Crowns of Flame and Ice - Book One

(48) What We Were to Face

I explained to Quilo what had happened as we slowly walked through the forest, doing our best to ignore the beasts that prowled now that night had fallen. I didn't see them, but I could feel them. Their hungry gazes, the overwhelming press of desperation that radiated from them, the occasional rustle of leaves in a nearby bush. I gripped Quilos's hand in mine, the unspoken promise that we'd never let each other go again in the gesture. Today could've gone so differently. There had been a chance that neither of us would walk out of that house again. If one of us had died in that house and had been forced to live without the other... feel as the bond was ripped away. His hand tightened on mine and I wondered if he had heard the direction my thoughts had taken.

Twigs snapped under our feet as we strolled back through the forest. I lent into the icy wind that tore across my face, smiling when it curled back around and brushed my hair from my face. We arrived at the camp we'd set up all those hours ago, the fire still glowed and a hooded figure sat by it. "Rosie" I whimpered, coming to a complete stop at the edge of the clearing. She turned and immediately pushed to her feet, her eyes widening. I sprinted toward her and brought her into a bone-crushing hug. She smelled of smoke and sweat, dirt smeared across her face. Pushing her back and holding her shoulders I looked as I surveyed her from head to toe. She had not been looked after properly on her journey, I immediately pulled off my jumper and handed it to her. "that fucker" I snarled, "I should've turned his head into a wall decoration". Rosie half sobbed half laughed as she pulled the soft fabric over her head. Based on the look Quilo shot me, it was clear he was the only one who understood I hadn't been joking. Her hair had become slightly ruffled from pulling the jumper over her head and I narrowed my eyes at the scratches on her hands. running a hand over my arm I whispered "I missed you". Rosie let out a shaky breath, "I missed you too. After you left things got... gods, things got bad. Your sisters got worse, ordering staff around like they owned them. Then I was taken by the kings and I... I wished you were there". My hands spasmed at my sides and my flames flared, the urge to burn everything to the ground heightening.

I felt Quilo's arms wrap around me from behind and his lips nuzzle into my neck. I smiled, feeling happy and content with his nearness. Rosie's eyebrows shot up, "are you planning on filling me in?" I frowned, feigning stupor, "on what?" Rosie aggressively blinked at me, then at Quilo, then back at me, "the prince that's currently holding you so tight I'm worried you might choke?" Quilo straightened, his smile widening into a grin and when he opened his mouth I glared at him to stop him from saying something inappropriate. "oh that. Well, it's not really worth mentioning" I drawled. I grinned when I felt Quilo's annoyance down the bond, and just for him, I trailed a seductive hand across the bridge to our minds, he shivered visibly.

I sighed, "we're soul bonded." I expected Rosie to have questions, specifically regarding what exactly that was, but instead, she looked... awed. She swallowed, "that is... wow. I never thought I'd get to see it." Quilo and I must've let out confusion show because she laughed, brushing back a loose strand of hair that had stuck to her face, "you haven't got a clue what this means do you?" I blinked at her, I understood that it was rare because of the lack of magic, I meant that it now meant we were the heirs of flame and ice... whatever that meant. Rosie sighed exasperated, "finding your mate isn't just rare, the fae used to spend their entire immortal lives searching for the other half of their soul. Even then, there is always the chance that one of the members involved will reject it". I blinked at her, you could reject the bond? Not that I wanted to, I wouldn't even have considered it. I found Quilo's hand and pressed a kiss to his knuckles, he smiled knowingly at me. I swallowed, "I can understand that, why someone would spend so long looking for what... what we have."

I turned all different shades of pink and Quilo laughed, "I'm honoured, my queen." Then his smile softened, "I'd spend an eternity looking if it meant I could spend just a second with you." I gaped at him, at the sweet words id once never thought he'd been capable of, then a pointed cough came from Rosie's direction. She shifted slightly on her feet, "while I'm really glad I get to see this, I'm not glad enough to need to stand here and watch you make mooney eyes at each other. Also, I found somewhere better for us to stay tonight". Quilo blinked at her in surprise, I just grinned.