Chapter 14
Fourteen
Autumn buried her face in her knees, trembling and out of breath from Valdez’s parting gift.
Evil witch—setting them up like that.
The worst part was the brief sense of hope she experienced only to have the feeling ripped out from under her once more. They were officially stranded with no chance of escape from this remote world.
Warm blood and snow trickled down her sleeve. She shivered as Armienti held a ball of ice against his bleeding scalp. Red droplets streaked his golden tresses.
As she closed her eyes and tried to relax for a moment, she heard the flow of water. From what she could gather based on the crashing sound, there was a lot of it.
She spotted a stream filled with misting green water flowing in the distance. Her time on this planet had been so distressing she had failed to notice it earlier. She jumped to her feet and raced over with what little strength she had left.
The water was warm to the touch. A welcome change from frostbitten fingers, toes, and the icicles matting down her long curly hair. She frantically pulled off her ice encrusted bodysuit and go-go boots, desperate to experience a sense of warmth again, but suddenly she stopped.
She eyed Armienti. He cast her an appreciative glance but then looked away. Her face flushed. This was probably a dream come true for him.
“Don’t watch me,” she said as she finished pulling off the remainder of her teal bodysuit. Her bare feet slid against the frigid elements.
Armienti chuckled, running a hand through his golden tousled hair. He had since rejuvenated himself. “Believe me, Autumn Martyne, despite what you may think, the world doesn’t revolve around you. We have much bigger troubles than me watching you bathe, which by the way, is the most unimpressive sight I’ve ever beheld.” His mouth curved.
He had to be trying to save face.
Her cheeks set on fire, and she placed a hand on the fullest part of her hip. Her spine straightened. “Just do as you’re told; I’m still your empress,” she sounded like Dante as the words left her mouth. “This mess is all your fault, and I won’t hesitate to tell Dante what you’ve done when I see him again. We could be back on Surge warm and full, or I could’ve traveled home to Earth by now.”
Armienti winked a brilliant blue eye. “I’m not worried about Dante. There’s a good chance we’ll never see him again so save your idle threats. Out here, you’re nothing more than a lost empress.”
Her forehead pulsated as she lowered herself into the water. The frigid wind bit against her cheeks, but for the first time in a while, she was warm.
She hugged her knees to her chest as the water flowed against her body in ripples and waves. She never wanted to climb out. If time allowed, she could stay here forever.
In the corner of her vision, Armienti undressed himself. His blue defined muscles shifted in the winter elements. Only this time, his bottom half wasn’t concealed by a white fluffy towel, like he tended to traipse around the palace in.
She turned her head, cheeks setting on fire as he climbed in, and she got the entire picture.
What a picture it turned out to be. The water settled around them.
Armienti rested his back against the icy bank. “You see, that wasn’t so bad. Now, was it?”
She shrugged and closed her eyes. “I don’t care.”
Autumn tried her hardest to envision her husband’s face. The high peaks of his cheekbones, the cleft of his chin, his piercing amber eyes, and his tousled midnight hair. Even the scars on his chest he never wanted to talk about.
Not Armienti.
He had to be worried sick. Hopefully he wasn’t being too destructive in her absence. That was probably more than she should hope for, knowing his tendencies .
Armienti closed his eyes. “I find it rather humorous that you think he can protect you. First of all, he’d have to find us, which is highly unlikely. And second of all, Valdez isn’t the best at keeping secrets, and believe me when I say she knows everything .”
“Everything?” Autumn gulped and a wave of panic crashed through her body interrupting her soothing bath.
“ Everything, ” Armienti reiterated.
“When the Grand Supreme learns of his treachery, I’m sure he’ll want him dead. Perhaps he’ll name a new successor to his territories—” Armienti’s chest puffed.
She stared at him at a loss for words, unwilling to imagine Dante being in any sort of danger. The thought induced nausea.
A slithering sensation passed between her calves. Sharp scales scraped against her skin.
She jumped onto Armienti’s lap, and he snorted. “If you wanted to sit by me, you should’ve just asked from the beginning. I don’t bite, I promise. Unless you want me to, that is.” He winked.
She ignored his stupid remark, pointing to the water with a trembling finger. “We’re not alone.”
Armienti glanced, then reached into the streaming water and pulled out a fish the size of her. The creature twitched its rainbow whiskers and its two heads tried to swim in opposite directions.
“Good job, Autumn, you found our dinner. I knew there had to be more food on this planet somewhere.”
He tossed the beast onto the bank, flopping against the ice. As the emerald sky grew dark and cloudy, hail began pelting their heads, interrupting their soak.
Armienti climbed out and extended his hand. “Come on now, don’t be bashful. We need to find shelter before another storm breaks out.”
Autumn twisted her mouth to the side, reluctantly accepting his help. When she climbed out, she didn’t bother to conceal herself.
He made one of the stupidest faces she’d ever seen in her life. It was like he’d never seen a naked girl before, which was impossible.
Armienti’s stomach twisted and turned from Autumn’s threat, but he refused to let her see how terrified he was. Dante would indeed kill him for not only conspiring like a fool with Valdez, but for endangering his wife’s life.
Mostly the latter.
On the other hand, however, the Grand Supreme would perhaps reward him for bringing forth a traitor. It was high time Dante was knocked down a peg and he received what he was entitled to.
Emperor , he shook his head. Must be nice.
“Will you come on already?!” Autumn shouted, suddenly taking charge of the expedition. How easy it was for her to hurry him along when she wasn’t the one with a heavy double-headed beast slung over her back.
His eyes grazed the slope of her hips and the way her wet bodysuit clung to her legs, but he looked away, face flushed. It was the warmest part of his body in the impending storm. He’d never forget how beautiful her body looked when she exited the stream moments earlier.
Autumn was still Dante’s wife, all things considered. Perhaps if he begged for forgiveness on his hands and knees, he would show him mercy.
No, he couldn’t allow himself to be such a pushover. Couldn’t allow himself to stoop to such a humiliating level.
Plus, there was a good chance he’d never find out. They were stranded on this cruel ice world with no hope of escape.
As they entered their usual cave, he experienced a wave of panic upon the realization that this could be their permanent home. No, please no , he pleaded to the gods.
He set the fish down on the floor and Autumn rubbed her hands together for warmth.
“So, how are we going to cook this thing?” He heard her stomach grumble.
“Well, um, we’re not. As you know, I don’t have the ability to?—”
“Generate fire,” she muttered. “That’s right. It Figures.”
A wave of heat simmered over Armienti’s face and neck. Another reminder that his ability was essentially useless. It Figures. Embarrassment rattled him to the core.
“Well, that was rude,” he peeled back the skin of the fish and took a bite. “Although you spotted it, I caught the damn thing for us to share. If it wasn’t for me, we’d starve for another night.”
Autumn folded her arms. “I don’t care. I’m not here to be nice and I’m not here to be your friend. You’re lucky I’m a fan of sushi,” she sat cross legged, skinning a section of the fish and took a bite. “It’s actually not that bad.”
Together, they carved the fish dry. Neither one of them uttered a word to one another. He was secretly mortified.
What Autumn had said hit a nerve, because it was the truth .
He’d been overlooked and underappreciated his entire life. It wasn’t fair. Somehow it hurt more coming from her. She was one of the nicest people he’d ever known, even after everything she’d been through.
What he put her through…
He couldn’t help but watch her, staring into her eyes, haunted by two silver ghosts. Maeve. He’d never be good enough for anyone, no matter how hard he tried. He was born to be first but treated like the dust at the bottom of everyone’s boots.