Page 77 of Frost Like Night
What could possibly be wrong? He finally had her. He could finally touch her and kiss her and spend the rest of his life with his arms around her—
But that was exactly it. He wanted to spend the rest of his life like this, with her, but she would leave his life empty in a matter of days. Just the thought made agony snuff out most of the desire that swarmed him when he felt her move under his hands.
“I won’t let you die,” he told her.
She went slack against the rock. “It isn’t your decision.”
“It isn’t?” He pitched toward her, but he didn’t dare kiss her again, didn’t dare lose himself in the way she watched him and touched her swollen lips. “How can you think you’ll be the only one affected by this?”
Meira sagged even more. “I know I won’t be. Why do you think it’s so hard for me to do this? Why do you think I started to ask you tohelp me?” She pitched forward until her head fell against his chest, her fingers gripping his shirt like a tether keeping her from flying away. “I’m not strong enough to hurt you and everyone else like that. But I have to. Please, Mather,” she begged, her head shooting back up. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore. Let’s just be here.”
So many images of her being strong crowded his mindthat he had trouble seeing her like this, begging, broken, scared. Buthewas broken and scared, and ice above, if he didn’t crumple at the thought of casting away everything bad in favor of one night. Just one.
Mather fell into her again, and he knew he’d never be able to regain control of himself. Tears burned his eyes but he didn’t care; instead he lost everything in the way Meira met him with equal fervor, her body bending against his like they were two stalks of grass swaying with each other.
Their kisses went from gentle to chaotic, hands and tongues and sighs that could have been whimpers. And through it all, Mather wove words in a haven around them on the ridge.
“I love you,” he said, and promised, over and over again. “I will always love you, and I should be able to protect you. . . .”
He felt Meira break under his words, tears streaming down her cheeks, mingling with his.
“I love you,” she told him. “And Iwillprotect you.”
22
Meira
DON’T WAKE UP.
The camp had been quiet when we finally crept back last night, everyone safe and asleep in their various tents. Which made it far too easy to nod in passing at the soldiers and meander through the dusty paths, the tents the only audience as Mather and I . . .
We . . .
I’m fully awake now, a grin stretching my lips as I bury my face in the pillow. I lie facing the flaps of my small tent, and when I finally pull my face free, I thank last-night-me for her good sense to tie the flaps together, what with Nessa’s propensity for diving in unannounced. The delicate, hazy light visible around the edges tells me it’s not yet late morning.
My body cools, the iciness of magic reacting to my intense emotions, a sensation that roiled through me sooften last night that I all but went numb with wonder. I press a hand to my lips, memory drawing up the feel of Mather’s hands on my waist, my fingers nestled in the grooves of his muscles, my mouth finding his.
My grin widens and I roll onto my back, head lolling to the side.
A pair of jewel-blue eyes meets mine.
His smile is just as wide, maybe even more so, and he props himself up on his elbow.
“Hi,” he says.
I dissolve into giggles, covering my mouth to mute the sound through the thin tent.
Mather’s smile stretches. “What?”
“Hi? I don’t know. It just feels a little too simple.”
“What would be better?” He wraps an arm around me and nuzzles into my hair. “Good morning, my queen?” A kiss on my shoulder. “Orlovely to see you this morning, Lady Meira?” A kiss on my jaw. “OrI had the most indecent dream about you last night, Your Highness?”
That does nothing to help my laughter. “Odd, I had a rather indecent dream about you too.”
He chuckles and goes back to lying on his propped elbow. The blanket tucked around us falls down to his waist, and despite everything, my cheeks flush at the sight of his bare chest.
“Oh?” he asks. “Maybe we had the same dream. What happened in yours?”
