AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Oh?” was all I managed as my stomach turned over.
“Look forward,” he commanded.
I straightened my gaze to find Fek saddled and ready to go, his long black mane falling over his eyes, front foot stamping and breath fogging in the morning air. Beside him was Mistik, her dapple gray coat gleaming in the morning sun.
“Mistik!” I bounded forward, the mare’s eyes lighting up as I approached. She released an excited neigh and surged forward, catching her groom off guard as she trotted toward me. He stretched for the rope attached to her bridle and missed as Mistik raced straight toward me, all else forgotten. Through blurred vision, I stroked the mare’s silky nose, blowing in her nostrils as we reacquainted.
“Liliana rode her here just for you,” Kazimir murmured from behind me, and I was too filled with joy for his presence to startle me. Swiping at my eyes, I planted a kiss on her nose, then faced the male I loved first.
“Thank you for bringing her to me,” I whispered, voice thick with unshed tears. Learning to ride her, in addition to the mare’s freely-given affection when I needed it most, had been exactly what I needed in the weeks following my exit from the cave and entrance into a world I’d never known.
“Shall we ride?” Kazimir offered, striding toward Fek and holding out an apple slice for him.
I wanted nothing more than to be back in Mistik’s saddle. “Yes. I can show you around the city, and maybe we can stop at one of my favorite markets,” I suggested, hauling myself up and over the mare I loved so dearly.
“Lead the way,” Kazimir said, mounting Fek and spurring him alongside Mistik.
As we exited the stables, we passed Savich, a Bear Shifter Félvér, and his mounted regiment returning from their patrol. I nodded to him, and he shot me a lazy grin before it fell away when he noticed my company. Then, he offered me a look that said ‘be careful’ and continued riding.
Kazimir and I would not truly be alone on our trip through Radence.
“You know him?” Kazimir asked when we were out of earshot, a hint of disdain in his voice.
“Yes, he is one of my friends here in the Iron Realm,” I stated. “He’s Félvér – those of us with mixed blood. There are a lot of Félvér about, if you haven’t noticed.”
Our horses’ hooves clopped against the stone path as we descended the hill away from Ryza. “I learned a thing or two about Félvér yesterday,” Kazimir gritted out.
His tone bothered me, but I said nothing as I fell into the sway of Mistik’s stride. The sun caressed my face, bathing me in what little warmth it had to offer on the bitterly cold day, melting the remnants of the past few days’ snows from the cobbled streets of Radence. “The market we’re going to has a sweet shop that I adore,” I offered by way of conversation when we reached the bottom of the hill and turned onto the main thoroughfare.
“Are cinnamon rolls still your favorite treat?” Kazimir asked wryly.
“They are.” I allowed my lips to lift in a smile.
How could a few months apart put so much distance between us?
The doubts in my mind lay between us like an ocean trench, and I knew if I didn’t voice my questions soon, I’d never move forward with Kazimir.
“So, Izidora, tell me what you’ve been doing during your time in the Iron Realm,” Kazimir said politely, and I welcomed his attempt at conversation.
As we navigated the capital’s bustling streets, I told him of my physical training, magic training – leaving out the most important details of my empath powers – and how I’d grown to love the Félvér, as each of them was unique and they all had backgrounds that fascinated me. He remained silent, and when minutes passed without a response from him, I wondered if he’d listened at all.
The colorful market appeared after our next turn, and my shoulders slackened in relief. A hitching post stood just outside it, with a few other horses already tethered and waiting for their masters. I dismounted and tied Mistik at the end, leaving room for Fek.
The market was crowded, and we had to weave through Fae laden with goods as we traveled the path to the sweet shop. A bell rang as we pushed through the door, and the baker looked up from his work. “Princess Izidora, how lovely to see you again.” His golden eyes narrowed over my shoulder for a fraction of a moment before returning to me. “What can I get for you today?”
I approached the glass container blocking the treats from being snatched without payment. “What would you like, Kazimir?” I called over my shoulder. He pressed forward, joining me at the display, and my body simultaneously heated and chilled at his proximity.
“We’ll take some fresh cinnamon buns,” he hummed, his hand skimming up my arm.
“Coming right up. Feel free to sit, and I’ll bring them to you.” The baker motioned us away with a sweep of his hand.
My breath hitched as Kazimir flattened his palm on my lower back and led me to a table in the corner of the small shop, adjacent to the large window overlooking the market square. My skin was alight beneath my cloak where he had touched me, and I drew a slow breath as I settled in the seat with my back to the wall. Kazimir sat across from me, that oiliness gone from his aura, and I saw the male I fell in love with staring back at me, his lips stretched in a smile. “Remember when we stopped in a baker’s shop much like this one on the road to Vaenor?”
The memory leaped to the front of my mind, the smell of baking cinnamon triggering a vivid recollection. Kazimir and I had sat on a bench in a very similar square and eaten them together. He had swiped a bit of icing from my face, and I had sucked it off his finger. My cheeks now flamed because that moment had held the promise of more as tension built between us. “I do.”
“You looked so beautiful that day. The sun was starting to put color on your cheeks, and you had started opening up to us more. We’d answered a nearly endless stream of questions about the world around us, and yet you always wanted more. You bested me in a stick fight that day, and if I had to guess, it was because of those cinnamon rolls,” he laughed.
“Who needs magic when you have the power of cinnamon rolls?” I joked, feeling a bit of tension melt from my chest as we shared memories.
