Page 34 of Mountains of Mist and Magic

“The first stop needs to be the Sun Realm,” Renya stated. “Considering what she said.” Renya nodded towards Cressida, who was bound by magic.

“Ahh, finally I'm getting the respect I deserve,” Cressida chimed in.

“Can we please gag her?” Grayden asked.

“Enough bickering,” Agatha scolded. “This isn't helping.”

Sion looked at Cressida, who was smiling smugly. Perhaps Grayden was right, and he should take it upon himself to figure out if there was some kind of spell to silence her. Or better yet, eliminate her...

Selenia grabbed his hand underneath the table, as though she knew what he was thinking. He squeezed her soft fingers, and then traced a thumb over her knuckle. He felt her body shudder slightly, and her lips parted. Sion smiled to himself, thinking how fortunate he was to have her. He resisted the urge to look at Cressida; he wouldn't allow her to rob him of his happiness with Selenia. He continued to hold on to Selenia's hand, knowing how difficult it must be on her, too, knowing he had slept with Cressida. Sion and Selenia were sitting together at the long table, separated from Cressida, but it didn't matter. Breathing the same air as her made him want to retch when he thought too much about it. He buried the thought, and turned his head towards Selenia, and she gave him a soft smile in return.

“Ahhhhh, look! My old lover has found a new plaything! Tell me, sweet Grayden, how do you feel knowing that your sister is being bedded by the same man who graced my sheets?”

In a flash, Sion had his dagger out and climbed down the table, aiming for her throat.

Both dark and light magic hit him, and he was forced back into his chair by Renya and Agatha. Fuming and unable to move, his blood boiled.

“I think we will have to gag her,” Renya said, glaring at Cressida.

Sion couldn't take it anymore. The second he was released from his magical bonds, he left the room, storming outside. He needed to clear his head, needed to be out of that room with that witch. His mind was so full of anger that he didn't even look at Selenia when he left.

He entered the great hall and headed towards the door to the gardens and stables. Reaching for the handle, he pushed the door open, and the cold air hit him, cooling his hot cheeks and seething blood. He counted each breath he took, trying to remind himself that it didn't matter; everything was in the past. But the flood of memories hit him, and for a second he was right back in Cressida's bed.

Shaking the snow off his furs, Sion stomped through the snow, heading for the stables. He didn't really have a destination in mind, but his feet led him to a safe space. Pushing open the barn doors, he smelled the familiar scent of hay and horses. It soothed him almost immediately. He walked past Starlia and Nectaria, Damion and Lightning. A soft nicker sounded from a few feet away, and he turned to see Talia. She was nudging at the latch on her stall, trying to get it up. The stubborn mare had almost succeeded, but at the last minute a fly buzzed around her head and she got distracted. All the progress she had made with the lock was gone as the metal slipped back into place. Sion fixed the latch, making a mental note to remind the groom to make sure they were locked securely in the future.

Talia looked at him expectantly, and he chuckled and grabbed a crabapple from the bucket in the corner and offered it to her.

Sion's heart felt lighter already. He had grown up around animals and found their presence comforting. He stroked Talia's velvety nose, and she licked his hand. Not necessarily normal behavior for a horse, but Talia was a funny one. She got into mischief more than any animal he had ever seen, and she was stubborn to a fault.

The perfect horse for Renya, he thought, chuckling out loud.

“What's so funny?”

He turned, knowing she'd find him soon enough. Selenia shut the door to the stables behind her and walked towards him. She was wearing an emerald dress with a spotted white and black fur trim, and the color reminded him of the solstice celebrations. Her hair had bits of snow clinging to it, and she was shivering slightly, having not bothered to grab a cloak.

Sion put his arms out to her, and she moved into his embrace. He kissed the top of her head, the melting snowflakes wetting his lips.

Selenia looked up at him, and he saw the trace of tears in her eyes. Sion rubbed his thumb over her bottom lip.

“Don't cry, my darling. It's alright.”

She kissed the pad of his finger, and then moved farther into his chest and nuzzled against him. He sighed softly, feeling her chest expand with each gentle breath she took. Soon their hearts seemed to beat together, and their chests moved as one.

Nothing else mattered. Just this. This quiet moment, with the two of them together. Nothing but the sound of the whistling wind whipping through the cracks and crannies of the stable, the hushed patter of horse hooves. An occasional neigh and the rustling of hay.

“I wish we could stay like this forever,” he whispered into her ear, nipping at her earlobe tenderly. He felt her shiver, and he knew it wasn't from the cold.

“Oh, Sion.” Selenia looked up at him and her eyes darted around his face, as if she wanted to commit every scar, groove and feature to memory. “I love you.”

Sion brought his head down, rubbing his nose against hers. “And I love you, my Little Fox.”

Sion helped Selenia pack that night. He wished he could have allowed her some time to rest before leaving the comfortable boundaries of the lodge, but the sooner they got to the Sun Realm, the sooner they could transfer Renya's mother to Cyrus. Selenia had filled Sion in on the plans that had been made after he stormed out of the cabinet room. They would all go to the Sun Realm, meet up with Cyrus and allow Cressida access to the library, while under the strict supervision of Renya, Agatha, and Cyrus. Then, depending on what they found, they would either journey back to the Snow Lands, or trudge ahead to wherever their quest took them. But under no circumstances would Cressida come back to the Snow Lands. Ever.

Sion's shoulders had relaxed when he heard the plan, and a giant weight was lifted off his shoulders. He wouldn't have to see her ever again. He could move on with his life...and with Selenia.

And if they managed to fix the magic...

He could be truly fated to her.

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