Page 144 of A Tongue so Sweet and Deadly

It was a cloudy day, and by the time they reached a small village, Lessia realized it must be early afternoon.

Even though it was still dim outside, the little light there was came from the southwest, gray rays dancing between the snow-covered mountains that towered there.

After Loche dismounted, Lessia let him help her off Reks, and she winced at the stiffness in her legs as they hit the hard-packed snow.

“We have a short walk still, but Reks cannot follow where we’re going. I’ll take him to a trusted friend in the village, but it’s probably best if you stay here. While they won’t mind, they’ll know who you are as soon as they see you.”

Patting Reks’s warm neck, she nodded.

She sat down on a small boulder, keeping an eye on the satchel Loche left behind and remaining alert to any sound from the dark forest surrounding them.

Nothing happened in the short time Loche was gone, and she jumped to her feet when he made his way back through the deep snow.

As he once again reached out a hand for her, she folded her arms over her chest. “You need to tell me where we are going.”

While she somehow trusted him, she didn’t like not having all the information, especially in a part of Ellow that was entirely foreign to her.

Loche huffed and gripped her hands, unlocking her arms and pulling them around his waist.

He glowered down at her. “So nosy.”

She raised a brow, ignoring the tingling sensation in her gut as his body pressed against hers. “Tell me.”

His gaze drifted upward for a moment before he sighed. “It’s the winter solstice. I’m taking you to my favorite place to celebrate.”

Her brows shot up.

She’d forgotten about the winter solstice, one of the most important holidays in Ellow. On this one day a year, no one worked, so families and friends came together to celebrate the seasons shifting into brighter times.

Of course she loved it.

Loved knowing the consuming darkness would soon be replaced with midnight sun, with warm wind and flowers and leaves and greens.

When a smile spread across her face, Loche’s eyes flashed, and he bent down, claiming her mouth.

His kiss was urgent and possessive but gentle all the while, and she lost herself in his soft lips.

“Smile like that again,” he mumbled against her mouth.

She couldn’t help her lips curling, and he growled, fusing their mouths together again.

When he finally pulled back, they were both out of breath, and Loche dragged a hand across his face. “You drive me to the brink of insanity.”

She giggled and immediately wanted to smack herself in the face for the airy sound.

What was this man doing to her?

Pursing her lips, Lessia tried to ignore the unease that swirled in her gut as she righted her left sleeve, which had slid down, only looking up when Loche let out a low laugh.

“What?” she muttered.

“Nothing.” Loche shook his head, took a step forward, and gripped her hand. “Come on, we want to get there before it’s too late.”

She thought about asking him yet again where they were going but decided against it when a smile played across his lips as he led her through two towering snowbanks.

Fresh snow lay across the ground, and she was grateful for it when Loche rushed his steps, heading toward a snow-covered hill where glittering ice slithered along the bottom.

As they came closer and she spotted a dark opening at the base, her stomach flipped.

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