Queen of Summer's Ice (Book 2)

Chapter 28

     We talked until it turned into the afternoon. Strategies, the Spring prisoner, its land, our journeys - which Nazim already informed everyone on the travels to winter what happened between us while we were away. And soon everyone was caught up with everyones story. I could tell that Lave and Zinnia were drained, Lave showing it more, so we ended the meeting there. Zinnia stayed back while Yana and Hudson showed everyone to their rooms on third floor. 

     The council room now rang with silence, the only noises were the shuffles of paper as Ray was collecting them. Our ideas, plans and notes of the whole meeting written down on them.

     Zinnia stayed in her chair, leaning casually back and absorbing Alagan with eyes I've seen before used on my cousin a few years ago.

     "Don't even think about it," I whispered into her ear.

     Her brown eyes left my brothers and landed onto mine. Eyebrow in an arch and arms crossed against her chest. Her jacket had been pulled tighter around herself, the leather wrinkling around her elbows. "Think about what." She didn't bother keeping her voice low.

     We started in a silent stare off until she stood up, the chair scrapping on the floor. Her eyes left mine to linger on Alagans, I realized he's been staring not at me, but at her. A heartbeat later she looked at her brother.

     "Hey, king," she said. "How rich do you have to be to get a doctor to check on you. I could see your bruises over the clothes."

     Ray turned around after shutting the drawer, I could tell he had just finished rolling his eyes. "Obviously I've seen a doctor. And Evie has been rubbing medicie on me every night."

     "Then why aren't you better."

     "Because Zinnia, when rocks are flying at you faster than a wild horse - it tends to leave a bigger mark."

     Zinnia still kept her arms crossed as she sighed through her nose in frusteration.

     "Don't give me that look - I did what a King would have done."

     "Yeah, because all the other Kings are immortal royals. You're the first human King, the first human equal ever, so don't try and compete with them you idiot."

     Ray stood by the his chair once again, him and Zinnia less than an arms lenght away. And I knew it was not my place to get into this sibling argument. "Thank you for reminding me Zinnia, I didn't know who I was competing with. I'm glad you do though since you practically refuse to get into royal politics."

     "Because I'm not going to pretend I'm a royal."

     Ray opened his mouth and then closed it, choosing not to say what he wanted. He ran his fingers through his curls, changing his whole mood. "I know you were worried, but I can handle myself on the battle field. I've had years and years of training now - from both summer and winter. If Evie never came onto that field we would have-"

     "Died. You all would have died instead of retreated because winters are the most stubborn people in all the seasons."

     I couldn't help but make a sound of disagreement. "You apparently haven't met a Spring," I said below my breath.

Zinnia's nostrils flared, but her posture relaxed after a few breaths.

     "If you're going to keep lecturing me lets do it in the kitchen, I'm starving."

     "Fine," she said. "Make me steak oh high and mighty King."

     Ray and Zinnia had just walked out of the room, Alagan and I on their heels when he leaned down to my ear and said, "Are we going to have sibling arguments like that?"