Page 73 of Season Warriors & Wolves

My brother’s face was tense. “I’m sure she was happy to go.”

“Don’t hold it against her, Mal, I beg. Set her free of your prejudice of the life she wanted so badly to have. It was her right to want and wish despite what you and I think was wrong.”

“Even dead, he took again from me.”

Snow reached a hand over me to hold Mal’s. “Let’s not make her death about him because it is not about him. She had what she wanted most. Her family. Her boys. Not ever has Driada regretted her life—because she had you two.”

He turned to my wife, handing her a mooncake. “Shouldn’t you be preaching and teaching me how to crawl into the afterlife and kill the bastard a second time?”

I felt her tighten her hold against me. “If you are waiting to be taught by me, Mal sweetheart, I’d worry. Listen to your brother.”

Mal’s mouth pulled in a loopy smirk and he shook his head. “You were supposed to be on my side.”

“I’ve made my sacrifice to you for the regretful choice I’ve made to be on his side.”

“Cai will say the same. And the fool is not so talkative these days.”

It was all it took for Snow’s small smile to melt off.

I threw my arm over her neck and pulled her to me. “Regretful?”

“You know a bit of evil tastes nice with my tea.” She made a stirring motion with her hand. “Just a sprinkle. You are too good, darling.”

My brother’s mouth was agape while he stared at the two of us. “This is ridiculous.”

I smacked a big kiss on her cheek that had swollen with the mooncake she was chewing on. “What is?”

“The fact that the two most dangerous people in this realm are sitting in the same stool as I, making eyes at each other when a day ago they were about to obliterate two kingdoms.”

“I wouldn’t say obliterate,” Snow muttered. “The unblessed lands cannot possibly be obliterated more than they already are.” She looked up at me. “And my husband doesn’t obliterate.”

Mal scoffed and Snow’s head snapped to him, her smile slowly falling off when he said, “You didn’t see what he did in Isjord before we left.”

He knew to leave it at that. My brother stood, ruffled her hair and left.

“Shall we head in?” I asked, holding her tighter to fend her from the cold wind that picked up to remind us that even Adriata experienced the cold seasons.

“A little longer, I like it out here,” she said, laying her head back on my shoulder, but instead of the glittery skies, she was looking at me, the gold glazing over with sparkles.

“Don’t you want to look at the stars?”

“I’m looking.” The sun in her eyes became radiant, almost turning the blessed night to divine day. She sighed and adjusted her head. “Darling?”

“Yes, love of mine.”

“I have very violent thoughts.”

My brows rose. “Towards me?”

Her fingers slipped between the button space in my shirt and rested against my skin. “Not at this moment.”

That made me chuckle. “Toward whom or what?”

“You will not like this.”

“But you will do it anyway.”

“I will,” she said quietly.