Page 117 of Cursed Crowns

“Why not?”

“Because it’s way too... too...”

“Impressive?”

“Human.” Wren folded her arms. “And you are not a human. You are a beast.”

Alarik stepped away from her, his gaze shuttering. For a heartbeat, Wren swore she had wounded him, but then he flashed his canines. “Even a beast can have a hobby, can he not?”

Wren perched on a stool. “I liked it better when I didn’t know anything about you.”

“I liked it better when you were a speck of nothing back in Ortha,” he shot back. “But here we are.”

“Why were you spying on me just now?”

“I heard my mother’s music.” He paused, frowned. “I thought it must be a dream.”

Wren relaxed her shoulders. “You missed the sea shanty, then.”

To her surprise, Alarik chuckled. “I don’t think anyone in Grinstad Palace missed that sea shanty, Wren.”

Wren’s cheeks erupted in flames. “It wasn’t meant for you.”

“Nonetheless, I am grateful for it.” To her surprise, Alarik sounded... well,sincere. “It’s been a long time since I’ve heard my mother laugh.”

Oh no.The kingwasbeing sincere. “Stop,” she said, getting to her feet. “I don’t want to talk about your mother. Your loyalty. Your...”

“Humanity?” He cocked a brow. “Are you afraid it might rub off on you?”

“Oh, please. You don’t have any.”

“You’re only saying that because you hate me.”

“Of course I hate you!” hissed Wren. “You made me do blood magic.”

“The blood was mine.”

She jabbed her finger at him. “You’re going to kill my grandmother!”

“Well. Only if you fail.”

Wren briefly considered punching him in the face.

“Go on,” he said, watching her flex her fingers. “I dare you.”

Wren cracked her knuckles. “Don’t tempt me.”

Alarik turned from her and went to the window, his arms tucked behind his back as he looked out at the raging blizzard. Beyond it, Wren could just make out the frozen pond below. “When I was a boy and my father was king, he would make time, every week, to come skating with us on that pond,” he said as though they were in the middle of a perfectly normal conversation. “It was the best part of my week.” Wren had to stop and look around to make sure he was talking to her. “I was the worst ice skater you’ve ever seen, but I’ve never laughed as hard as I used to laugh back then. I’ve never felt as free.”

Outside, the blizzard pounded its fists against the window, as if it was trying to break in.

“It seems like something you’d be good at,” said Wren, if only to say something. “It’s cold. Challenging. Dangerous.”

Alarik offered her a pointed look. “Only to those who drown.”

“Almostdrown,” Wren corrected him. “And I was doing pretty well before the ice broke.”

“I know. I was watching you.”