Page 69 of The Crown of the Last Fae Queen
Time seemed to hasten as their kiss became rougher, more frantic. She wanted to lose herself in his arms. She wanted to feel his skin against hers. To know that he was hers forever. And a part of her feared that she wouldn’t be able to touch him like this ever again.
When she thought he would finally tear her dress off, he broke the kiss to breathe, a wild glaze over his usually arctic eyes. They both stared at each other, their breathing labored, and he finally cupped the side of her face with one hand. She placed her hand atop of his, and opened her mouth to tell him to keep going, but he pressed a finger to her lips and glanced sharply at the door.
Confusion shattered her desire-filled thoughts. He lurched to his feet and backed away; the sudden departure left her needing more and she reached out for him, the air a different kind of cold without his touch. A sudden knock on the door jostled her from her position and she staggered to her feet. Blár had already yanked his mask back in place, and he jerked a thumb to her bedroom door, mouthing “go inside.”
She remained where she was, caught between sprinting to her bedchambers, and answering the person knocking on her door—she didn’t want whoever it was to become suspicious of her silence.
“Kolfinna?” Astrid’s voice carried into the room and the doorknob twisted. It was met with resistance, and Kolfinna silently thanked the fact that Blár had the foresight to lock it earlier.
She opened her mouth to answer, but Blár shot her a warning look and pressed a finger to his own lips, signaling her to be quiet. His gaze raked over her body, eyebrows raisedwith a smirk, and then motioned to the door leading to her bedchambers.
With a frown, she silently padded her way to it. She ran her fingers over her dress and hair; she probably looked as frazzled as she felt.
“She retired to her bedchambers,” Blár announced, stepping toward the main door just as Kolfinna slipped into her bedroom. She quietly shut the door behind her and leaned against it, her heart racing to a wild tune. It was actually better to have Blár talk to Astrid, since if the fae saw Kolfinna as she was, she would have figured out what they had been up to. She brought a shaky hand to her swollen lips. She could feel the warmth spreading up her cheeks and to her ears.
How could a kiss be so … passionate?
Astrid’s concerned voice pierced through her thoughts. “I forgot to ask her if she needed help undressing, or if she wished for a bath.”
Kolfinna heard the door creak open, and Blár say, “She hasn’t come out of her bedchambers, so I think she might be asleep.”
“Oh, really? I suppose I was worried for nothing.” Astrid laughed airily. A moment of silence followed, and then, “Well, I’ll be retiring myself, then. Good night.”
“Good night.”
The door shut with a click.
For a moment, she just stood there breathing heavily. Finally, when she thought she couldn’t handle it anymore, Blár gently rapped his knuckles against her door.
“She left,” he murmured. The door had never felt so thick, so much of a barrier, than it did in that moment.
Kolfinna cracked it open and peered up at him, suddenly embarrassed to be so close. She felt like her face must be a patchwork of blushing skin as she looked at him. He was as dashing as always—his slicked hair was tousled from her handsand the mask bringing focus to his cold eyes— but their shared, fervent moment made him appear all the more appealing. All the more … like he was hers.
She wondered, for a moment, if they would continue where they left off. She would have liked that.
But Blár coughed and rubbed the back of his neck. “You should try to sleep, Kolfinna. We have a busy day tomorrow.”
She could only nod, not trusting her voice.
They both stared at each other for a moment longer, and Kolfinna remembered the way his mouth had trailed down her neck, how he had kissed her so fiercely, and she couldn’t help but blush more.
“Good night, Blár.”
He opened his mouth like he wanted to say more, but then clamped it shut. He studied her for a moment longer, and leaned closer, his breath cooling her cheek as he planted a gentle kiss there. “Good night, Kolfinna.”
21
TWENTY-ONE – KOLFINNA
The next morning,Astrid helped Kolfinna don her training attire—dark leggings, a black tunic with green trim, and leather boots—after they had a simple breakfast of honeyed oats, milk, and dried fruits. Right when Astrid began to braid Kolfinna’s hair, they were visited by Vidar. He filled the doorway of her bedchambers, appearing as ominous as always. With his wings flared out and his black-scaled helmet in place, she couldn’t help but stiffen. She hadn’t realized how accustomed she had become to seeing his bare face, but now that he was covered, her stomach twisted in apprehension.
All she could see through the slits of the helmet were his eyes. They glowed in a way that terrified her.
Kolfinna rose from her spot in front of her vanity “What happened?”
Astrid lowered herself into a bow and released Kolfinna’s hair to fall over her shoulders in long, wavy tresses. Kolfinna didn’t bother tying it back, not when she could feel the color slowly draining from her face.
Vidar’s gaze swept through the room with a meticulous slowness that made her heart stutter. Had he discovered Blár’splans? Was he looking for something incriminating? Had he seen through Blár’s disguise and figured everything out?
