Page 17 of Mountains of Mist and Magic

He put his hands on his knees, his boots on the ground. “They arrived about a half hour ago.”

Esmeralda stood up from the bed. “I should go greet them.” She began smoothing her hair and fiddling with her dress.

As much as Phillippe liked the cold and thrived in the subzero temperatures, he missed the subtle heat of the Spring Lands, where Esmeralda had worn gowns that were native to the Tidal Kingdom. The dress she had on right now practically went up to her neck, and unlike her regular attire, there was no slit that showed her tan legs—

“Phillippe?”

He was so preoccupied that he hadn't heard her response. “Sorry—what?”

“Did you want to go down and greet them together?”

“I've already seen my brother, which is actually why I've come to see you.” Phillippe gestured for her to sit back down, and this time she moved to one of the chairs in front of the fire. He paused, then moved to the seat next to her; he was so big and burly that even though the chairs were spaced apart, the couple sat shoulder to shoulder.

“What is it?” Esmeralda asked, and her pretty face suddenly paled a bit, obviously nervous for potential bad news. They'd had a lot of it over the past few months, so Phillippe didn't blame her.

“Well, Renya is going to eventually return to the Sun Realm and rule there. Her father is getting older, and he wants her there to learn from him.”

“Oh. But what about Grayden?”

“That's the thing. He...wants to go with her.”

She looked at him, her eyes wide with understanding.

“And he wants you to lead here?”

A curt nod was his response. He was too sad to even voice the acknowledgement.

“Oh, Phillippe. That's dreadful. I'm so sorry for you.”

He jolted upright, surprised by her reaction. He had expected her to be elated, thrilled that he wouldn't return to the mountain encampment.

“I thought you would be glad, at least.”

Her forehead wrinkled. “Why would I be happy over something that's going to make your life miserable?”

He stammered, searching for the words. “I just thought you'd be thrilled that I would be staying here.”

“Phillippe, at this point in our courtship, I would hope you knew that I would follow you anywhere, even into the frigid mountains.”

His heart swelled as he looked at her, almost as if seeing her for the first time. He admired her near-silver hair in the glow of the fireplace, her red lips and heart-shaped face. Her beautiful eyes, somewhat almond-shaped, and the gorgeous bronze of her skin. He leaned in and brushed his lips against hers and realized that his brother was right.

It was like he had never kissed a woman before her.

Chapter Ten

The forest loomed darker than ever as they made their way through the boughs of spruce trees and fallen logs. Selenia clutched her bundle tighter against her chest, trying to keep it from snagging on the straggly underbrush. The scent of damp earth and pine needles filled her nose.

“She seriously wants clothes?” Sion asked, holding back a large branch so Selenia could pass through.

“She does. That's where my hat went on our last journey together.” Selenia felt her face flush as she recalled that fateful trip in which the Murcurial unlocked her bond with Sion. The memory of heat and desire blossoming within her, the need she felt for him, rushed back. Those feelings still lingered, but having him hold her at night under the furs eased the aching in her heart.

“Well, hopefully we can find her soon. I'm nervous about being unprotected and this far away from the horses. That witch might be locked up, but there are still dangerous animals and other creatures lurking in this land. And if Renya's mother isn't lying, there's some unknown force out there that's responsible for the lack of magic.”

“Hush. It'll be worth it, won't it? To figure out how to fix the bonds? Maybe the Murcurial will have insight into the fading, and we'll be able to finally fix things and live normal, happy lives.”

He looked at her wistfully, his gaze making her feel exposed. “That would be everything I've ever longed for, Little Fox.” He leaned in, and she closed her eyes, eager to feel his lips on hers. His warm breath caressed her face, and then his mouth brushed hers gently. But it was too quick, and he pulled away much too soon for her liking. She sighed, still savoring their closeness although always yearning for more.

They continued deeper into the forest, searching for the elusive Murcurial. After an hour, Selenia started to get nervous. It had never taken this long to find her before.

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