Page 107 of Kiss of Ice

Kam froze. Shade was right. The only reason he’d decided to marry Ren in the first place was to rein in her father. But that was no longer necessary. He had no reason to continue with the marriage. Except for the small matter of his heart, of course.

“It’s too late. We’re already hitched.”

“It has only been a few hours. One or the other of you can request an annulment, can you not?” Shade cocked his head inquisitively. “Unless, of course, you wish to keep her as your wife.”

“I, er, I’ll have to discuss this with Ren.”

The thought that she might ask for an annulment weighed like a rock in his stomach. The silence stretched and suddenly the Ifrit’s eyebrows shot up.

“By the gods. You’re in love with her. You didn’t fight Salaq for the throne. You fought him forher!”

“What if I did?”

“You risked the entire empire for her!”

“All right, all right. Don’t go on about it.”

“But this is amazing, my friend.” Shade slapped him on the shoulder, causing Kam to groan in pain. “I told you, did I not? When you find your true love, you will doanythingfor them. How fortuitous it is that you are already married to her.”

“I doubt she’ll see it that way,” Kam said gloomily. “I just humiliated her father in front of everyone. She might well demand that annulment you mentioned.”

“She does not share your feelings?”

“I honestly have no idea.”

“You mean, you have not discussed this with her?” Shade roared in frustration and a picture fell off the wall. “In the name of the gods!Tell her!”

Kam clapped his hands over his ears.

“Seven hells! Okay, I get the message. I’ll go find her.”

Grumbling, he left Shade in the salon and went to find Ren. She wasn’t in his quarters, nor was she in hers. He tried the Library. Empty. So was the garden.

He rubbed his shoulder as he tried to think where she might be. The answer, when it came, was simple really.

He made his way to the stables.

Forty Seven

He found her with Mistral. He’d had the horse fetched from Valkar the night before. Now she was brushing his black mane, still wearing her wedding dress although she’d swopped out her heels for a pair of sturdy leather boots. He watched quietly for a few moments and thought how beautiful she looked.

“Ren.”

She faltered, then carried on stroking the brush over the stallion’s coat.

“Ren, look at me.”

Slowly, she turned around. Her body was trembling and she hoped he wouldn’t notice.

“You got what you wanted,” she said quietly. “My father is no longer a threat to you. Are you here to tell me what happens next?”

“There are options. You don’t have to stay, if you don’t want to.”

“You want me to leave?” Her eyes flashed. “The marriage no longer convenient for you?”

Tell her.Shade’s growl was still reverberating in his skull. But it wasn’t that simple.

The thought that she might reject him left him paralysed with fear. He winced as a stab of pain shot through his shoulder and Ren’s expression changed.

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