Page 58 of Raven in Midwinter

“Be more specific,” he teased me.

“This hoodie of yours, when I wear it, being reminded of you makes me feel better,” I said with a sigh. “It’s like when Amanda has to fight with people, she wears that white button-up cardigan with the navy trim. It’s her ass-kicking sweater and infuses her with power.”

Slow smile that fired his eyes. “I think she’s always ready to tangle with anyone at any time, but I get your meaning.”

“You chose this special, even in a rush.”

“I did,” he agreed. “Plus, I like seeing you in my clothes.”

Socks being last, I then rushed over to him as something slammed against the front door, startling me. “Your girlfriend wants in.”

“Oh, you’re funny,” he grumbled, hugging me.

“I want you to know that I didn’t voluntarily leave the spot where you told me to stay.”

“I was worried you were following me in when Argos showed up at my side, but then when I didn’t see you, I got scared.”

“I’m sure you were even more concerned when Constance explained what happened.”

“Not concerned, terrified. And I was, yes.”

The wolves rammed the door, clawed at the window, and tried using their teeth on the frame to no avail.

“Her wolves are terrifying,” I said, gazing out the window and seeing one of them on the porch, close, staring into the cottage with murderous intent. It made me shiver despite knowing it couldn’t get in.

“Those are not wolves. They look more like hyenas or something like that, but they’re misshapen, which is even creepier,” he said, sounding almost angry. “And how the hell are they on the porch? I thought that wasn’t possible anymore.”

“I suspect that with the cottage only newly restored, it’s still locking its protections back in place. I mean, think about it—everything was moved.”

“And Corvus is still broken.”

“There is that,” I said, my voice wobbling.

“What’s wrong, other than the obvious?”

“For some reason, I keep imagining you waking up here, in this altered time, all alone without me. I know what it was like for me. I was so scared.”

“I woke up outside,” he told me, taking my hand and walking to the window that another creature had just left. “You did too, didn’t you?”

“Yeah.”

“It was strange to be in the snow, and I would have been freaked out, and still was a bit, not gonna lie, but then there was a fox and⁠—”

“A fox?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“There was a fox with me as well.”

“So your goddess was looking out for me, you think?”

“I do. She said you helped one of hers. What exactly happened?”

He explained about the vixen and her kits—she was running, but the little ones couldn’t follow fast enough, so he scooped up all three of the pups and followed her through the snow until they reached the cemetery. “I know it’s weird, but seeing all the familiar headstones was somehow really comforting.”

“Yes,” I said softly, understanding the feeling.

“Knowing that the rift is still there, can’t be moved, can’t be erased, and the same with the graves, it… It’s like a connection, right? Even with what he’s done, the plants and animals he’s killed, the innocent people’s lives that he’s impacted, he can’t erase everything. There’s history that’s not conforming because it can’t. It’s not possible. Like our wedding rings,” he said, holding up his hand. “Through everything, there they are.”