Page 41 of Omen of ice
She nods and toys with the ring on her pointer finger. A large blue stone glints in the light. “My husband can be a bit…cold, if you’ll pardon my wording. But Valen is very dear to me, and though his interactions with most here are positive, there are those who would see him harmed. You must vet his company more carefully.”
Every scrap of material touching my body itches, sensation heavy and unwanted. I shift again, and with each move, the need to shed the weight becomes more urgent. “I understand. It’s my job to keep him safe. No harm will come to him.”
She leans closer. “Yet you allowed him to be alone with Kitara at the market.”
“With all due respect, Lady, Kitara was the daughter of your own chef, was she not?”
“Yes.” Her tone is terse, and she narrows her eyes.
“She lived on estate grounds, correct?”
“All staff and their families live at the estate.”
“Then, and I say this with the utmost respect, shouldn’t someone have caught on to her intentions much sooner?” My head is fuzzy, and I bite down on my tongue to keep from laughing out loud.
“Well said… I’ll see that it’s investigated. Thank you.” Liani folds her hands in her lap. “This must be hard for you, being so far away from home.”
An explosion of warmth hits me again, but this time it’s pleasant. Relaxing. In an instant, my muscles, my bones—my entire body—feel like they could melt happily into the floor. “Lunal was always a placeholder until I could find a place beside a Fae partner.”
Liani quirks a brow. “Are you unwell? Your cheeks are flushed.”
I swallow hard. “No, just a little warm.”
She relaxes and leans back. “I want to know that you’ll come to me with any concerns or issues. We want you to feel at home here, comfortable and safe.”
“I appreciate the hospitality.” I clench my teeth to hold back another laugh.
“I am unable to have children. I love Valen like he is my own flesh. You understand, right?”
I open my mouth to agree with her, but instead of words, a relaxed sigh slips out.
“Aphelian?”
“I, uh.” Goddess. How much can one individual consume? “It’s just very warm in here.”
“So you said.” She clucks her tongue. “I always forget that you humans are so temperature intolerant.”
I clear my throat and tug lightly at the hem of my tunic. “You were saying? About Valen’s security?”
“He can sometimes be—”
She keeps talking, but her voice fades as an invisible force thumps my head. The room spins a bit, and I swallow back a phantom mouthful of something sickeningly sweet. “Wow. That’s…disgusting.”
This time, Lady Liani stands. “Aphelian?”
White-hot embarrassment barrels through me, completely warring with the euphoric sensations my body is still reeling from.
“I am sorry, Lady. I am, in fact, ill and need to take my eeeave.” I bite back another gasp. “Myleave.”
I don’t wait for her to excuse me, turning on my heel and inelegantly sprinting from the room. Down the halls I walked with Kopic, I turn the sharp corner and nearly topple as I stumble across the courtyard toward the eastern wing of the estate. I’m almost to Valen’s door when my knees buckle. A wave of dizziness washes over me, making it hard to keep my balance.
I’m going to kill him myself!
It takes a moment for my vision to even, but when it does, I’m able to stand and stumble the rest of the way to his door.
I lift my boot and kick hard. The wood groans and gives way, falling into the room with a thunderous clatter. Valen is sitting on the bed, two nearly empty bottles of wine in front of him.
He glances at me over his shoulder, the same obnoxious grin he always wears glaring back. “There was no need to kick the door down. It wasn’t even locked.”
