Page 51 of Frost Bound

Lia blinked. The mean giant that couldn’t stand her gave Lia his blankets? Why would he do that? Surely, it didn’t bode well. His only interactions with her were cutting. What sort of game was he playing?

Flyka approached the tub with a bar of soap and a vial of what looked like perfumed oil. She handed the bar to Lia and poured the vial on the top of her head, kneeling beside the basin. She arched a brow at the Haunt. What was this?

“I’m not a lady’s maid,” the giantess said roughly. “But I had plenty of sisters to know how to wash a head of tangled hair.”

Lia’s eyes closed as Flyka gently detangled her locks and scrubbed her scalp. She almost moaned when the giantess ranher claws lightly over her scalp. It was bloody wonderful. The claws in her nightmares were used for slashing but the Haunt was so gentle. It made her shift in discomfort.

“Had?” she asked softly, opening her eyes to wash her arms.

“They all died.” A brusque statement.

Dahlia frowned at the wall. “I’m so sorry.” And she was. Losing Cosmos would kill her.

“Don’t be. They died like warriors.”

Lia pursed her lips. “Were they Haunts like you?”

“Yes. They died protecting our last queen whensaloesinvaded our borders.” Her scrubbing turned a little rougher.

Saloes… humans.

Dahlia twisted and bravely placed a hand on Flyka’s forearm. The giantess paused her scrubbing and stared down at her. “I’m truly sorry.” Losing family left scars on a person’s soul. Her mum haunted her daily.

Flyka sighed, losing some of the tension in her body. “It wasn’t your fault, princess.” She gently shook off Lia’s hand. “Now turn around so we can get you clean. You stink,” she replied without any heat.

Lia spun back around and stared at her distorted reflection in the water. It seemed everyone had lost someone to the violence between Astera and Loriia.

And they will again if the queen has anything to say about it.

She dashed her hand through the water.

“Would you do anything for your family?” she asked softly.

The giantess paused, then began rinsing out Lia’s hair. “I would do anything for my king and my family.”

Dahlia nodded. So would she. Even if it meant tearing Loriia apart.

And the thought scared her.

Chapter Eighteen

Dahlia

It only got colder.

Flyka had been right.

They’d set out just as soon as her hair dried from the bath.

Getting onto Anwen had been a feat in and of itself, and then staying there without crying another. The shaggy horse bore each of her flinches with dignity, but only after she’d offered him dried fruit. He loved treats.

Each time Arun would toss an annoyed glare her way, Dahlia would dig down deep and pray for strength. There was something about the giant that made her want to prove him wrong. To be stronger than he expected from a human.

It took four freezing days to reach an enchanting city called Kallere. Four days of her delegation speaking mostly in Loriian. She asked questions when she could and gathered information, but she had a feeling they were playing games with her. Which was why they spoke predominately in a language she did not understand. It was isolating.

The only bright spots were the plants that stood out in bright contrast against the untouched snow, their flowers almost defiant in their beauty. Her favorite were the willowy trees with pale grey trunks and thin, limber branches dotted with dark bluebell-looking flowers. The delicate trees stooped in the wind almost like a man bowing to his dance partner, their swaying tips almost touching the earth in homage.

Then there were her conversations with the Frost King. He was incredibly bright and had a curious mind. Any time she asked a question about one of the resilient plants, he always had an answer for her. There was something about how his eyes sparkled behind his spectacles when talking about the flora, that tugged at her chest.

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