Page 109 of Frozen Hearts and Death Magic

“I don’t know!” How many times would she have to repeat that? She was starting to think this was indeed real, but then nothing made sense.

He lit a second candle in the room, then his eyes widened when he noticed her hand. “What happened there?”

The burn. She felt ashamed and embarrassed, as if it somehow had been her fault. Embarrassed to confess she was locked into an abusive marriage. “Nothing.”

“It doesn’t look like nothing, Leah.”

“It was an accident.”

He looked into her eyes. “Did someone hurt you?” There worry, but also coldness and contempt there.

“Why? Do you by any chance care?”

“No.” He looked down and shrugged. Then he added, mumbling, “Doesn’t mean I’m not gonna kill them.”

Leah shook her head. That didn’t make any sense.

He stared at her again. “You made your choice, didn’t you? Now why are you here?”

“I don’t know! I don’t even know if this is real or not. I’m dreaming. Or thinking I’m dreaming. If I were awake and could go anywhere, you think I’d come here?”

He rolled his eyes. “Obviously not.”

Her thoughts then went to her parents, and to the threat posed on them. “I need to get back.”

He chuckled bitterly. “Well, go then.”

“Isofel. I have no idea how.”

“The same way you came, my dear Leandra Ironhold. And I do apologize. Truly. I made a mistake. An unforgivable mistake, but please know I’m sorry.”

Leah had to go back. She wasn’t going to do any of that with Venard, but she could probably convince him to wait or something. Still, he had told her that if she tried to run away, something could happen to her parents. But how was she going back? More and more she was getting mortified by what had passed between her and Fel. So easily, so quickly. He’d probably lost all respect for her. “I thought I was dreaming. I would never have done any of that if I were awake.”

“Why?” He crossed his arms. “Am I often in your dreams?”

“No. What about you? Shouldn’t you have thought it was a nightmare?”

He shrugged. “It was a regular dream.” Was he saying he dreamed about her often? “I should have noticed it was too realistic, for sure, but to my credit, I was half-asleep.”

“It’s seven at night.”

“I’ve been waking up at three.” He stared at her. “Do you understand what happened?”

“I have no clue!”

“Between us. Do you understand?”

Her head was going to burn if she thought about it for even another second. While it had felt wonderful, now all that was left was shame. “I’d rather forget it.”

“All right.” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “We almost had sex, Leah. This is what married couples do, how they make children. I would have gone much, much slower with you, but I didn’t know it.”

“Because you thought I had done it with my husband?”

“Because I thought you were part of my dream. There are no complications in dreams.”

It was awkward but she was glad he was explaining it to her, so she asked another question. “Am I ruined now? Will they notice it?”

“I don’t think so. We didn’t actually… That’s what you’re worried about, right? Your husband?”

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