Forged in Frost and Fire (Book 1 in the Chronicles of Kings trilogy)

Chapter Thirty Seven

"Seems rather hot today, doesn't it?" Ayaz said, pulling at his collar. I practically jumped away from Sable, who was now leaning back in his seat, his expression relaxed. I felt something soft touch my neck and I nearly jumped out of my skin as I realized it was one of his shadows. The tendril prodded at the sore muscles of my back and shoulders, that ached from all the training. I nearly moaned right there.

"Wow, do I see steam in the air?" Ayaz asked, scratching at the back of his neck.

"You guys should get a room," Gray muttered, taking another swig. I had practically forced him to come today. Sable had protested at first, saying Gray wouldn't have wanted to come, and he didn't, but I was stubborn and practically dragged him. Well...Caspian dragged him, since he was the one to carry him up to Vellichor. That man was strong as hell.

"Don't you think you should slow it down, Silver?" Ayaz asked, looking over at Gray.

"No, I think you can shove it, Breezy," Gray said. Wind whistled around us, causing my hair to stir. It wasn't a natural wind...but a magical one. I saw Gray clench his hand and the metal knife beside him crumbled into a ball.

"Not all of us like to see you off your face all the time. You think it's attractive?" Ayaz asked.

"Do you?" Gray asked, squinting up at him. Ayaz's cheeks flooded pink and he swallowed hard. More wind billowed around us, and Sable got out of his seat, his shadows flickering around him.

"Shouldn't you be screwing some princess?" Ayaz asked. "Oh wait, you fucked that one up already. Fucked it up so bad she took your cousin-" Gray burst forward across the table, a fork clutched in his hand that was already morphing into some sort of sharp blade.

Nazira grabbed Ayaz by the shoulders and pushed him back at the same time I blasted ice at Gray's legs, freezing him in place. He cursed something colorful as he continued trying to lunge at Ayaz, who was fighting against Nazira's hold. Originally, I thought only Gray and Sable had some secret tension between them. But now I was starting to realize that it seemed that all the members of the cadre had tendrils of tension between them.

"Let me go, Eira!" Gray snarled. I stormed up to him, pulling the strange weapon that used to be a fork out of his hand.

"Not until you calm the hell down," I said, letting the ice crawl up until it was dangerously close to something he'd rather not have frozen. "You've been drinking all day, you're not thinking straight."

"I'm sober enough to know that little weasel insulted me," Gray practically spat at Ayaz.

"Weasel?" Ayaz let out a sharp laugh. "At least I'm respected in the palace." Gray snarled and leaped forward. I built more ice around his legs, scared that somehow he'd shatter the impenetrable stuff.

"Alright, that's enough," Sable said slowly. I turned to see that he was roiling with darkness. Ayaz had been cut off, but he had said something about a princess and Sable...what did he mean? And why did I want to know so bad?

I saw Ayaz's face fall as he faced his friend. "Sable, I didn't mean-"

"You did," Sable said. "Ayaz, take a breather. Gray, take a tonic and a shower, and neither of you come back until you can stop yourselves from ripping off each other's heads." The fire between Gray and Ayaz simmered down until both of them looked less angry and more ashamed.

"Sable-" Gray started.

"Go," Sable said, interrupting him. I gave a confused look to Caspian but he simply shook his head, sticking close to Nazira, who leaned her shoulder into him. Those two had been getting awfully close lately. Not that I should have been thinking about that now...