Page 29 of Omen of ice
Wanlo’s brows disappear beneath his shaggy hair as he blanches. He clenches his fists. “How dare you—”
“I’ll report my findings to my uncle.”
“Lord Orbik is well aware,” Wanlo growls. He straightens and puffs out his chest, not unlike the way he did when I was a child. A tactic meant to intimidate. Fae like Wanlo have nothing else to work with. “You’re not going todoanything?”
I spin in a slow circle and spread my arms. “What am I to do? Are they here? Do you know where they are? Should I send out a messenger bird and invite them for a chat?”
He glowers, then takes a step back and offers a stiff bow. “Thank youfor your time.” The words are terse and forced—it probably kills him to speak them.
Still, I understand his anger. He’s an ass, but I know he cares about the town. These are his people, and he’s only trying to keep them safe. Like my uncle should be.
We watch as his retreating form is swallowed by squalls of snow. The wind kicks up, and the Aphelian shivers. She tries so hard to hide it, but it’s like a blow to the gut. We must be spending too much time together, because I can almostfeelthe cold seeping into her limbs.
“That was fun.” The Aphelian pulls her cloak tighter. “And he seemed like such a fan. You win over everyone you meet, don’t you?”
“My charm knows no bounds.” I pass the horses and start walking toward the woods.
She fumbles through the deep snow after me. “Where are we going now?”
“I just want to have a look around the edge of the village.”
“You think you might find something?” She catches up to me, instantly alert, scanning the horizon for possible dangers. I’ll never admit it, especially to her, but the Aphelian’s presence gives me the opportunity to relax more than I have in a long time. Plus, she’s grown on me, just as she said she would. Like fungus.
Very attractive, deceptively innocent-looking fungus.
“Whoever raided the village is long gone, and if it was the rebels, they know how to cover their tracks.” I sigh. “Still, it feels like we should at least check the area out.”
We make a wide sweep on foot, carefully scanning the woods that surround the village. There’s nothing amiss. No suspicious tracks in the snow, no signs of blood or struggle. If Wanlo’s guards were killed, they were taken elsewhere first. The only thing that interrupts the stillness of the forest is an occasional gust of wind and the intermittent cry of a snow crow.
The Aphelian’s gaze is a weight on my shoulders, both comforting and irritating. How can something be both wanted and unwanted at the same time? I know I should embrace her presence. Not because my uncle went out of his way to bring her to me, but because her position is one of sacrifice and honor. The idea of giving her an inch scares me, though. I’ve accepted that her presence here is necessary for the time being, but there are still aspects of it that make me uncomfortable.
My relationship with Mika was starkly different. I was so young, I viewed her as a protector, a mother figure. This Aphelian is unlike her in every way, and we’re nearly the same age. I see something familiar in her eyes. Something I could connect with deeply.
“I’ve always been isolated.” The silence is heavy, and even though I know it’s crossing a line, I say, “Self-imposed to a degree because of what I am, and by my uncle’s hand because of what I can do.”
Several moments tick by, and when I’m sure she won’t respond, she finally says, “You don’t need to be isolated anymore, you know. We’re supposed to be a team. We can be friends, Valen.”
“We really can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t want to be your friend. I don’t want to be anyone’s friend.” I’ve lost too much already, and I refuse to give someone else the power to take from me—by accident or of their own volition.
She doesn’t answer, and we continue to trek through the snow. About a mile in, I can’t stand the silence anymore.
Or maybe I’ve become so lonely that I’m desperate for conversation. “You never regret this? Your lot in life?”
“Lot in life?” She laughs. The sound sends goose bumps across my skin and makes my heart thump ten times faster than normal. She’s been lucky so far. No one has tried to harm her; no one has threatened her. Aside from protecting me, she’s unscathed. But, from past experiences, it’s only a matter of time. “What I’m doing here, with you, is an honor.”
“And you never wonder if there’s something else out there for you? Another path?”
She groans. “I thought we were past this? I’m not leaving—”
“No. I don’t mean it like that. I’m simply wondering if you ever wanted…more?”
“This is all that I’ve ever wanted.” Her answer is instant and spoken without hesitation. Unquestioning faith. That’s what it is. How can she not see how wrong that is?
“Because it’s all that you’ve ever known.” I stop walking and spread my arms wide. “Have you ever considered the possibility that you’ve been brainwashed?”
