To Melt A Frozen Heart | ONC 2024

Chapter 10 | A Hard Day's Night

The woman lived in a larger house than any of the others I'd seen. In fact, it resembled an inn of sorts. Maybe that was this woman's business - housing strangers.

The door creaked as she pushed it open. Cassian stood aside, allowing me to enter first. I nodded my thanks to him. He merely held my gaze.

He wasn't happy about this, that much I knew. Though I wasn't particularly sure why. Maybe it was that fact that we'd been caught out and stranded here. Maybe it was the fact that the village seemingly didn't look that way it had the last time he was here. Or maybe it was simply that fact that he thought lodging with a villager was beneath him.

Given all that I'd seen since arriving here, I guessed it was mostly likely to be the last option. Cassian wasn't exactly overflowing with compassion for those less fortunate than himself.

I thought of the horses, hoping that they'd be okay. The woman, Nesta, her name was, assured us both that they would be taken to a stable outback. Though how substantial it would be, I couldn't say. All I knew was that if we were to lose the horses it would be at least a day's walk back to the palace. That would be sure to irk Cassian even further.

Cassian ducked inside behind me, the door shutting with a bang, pulled by the invisible force of the wind. Glad to be out of the cold, I was pleasantly surprised by the warmth of the place. A crackling fire burnt away in a corner of the small room, adding its light to that of the candles.

"Yer can share the room upstairs. Seeing as yer are ter be married soon, I don't see what diff'rence it'd make now." Nesta barked a laugh.

Turning to Cassian, I searched for any hint of indignation on his part, any sign that he would object to this arrangement and demand that they be given separate rooms. He didn't, but his jaw tightened noticeably, and he glared at Nesta.

"Fine."

I stared at him. He lowered his head, muttering, "I doubt there are other rooms anyway. I do not see fit to make a scene. You..." He paused, correcting himself. "We cannot be caught outside tonight."

I held his gaze. "Because of the storm? Or because of the beast?"

"Because of a great many things, Aurelia."

Nesta cut in. "If the two of yers are done whisperin', I'll show yer to yer room."

Cassian glanced over my shoulder, his eyes hard. "Thank you," he said tightly.

Mumbling to herself, the woman began to lead us toward a small doorway at the back of the room. It seemed to go nowhere the blackness swallowing up whatever was inside.

It turned out to be a staircase. Like everything else in this place, they creaked as we ascended them. Cassian trod slowly behind me and even in the darkness, I could feel his eyes on the back of my head.

"'Ere we are." Nesta gestured to the interior of the room.

It was sparsely furnished, a single bed lay in the centre of it, surrounded only by an old wooden chair and table. That was it, nothing else. A window filtered moonlight down from the sloping ceiling, bathing a small slither of the room in light.

"Let me know if yer need anythin'," Nesta muttered, before retreating backdown the wooden steps.

Silence enveloped the room.

I looked to Cassian, half his face glowed a soft silver in the moonlight, the other stayed veiled in shadow. He was already watching me.

"Soo..." I began, starting forward into the tiny room and plopping down on the bed.