered into her ear.
She shrugged a shoulder, pushing away the sensation of my voice on her skin. “For what?”
“I thought I’d die in the king’s dungeons. I had given up the will to live, resolved to let myself rot down there. But you saved me. You gave me more than someone to talk to.”
“Do you think you would have gone through with it?”
I pulled her closer. “I thought you had denied the mating bond. Maybe you hadn’t said it out loud yet, but I thought, in your heart, you had already given up on me, and you were the only person I had left.”
She turned on her knees to face me. Her unruly hair blowing in the breeze entering the small cave. Her eyes enraptured me as she leaned in so close, we shared a single breath. “I could never deny you, Temir. I was lost and confused and processing a thousand different emotions, but you saved me. I could have betrayed you, but you did it anyway. The fae in the castle, they talked about you. They said how good you were, how much you helped the stable boy, and how you were always so kind to the servants. The king hated it. He wanted that kind of devotion to himself. But that’s how I knew you were good before I knew you at all.”
“I don’t think I’m good, Nadra. I think I’m just going day by day and trying to make the best of a terrible situation.”
“We are sitting in a cave on the side of a mountain. I have on my coat and yours. You’re still trying to comfort me, though you are colder than I am. You are good, Temir. Even if you deny it.”
I wanted her so badly, though I knew her heart was hurting. I began to crave a single touch from her, needing her skin next to mine like I needed air to breathe. She leaned in closer and I felt the desire down our bond. I slid my hands behind her neck and pulled her to me, pressing her lips to mine. She opened her mouth and I slipped my tongue in, finally tasting the mate I had longed for.
She moaned as our lips massaged each other, pressing her body to mine and stirring a heat that was not there a moment ago. Slowly, she pulled away from me, her phantom lips still lingering on mine. “We should rest,” she said in a husky voice.
We laid on the cold ground and covered ourselves with everything we had. We couldn’t let the fire burn because we didn’t want to draw predators, so instead, we spent the night clothed but wrapped in each other’s arms. I fell asleep to the soft sound of her gentle snores as she laid across my chest.
The next morning, it was hard to leave our warm cocoon of blankets. The moment we did, the heat we had created was sucked away and we were both quickly shivering. Nadra tried to insist I take my coat back, but I refused. It was only going to get colder, and I still had my magic to heal the frostbite. I wasn’t comfortable, but I wouldn’t die.
We left the cave behind and followed the trail up the side of the mountain. There were still fae and beasts that climbed these peaks, so we had to be careful as we traveled. I had nothing that would save us from a fall. The slope grew steeper and the trail narrow, but by midday, we had pushed to the top.
“Can you see anything?” Nadra asked as we looked down the hazy, snowcapped range.
“The fog is too thick. I think we will have to wait to see if it clears.”
With wind pelting our faces, we moved down from the summit to try to protect ourselves from the frigid temperature. The rays of the sun were warm, but still, we squinted in the snow and shivered as we waited. We sat huddled, wrapped together in the furs, trying to use our breaths to keep us warm. Nadra took the time to sew the rabbit pelts. There were two gloves, she took one and I took one, squeezing both hands inside.
I left our cocoon several times to check for danger and clearing fog. On the third walk up the mountain, I still couldn’t see the tree I was looking for, but I did find a familiar face. One I wasn’t exuberantly happy to see.
“Mountains are time. Rivers are deceit. Do you really think you can cross the mountain rage dressed like that? Mush for brains, all of you.”
“Hello, old female,” I said to Aibell as she stood with her long gray hair flapping in the relentless wind.
“Gather your mate, it’s time to go.”
I stood still and glared at her.
“The clock moves on the wind, boy. Identical faces are almost there. You must come now.”
I spun and walked back to Nadra, grumbling as I went. “It’s time to go. We’ve earned a ride, it seems.”
“What do you mean?” she asked, gathering our scattered things.
“Ever heard of Aibell?” She nodded. But clearly didn’t understand. “Let’s just say the nursery rhymes were wrong. Still, we need to move quickly.”
We hurried back to Aibell, who eyed Nadra carefully. “What have you done, child?”
