But the white wolf stalks to the cavern entrance, then growls, “Restart the fire and go back to sleep. I will patrol and ensure the goblins haven’t regrouped.”
“Kel, wait.” I scramble up, but by the time I make it to the entrance, he’s long gone. And I’m here alone, staring out over the snowy horizon, eyes roaming the forest, the river, the rosebush, and the Briar. And beyond all that, Castletree.
Farron, Dayton, and Ez are there. Have they brought enough magic back? Is everyone okay?
Keldarion may be gone now, but tomorrow, he’ll take me home. And we’ll keep working until we break this curse.
I won’t give up on him. I won’t give up on any of them.
57
Rosalina
Aroaringfiresnapsand crackles, and the smell of sweet spices fills my nose. I roll over, curling deeper into the blankets, before slowly blinking my eyes open.
Dawn’s soft light fills the cavern, and Keldarion sits across from me. He’s a fae male again and dressed in what appears to be Ez’s extra clothes: a simple black tunic and pants. I also put on an extra set of clothes from last night after Kel left.
“Good morning, Rosalina.” Kel’s deep rasp breaks the silence.
“Good morning,” I answer, pushing myself up and trying to pat down my wayward hair.
Kel bends over the fire, stirring something in a metal pan, before taking it off the heat and dumping the contents onto a tin plate. Jeez, Ez really thought of everything here.
Kel sets the plate down before me. “This isn’t as good as what our chef makes, but it’ll give you the strength you need for the journey.”
“Thanks,” I mutter. It kind of looks like couscous with some vegetables and spices mixed in. I take a couple bites and let the rich flavors and warmth fill me.
I can’t help but awkwardly glance over at Keldarion, methodically packing up the camp.Are we going to talk about it?Are we going to talk about how I woke up naked in his arms and he looked at me like… I don’t even know how to describe that look because no one has ever looked at me that way before. Except maybe for Farron when he sent me through the portal, or Dayton when I was trembling in his arms. Or maybe the look is a feeling, because I swear Ezryn gazed at me that way when we were by the fountain.
“How are your wounds? Can you walk?” Keldarion plops a pair of boots down in front of me. “I stuffed the toes with socks. They should be adequate.”
I put down my empty plate and roll up my pants to see the gash on my leg. It’s shrunken down to nothing but a thin red line. “It won’t be a problem. What about you?”
“I’m fine.” With an almost somber smile, he says, “Maybe you should have become a veterinarian.”
I stick my feet into the boots. They won’t be the comfiest things, but at least they’ll do the job. Kel must notice my grimace because he says, “It’s not far.”
Maybe not far when you’re a beast or a fae prince. I know I ran a long time to get away from those goblins. “We’ll have to find a safe spot to cross the ice. Unless you know of a bridge.”
Kel ignores my comment, packing the supplies back into the crate. He’s in a strange mood. It could be many things: the disaster of last night’s ball, almost freezing on the ice, or how we’d awoken. I’m not sure he’s ready to talk about any of those things.
I’m not sure I am.
“Do you think the others will be impressed when I tell them I rescued you?” I smirk.
“They already worship you like a queen,” he says. “You’ll be a goddess to them.”
A warmth settles in my core as I hear him speak fondly of the other princes. “As it should be,” I say jokingly.
But Keldarion gives me a serious gaze. “You deserve nothing less, my rose.”
“I actually didn’t do it all on my own.”
He turns to me, the last of the camp packed up, and smothers the fire with his boot. “What do you mean?”
I swallow in a dry throat. “The thorns helped. It was like I could move them. They picked you up and lifted you out of the water. I mean, you’re a giant wolf, and even heavier all wet and—”
I trail off immediately, knowing I’ve said the wrong thing. Keldarion is still, except for the rapid rise and fall of his chest, the storm breaking across his gaze.