Page 49 of Frost Bound

Olwen snorted, and she tossed a glare his way. He immediately smothered his laughter, turning it into a cough. Dahlia’s attention turned back to the bully in the tub. She dropped the fingers of her right hand into the water and drew a pattern in the oil that slicked the top from the soap. Neve followed her movements before tipping his chin up, his complete attention on her face as he released the lock of her hair.

A mistake on his part.

Lia cupped a handful of water and tossed it into his face. He sputtered as she retreated out of his reach, feeling victorious. “Wash your own bloody back.”

It would be easy to stab Arun with her poison ring. He made it easy to hate him.

Instead she turned her back to him as Olwen snickered under his breath. Lia gritted her teeth as she moved away from the warm fire to the bunkbeds, fatigue riding her hard. Part of her wanted to pull the blankets from the mattress and sleep before the hearth, but she didn’t want to be anywhere near Arun.

Instead, she pulled her outer dress off and hung it on the bedframe, left in only her damp undershirt and leggings. She quickly crawled into the bed, her back to the room as she snuggled beneath the blankets. Lia gritted her teeth as she trembled, pain and the cold threatening to make her teeth chatter together.

She hissed out a breath and curled into a tighter ball before rolling to face the room, her back to the wall. She felt too exposed the other way. She kept her eyes closed and ducked her head beneath the blanket to preserve her heat and to keep from seeing the brute bathing.

The inside of her thighs screamed. She was sure they were raw and bloody, though she couldn’t check. Dahlia began to sing a song in her mind, and rocked gently, praying that she’d fall asleep.

Her eyelids lowered and a warm weight settled over her.

Just a little longer…

The storm didn’t letup for three days.

Three.

Dahlia swallowed slowly, her throat burning like someone had dragged a rake down it. Her eyes watered, and she discreetly dabbed at her nose with the linen she’d filched from the bandages. Goosebumps ran down her arms and she rubbed at them. One moment she was burning up and the next freezing.

It was bloody inconvenient. This was not the time to be ill.

She couldn’t afford to be weak among the Loriians.

Lia craned her neck and watched as Flyka flowed through a set of stretches like she didn’t have a nine-inch cut along her thigh. Lia winced on the giantess’ behalf and turned back to the fire.

No, she couldn’t afford to be vulnerable. Especially since the wound didn’t seem to slow the Haunt down at all. While she wasn’t comfortable with Flyka, she’d warmed a little to the gruff giantess. She didn’t let anyone boss her around. That was something Lia begrudgingly admired.

Dahlia scootched closer to the flames, pain ricochetting up and down her legs and up her spine. She stifled the whimper and dropped her chin to her chest, closing her eyes as she tried to work through the pain. Her limp, dirty hair fell around her cheeks as she hissed a slow breath out between her teeth.

The sound of ringing steel pulled her from her concentration. Dahlia glanced at the closed door leading to the barn and horses.The monsters were training. They spent most of their day out in the barn, only to come in once the sun set to hand out rations and then bathe. Arun the brute and Olwen the flirt as she thought of them, liked to tease her about it, but she was too tired and sick to care. Each night she crawled underneath her blanket, ignored the splashing of water, and prayed sleep would take her.

She winced and picked up a lock of her hair. She needed a bath days ago, but didn’t dare with so many witnesses around. The horrid pain on the inside of her thighs concerned her, as did the tickle in her lungs. Lia stared longingly at the steaming water in the bathtub.

If only.

Flyka plopped down next to Dahlia, startling her. She hadn’t even heard the giantess approach. Flyka stretched out her long legs and leaned back on her powerful arms, sweat gleaming on her brow.

“How were your exercises?” Lia asked, her voice slightly strangled.

The giantess smiled and it sent a chill down Dahlia’s spine. She still hadn’t gotten used to the fangs.

“Getting better each day.” A pause. “You could join me.”

Dahlia grimaced. “Maybe one day. Travel takes the energy right out of me.”

Flyka studied her in a way that made Lia want to squirm.

“You slept more yesterday and today.” A statement that was more like a probing question.

“What else is there to do?” Lia countered. “We’re trapped here.”

“Not for long.” The giantess glanced at the lone window. “The men have been clearing a path from the barn. We’ll be leaving in a few hours.”

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