Page 22 of Daman

“Both take training seriously. We all do. They push each other to their limits and past them.” Warrin watched them soar overhead, the flapping of their large wings cracking through the air. “They fly together like this afterward and lick each other’s wounds.”

I arched a brow. “Did you say they lick each other?”

“Yes.” He cocked his head at me. “You’re surprised. Why?”

“I don’t know.” I blew out a laugh. “I love my brothers, but my mouth wouldn’t go anywhere near them. Fuck that.”

“Oh.” Warrin’s brow pulled together. “I suppose I’ve never seen it as strange. It’s a sign of affection. To outsiders, perhaps it’s odd.”

“Do you lick people’s wounds too?” Envy took root inside me as I imagined Warrin’s tongue all over someone else. Maybe it was just because we were going to be married soon, but I felt awfully possessive of him all of a sudden.

“No.” He stepped toward the forest. “And before you ask, they don’t lick mine either.”

Pleased with his answer, I took off after him and slowed my pace once I was at his side. As he faced ahead, I took the opportunity to check him out. I’d never really taken the time to do so before.

Warrin stood several inches taller than me, putting him around six foot six if I had to guess. Raw power radiated off him, from his broad shoulders to his thick biceps and muscled thighs. His masculine face was paired with a sharp jawline, strong cheekbones, long pale eyelashes, and cupid bow lips.

“You’re staring at me,” Warrin said, his voice soft. He kept his eyes focused on the path in front of us.

Was he shy? For some reason, it made me smile. If only a little.

“I like your hair,” I said. “Silver with shades of blue. It reminds me of an arctic glacier.”

His lips curved a bit. “Your hair reminds me of a brown-furred sable.”

“A sable? As in that cute little animal with big ears?”

“You share no resemblance in regard to your ears.”

“But you think I’m small and cute?”

Warrin’s blush deepened, and he averted his gaze.

A comfortable silence passed between us. Unlike when I was around other people, Warrin quieted my mind. The flood of thoughts and bitter emotions I sensed from others was absent with him beside me. I’d never felt anything like it.

By the time we left the barrier of trees, the snow had picked up and fell in larger flakes. I stared up at the sky, letting them land on my cheeks. The tip of my nose was numb, and I wiggled it.

“Is it always snowy here?”

“Yes,” he answered. “Some summers see more sunshine and less snow, but it remains cold. The snow never melts though. Mainly due to the barrier. An enchantment keeps us hidden from the outside world, giving us freedom to fly and train without fear of discovery. The weather is controlled as well. Ice. Snow. It’s where we thrive. Does this displease you?”

“Not really. I don’t mind the snow.” When we reached a small hill, my cold feet felt heavier with each step. “My toes tell a different story.”

“Shall I carry you?”

“What?” I met his concerned gaze. Why did it make my stomach flutter? “No. I can walk just fine on my own.”

Warrin nodded and kept walking.

I was having a hard time figuring him out. He’d seemed so emotionless the other times I’d been around him, but then he blushed and seemed almost timid.

“You said an enchantment keeps it cold and snowy in your kingdom year-round?”

“Yes.”

“So you basically live in a snow globe.”

Warrin’s gaze flickered to me. “A snow globe? I suppose you could say that.”