Roar of the Tides by Veronica Rossi

Author:Veronica Rossi
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Veronica Rossi

20

Tempest

Tempest sat in a chair by the fireplace, turning the glass jar in her hand and waiting for Roar to wake up. He was sleeping on his stomach, part of his face buried in a pillow, the rest draped in tousles of deep brown hair the color of rich earth. Even splayed out, his legs tangled in a blanket, there was an innate elegance in his face and long limbs.

She still couldn’t get over the shock that he was her husband.

The fire had burned down to glowing embers and the first rays of sunlight fuzzed through the seam between the curtains. It was early, but she’d already been down to the kitchen for tea and then to the infirmary, remembering the way there from a childhood full of bee stings and tumbles off her pony.

It was so strange to be back—deeply comforting on one level, the winding corridors and trickling fountains so familiar—but she didn’t feel safe like you should at home. Her position was precarious: Lund clearly had no intention of ceding control over to her. For all she knew, he would throw her out tomorrow and she’d be back in the wilderness, wondering where to go next.

She tapped her finger on the metal lid of the little jar. The healer in the infirmary had said the poultice would help heal burns. She prayed it would because the image of the scar on Roar’s chest—pale pink and corded, the skin around it florid and inflamed—had haunted her since she saw it last night.

Really, how could he not resent her?

When he’d returned to their room last night, she’d been awake, agonizing over whether she should go after him. A restless night of sleep had followed.

Their fight seemed silly now. Though they did have issues to sort through, the real cause had been a coalescence of her exhaustion, fear, and overwhelm. She’d been disappointed in herself after botching her first meeting with Lund. Had she trusted Roar, it would’ve been a perfect chance to open up and lean on him. But they’d never gotten to that when they’d established the terms of their agreement. Truth and respect, yes. But those didn’t add up to trust.

Last night, she’d wondered if there was even any point in getting to know each other. Why bother, if they were going to part ways eventually? They could put on a public display of marriage without having a private relationship of any kind. But the answer was now clear to her.

Yes, there was a point. Yes. As painful as it might be, it was the right thing to do.

Roar stirred, his visible eye fluttering open. “Have you been watching me sleep?”

His voice was gravelly, deeper than normal.

“I guess so.”

“For how long?”

“Awhile.”

“Were you trying to work up the nerve to kill me?”

She smiled. “Darn, it didn’t occur to me.” She held up the jar. “Actually, I wanted to give you this. It’s a poultice. For your burn.” She unscrewed the lid; a honey scent perfumed the air.

“Thank you.”

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