Elurra, Kai, and Aleah set out that morning with blessings from the innkeeper. They traveled without incident most of the day and finally decided to give the horses a rest and fill their bellies around noon. The weather had improved only slightly. Although it was still as cold as death and the wind was still as brittle as an old woman’s bones, the snow had finally stopped falling. Elurra thought the thaw would have started already, but strangely enough, it was as cold as it had been when she left, with no signs of letting up. It looked like they were in for a long winter.
“I honestly cannot feel my ears. Are you sure they are still there?” Kai asked, his teeth chattering inside his head.
Aleah sighed and gave Elurra a hopeful look, only to see her mistress was looking off into space and idly poking the twigs in the fire.
“Your Highness, if I warm them up for you, will you promise not to complain about the cold again for another hour?” she asked as she met his gaze.
She tried to sound harsh, but his dark green eyes were rather disconcerting, and her tone was softer than she intended. It could’ve been her imagination, but the prince’s dark cheeks seemed to grow a shade pinker, and he looked down at his hands, which were extended over the fire the trio had constructed to defrost their frozen limbs.
“I promise,” he muttered.
Aleah huffed and adjusted her heavy jacket before walking over and sitting beside him. “This might feel a bit strange, but it works. I promise.”
She leaned closer, and he flinched as she brought her hand to his cheek. No doubt he was not used to a commoner touching him in such an intimate way. She cupped her hands around his ear and brought her mouth to their edge before exhaling. He squeaked and jumped, pitching her forward.
“You startled me! I did not mean to—” Kai said as Aleah stuttered, “I warned you it might be a bit strange.” They both cut off mid-sentence and started laughing. To Aleah’s amazement, the prince was undoubtedly blushing.
“I am deeply sorry; I did not expect you to do that,” he said. “However, it did warm my ear up, so I must ask that you do it again. I promise I will not jump this time.”
She flushed, partly because of his request, and partly because she couldn’t help but notice how attractive the prince was when he wasn’t complaining. She chastised herself for acting like a fawning village girl.
He’s a prince trying to win over your charge. Do not be so easily taken in by his seemingly innocent facade. H’s clearly a scoundrel, and no good at all for the princess, she told herself sternly as she blew into her cupped hands once more. She hastily walked around to his other side and warmed that ear too, then pulled his hood up around his ears.
“Is that any better, Your Highness?” she asked grudgingly as she sat down beside him again. He gave her a grateful smile.
“Much better. Thank you. You do not have to address me as a prince; you can call me Kai. I really do insist.” His expression was open and honest. For a moment, Aleah felt her iron opinion of the prince waver.
Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.
Maybe he isn’t such a bad person after all. She immediately remembered the night before, and her opinion soured. Elurra’s sobs had stirred Aleah from her sleep, but Kai had responded before she could console the princess. She doubted either one of them had known she was watching from across the room as they shared an intimate moment before Kai abruptly stalked off. The memory allowed her to harden her heart once again.
He’s a dirty, rotten cad, she repeated to herself, trying to believe it when he looked at her. She seemed to forget his shortcomings when her eyes met his. He studied her for a few more moments, and then turned back to the task of warming his hands.
“Let me assist you,” Aleah said, not able to resist her naturally helpful disposition.
She pulled out some long fabric strips from her pack and wrapped them around the prince’s hands. She had brought the strips along for her own hands but knew she could do without them on such a comparatively mild day. To her surprise, he gawked at the new hand covers like she had handed him a pot of gold.
“Thank you dearly. I am forever in your debt,” the prince said solemnly as he bowed his head.
Aleah giggled and wondered if she had stumbled on some strange sacred Amorian tradition. Before she could ask, Elurra abruptly jumped up from her spot on the ground as if she were snapping out of a trance. Her unexpected movement galvanized her companions into springing to their feet.
“Do you hear that?” she demanded, tilting her head to listen for a moment. Before either of them could answer, she bolted toward the woods.
“Elurra!” Aleah cried after her.
She grabbed her sack out of habit as Kai stood up, and they both dashed after the princess. The sunlight didn’t seem to know how to break through the dense foliage above them, so the narrow path grew dark. Soon enough, Aleah wasn’t sure where they were or what direction they had come from. She pushed forward, barely making out the blonde hair bouncing away from her. Aleah kept calling, but Elurra ignored her and continued her mad run through the thick forest.
“We are almost there! Can you not hear them ahead?” Elurra called back to her.
Aleah scrunched up her eyebrows in confusion and listened carefully. For a moment, she didn’t hear anything, and then the sound of someone crying for help reached her ears. It sounded like children. The voices got louder as they advanced until they came to a cave deep in the woods. The children were definitely inside.
“Hello?” Elurra called, halting at the mouth of the cave. She glanced back at Aleah and Kai. “What should we do? They must be stuck in there.”
“I might have an idea,” Aleah said as she removed the pack from her shoulders.
She pulled out more of the strips of fabric and grabbed a stick lying on the ground nearby before wrapping the strips around the top and lighting it with her flint and steel. Elurra smiled brightly at her as the torch lit up the forest around them.
“Brilliant! Let’s go.”
Elurra led the way into the gloom of the cave, following the children’s voices. The rock around them glimmered in the dim light from the thin coating of ice that decorated its surface. Eerie dripping noises echoed under the children’s voices. Shadows danced across the walls of the cave. A shiver ran down Aleah’s spine. Unexpectedly, the voices stopped. The abrupt silence startled the three travelers; they halted in their tracks and glanced at each other uneasily. A cold draft blew over them, causing Aleah to quiver once again. The torch flickered ominously, threatening to go out.
“This was not a good idea. We should not have come here,” Kai muttered before turning back to the mouth of the cave.
Aleah agreed, but when she turned, two creatures made entirely of shadow blocked their way. Elurra took in a sharp breath, and Aleah screamed and almost dropped their only source of light. Kai whispered a prayer under his breath to ward against evil.
“Demons,” Elurra breathed, fear lacing her words.