Rein_A Tidefall Novel by Bex McLynn

Author:Bex McLynn [McLynn, Bex]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-06-29T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 21

Orondomia

Winter 1742

(Present)

Time annoyed Nikolas because it moved differently that night.

In all honesty, time probably moved the way it had always moved, carrying on in precisely measured ticks toward eternity. Yet, for Nikolas, time shifted. It sped past him rather than let him passively shuffle on through. Time had become an insensitive bastard, not taking into account that perhaps, for once, he wanted a moment to last.

He wanted to hold Oliviana's hand, just a little bit longer.

As the pinkish tint of the rising sun pushed away the darkness, he knew that the inevitable approached. Oliviana resettled next to him, sitting straighter to steal a glance at the smithy. The steady metalwork noises had died down as well.

She withdrew her hand and crouched closer to the low wall that hid their position. His empty hand hummed, the phantom press of her small fingers tingling in his palm. A sense of loss spiked through him.

"Come," she whispered, beckoning enticingly with her hand.

He joined her by the wall and berated himself for settling so near that he heard the rhythm of her breathing.

He directed his gaze toward the smithy. Fabron and Susannah had ceased their operations, and now the young pair washed collaboratively. They scrubbed the other's face and hands free of soot and grime, prolonging contact. Once clean, Susannah pressed against Fabron for one last embrace that melted into a kiss and then passionate words of farewell.

Nikolas wondered how Oliviana processed the scene. He found it uncomfortably irritating, watching Fabron freely embrace Susannah. Now that morning had arrived, Nikolas's night of closeness with Oliviana was over, yet Fabron lingered over kisses and sweet words.

Idiot. Nikolas was a barking idiot. He should have kissed her.

Once the young lovers departed, Oliviana vaulted soundlessly over the low wall and prowled over to the smithy. Nikolas chose to follow at his own hefty pace, crunching his boots on every piece of gravel on the ground. The grating sound reflected his sour mood very well.

As he neared, he saw that Fabron and Susannah had minted numerous coins. "What the hell?"

Oliviana just shook her head. "These are different, Nikolas. They're not Calling Coins."

He moved closer and looked down at the cache. His own hand drifted toward his Calling Coin that he wore cinched on a shorter ribbon. "Is that—?"

"I think it is." Oliviana plucked a gold coin from the horde and turned it over. Then she sighed with heartfelt disappointment, like someone seeing a trampled flower garden and feeling bruised by the senseless waste. "It is. The impression is Frederick William."

"Of Brandenburg-Prussia?" His voice was harsh, but he would not spare any sympathy on fools who should have known better.

Oliviana flipped the coin in her hand, presenting him with the back side. The movement and flash of metal reminded him of how deftly she handled her own blades. "See, here's the coat of arms. The eagle."

"That realm doesn't exist any longer." Nikolas meant to nick the gold coin from her fingers, but his hand encircled hers entirely just to retrieve the useless coin.

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