Page 66 of Wings of Frost and Fury
There’s an interesting story there, but I don’t have the energy to ponder it. I’m much too weak, and my nausea is now compounded by the knowledge that I’m about to spend several days in this shitty cave. If I was feeling healthy, that might not be a terrible prospect, given that Ashvelon and I enjoy fucking each other. However, judging by the way my body is already reacting to the Mordvorren, I’m in for a week of torture.
I stay in a sodden heap on the ledge, unable to summon the will or the strength to move. My skin has cooled down a little, but I’m still racked by occasional shivers, and my stomach rebels against the mere thought of food or wine. There’s a swirling density in my skull, and my heart patters at an uneasy pace in my chest. My magic is revolting against the proximity of the Mordvorren, coiling and surging in the energy centers of my body—stomach, heart, and head. There’s an odd buzz in my pelvic area, too, where sacral energies collect. I don’t know if sex would relieve that discomfort or not.
The afternoon hours creep past, and the light changes still more. There’s a greenish cast to the sky, and despite the intermittent gushes of wild wind, the air holds a brittle tension, like the entire island is caught in a trap, waiting for the hunter’s hand to close upon its prey.
And still Ashvelon hasn’t returned.
I resent his absence. I mutter curses and invent terrible names for him. I consider dragging myself back to the nest, but I’m sweating so heavily I can’t bear the thought of moving away from the cooling breeze into the comparative stillness of the cave.
With shaking hands, I manage to peel my soaked clothing from my body and I lie down again, naked, as the sky darkens and the wind begins to shriek.
Rothkuri never came back to check on me. Ashvelon isn’t here. I’m going to have to weather the storm alone, which means I will probably die.
Thunder cracks overhead, not far away. Closing my eyes, I try to summon the strength to roll myself deeper into the cave.
Somewhere in the darkening air, I hear more heavy sounds. Not thunder—wingbeats.
Ashvelon sweeps into the cave, dropping a large bundle in the center of the floor before spinning around. His tail nearly knocks me off the edge of the cliff when he turns. It’s a narrow miss, and he grunts in startled terror over what almost happened.
“Fuck, Thelise.” His claws prod gingerly beneath my body, scooping me up. “What are you doing there? You look worse. Shit, I should never have left.” He places me gently in the nest, on one of the blankets.
“Fuck you, you monstrous bastard,” I choke out. “Where did you go?”
“To the mainland. I wanted to fetch you more of the food that you like, and some things to make our isolation easier.”
“How sweet of you.” My eyes drift shut. “But I’m afraid it was a wasted effort. I’m sick because of the Mordvorren. I very well may die.”
“The fuck you will,” he snarls. “I forbid it.”
“You can’t forbid me from dying, idiot. I’ll die if I please, so there.”
“You’re talking nonsense. Drink some wine.”
I make a face at the idea. “Do you want me to vomit?”
His reply is drowned out by a violent crash of thunder.
“By Fate, that’s annoying,” I say faintly. “Make it stop, pet.”
“I can’t stop thunder, dearest,” he replies.
“Then what good are you?”
He nuzzles me, then licks my skin. “Your body feels much hotter than usual. Is that dangerous for humans?”
“It can be. If the fever gets too high, the temperature can damage my organs and my brain. Where is Rothkuri? I want him to spray all over me again.”
A vicious growl rips from Ashvelon’s throat and his spikes bristle. “What the fuck did you say?”
“Rothkuri sprayed me. It felt good.”
“Sprayed you withwhat?”
“With water.” I raise an eyebrow. “What else?”
“Water,” he repeats, his spikes lowering a bit. “That’s all right, then. I can provide cooling for you much more effectively thanRothkuri.I can shift my frost-fire more toward the frost side than the flames, and if I blow it near you, you should get the benefit of some cool air.”
With my clouded thoughts, I can barely understand what he’s suggesting. It sounds dangerous, but I’m desperate for some relief. “Go ahead and try it.”
