Page 39 of Spring Guardians & Songbirds

He caught my glance and amusement flashed through his stern features. “Your father had sent soldiers through the old inner tunnels today. Larg caught them as they were coming out. Albius made us aware of the new path they were taking around the mountains and through the Sea of the Dark. It seems he wants to find our sceptre piece next.”

I nodded.

“We’ve started searching our temples today,” he continued.

Again, I nodded.

There was a long beat of ringing silence.

His voice was glazed with ice when he asked, “Will you not speak to me at all?”

“Not if I can help it,” I said, sitting before the mirror and running the comb through my hair again.

Silver irises traced the length of my hair before travelling to hold my stare hostage in the mirror. “Heard my stepmother was here today.”

“Oh?”

That made him smile somehow. He sat up, looking around the room before pulling a bedside drawer open and picking up a book—one of my books. Something on the cover made his brow jerk up and I realised too late what it was because he was already flipping through it when I shot up from my seat.

There was a clean smirk on his face as he went through each page I’d made notes on.

“Give it,” I said, reaching for the book but he extended his arm back, holding it away from me.

“Why? I’d like to know why you found...Sybil being eaten out by her lover so fascinating that you’ve done unspeakable and underlined with ink every line on the page.”

I reached for it again and he extended it further back and away from me.

Climbing on the bed and over him, I tried to reach for it again.

“You look pretty up there,” he said, smiling, and I noted I was straddling his waist.

My hand shot to wrap around his throat and his mouth pulled up to a massive grin. “Harder, love.”

Hells. Bloodied hells.

I let go of him and crawled back. Standing and heading for the bathroom to wash my hands. If I felt his scent on me, the lingering feel of his skin on mine—I was going to go mad. I scrubbed and scrubbed till my skin was red and raw and I was panting. Dread climbed up my throat and I watched as my reflection on the mirror trembled like fire touching snow.

He laid beside me all night, staring in wonder at my glistening ceiling. Not a word. His reaction to my red skin and whatever he’d seen on my face had been more than enough.

After he left at dawn, I rolled to the side he had slept on, smoothing my fingers over the sheets still lingering with his warmth and I couldn’t help but sink my face in his pillow and inhale the scent of lemon flower he’d left behind. A hole pierced through my heart and a sob wracked through my body.

Sick.

I was sick.

So sick.

My mind crawled with venomous thoughts, and I stood, reaching for my dagger and stabbing the sharp blade onto the mattress and pillow, over and over, till I’d exhausted all my strength. Till my chest pumped fast with air. Till I grew too light headed to think of anything at all.

The soft feathers were flying everywhere, and they stuck to my wet face and bloodied palms as I pushed up and headed out of my room.

Alaric didn’t stop me when he saw me—not this time. Neither did Cai. Nor anyone that passed me as I made my way down to the dungeons.

Snow, please, my mother’s voice echoed around when my hand rested on the dungeon door handle.

A silent gasp left my mouth when a cold phantom hand rested on top of mine. Please.

“Just close your eyes, ma,” I whispered, pushing the door open and all traces of her presence around me disappeared.