Nightblood
Page 33
“That was,” I whispered, wincing, “what I wanted to show you.”
It just hadn’t gone the way I’d imagined. Not. At. All.
“I see.” There was no inflection in his voice, no facial expression to give me a clue what he was thinking. I waited for the tirade, but he appeared to be stuck in some kind of stasis. Either that or he’d finally come up with a better alternative than hanging, which was “too quick and merciful,” if I remembered correctly.
I swallowed and forced a smile. “Is it too late to bolt?”
He stepped closer, his arms coming around me. It was the last thing I’d expected him to do, and it sent me into a daze of confused speculation. A hundred wildly improbable scenarios paraded through my mind. Was he planning to squeeze me to death? Or toss me over his shoulder and carry me to the nearest cliff? Maybe he would just throw me to the frost wolves. I had no doubt they would find me delicious.
The worst part was that the assembled crowd had gone back to chattering and sipping wine as if nothing had happened. No one looked the least bit interested in saving me from the wrath of their king.
His arms tightened. “Oh, Ruby.” His voice sounded choked. His body started to shake.
Alarmed, I struggled to lean back so I could see his face, but his arms bound me tight. He kept shaking until I was almost frantic. Was he crying? Had he lost his senses? Had I broken him?
Finally, he pulled back. He was wearing a huge grin that crinkled his eyes and made his face so beautiful that my heart skipped a beat. He reached up and wiped his eye, but the tears were clearly from laughter.
Relief added a couple of extra thumps to my pulse. I gave him a tentative smile. “So, you’re not angry?”
“No, my fiery queen. I’m so happy for you.” He brushed fallen strands of hair back from my face, then put his hands on my cheeks. His eyes sparkled with residual humor, though the rest of his face did its best to look serious. “Only you would announce the return of your fire with such… flair.” A twitch of his lips was ruthlessly suppressed. “I do wish you had chosen a less dangerous way of showing it off, though. You could have hurt someone.”
I closed my eyes. “I know. I’m so sorry.”
“Can you imagine if your first act as queen was to slice up a bevy of dignitaries?”
I groaned. The image was only too vivid in my mind. What had I been thinking? But earlier today, I’d barely made sparks glow. How was I to know my gift would return so quickly? Then again, rage always made my fire burn unpredictably, and he had goaded me into a fine temper.
“Please be more careful,” Arcus said, pressing his cool lips to mine. His skin warmed in an instant, reminding me that he’d learned to regulate his temperature for me. Now he was asking me to recover the control I’d fought so hard to learn before. It was what I wanted, too. I definitely hadn’t planned to terrorize the guests at my first royal gala.
“I will. Forgive me?”
“All right.”
“Just like that?”
“I’m the Frost King. I’m allowed to be mercurial.”
My heart blossomed with tenderness and heat and gratitude. “In that case, you’re in good company. We can be wild and unpredictable together.” My arms snuck around him again, and I stood on my tiptoes to give him another kiss. I loved his scent, his nearness, the feel of him. So familiar and so necessary to me now. Warmth spread through me, and it had nothing to do with my gift and everything to do with holding the person I loved in my arms.
“You can be whatever you want to be, Lady Firebrand.” He stole another kiss. “As long as we’re together.”
I leaned back to look up at him. “Are you sure you don’t want to add a caveat or two to that statement of blanket permission?”
He grinned again. “I told you once: When it comes to you, I like to be burned. Just… don’t take that too literally, would you?”
“I’ll try to exert some small measure of control.”
“Just a speck.”
“Maybe even a pinch,” I replied. Then I looked at him seriously. “Arcus, I would never hurt you or allow you to be hurt. Not if I could prevent it.”
“I know that.” His voice turned husky, making my pulse bubble hot and light through my veins. “I trusted you with my icy heart, and instead of melting it, you set it ablaze.”
Something clenched in my chest, a sweet and gentle ache. “And you made mine burn hotter.” I gave him a teasing look. “No wonder my fire came back.”
He chuckled and pulled me close. “No matter what, it’s you I love. With or without your gift.”
“I think that is the gift,” I whispered. “Love is the true gift.”
“My queen is wise. And I am lucky.”
But I was the one who felt like the gods were smiling down on me.
Arcus’s hand was almost warm as his knuckles lazily stroked my cheek. For a few seconds, I wished I wasn’t wearing a heavy crown that kept me from embracing him the way I wanted. Later, I promised myself. Remembering my duties as hostess, I started to pull away, but his arms tightened, keeping me close.
I relaxed. I hadn’t wanted to part yet anyway.
Though the room was filled with people, it felt as if we stood in our own snug little cocoon filled with affection and tranquility. Stars, glowing coyly as they held their eternal secrets, were winking to life in the purple evening sky to the east as an apricot sun sank behind the western edge of the mountain. Burnt-ocher rays painted one side of the ballroom, making the icy walls smolder.
Ice no longer scared me. Its facets were beautiful, especially when it caught and held the vibrancy of flame.
For the first time in an age, I knew in my restless, simmering heart that I was safe.
I was home.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Writing this series has been a dream come true. Words are inadequate to express my gratitude for the time, energy, patience, and support of so many people who helped make this happen.
Abundant appreciation to Deirdre Jones, my steadfast and perceptive editor at Little, Brown, who has taken my drafty-as-an-old-house manuscripts and helped me shape them into books. Huge thanks to the rest of the amazing team: Hallie Tibbetts, Sasha Illingworth, Angela Taldone, Virginia Lawther, Erika Breglia, Emilie Polster, Stefanie Hoffman, Elizabeth Rosenbaum, Valerie Wong, Kristina Pisciotta, Shawn Foster, Megan Tingley, Jackie Engel, and Alvina Ling. Special thanks to Annie McDonnell, copyeditor extraordinaire, for your incredible eye for detail. And once again, thank you to Dominique Delmas at Hachette Canada for arranging Canadian events, and coming to see me at many of them!
Endless gratitude to Emily Kitchin at Hodder & Stoughton for your perspicacious editorial direction and unfailing enthusiasm, and to the wonderful Fleur Clarke, Becca Mundy, and Natalie Chen!
Heartfelt thanks to my agent, Suzie Townsend, for taking care of so much, and for having the knack of saying the exact thing I need to hear. A big hug to the rest of the awesome team at New Leaf Literary: Cassandra Baim, Kathleen Ortiz, Mia Roman, Veronica Grijalva, and Hilary Pecheone.
As always, endless thanks for brainstorming, notes, support, and friendship from Alexa Donne, Jennifer Hawkins, Heather Kaczynski, Mary Ann Marlowe, Nicki Pau Preto, Nikki Roberti, Mara Rutherford, Kelly Siskind, Summer Spence, Ron Walters, and Kristin B. Wright. Lots of love to the Lady Seals: Anabel, Brooke, Crystal, Guida, and Sarah. Thank you to early readers Sabrina Chiasson and Isabelle Hanson.
Hugs to my ever-supportive family: Matt, Nancy, Dan, Erik, Mark, Fred, Donna, Heather, Jill, Todd, Zoe, and Quinton.
Nicklas, Aleksander, and Lukas, thank you for unconditional love and understanding. You bring me joy every day. Dearest Darren, thank you for doing so much to help me write. All my love.
Epic, resounding thanks to readers, especially those generous enough to reach out with reviews or messages. I couldn’t do this without you!