Page 52 of Frost Bound

How was she supposed to kill him?

Maybe it was a good thing that envoy hadn’t been incredibly welcoming. With each spouted fact about the Loriian countryside, she liked the king more. And it made it more difficult to contemplate her task.

Reaching Kallere was a relief, mentally and physically. It had charming little white frescoed homes that hosted rich timber supports that bisected the buildings. Slate roofs sparkled, making the place almost seem magical.

Her skin had tingled the entire ride through the city as giants stood in the doorways or along the road calling out in Loriian, tossing flowers and paper snowflakes at the king. They stared at her and whispered, sometimes touching her boots or legs.

Lia’s nose was stuffy, her head feeling like it was filled with cotton, and she couldn’t get warm. So it had been an unexpected joy to stop in a village outside of the city for the night. Not only did she receive her own room, a steaming bath, and proper nightgown, but a new set of white-trimmed leathers, a flowy skirt, and a bodice trimmed in warm fur. Dahlia had no clue how they knew her size. They were distinctly Loriian-made. But thethought didn’t bother her as much. As long as she was warm, that was all that mattered.

She locked the door and barely managed to push an enormous trunk in front of it just in case someone got ideas about coming in. She stripped off all her clothing, hid her ring, and painstakingly removed her hose, the abused flesh sticking to the fabric.

It was a whole other agony to bathe with open wounds between her thighs. Lia finally let herself cry without anyone watching, her chest shuddering as all the fear, worry, and pain of the last few weeks crashed down upon her.

Had Cosmos made it to Lantium? Had he found a safe room and board? Was her mum still safe?

The questions plagued her at night.

A fit of coughing took her, to the point she gasped for air and her lungs rattled, causing her head to ache fiercely. She tipped her head back against the stone tub and stared at the ceiling, bubbles lapping at her chin.

Godsteeth, she was so tired. The rattle in her lungs was getting worse.

You need a healer.

She didn’t dare say anything.

Dahlia closed her eyes and slipped beneath the water; all sounds muted. She held her breath and began reciting a song in her head—something she’d always done as a child. It helped her train to dive deeper when hunting for mussels in lakes as she and Cosmos traveled from city to city, performing for crowds.

Jolly good, darling, dance round and round,

You’ve nary been lost.

Set your heart free, don’t look to the ground,

Spirals and dips.

Jolly good, darling, you’re bound you’re?—

A muted crash, then hands seized her biceps, hauling her from the water. She sputtered and then screamed. She clawed at her attacker and opened her eyes, only for soap to drip into them.

“What theqovare you doing?” Arun’s voice snarled at her. “Trying to drown yourself?”

“Soap in my eyes,” she yelled, trying to rub at them. Theyburned.

The giant dropped her, and she sank back into the tub, rubbing at her eyes. Cold water sluiced over her head, and she coughed, still rubbing at her eyes.

“Stop rubbing,” the giant growled. “Tip your head back.” She did as he bid, squeezing her eyes closed as if that would remove the painful stinging. “Now blink.”

It hurt, but at least he didn’t drown her. He continued to pour a little water into her eyes until the soap stopped burning. She pressed her legs to the bottom of the tub and wrapped her arms around her breasts as he glared down at her, teeth bared.

Thank the stars for the bubbles. They covered her body. Had he seen her legs? The water was deep enough that it should have at least covered her to the waist. Her relief was quickly overshadowed at the realization that he’d seen her whole top half.

Heat rushed into her cheeks. “What are you doing in here?” she barked, hating how he loomed over her.

He leaned down, his fingers curling around the edge of the stone tub. “Saving your life it seems.”

“I was fine. How did you get in here anyway?” She leaned back and gaped at the door. It was splintered in three places, and the trunk was halfway across the room. “What the devil?”

“My sentiments exactly,” he snapped, pulling her attention back to the massive angry male scowling at her. “Were you trying to kill yourself?”

---