Page 68 of A Court of Sugar and Spice
Gently I separate my lips from Lir’s. “It’s done,” I murmur.
He blinks and pulls back. “So it is.”
“Do you think the horses will be all right?”
“They have their natural coats and their blankets. They will be fine. Good night.”
He drops down to his bedroll, shucks off his boots, pulls the blankets over himself, and ignores me.
I walk over and touch the dome. It seems fairly solid, which probably means not much can escape it, including my scent.
“Will we run out of air in here?” I ask.
“No.”
“But the dome will block my scent?”
“Even if your scent does leak out, the Fae magic of the dome should color the fragrance enough that it won’t be a problem. Like clear water strained through a freshly dyed cloth takes on the same hue.”
“What?”
He sighs gustily. “Go to sleep.”
I would, but I’m worried about the deepening cold. I didn’t think to gather any firewood before we used the spell.
Uneasily I take off my boots and curl into my bedroll.
My sleep is fitful when it comes, and sometime in the dead of night I wake to the sound of my own teeth chattering. The dome doesn’t seem to hold much heat, and the temperature is bitterly cold. I can’t feel my toes anymore.
“L-Lir,” I whimper into the dark.
“What is it?” He sounds as if his teeth are gritted.
“I’m so cold. I think we should—share heat.”
A long silence. Then, “If we must.”
“Can you—can you take off the uniform?”
“What?”
“When two people are freezing and need heat, skin to skin is best.” I’m shaking so hard I can barely manage the words. “That’s what humans do in low temperatures without a fire. I’m not trying to seduce you, I promise. We can sleep—back to back—if you want. Just—please.”
There’s a rustle of fabric, which I suspect is him undressing. Then he says, “Come.”
Trembling, I strip off my traveling tunic and leggings. “Fin conjured these for me yesterday. Will they last until the journey’s end, or will I end up naked?”
“There are extra clothes—among the supplies,” he says, his voice jerking like mine. So he’s shivering too. “They may not—fit you well—but they’ll have to do.”
Entirely naked, I crawl into his bedroll, arranging my blankets and both our sets of clothes on top of us for extra warmth.
He’s naked too, every bit of him. My chilled blood stirs as my skin brushes so much of his body, and warmth spreads through my sex. Wordlessly I turn my back to him, but he says, “It makes more sense to lie face to face. More warmth for the vital organs.”
I turn over, my tight, cold nipples brushing his chest. I cringe inwardly—but the shared warmth does feel good. Cautiously I tuck my frozen toes against his.
“So you’re Fae-ish right now, but you’re lacking certain traits,” I whisper. “Can you heal yourself like Fin does?”
“The wounds on my arm would say otherwise.”
