Kingdom of Snow

Chapter Twenty-nine - Annaliese

I woke up with Cyrus's arms around me.

This is real.

I looked up at his sleeping face. He was so breathtaking, so I reached up to touch him. His blue eyes opened. I froze but he took my fingers and kissed them. The feeling of his lips made me remember his sweet, deep kisses and I could feel myself blushing. I tried to look away but he poked my forehead.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing."

"Really?"

I couldn't answer because he covered my mouth with his. His hand stroked my hair while another caressed my arm. After a while, he looked into my eyes and kissed my forehead.

I couldn't stop smiling.

The fire was already gone but rays of light shone through the little holes in the walls of the cave.

"As much as I'd like to stay and hold you like this, we should get moving. It must be morning already."

I bit back a laugh. "Right."

He helped me stand up. "Our clothes are dry enough." He tossed me my dress and my coat. "Maybe it was too hot last night."

His comment made me instantly blush like crazy. I punched him in the arm.

"Ow," he laughed. "I was drying them when you were still unconscious and hung them by the fire. You react like something happened."

"Stop teasing me," I pouted at him.

He laughed again. "All right, Princess." He got dressed pretty fast.

I put on my dress, secured my weapons, Selere, the pen, and my necklace. Then I put on my coat.

"How are we going tell them about this?"

"About what?"

"About us."

He turned around and poked my cheek. "You act like we just did something wrong. How else? I'll kiss you in front of them."

I pinched his arm. "You wouldn't dare."

Cyrus put on a mock serious face. "Oh, Annaliese, you'll learn not to challenge me. I take these things seriously."

"Idiot." I had to roll my eyes. "You're really something else. What side of you have I not seen yet?"

"You'll see," he smirked.

"So, how do we get out of here?"

"Come on," Cyrus said and held his hand out to me. I took it and we stepped outside the dark cave.

All around us was a never ending sight of blue, with a layer of thick mist above it.

"How did you even know which way to go?"

"It was the first thing I saw, so I brought you here."

"I can't see the shore. Can you?"

"No, but—" He was staring ahead, but something caught his eye. He suddenly raised his hands and waved.

"Wh-what are you doing?"

He paid me no mind and kept waving. Soon enough, five figures appeared in the mist.

"Cyrus! Annaliese!"

It was Leah's voice.

"Leah! We're here!" I yelled.

Some of the mist cleared and revealed our friends standing on the shore opposite us.

I sighed. "And we just got our clothes dry too."