Page 65 of Dark & Dreadful Brutes

It was incredibly disorienting to wake up to that, considering my years in the cellar and then my weeks living in a tree in Jirev.

I liked it, though.

The light made the icy walls and ceiling glitter, and my eyes trailed over the gleam of them before landing on the bed beside me.

Empty, and unwrinkled.

Ravv hadn’t come to bed.

Insecurity thrummed unevenly in my chest.

Was he with another woman?

Veil, that was ridiculous to even consider.

But… still.

I had no idea what he was like in his kingdom, or whether or not we would have any kind of relationship at all.

My gut told me to distance myself further from him before he hurt me any more than he already had. I put on a tough façade, but it was just a mask. Beneath it, I was deeply afraid that I would lose everything again. I didn’t have much, but I had started to feel like I had Ravv.

Veil, I didn’t want to lose him.

But was I willing to fight for him? Was I willing to push him to make time for me? Or to try to get to know him more?

That, I didn’t know.

“You’re alive, right?” I finally asked him.

“I’m fine.” His voice was weary. “The war grew worse while we were gone, so we’ve been forming a plan. I’ll take you to find Gora and Jern as soon as I get out of here.”

“Do what you need to. I can figure it out on my own,” I said, slipping out of bed. My clothes were still on the floor—and still dirty.

“If you leave that room without me, I’ll freeze you to the damn bed,” he growled into my mind.

“You tried that already, with the floor in Jirev. I’ll just melt your chains again.”

“Don’t, Lae. My people are not trustworthy.”

“You do realize that probably says something about you as their leader?” I shot back.

“I’m aware that I’m a problem.” His anger was fading. “Unfortunately, the problem they chose. I’ll end the meeting as soon as possible so I can get back to the room; don’t do anything you’ll regret. Gleam is probably in her room across the hallway—wake her and Coarse if you have to, but don’t leave alone. I’m sorry to make you wait.”

“You’ve been apologizing a lot lately.”

“Only to you. As far as everyone else knows, I regret nothing.”

My lips curved upward just slightly as he pulled away, probably to focus on his meeting again.

There was nothing to do while I waited, though.

Nothing to occupy my mind.

And my smile disappeared as my thoughts slipped back to the past.

Back to the flames.

To the screams.

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