Page 46 of The Ice Prince's Fated Mate
Anna snorted loudly enough for everyone to hear, but we all got down to work, loading up on books and making our way to the tables on the raised center platform. There we stayed, reading.
I didn’t notice the hours passing. The books I was reading were millennia old. The Unification Wars were ancient history, back when the ice dragons had been a fractured, independent bunch ruled by clans or nobody at all.
Until the coming of the first tyrant. Radek had risen to power, stronger than his contemporaries, and unified several clans by force. From there, he had spread his power outward over the snow-covered lands that would one day become the Ice Kingdom.
So engrossed was I in the varied tellings of his rise to power that I didn’t hear the approaching of footsteps until there was motion in front of me.
“Delivery,” Durion announced, setting another flower wrapped in soft paper in front of me, a card tucked inside the wrapping. It had large petals a soft blue that was shot through with white streaks. “For you, or so I was told.”
The girls ooohed and looked over expectantly, waiting for me to read it.
“Thank you,” I said, wondering how they had known where to find me. “Who brought it to you?”
Durion had been left behind to guard us, along with Kolar. I knew that Dirk and Caz both were distrustful of many others after the attack on the chalet, and though both men were disappointed to be left behind, they took their tasks to guard us seriously.
“They didn’t give a name,” he said, but his eyes twinkled mischievously.
Just how much has Dirk planned out with this? Are Durion and Kolar both in on it?
I knew I wasn’t going to get anything more out of him, so I thanked him and sent him on his way. While he left, I rotated the card with one hand, turning it in circles but never flipping it over.
“Aren’t you going to read it?” Milly asked at last. “I’m getting bored waiting. I could turn into a Pure Dragon before you get around to it.”
Anna giggled, but I had to force a smile as I flipped it over at last.
Why wasn’t I enjoying this? It was exactly what I’d asked Dirk to do. So why was I hesitating?
You’re scared. If he tries this hard, you’re going to have to reciprocate.
And I didn’t know if I could. Dirk didn’t deserve to be led on.
I read the line out loud to save time. “This one might be odd. I know not many consider the mountain goldstem to be overly beautiful, but that’s not why I chose it. The goldstem is the first flower to return after a fire, feeding off the ashes to rise up anew. I picked it because my mother used to bring them to me when I was a child because I thought they were cool.” —Dirk
“Mentioning a memory of his childhood and hismother?” Milly gasped. “Ella, he’s trying hard. That is thoughtful.”
“I know.” And it was. But my stomach was twisting around itself.
“He’s putting the effort in,” Anna agreed.
I could sense both friends glancing at one another as I stared at the card. Probably wondering why I wasn’t mooning over him and his flower messages like they were.
How could I explain to them everything that was happening? If I told them, they would understand. Maybe they could help.
The words were right there.Right before I met you, I was captured by a Hunter and—
“Sorry,” Durion said, interrupting as he returned. “These were waiting for me.”
He carried with him a small bouquet of brilliant yellow flowers. Lilliads. I knew it because I could smell them a mile away. They were gorgeous to look at and smell.
To nobody’s surprise, there was another card.
The lilliads are renowned for their smell when they first blossom. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoy the thought of you. —Dirk
“I’m never going to get anything done at this rate,” I said as Anna finished reading the card out loud.
“El.” Milly’s voice was hard.
I looked over at her, my eyebrow raised.
