Free Fantasy of Frost (The Tainted Accords Book 1) by Kelly St. Clare Page A

he shakes with laughter and does not stop for a long time, going silent in places while his whole body twists side to side. He sits up, while he attempts to control the last aftershocks of laughter.
    “I never thought I’d hear those words coming out of your prim mouth,” he gasps, wiping tears from his eyes.
    My mouth drops open in outrage. “I’m not prim.” I cross my arms in front of my chest.
    He pats my back, annoying me further. “I’m comparing you to the women on Glacium,” Kedrick says. “It’s not a bad thing, in fact, I prefer to know if we could ever become a normal couple, I will have been the only one to touch you.” His gaze moves down my body and the heat blooms on my skin under the trail of his gaze. I shiver.
    “Where were we?” He puts his hands behind his head and lies back on the grass. “Ah, yes. Fuck, shit, and bloody hell.” He laughs again, shaking his head. “Well, ‘shit’ is a swear word to use when something doesn’t go as you would like. I’ve heard you use the word ‘Veni’ before and I think this means a similar thing. I will not tell you the real meaning of shit. It’s too rude for your ears.”
    I huff and he sniggers.
    “Hell or bloody hell,” he continues, “is used in the context I hear you use the word ‘Solis’ for. Hell describes a place full of flame and despair. A lot of people on Glacium actually call your world hell,” he says, looking like he regrets the comment. I’m sheepish myself because he has caught me cursing so much.
    “Well it is certainly full of flame,” I say. “And fuck?”
    He shifts a little. “Fuck is generally considered the worst of all the swear words. It conveys ultimate frustration and anger. But it means other things, too.”
    “Like what? Fuck,” I say, trying the word out. I think it is my favourite one so far. It’s satisfying.
    Kedrick shifts a little and grins. “It also means, uh…making children.”
    “Oh.” My face is hot from training, but it gets hotter still. “You have a lot of words for making children on your world.”
    Kedrick grins and closes his eyes. “It’s because we spend a lot of time trying to make them. I would give two or three fingers to see your face when you see our world.” He chuckles and closes his eyes. He seems very confident I will go to Glacium.
    Not even a day later, I know my answer to Kedrick’s request. He’s right. My own fear is holding me back.  To my surprise, the thought of him seeing my face is not as terrifying as it once was. Perhaps it’s because I know how much he loves me. Another part of my mind reasons I won’t have to live with his reaction if he doesn’t like my face because he leaves in two days. A bigger part says this is also a good thing because mother will not be able to kill him if she finds out I have shown him.
    I hope he likes my face. It is a childish, vain concern. Kedrick fell in love with me without seeing my face. I must trust he will love me still once I’m unveiled.

Chapter Ten
    Despite my fervent wishes for time to slow down, Osolis and Glacium keep on turning. Malir tells me the delegates are already packed and eager to return to their families. A thought had occurred to me the day before and I had nearly burst with excitement, kicking myself for not thinking of it earlier. What was to stop us from meeting up on Oscala, the great shelf pathway between our two worlds? I could make a copy of his map. But Kedrick’s reaction, when I spoke to him of it, had crushed my fresh hopes. He had made me promise to never traverse it, saying it was like a floating maze where one could spend months drifting while slowly starving. The small dots of rock did not look bad from here, but I had shrugged and agreed not to do it, trying to hide my disappointment.
    Tonight was the night I would show Kedrick my face.
    The Prince had leaving ceremonies to do and travel arrangements to make, which occupied him for most of the day. I had only seen him at meals,