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

going early to lengthen our time together. I anticipated tonight with impatience and a fair amount of nausea.
    I spend the day with Olandon and the twins, taking them to the village. The twins had never been there before and I’m happy to see them enjoying themselves. The villagers give us an extra wide berth. I wonder if the twin’s reputation has preceded them or maybe it is Olandon’s scowl.
    I sit in my room once the dinner feast is over. This afternoon, I had skipped training and working at the orphanage to visit the springs in an attempt to make myself more attractive. Never having had to worry about this before, I had no idea how to really go about it. Suddenly the elaborate hair styles, jewels and beaded robes of the court did not seem so stupid. I had even thought about rubbing some berry juice into my lips as the other Solati women my age did. Instead, I had washed my hair as I normally did and scrubbed my face a bit harder.
    These last moments drag on longer than the whole week put together. Inevitably though, the smoke creeps over the sky. I climb out of the window and down the Kaur walls of the palace to meet Kedrick, feeling excited and a bit broken at the same time. Kedrick had suggested we just take off my veil at Aquin’s after a training session. But I had not wanted anyone else to be there when my veil was removed, not even Aquin. Especially as he had been so weird lately. The darkness had also appealed to me, maybe he would not be able to see my imperfections in the poor light. My sense of unease had not abated either, so I had instructed him to meet me at the Kaur tree I had thrown him into a few weeks before.
    I creep along the palace wall until I reach the tree line and hug this until I can no longer see the large shadow of the palace. I wait at the Kaur tree and soon I hear the crackle of leaves as Kedrick approaches. His lightness of step has only improved slightly with Aquin’s training. It was a great source of frustration to them both.
    My eyes have become accustomed to the darkness now and I make out Kedrick’s outline moving into the clearing. He pulls me into his arms and we just hold each other for several moments.
    “Today was horrible,” he says, in a hushed voice. Maybe, like me, he is reluctant to disrupt the night.
    “All I wanted to do was spend time with you. But ended up talking to your bloody mother.” He rubs his cheek over the side of my head, before resting his chin atop it. I breathe in his scent, he smells like soap. My palms get clammy as I remember why we’re here.
    “Adnan wanted to talk of inventions he has seen here which he wants to try back on Glacium. And I ended up snapping at Sanjay because he was being too loud or happy. I don’t know.” He sighs. I giggle nervously at his babbling. With sudden clarity, I realise things between us will be changed forever after this moment. I try to prolong it by asking him a stream of questions about his day.
    Eventually he brings a finger to my face, searching for my lips before placing the finger across them. I do not need to see his face to feel the love in the gesture.
    “You sound like Oberon. It’s okay.” I giggle again. The sound is high pitched. My breath becomes shallow and short. The clamminess of my hands has spread all over my shaking body. I turn away and brace my trembling hands between two Kaur trees, trying to deepen and slow the air into my lungs and control my sudden nausea. The air comes out of me in a shuddering wheeze. Hands wrap around my waist, and I’m turned around. My body is nearly jumping with the terrified rattles which have taken over me. Still gasping for breath, I scrunch my eyes closed.
    A warm hand rests under my chin and a kiss reaches me through the veil, warming me. An errant thought crossing my mind. Tonight we will be able to kiss without the barrier between us.
    His fingers move to the outside of the veil, and I dig my fingernails into my palms to stop myself from grabbing his