His eyes scanned her up and down, and she realized he’d been coming to meet her. To make sure she was safe. Instead of assuring him that she was, Nadine blurted the first thing that came to mind. “Are you all right?”
Her own words stunned her. Hadn’t she been racing back to ensure that Samar was safe? That he was alive? Obviously the barbarian was well enough. She should step around him and look after her friend, her real friend. Yet Nadine went nowhere. She met those hazel eyes and waited for his answer.
Magnus’s breathing slowed. He swallowed and nodded. “Your friend’s an idiot.”
Nadine pursed her lips, then edged past Magnus to confront her second-in-command. Samar was still sputtering. Or maybe he was just shivering. The chattering was so intense that breathing seemed difficult for him. He sat on the ground, his knees pulled into himself, arms pulled into his sides. Another memory assaulted her, one of those nights spent in the East during Aluk-Nuril. They’d been given nothing to wear but what they could make for themselves out of leaves tied by roots. Those nights had been hell. Right now, Nadine felt the need to make him experience it again.
“Well, Lanta,” Nadine said, staring down at Samar, whose chin was tucked into his chest. “Since you now owe your life to a Dokiri, perhaps you see them in a new light?”
The men nearby exchanged uneasy glances with one another, then fixed their eyes on Nadine as they waited for her judgment. Her lips thinned. “Rushil?”
“Yes, Captain?”
“Remove Captain Lanta’s clothing and have it replaced with Dokiri garb.”
Hesitation permeated Rushil’s voice. “Yes, Captain.”
“The rest of you, set up camp. Thanks to my second, this mission has been delayed by another night.”
The men dispersed with frustrated sighs. A trio of them built a fire to warm their former commanding officer. When everyone was minding their tasks, Nadine crouched at Samar’s side. He fixed his dark eyes on her, and she cocked her head at him.
“Can I depend on you, Lanta?”
Samar’s gaze hardened and he spoke through chattering teeth. “You know you can.”
“That’s just it. I don’t.”
For a moment, Samar’s shivering slowed, and his shoulders straightened.
Nadine shook her head once. “If you can’t see reason enough to obey our guides, you’re no use to me.”
“It won’t happen again.” Samar looked away from her.
Unfortunately, Nadine wasn’t sure she believed that. She straightened, then moved to leave.
“Are you going to him?”
Nadine paused, then turned back toward her friend. He was looking at her now and the challenge in his eyes made her angry. “He served us better than you today.”
As Nadine walked away, the truth of her own words sunk beneath the surface of her mind.
10
Thawing Ice
“You should have let him drown,” Erik grumbled, staring Magnus down.
The pair of them had gone away from the bustle of the camp for a private word. The snow here was flat and even. What Magnus wouldn’t give for a warm sheet of rock to get dry on. At least there were no trees around to block out the sun’s rays.
Magnus grinned wryly up at his older brother from where he sat on his knees. He was trying and failing to peel off his ice-stiffened cuirass, and spoke through chattering teeth, “I expect something like that to come out of Ivan’s mouth. Not yours, brother.”
The Ebronian would suffer for his stupidity tonight. Unlike Magnus, he might never feel warm again until he’d spent a few days baking beneath that desert sun of his. Magnus ran his hands along his arms. Gooseflesh pulled his skin taut. “Can you call my mount? My lips are frozen.” Yrsa’s heat would speed along the process quicker than any fire.
Erik raised a brow. It was possible Yrsa wouldn’t respond to his call. Most of the gegatu would only respond to the whistle their master had taught them, in their master’s voice. But then, Erik was an exception to nearly every rule in regard to the gegatu. He gave it a try as Magnus fumbled with frozen fingers at the ties of his shirt.
“Thank you for saving my second’s life.”
Magnus looked up. His hamma stared at the pair of them, her pack in her hand, her posture disarmingly humble. Or perhaps she was simply shaken from the hour’s drama. Magnus wanted to climb to his feet and take her in his arms. But, no, seeing her like that, the twinkle of gratitude sparkling on her lovely features where previously there had only ever been contempt, that was a gift too sweet to erase just now. He let his hands sink to his lap. “I didn’t do it for him.”
She drew in a breath, and her gaze flicked to Erik. He stood with his arms crossed, eyeing Nadine with an expression of poorly concealed frustration. Magnus grunted in his general direction and, at last, Erik wandered away with a reluctant sigh.
Magnus and Nadine regarded each other and, for a moment, neither seemed to know what to say. In the distance, the Ebronians milled about, reassembling the camp. “Resting here for the night?”
“Until the two of you warm, we must.”
“And in the morning?”
“I haven’t decided.”
Magnus scoffed. This had gone beyond ridiculous. “Let us fly you to Bedmeg.”
To his surprise, she didn’t outright refuse him. Instead she looked down at the snow between them. Magnus chewed on the inside of his cheek before deciding to press his luck. “Surely I just proved our loyalty to the alliance.”
Nadine met his eyes again. “You proved your loyalty to me. Isn’t that what you just said?”
Magnus swallowed, then swore under his breath. “We’re running out of time, Nadine.”
She drew in a long breath, then started toward him with such authority, Magnus found himself leaning back on his knees.
“Whoa, what are you doing?” he asked.
Her mouth curled into a lopsided grin. “Easy, dog. I’m not going to whip you.”
Magnus could only stare in openmouthed silence as she knelt before him and reached for the ties at the front of his shirt. One by one, she undid the ties in a fraction of the time it had taken his numb fingers to do just one. She was close enough that the heat of her breath warmed the icy flesh on his face. This near, Magnus could make out the fine details of her face. Little lines at the corners of her eyes, the pronounced dip of her cupid’s bow. He could smell the musky campfire scent of her hair. He wanted to dip down and press himself into the nape of her neck to inhale deeply. Inhale all of Nadine.
A gale whirled around them, sending snow out in all directions. Nadine looked up, but Magnus already knew what was happening. Yrsa shrieked and trilled as she came to touch down a short way behind them. Nadine started to pull away, but Magnus took hold of her wrist and held her there. “Don’t show her your fear, kandiri.”
Nadine swallowed, then nodded. She returned her gaze to Yrsa, and Magnus watched her watch his gegatu. There was an air of wonder about her, and Magnus decided that was when she was most beautiful. Her awe lit her from the inside and shone out through those beautiful, lustrous eyes.
“Yrsa.” Magnus beckoned with his hand and was pleased when the gegatu moved to sidle up beside him. His beast was always too happy to pick out a place on the ground to plop her giant brown belly. As soon as she’d settled herself, Magnus scooted backward until he leaned against her side. Her deep inhalations pushed him forward, and her sighs echoed with vibrations that were sure to bring feeling back to his numb muscles. Even now, her warmth soothed him.