Page 111 of Frost Bound

She brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. “I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions.” She puffed out her cheeks. “And my friends call me Lia.”

Neve dropped his arm.Lia. He liked the way that sounded. “Of course,Lia.”

“Why do you have so many piercings?” she blurted.

He sat up and scooted backward until his back hit the headboard. “In my culture, piercings represent many things.” He touched the piercing toward the top of his long, tapered ear. “The flesh here is painful to pierce and takes a long time to heal. We can choose to pierce our ears there when we lose our parents, siblings, a mate, or children. It reflects our pain and the time it takes to heal from loss. These are permanent. We never take them out.”

Neve touched the bottom stone. “Some celebrate accomplishments. The stones have different meanings. My largest black diamond is for when I became a warrior.”

Lia nodded and gestured to his chest. “And those?”

“These are reserved for marriedvallos.”

Her mouth dropped open and she swallowed hard. “Do married women have to get those too?”

He grinned, knowing exactly where her mind went. “No. Somevalleschoose to pierce their nose as a sign of being married.”

She visibly wilted in relief. “So those are new? Did they hurt?”

“Not as badly as my mourning piercings.”

Her attention returned to his ears. He could see her counting how many he had. Her lips turned downward. “Five?” she croaked.

“Yes. Three siblings and two parents.” Each day he felt their loss. He had turned his emotions off to function. Lumi had raged at the world, drowning in her feelings.

She shuddered, understanding and empathy filling her face. “I’m so sorry. I know how painful that can be.”

He cocked his head and really looked at his little human. Both of her parents were alive, and she was the only heir, and yet he could see that she felt his pain. Who had hisvalleslost?

“Next question,” he finally said.

Lia nodded. “Do you have pupils like me?”

He smiled. “Yes. If you look close enough, you can see a slight difference in my eyes.”

Hisniliavepopped onto her knees and shuffled closer, leaning in. He widened his eyes and tried not to blink.

“I can see it.” Her attention moved to his ears, but he was eyeing her freckles. Did they serve a purpose? Or were they there just to draw his eyes to her face?

“Can you see better in the dark?”

“Better than you,sei.”

“Can I touch your ear?”

“Sure,” he muttered without thinking. Just how many spots were there? It was like brown sugar had been baked onto her cheeks.

He jerked when she brushed the tip of his ear. Lia flinched and gaped at him.

“Did I hurt you?”

“No,” he drawled, ignoring the heat flaring in his chest at her innocent touches. Just when he thought he’d break, she stopped fondling his ears and sat back with her hands on her knees.

He sighed. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Yes.”

He tapped a claw on her legging-covered legs. “Why do you still cover yourself up? I know you’re still wearing hose underneath your dresses.”

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