Immediately after, I took a cold bath hoping that it would cool me down.
When that didn't work to take my mind off of it,I cursed and made the water even colder.
I'd never been touched that way, never been kissed that fiercely - it was too new, too foreign.
And so so good.
I sank into the water submerging my head.
I always thought that I had some measure of self-control.
Apparently, that wasn't true at all.
I had absolutely no self-control. He might as well have flipped a switch at how fast I forgot Damien and kissed him back.
Stupid desperate lonely Emmy, I told myself.
It wasn't that I loved him, that much I knew. I respected him and somehow, suddenly had a major crush on him.
I loved Damien. Was in love with Damien. Wanted to be with Damien. Would destroy myself for him - to save him.
Because he did the same for me.
I couldn't bring myself to even look at Julian the next day when we met downstairs in the hall. Vy stood at the bottom of the stairs watching me all the while, Julian stood at her side with his arms crossed. It seemed they were deep in conversation over something but stopped as soon as they saw me.
"You don't look ready to go to the Winter Kingdom." I watched the twinkle in Vy's eye as she spoke to me, the mocking curved smile. "I'd suggest a heavy jacket, fur would be best." It was as if she knew about my personal disdain for fur and was making fun of me for it.
Julian shook his head. "We already have something packed. Naida made sure. The sneak packed them in my bag without me looking."
I couldn't help the amused smile that came to my lips, Naida must have had it planned that we'd stop there all along anyway.
"You didn't come to breakfast," Vy was smiling but I recognized the mock in her tone.
I couldn't even think of what to say. How could I tell them I purposely missed breakfast just so I could avoid being in the same room with them?
My mind kept going back to the night before. To Julian and how he kissed me gently, held me, pleaded with me when I ran away.
I couldn't look at Vy either. How could I? After what I'd almost done with Julian?
I only cleared my throat, barely addressing her. "I wasn't hungry," I lied.
While I wasn't looking, a jacket appeared in Julian's arms which he handed to me.
I took it and realized there were warm gloves inside the pocket. I shrugged the gloves and jacket on, and zipped it up just as Julian and Vy did the same to theirs.
I slung my bag over my shoulder and took Julian's hand as he reached for me.
I still wouldn't look at him.
Vy spectered us into the most freezing place I'd ever been. I could feel the cold air cut through the layers of pants I had on. I hugged my hands close, the gloves felt useless.
The ground was the deepest white I'd ever seen, the snow danced around us as the wind howled. In the distance, I could see snow-capped blue mountains the clouds swirling around them as the wind carried them. But nothing else. No road, no houses, no trees or living creatures.
We were all alone.
"The border should be east of here," Vy pointed to the distance as she yelled over the wind. "From there you can specter to the Frozen City as long as you have the lord's permission."
