Page 49 of Sky of Thorns

“We should probably get cleaned up.” Kela pushes herself from the floor. “Unfortunately, there isn’t a big enough tub for us, but if you help me take this pot outside to fill with snow, we should be able to heat up enough water to both get cleaned up before it starts storming again.”

Aramis

Theforestisawall of white as we trudge through the trees. My breath condenses in a fog with every exhale. Beside me, Nero pushes on steadily. Icicles cling to the tips of his hair, blown back by the headwind.

“She can’t have gotten far, especially in this storm. We have to find her before she freezes to death.” I yell over the noise of the ceaseless wind.

“We have to find shelter beforewefreeze to death, Aramis. We’re wandering in circles.“ He yells back. “Look, there seems to be a small ravine. If we’re lucky, we can find a cave to weather the rest of the storm in.”

“I won’t leave her alone in this blizzard.” I wave at the snow blowing around us.

“While I love this recent change of heart, I don’t want to explain to yer father how I let ye die. Who will save yer people then?”

The sting of his words sinks in.

“I’m sorry.”

“Aye, I ken the urgency to see this through—and quickly, but Sybil is a smart lass. She would have sensed the storm coming an’ found shelter.” Nero briefly glances back my way before starting down the side of the ravine. I can’t help but wonder if he’s is hiding more.

Stones and shards of ice tumble down the slope with each step. I quickly follow after, the snow biting into my palms as I grip the side of the rocky surface for support. Glancing over my shoulder, I notice a thin ice covered stream at the bottom surrounded by rocks. Its surface appears smooth under the thin blanket of snow, but a fall from this height would be dangerous.

“Any luck?” I shout at Nero, the wind carrying my voice away.

“Up ahead, I see a darker shadow!” He throws out his arm to point and I watch as he slips from the ravine wall. His whole body leans precariously backwards as he scrambles at the rock and ice before him, wings flapping on his back. Instinctively, I reach out to the surrounding air and blast it against his back, slamming his head into the snow. His claws make purchase in the rock wall and he turns a grateful smile in my direction. A laugh erupts and I slam my fist against the wall before me at the sight of his face plastered with snow.

Nero grabs a fistful of it and throws it right at my face, faster than I can move. I’m blinded by white as I swipe at my face. “You ass.”

“But at least I’m your arse,” he replies, batting his eyes dramatically at me.

“Get moving before I let you tumble down onto your ass for goofing off. I am freezing and I am not in the mood to lose any fingers today.” My teeth chatter as if to emphasize my statement.

“Yes, your royal highness. As you wish.” He jumps down to a small ledge, his feet crunching in the snow. His massive frame disappears before he pops his head back out and says, “It’s going to be tight.”

“Better tight than being stuck out in the snow,” I say through clenched, chattering teeth, and I follow him along the ravine edge. “Do you think you’ll be able to light a fire?”

“That’s hard to say. With all this snow, any wood is bound to be soaked. Even with my powers of fire, it’ll be difficult.” He frowns back at me.

“What if I dry it out before you light it on fire?” Lifting my hand, I use my powers to brush away the piling snow, revealing more branches.

“We should be careful how much energy we use. You never know if we will need it,” Nero says.

“All the energy in the world won’t matter if we freeze to death,” I grumble under my breath as I watch his body disappear into the rock face once more.

His head reappears with a sharp grin on his face. “Did I mention Drakes have exceptional hearing?”

“You may have skipped that part, and about a dozen other facts about your life.” I retort as I duck and follow him into the opening. The cave is a small one, barely deep enough for the two of us to sit side by side. Nero tucks his wings behind him and braces himself on the floor, knees to his chest. He pats the ground next to him.

“It’s nae the hot springs in the mountains, but it’s dry. Well, at least until the ice you’re covered in melts,” he laughs.

“Me? You’re one to talk.” I gesture from his head to his toes, where the ice has already melted, soaking his chemise. I quickly brush off the layer of snow that has gathered in my hair, shoulders, and pack.

After slinging off my pack and cloak, I wedge myself between him and the hard cave wall. I am used to Shadowvale’s harsh winters, but usually we are lucky enough to find a tavern or local to stay with if we are caught out in a storm. I pull my cloak over my body up to my chin, take a deep breath and try to relax my tense muscles.

“How long have you known?” I finally ask, my gut churning, still trying to put the puzzle pieces together concerning Nero’s true identity. I lean my head back against the rocky wall, my body exhausted.

“I didn’t find out until years after we became friends. I started showing signs and my mother confessed my father was a shifter. I guess that makes me a halfling.” He slides to the ground next to me. Steam rises from his snow wet clothes slowly drying from his warm body. “Didn’t ye ever wonder how a boy of yer age could break down yer door and carry ye to the healers when even yer best guards couldn’t?”

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” I ask, unable to hide the hurt. “Were you ever planning to tell me?” Before Sybil came into the picture, my mind silently finishes the thought. Because, before Sybil, I might not have handled this so well.

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