If we hadn't been riding a horse at that moment, I would have hugged him tightly to take away the undercurrent of sorrow in his voice. If his tone was anything to go by then he didn't agree with what the Court of Frost and subsequently, his mother, was doing, but she was still a reigning monarch despite the fact that she’d given the court over to him and Sorrell and Orion. There wasn't much he could do. There wasn’t much any of them—Sorrell included—could do. "Do you think it will die completely, eventually?" I whispered.
I felt him nod more than saw it. I couldn't help but wish I could see his face and the emotions at play within his eyes.
Before I could ask him anything more, a peel of laughter that could have come from no one but Ariana sounded from right behind Roan. He pulled his cape tighter around me, almost completely hiding me from sight. I stiffened, but allowed it.
The faint slit of light that reached through the opening of his cloak felt like a spotlight on my face. With that light came a burst of cold air. I ducked my head, curling inward while trying to flatten my body against Roan to make myself as invisible as possible. I breathed shallow breaths that hopefully wouldn't be seen in the cold air as I heard another horse come up beside us.
"Roan, it's good to see you out and about after all that business with the Changeling," Ariana said, her voice sickly sweet. She didn’t know I was there, I realized. So far she’d been sequestered in the back of the traveling caravan. I’d hardly seen her. Did she even know that I was traveling with them? Perhaps she didn’t care. Whatever the case was, relief curled through me, along with a small amount of curiosity. What would she say if she didn’t think I was listening? I didn’t risk a glance up, but I did listen to the rumble of his voice as he spoke.
"I'm still not going to marry you, Ariana, so don't start that shit,” he said with an irritated growl. My palm found his chest and I petted it encouragingly. The hand against my stomach reached up and snatched mine, squeezing it tightly. I frowned and tried to wrench it away, but he didn’t let go. What was his issue? Something decidedly hot and hard poked at my ass. Oh! I blinked into the darkness of the cloak. That was his issue.
"Maybe not now, but we'll see what the Crimson Queen has to say about that, or the Frost Queen. I'd be fine with either of you, to be honest, plus I heard he’s the better lover. It doesn't matter now, anyway. It will all get figured out once we get to the Court of Frost," Ariana replied before clicking her tongue and urging her horse on. Her words were spiteful, but I would be willing to bet she only said them because her feelings were hurt. She’d been rejected and women like Ariana did not take rejection well.
"Stay hidden, little Changeling. She's up to something," Roan muttered as I peeked out and watched her and her horse ride away. I swore even her horse's strut was sassy.
She quickly sidled up next to Sorrell, giggling and casting her flirtations his way. I sniggered when he barely even acknowledged her presence. For once, Sorrell’s personality gave me some entertainment. The glance she shot over her shoulder at Roan was one of pure challenge, though. Let her go after Sorrell, I thought. She may have had her pride singed by Roan, but I’d bet money that she'd be frozen out by the Ice Man before we even got to the Court of Frost, and I would gleefully watch it all.
Chapter 7
Cress
By the time the sun had set over the horizon, I was sore all over. Our entourage slowed to a stop along the road, dismounting in a flurry of movement as everyone got to work setting up camp. Everything hurt. I released a loud and agonized groan as I slid over the side of Roan’s horse, my feet landing on the ground and sending a vibrating shudder through my screaming muscles. My legs buckled and I nearly collapsed. I was saved from face planting into the cold ground by reaching out and snagging Orion’s arm as he came up alongside me.
“Not used to riding, I take it?” he asked with a tilt of his head.
“Not usually and definitely not for this long,” I replied with a wince.
Chuckling, Roan shook his head at me as he took the reins and led his horse toward a servant, dropping the lead into the younger man’s waiting hands before returning for me. “This way, Little Bird,” he said, his arm coming out to collect me as he moved past Orion.
I groaned again, shivering despite the warmth of his skin against mine. “I’m tired,” I complained.
“I know,” Roan said as Orion followed us.
“I’m cold.”
“I know,” he repeated.
“I’m hungry.”
Roan sighed. “I’m well aware that you are in need, Changeling. I will take care of you.”
“Let me take her,” Orion said, his voice gruff as we stopped next to a spindly little tree barren of all leaves. It looked like every other tree in the vicinity, weak and old and no longer full of life.
Roan pulled me into his chest as Orion’s hands landed on my shoulders. “I’ve got her,” he snapped. “You haven’t replenished your energy yet from moving the castle. Why don’t you—”
Orion shot Roan a withering glare, but instead of continuing, Roan merely broke off with a chuckle. “Never mind, then.”
“You’re the same,” Orion said stiffly. “You haven’t—”
Dear Coreliath, I was not in the mood to deal with two warring males. I shoved away from Roan’s chest, effectively stopping whatever Orion had been about to say. I glared up at them as they leveled twin expressions of concern on my smaller, shivering form. “Cress?” Orion’s brow drew low over his dark eyes as he reached for me. “You’re pale. You should sit down.”
“I’ve been sitting,” I said. “All day. On that damned beast. My ass hurts. My thighs hurt. My back hurts. I just want to lay down and go to sleep.”
Roan sighed and his arms came around me once more as he gently nudged me toward Orion. “Fine, you take her. I'll lend a hand to get the tents set up. She sleeps with me though.”
“I am capable of caring for the Changeling,” Orion said darkly. “I will share her bed tonight.”
My head rolled back on my shoulders at the same time that my eyes rolled into the back of my head. “I don’t care who sleeps with me tonight,” I said. “As long as I get some actual sleep!”
Tension spread through the air as Orion and Roan lifted their heads and gave each other another one of those enigmatic looks that they were always exchanging. How anyone could have an entire conversation with a mere look was beyond me. “Take her for now,” Roan finally said with a grunt as he thrust me into Orion’s arms so quickly, I released an oomph! as I landed against his masculine chest. “I’ll set up camp.” He turned his eyes down to me. “Stay,” he ordered. “Behave.”
I bristled. I wasn’t some pet to order around, but before I could open my mouth and say as much, he was gone and Orion’s hands landed on my back, his fingers digging into the skin as he massaged me. All thoughts of conking Roan over the head with a very heavy tree branch fled as pleasure suffused my system. I melted like warm butter as my limbs gave into the sensation of my sore muscles being relieved of their agony.