Page 71 of Winds of Darkness

“Do you always speak deception, Prince?” she asked, her voice muffled as she kept her face buried in his tunic. She was anything but fine. She was certain she had never beenfine.

“It was not a lie,” he said, a hand smoothing down her hair. “Youare not fine right now, but I refuse to believe this was the life fate wanted for you. We will find harmony with the winds, Ashtine.”

“It is not possible.”

“And yet you told me they are less when I am near,” he countered.

“You cannot be with me all the time, Briar.”

“Perhaps not, but I can be there when you need the reprieve until we figure it out.” He took her shoulders, gently easing her back. “But you must make the choice to let me help, Ashtine.”

“I fear the more time I spend with you, the more I will desire things we cannot have,” she whispered.

He smiled, but it was a sad tilt of his lips. “We will figure that out too.”

“And if we do not care for the outcome?”

“Our friendship will remain,” he answered, swiping a thumb across her cheek. It was only then she realized she was crying. “Do you need another moment before we join Ermir in your sitting room?”

Ashtine nodded, stepping from his touch and retreating to her bathing room. She took her time dragging a brush through her tangled hair, a product of the windstorm she’d summoned.

A storm Briar had walked to the center of to find her.

A storm no one else had dared to even try to help her manage.

But he’d dared.

Foolish or brave, she could not decide.

She changed into a fresh dress, pulling on wool socks rather than slippers, before she stepped back into her bedchambers. Briar was standing near the window, hands clasped behind his back, but he immediately turned when she emerged.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

No.

“Yes,” she answered with a tight smile, but the look Briar returned told her he saw right through it. Then she wondered when she had learned to read social cues. Except she hadn’t. She was only learning to readhim.

Briar moved to her side, his hand falling to her lower back as he pulled open the bedchamber door and guided her through. She should care that Ermir was seeing him touch her in such a way, but after everything that had happened that day, she doubted it would matter in the end.

She wasn’t met with one male in the sitting room, however; she was met with two. Ermir and Sawyer both stood when they emerged, both of them bowing their heads.

Ermir stepped forward, reaching a hand for her, but she found herself drawing back and stepping into Briar. Her Second’s brow arched, while Sawyer sent a knowing look to his brother.

“What is the plan here?” Sawyer asked.

“I received a message from the Fire Prince. I was planning to go visit with him tonight,” Briar answered, his hand sliding lightly up and down her spine.

“That is not what I meant, and you know it,” Sawyer countered. His gaze flicked to Ashtine then back to his brother.

“I do not understand what you are asking,” Ashtine said.

“Are you going to speak of the clear relationship between the two of you?” Sawyer asked plainly.

“Sawyer,” Briar warned.

“There cannot be a relationship,” Ermir cut in. “Old laws of the gods forbid such a thing, but that was not what this is. Is it, Princess?”

“Of course not,” she answered, Briar’s hand pausing before it slid back to her lower back once more and lingered.