Embers in a Dark Frost by Kelly Keaton

Author:Kelly Keaton [Keaton, Kelly]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Kelly Keaton

CHAPTER 13

I was on a bed, still wearing the gown, and Balen was nearby. His presence and scent was unmistakable, which I found comforting, yet disconcerting that I’d become so familiar with it.

Whatever had happened on the bridge hadn’t made me tired or groggy. In fact, I felt better than I had in days. I opened my eyes and pushed myself up against the headboard, drawing in a steady breath before meeting Balen’s concerned face.

I tucked one side of my hair behind my ear. “Is this my chamber?”

“Aye.” Balen had pulled a chair near the bed. He reached to the bedside table, poured me a cup of water from the pitcher then handed it to me.

I emptied it quickly. “What happened? Did you bring my satchel? I was on the bridge—” It came back in a rush. The frost. The voice. And then Balen… After that, I couldn’t remember.

But I remembered what happened before and it had been incredible.

Unable to contain the slow smile spreading across my face, I remembered the goddess. For the first time in my life, I’d heard. Albeit, a small thing for any Danaan to feel the blessings of the gods, but for me it was monumental.

“I felt her,” I said through a surprised laugh. “Dagda, she spoke to me.”

A small smile played at his lips and his eyebrows drew together in question. “You’ve never felt the gods before?”

“No, never.” And then I was struck with something else equally as shocking. “She showed me… Balen—” I grabbed his arm— “I know what the Lia Fail feels like. I can identify it.”

We were one step closer, thanks to Dagda.

Balen didn’t move, didn’t speak, but emotion swam in his eyes. All this time he’d known his fate. But this was the first time I’d seen the stark realization of it reflected in his eyes; his time in this world would soon come to an end. A bleak understanding that perhaps hadn’t hit him so bluntly before. Or if it had, he’d hidden it well.

A jagged ache took hold, sadness and denial settling like a heavy weight, pinning me to the bed. In a need to comfort, I cupped his cheek, wanting him to know it mattered. “I’m sorry.”

He caught my hand. “Don’t be. I’ve lived long, Deira.”

I let my hand fall to the coverlet, but he held onto it, his large calloused one dwarfing my own. I studied them for a spell as the ache grew, causing a great well of despair. “I don’t want you to die.”

One black eyebrow arched, and his lips curved up a shade. “Nor do I.” He glanced down at our hands. “Would that we had more time... I was wrong before to call you a child.”

Being reminded of our encounter in the lake set fire to my blood, and as we stared at one another, it seemed as though sadness turned to regret, and regret to longing.

“Promise me.” I squeezed his hand. “Promise you’ll not give in, but fight until the very end.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.