Page 32 of Kiss of Frost

“Not tonight,” I said. “It’s late.”

“The sun never sets this time of year.”

“We walked all day. Georgina is exhausted.” It was the truth, which was probably the only thing that persuaded him as he looked her over, his cold gaze taking in the dark smudges under her eyes. “She’s a witch,” I dared to add. “She’s not like us.”

Graeme looked at me. “There is no us.” He walked to the end of the table and stopped just long enough to say, “You’ll stay in your room tonight. And you’ll leave at dawn.”

* * *

Ten minutes later, I faced Georgie across the bed in the tower chamber. It didn’t seem possible, but the room felt even colder than before. Or maybe that was just the chill emanating from the angry witch across from me.

“Trust me, Georgie,” she said, her voice artificially low.

“That is a terrible impression of me, lass.”

She propped a hand on her hip and fluttered her lashes. “Let me talk to him. I have a plan.”

Okay, that was unfair. I didn’t bat my eyes like some coquette… Did I? I lifted my palms. “Look, I know you’re angry—”

“What happened to saying nothing about the mate bond?” Pink entered her cheeks as she lowered her voice to a growl. “You certainly didn’t mind shoving it in Graeme’s face when you talked about him going down on me!”

Regret sluiced through me. “I know, and I’m sorry. I saw him looking at you. He might not care about me falling into a crevasse, but I’m willing to bet he feels differently about you braving the snow. I took a risk and gambled on him having a soft spot for you.”

“I can’t afford to take risks right now. This isn’t a game for me, Callum. The only time my father ever believed in me was the day he died.”

I stilled. “What do you mean?”

She hugged her midsection. “When my parents married, everyone thought their offspring would be special. Two powerful air witches coming together? They were guaranteed to produce greatness. But then I came along, and I was far from great.”

“I’ve seen your magic,” I said, shaking my head. “I’ve felt it. Those hurricanes you produced were incredible.”

“They were chaos.” Her expression turned stark. “Everything I do teeters toward chaos. Riding the wind isn’t supposed to feel like you’re standing in the middle of a hurricane. My mother could slip into the slightest breeze and step out of it halfway across the world. I’ve never been able to wield that kind of control.” She gave a humorless laugh. “And you know the worst part? The wind likes me. I’m a magnet for air. It’s like there’s all this power just waiting for me. And sometimes I can seize it. I can hold it for a second. But then it jumps from my hands and crashes into something or causes a big accident.” Her shoulders lifted and then fell. “I’m the outfielder who can’t catch the fly ball.”

“Georgie,” I murmured, rounding the bed. When she didn’t move away, I rested my hands on her shoulders. “You are more than your power.”

“Not to the witches of my house. Power is everything among my people.” She swallowed hard. “You told Graeme I’m not like you.”

I winced. “It was a stupid thing to say.”

“No, it was true. I’m only a little bit stronger than a human. In some houses, witches who can’t control their elements are servants. In the old days, they were slaves.”

Anger sparked in my chest. It was an effort to stop it from tightening my grip on her shoulders. “No one will make you a slave. Not while I walk the earth.”

“I would never let that happen. But this quest is about more than status. As he was dying, my father told me something. It sounded like a prediction…or a prophecy. He said a dark wind was coming and that only I could harness it.”

The hair on my nape lifted. “What does that mean?” Unlike other immortals, I didn’t hold witches in contempt. But I couldn’t deny that their magic held a certain creep factor. I’d also heard enough stories to know that prophecies could be dangerous things—particularly if they were ignored.

“I don’t know,” she said, her voice barely a whisper. “I’ve read everything I can get my hands on, looking for answers or some kind of guidance. But I’ve come up short. The only thing I know is that my parents hoped I would master my element and lead House Blackwood after they were gone. And I’m determined to do that.”

“I’ll help you.” I brushed my thumb down the sweet slope of her nose, tracing those tiny, enchanting freckles. “How could anyone ever doubt your power, Georgie? You wield an infinite amount of it over me.”

Her eyes drifted shut as she leaned into my caress. “I have to get to that Oracle, Callum.”

“Aye. We’ll make it happen.”

She opened her eyes. “Not if Graeme throws us out in the morning.”

“He won’t.” I set her gently away from me and went to our backpacks next to the hearth. After a few seconds of rummaging, I withdrew a bunch of protein bars and a couple of fire sticks.

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