Page 14 of The Serpent and the Silver Wolf

The woman didn’t answer. Her eyes moved over the room instead.

“This will be your dwelling.”

“Forbothof us?” Aimee looked around her, taking in the space—low ceiling, stone walls, a table, shelves stacked with dried herbs and folded linen. “There’s only one bed.”

“And if either of you so much astouchthat disgusting force the shinobi use to control and harness the elements...” The woman’s smile returned as she reached out and drew her fingers lightly down Aimee’s arm. “You will both be executed. On sight.”

Aimee flinched from the contact, but the woman was already turning.

At the entryway, she lifted the deer hide flap, pausing in a half turn. “Oh. One more thing.” Her voice was light. Pleased, even. “You can call me Mira.”

Aimee’s jaw worked uselessly, opening and closing with no words to fill the space. “M… M…”

The flap dropped with athump, leaving only the scent of dried sage and cool stone in the woman’s wake.

“Mira, wait!”

But she was already gone.

Aimee huffed, tangling both hands in her ponytail, tugging at the roots like she could squeeze reason back into her skull.

“Fuck.” She was trapped in a secret mountain village, far removed from any war happening in the wider world. No way out, and no plan forward.

A low, hoarse chuckle came from the bed.

“Well.” Kazuma shifted against the covers. “Seems we’ll have the pleasure of more time together, pet.” He gave a pained sigh, settling back into the pillow. “I do hope you like to cuddle. I reserve the left side.”

“Don’t forget theyomogi dango!” Kazuma called from the bed.

Aimee paused in the threshold, one hand gripping the edge of the deer-hide flap. Her shoulders tensed.Irritating…

“I won’t forget!” she shot back over her shoulder.

Behind her, the bed creaked. She didn’t have to look to know he was sitting up again.

But she did anyway.

Kazuma was propped against the wall, torso wrapped in fresh linen. No blood bloomed beneath the bindings. His color was better, too—less ashen. And his shoulders had regained their shape beneath the bandages.

She exhaled.

Good.

Her mouth clamped shut a second later.

Took him long enough.

As if on cue, he sighed, all theatrical suffering. “Who knows. Maybe I’d be walking already if you hadn’t bounced me against every rock on that trail.”

“You’re lucky I tend to you at all.” The retort bit free before she could filter it—familiar after two weeks.

Still, her mouth twitched.

Catching herself, she forced it flat.

“You look well enough to take the mat tonight.” Her eyes dropped pointedly to the thin tatami laid out beside the bed. Plus a single pillow. Worn, but clean.

Kazuma frowned, attention on the same spot she’d claimed each night for the last two weeks.