Page 157 of Of Rime and Ruin
I drink in the sight of him. The glint in his ice-blue eyes. The crooked slant to his smile. The sharp planes of his cheeks. That tiny dimple at the point of his chin. He’s glorious, and he’s all mine.
“Of course it’s a yes,” I say, and I kiss him hard on the mouth. He responds with a groan, and our lips slide together.
Somewhere behind us, Winona clears her throat. I wave my hand in her direction, dismissing her protests. I’m kissing my Frost King, and Winona can fucking wait.
“I thought you didn’t want a land-bound king,” my sister mutters.
I break from the kiss just long enough to say, “This one’s different.”
Aethan grins, and we pick up where we left off.
Beast
Epilogue
Submerge.
Swim.
Scent.
Today, we’ll reopen the royal city of Doloch. A new era begins.
The Rime vibrates with anticipation, and I can taste the excitement in the water.
Electric, almost.
The same excitement runs through my body, from horns to tail.
My muscles flex with ease and my body revels in the slick glide of water over my scales.
I missed this form. That my king-self ever sought to destroy it feels blasphemous now. Unthinkable. This body is as much mine as the soft skin I wear on the shore.
The king’s memories are as clear to me now as the water before my eyes—our shared memory restored, thanks to Nahla’s spell.
I am the Frost King, I am the Beast, and I burst in gratitude for the siren who made me whole.
Nahla squeezes me, small fingers curling around my thumb. Her hair sprawls in a voluminous halo around her face, eyes bright and happy. Her lips part, letting the tune of her spell flow as she maintains the soft connection between our minds.
Nahla’s emotions mix with mine—nervousness, delight, and hope. We pass them to each other as easily as water through our gills.
How did I get so lucky?
My Sunfish.
My mind-mate.
My queen.
She’s everything I dreamed of and more.
And I’m bringing her home.
The gates to the city have been cleaned up for the celebration. The pikewhale statues on either side of the gate are free of glacierweed, buffed and shined to their former glory. A wide ribbon stretches between their horns.
The whole kingdom is here. They line the entrance, treading on either side to clear a path for us to swim through. Cheers break out as they spot our approach.
Nahla’s grip on my finger tightens, and a wave of nerves brushes against my mind.
