Page 37 of A Tale of Ice and Ash
Cole did not meet Eirwen’s gaze as she slipped past him. The rage stiffened to awkwardness, to a strange and unfamiliar kind of shame. She had been wrong to snap at him. He was far more powerless than she was.
But she wasn’t going to apologise.
Niamh clutched onto Eirwen’s arm as she steered her out of the grounds. “You have no idea how good it is to see you, my beautiful girl.”
Eirwen squeezed her arm. “I’m sorry that I stayed away so long. That I didn’t tell you I was alive. The dwarves said it was dangerous–”
“They’ve been good to you?”
“Like family.”
“Good, that’s wonderful, that’s so lovely to hear.” Niamh dabbed furiously at her eyes. “So what’s next?”
∞∞∞
It was almost dark by the time she made it back to the homestead, the light of the cottage swelling out into the dark like ripe pumpkins. Dinner was all laid out. Eirwen tumbled into the cottage, her body exhausted but her mind whirring.
“Heavens, child!” cried Garnet. “Where have you been? We’ve been worried–”
“I heard your conversation last night,” she said. “I went to see the city for myself.”
Onyx tapped his pipe against the table. “And?”
“And I think I’m going to need to take back my throne,” she said. “Can you help me?”
Onyx smiled, his black eyes glinting. “We thought you’d never ask.”
