River of Thorns: An Elven Gods and Mortals Fantasy Romance by Sylvie Greenhart

Author:Sylvie Greenhart [Greenhart, Sylvie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Latte Literary
Published: 2022-01-09T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 11

SIÚDAR

Cladánei is quiet as we get into the tent together, and despite being well out of the wind and blowing snow of the blizzard that still howls outside the cave, she is shivering, and we have little in the way of blankets.

It is intimate, to share this small tent with someone who, until very recently, I thought I hated.

I am not certain what I feel now, but as Cladánei settles herself with her cloak pulled over her and my bundle of clothes under her head, she looks nervous.

“We should try to get some sleep,” I say.

“Of course.”

I stretch out beside her, feeling the warmth of her body despite the shivering. I cannot manage to warm us all night, but my braseonnu is enough to cast a blanket of warm air over us both, and Cladánei noticeably relaxes as it covers her.

“Thank you,” she says. “This is much, much better from having to shelter under a tree out in that, but it is still freezing.”

“You’re welcome,” I tell her.

I lie on my back, staring up at the roof of the tent barely out of arm’s reach above my face. Sleep? I doubt that will come easy.

Cladánei’s breathing beside me grows steady, and I almost resent that sleep has found her so quickly until she speaks and I jump.

“Can you make it warm again?” she asks through chattering teeth. “I don’t think I should be feeling this cold—I’m sorry.”

Alarm lances through me. “I think you may be in the early stages of hypothermia,” I say. “Diabaru. Your body is not used to regulating its temperature. I do not think it will be enough to simply warm the air throughout the night.”

“Ah,” she says, irritation creeping into her voice, though I don’t think it’s at me. She sighs. “Very well, then.”

At that, she pushes herself to sitting, shivering hard enough that I wonder how I didn’t realise she was so cold until she said something. She shoulders her cloak onto her lap and winces, closing her eyes for a moment as if bracing herself, and then she reaches down to take hold of the hem of her tunic.

“What—” I begin, then break off as I realise exactly what she’s doing. Diabaru. She’s right.

Without waiting to be asked, I shrug off my own cloak. Together, we silently strip, each nudging our clothes to the outside wall of the tent. My skin is covered in gooseflesh, and I start to shiver as well.

Cladánei gives me a wry glance. “This probably isn’t the best thing to happen to you, but I thank you nonetheless.”

“Well, it’s far from the worst,” I tell her, then feel my cheeks warm as I realise that may have sounded lecherous. “I mean—”

“I’ll take it,” she says, then shifts uncomfortably, pulling her cloak up to cover her, but from the steady pulses of shaking, it doesn’t help much.

I lie down, motioning at her to join me and doing my best not to look at her. I have seen her body many

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