Total pages in book: 197
Estimated words: 186911 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 935(@200wpm)___ 748(@250wpm)___ 623(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 186911 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 935(@200wpm)___ 748(@250wpm)___ 623(@300wpm)
I offered the invitation to Aeris too, but she gave me an exasperated look, said she had too much to do to be lying around in a bath all day, and if I was late for the ceremony, she’d come and fish me out of my oversized, oily soup pot herself.
Sometimes I wondered which of us was the queen of Wind and Wild.
Despite her rejection, Eadaoin and I had a great time soaking, not only because halfway through the bath Bradach returned—his normal, affable self—and joined us, taking the place of his lover.
I had long since given up on keeping this man away from my bathroom. Especially since he was smart enough to bring glasses of spiced mulled wine, so my usual order to get out faded at the sight of them.
Bradach jumped in—splashing us both. “Ahh, lady and my lady, forgive me for my abrupt exit earlier, I had to put the finishing touches on your wedding gift.”
My brows shot up. “Wedding gift? I get gifts?”
“Of course.” Eadaoin bumped my shoulder. “Just like you got tributes when the people accepted you as queen. Your wedding tributes will be even better.”
“Wait, no,” I said, rising up. “The people of Wind and Wild already have so little. I felt guilty enough when they gave me the food off their tables. Please, spread the word that I don’t need wedding tributes.”
“Of course, Lady Ana,” Bradach said, bowing as deep as the water allowed him. “We will be doing no such thing.”
I nodded until the rest of the sentence penetrated. “What, why?”
“It’d be a terrible insult,” Eadaoin hissed. “These are our customs. The tributes are the people’s way of saying they accept you and your marriage—well, third marriage to our lord. Rejecting their tributes says you piss on their acceptance.”
I sighed. “Okay, okay. I wouldn’t want to offend anyone, but dare I ask, what is your gift to me, Bradach?”
“It is a manual on different sex positions and acts,” he dropped. “You have to perform your wifely duties tonight, and you still blush at a man’s naked body. Figured it wouldn’t hurt to brush you up on your sexual education. If nothing else, the illustrations I drew in that book will banish the remains of that wide-eyed innocence right out of you. You’re welcome.”
“Hmm. How about I save us both a lot of time, and piss on that right now!”
Eadaoin and Bradach burst out laughing. I shook my head at the both of them. It didn’t surprise me Bradach would give me such a gift. What surprised me is that Eadaoin didn’t think of it herself. The kingdom of Wind and Wild was truly nothing like the borrowed memories of the Crystal Palace.
Wind and Wild was as harsh, brutal, cold, and unforgiving as its name, and still Alisdair was able to create a small community of happy, hardworking people—all of them as different as the day is long—but all of them working, living, and loving together while they patiently wait for the snow to melt.
“Do you think it’s really happening?” I broke in, cutting off their teasing of me. “The curse is lifting?”
Bradach’s grin faded. “I don’t know.” His jaw worked, but nothing came out. “We still can’t talk about it, so as excited as everyone is, they haven’t gotten their wish yet.”
That was true. The curse was still abound on the furry faces, beaked noses, and tails trailing out of passing pants. Curse lifting and curse lifted were not the same things.
“Is it everyone’s wish?” I asked. “Could there be others like Meallan and his wolf tribe who would want the curse to stay?”
“No.”
“Absolutely not.”
Eadaoin and Bradach weren’t slow with their denials.
“We believe the formerly bound women will still keep their magic after the change disappears,” Bradach said, “so there’s no reason for anyone not to want this. Only Meallan thinks he needs to be a wolf to be a king.”
I frowned.
“What’s wrong, my lady?” Eadaoin asked. “Are you worried someone will try to kill you? We’ve doubled your security, and I promise, I will never leave your side.”
“No, no, no, that’s not it. It’s just... something doesn’t make sense.” Once I finally voiced it, the uncertainty settled in my bones. “About the beast curse, about the melting snow, about all of it.
“Bradach, I know you don’t like to talk about this, but you were there before Wind and Wild. Before everything. Do you know the origin of the beast curse?”
He peered at me through hooded eyes. “You know I cannot say, my lady.”
“Can you also not say how to break it?”
“I cannot.”
“But you do know how.” I put my hand under his chin, drawing it up without touching him. We stared into each other’s eyes. “Don’t you?”
He didn’t speak, and he didn’t have to. I knew the answer.
Yes.
“There’s more to all of this, isn’t there? More to the curse, more to Wind and Wild, more to—” That rose in the tower.