Page 37 of A Sword of Ice
They both adored their mothers over their fathers. The two had been cut from the same cloth, but they’d raised two completely different males.
“Let Shula go find the Elemental,” he whispered, stepping closer.
“Did the blow to your head render you into a complete imbecile? She is not going. That was an order.”
“She can do it.” He resisted the urge to turn and look at the Fae in question where she lay, already settled in for the night.
“The only thing she can do is disobey orders. I cannot risk her life or the group’s well-being if she cannot follow my orders.”
“How do you expect her to follow orders if you don’t give her the chance to prove herself?” Clay challenged.
Valerio growled, the warning low and threatening. Clay didn’t even blink at the prince’s displeasure or at the menacing vibes Uric gave up. He was well aware that the silver Fae’s hand grasped the hilt of his dagger, and he had no doubt he would threaten to use it on Clay if he spoke another word.
Clay snorted. “I am not afraid of your growls, cousin. Answer me this; why won’t you let her do it? You know she’s a fast learner and she’s picked up fighting well enough. She’s proved she can melt iron and save all our asses, so what’s the fucking problem?”
His jaw tightened, but his expression otherwise remained calm and collected. Clay almost wouldn’t have noticed, but he caught the way his eyes flicked towards her over Clay’s shoulder. And Clay didn’t need to turn to know that Ryker had already settled in next to his mate.
“Oh, this is rich.” Laughter bubbled from Clay’s chest.
“What is?” Julius was already stripping, having obviously tuned out of the ensuing argument in favor of peeling away his traveling clothes, layer by layer, exposing his hulking body to the cold air.
Ignoring his friend as he stuffed a thick leg into the tight, leather uniform, Clay stepped closer towards Valerio.
“We’re cut from the same cloth, cousin, just like our mothers were.” He smirked and it took that single look to convey everything he wanted to say. He wasn’t going to out his cousin in front of everyone. The poor prince probably had enough to worry about, what with Weylyn reading his thoughts every chance he could get. He didn’t need that type of betrayal, too.
There would be time to speak of his cousin’s reasoning later, when the threat of other ears weren’t around to hear his confession. One that had felt all too obvious when he looked close enough. That wasn’t important, though. It was important that he got his head out of his ass and let Shula become a part of them like anyone else in this fucking room.
The prince’s eyes narrowed with the realization that Clay knew why he was so adamant on keeping Shula right where she was.
“Don’t worry, prince, your secret is safe with me. Now, will you let her go or not? She’s ready and you fucking know it.”
There was a moment of contemplative silence in which Clay smirked, but at the same time held his breath. Then Valerio turned without another word.
Clay tried not to smile too wide.
Because he knew that he had won.
* * *
“Wake up.”A boot nudged her leg.
Shula’s eyes flew open, and she found herself staring up at Valerio and Julius. She blinked away the grogginess and extricated herself from Ryker’s hold. She wasn’t sure when he’d sidled next to her in the night, hadn’t even felt his arms wrap around her.
“What’s going on?” She sat up and stared at Julius.
He was clad in a human soldier’s uniform, but it looked to be a size too small, nearly bursting at the seams. He looked rather uncomfortable in the whole thing, and even the helm looked like it squeezed his head.
Valerio smirked mirthlessly down at her. “Put on the uniform,” he said. “You’re going with Julius to find the Elemental.”
Shula shot to her feet. “Really?”
“Yes.”
Without realizing what she was doing, she threw her arms around Valerio and hugged him close for a second before she was yanked out of his arms by a suddenly awake and growling Ryker.
“Shula?”
“Yeah?” She picked up the clothes, hefting them in her arms.
