Page 84 of Omen of ice
I can’t lose her.
But telling her this? No. It seems like far too intimate a confession. Besides, keeping the link will only lead to disaster. Once I tell her about the tear, things will be different between us. That change is inevitable. Tania won’t be able to look at me without seeing lies and betrayal and pain.
She may never forgive me...
“Obviously.” She lifts her head and pins me with a stern glare. “Remember something, Valen. You have a chance that has passed me by. I don’t know who my parents are, and I never will. I’ll never meet my brothers or hear stories from their childhood. I’ll never have the opportunity to speak with my mother or father.”
She’s right. There’s no point making a rash decision when it comes to my newfound family—we still have some ways to travel. I pick the flower that she dropped out of the grass. It’s small and delicate, and when the wind kicks up, the petals tear from the center and flutter away on the breeze.
I sigh. “I envy the druids of the past. The things they must have created…”
“You have an opportunity to change everything, Valen. To create something more beautiful than any flower.”
The excitement in her eyes makes her entire face glow, and I can see her for what she truly is. Stunning and strong and full of far more hope than she’ll have anyone believe. On one hand, it’s breathtaking, and I wish I could see her like this more often. Yet on another, I don’t like it. I don’t like where this is headed. I don’t like that a part of me hates the idea of breaking our link.
“Those villagers your uncle refuses to help—you can improve their lives now. You can help them fortify their home.”
“How am I supposed to do that?”
Her brows furrow, and her confusion nearly knocks me over. “You heard Delkin.You’rethe true heir. Orbik isn’t the rightful monarch—you are. The Fae won’t turn away from you—you’re not a bastard. You can turn it all around.”
“The rightful— Are you—” How can she think I could—I’dwantto—replace Orbik? “Why would you think I’d be pursuing the crown?”
Excitement sours and turns to anger. An acidic fog washes over me, burning my lungs with each breath as she says, “So, you’re just going to let Orbik go unpunished for what he did to your mother?”
No. Orbik isn’t going to get away with what he’s done. My mind has churned with possibilities since Delkin revealed the truth. For the moment, I’ve settled on freezing him, inch by inch, and shattering the pieces. At least until I formulate a more gruesome end.
“I’m going to kill him myself.”
She folds her arms. “Then who will rule the Winter Lands?”
“For all I care, Liani can take over.” We’re getting loud, and the others are trying not to notice. Well, all except Daroose, who stares openly while chewing on something small with a tail. “She dealt with him all these years. She deserves it. She’ll be a fair, kind ruler.”
“Of course.” Tania jumps to her feet. “Wouldn’t want to exert yourself. Taking the crown would mean responsibility. No more days of lying around with a gaggle of girls and gallons of wine.”
“No responsibility? Do you have any idea how much pressure it is to entertain that many women?” I flick my wrist at her. “As for the wine—if I don’t drink it, who will?”
“You are unbelievable.”
I open my mouth, then snap it shut. There’s no point arguing with her. She’s stubborn, and as far as she’s concerned, she knows better than everyone else. I stand and storm into the woods. The more distance I put between us, the better. The weight of her disappointment is suffocating and unfamiliar. I never used to care what others thought about me. Then this damn human comes out of nowhere and suddenly decides she’s going to be my conscience? Fuck that.
Fuckallof this.
How is it that someone so small, so unassuming, can cause me so much aggravation? From the moment she entered my life, the Aphelian has been nothing but trouble. This link must be messing with my head. To look at her and feel— Gods. What is wrong with me? To think I wanted to keep this infernal curse?
“Arrrrgh!” The roar echoes off the trees, bouncing through the valley before fading with an eerie warble.
“Does that make you feel better?” Benj emerges from the brush behind me. He eyes me for a moment before his gaze falls to my hands, to the icy mist rolling off of them.
“Is that whathethinks?” I flex my fingers, willing the cold to recede. “That I’m going to swoop in and save them all by stealing back my mother’s throne?”
“I doubt Del has any expectations right now, aside from getting to know his son.” He settles on a fallen log a few feet away. “Mori once said she hoped you would grow to right the wrongs of her ancestors. As for my older brother? Do I think he hopes you fight for what’s yours? I do. He believes that the throne has never belonged to anyone more than it does you.”
“He’s your brother?”
Benj shrugs and throws up his hands. “Surprise. In one fell swoop, you gained a father and an uncle. Aren’t you lucky?”
“Remains to be seen,” I mumble, leaning back against the nearest tree. I take a closer look at him and can’t believe I missed it. He has the same jaw as Delkin, the same crooked smile. But his eyes… They’re deep blue. “What’s up with the eyes? Mine and Delkin’s are violet. Not a normal color for Fae. Yours are blue.”
