A fancy way of saying don’t jump to conclusions. But it wasn’t a jump when Zitora supported Councilor Moon’s claims. It was evidence. “Parents do their children a grave disservice, protecting them from the truth and raising them in a fairy world of fairness and lies.”

Kade moved back and studied my expression. “You weren’t this bitter when we were locked in that storeroom on the northern ice sheet. Tricked and tortured, yet you remained optimistic.”

“Optimistic? I told you to kill me along with Sir and his gang. How is that optimistic?”

“Maybe that’s not the right word.” His gaze swept the room as if he searched for the proper inspiration. “You still had…faith…trust in people despite the situation. Who do you trust now?”

“Mara—”

“Besides family members.”

I sorted through the people I knew. “I trust you and Janco.”

“A rather short list.”

“Here’s a longer list for you. Alea, Pazia, Tricky, Tal, Devlen, Ulrick, Gressa, Councilor Moon and Zitora.”

“And they are…?”

“All the people who either lied, tricked or used me.”

He remained quiet. Probably thinking of a counterpoint, but I didn’t want to discuss it anymore. Kade was here. With me. Yet I still grasped his arm as if I clung to a rock while waves tried to knock me off. I relaxed my grip and wrapped my arms about his torso.

“You lost weight. Didn’t they feed you in Ixia?” I asked.

“The Commander was very generous, but I ate most of my meals with Yelena. Seeing her pick through her food as if everything contained poison, I lost my appetite. Plus, I was worried about you.”

Before he could change the subject back to me, I asked him, “What did the Commander decide about the blizzards? Is he going to let you dance in them?”

“The Commander is rather stubborn about magic. I had planned to stay on the ice sheet to calm the storms until the warming season, but Janco’s partner, Ari, arrested me and escorted me to the Commander’s castle.”

“But a cell can’t hold you!”

“If it’s strong enough it can, but, even though Ari is built like a tank with curly hair, he couldn’t hold me without a null shield. I could have escaped at any time. But I cooperated with him. No sense angering the Commander. And I was treated like a guest when I arrived at his castle.” He poked the fire. “He’s intelligent and adamant. I wasn’t able to convince him to allow a group of Stormdancers to harvest the blizzards next cold season, but he did agree to watch a demonstration.”

“Did you impress him with your superior skills?”

Kade laughed. “I don’t think Commander Ambrose is impressed by much. I didn’t get a chance to show him. By the time he agreed to the demonstration, I needed to leave if I wanted to spend time with you before the heating season’s storms.”

“Getting the Commander’s approval is more important than me,” I said.

“I see your sense of self-worth hasn’t changed.”

I straightened, pulling away. “Those blizzards kill people every year. Saving people’s lives versus spending time with me? Even if I was the Queen of Sitia, the choice is obvious.”

“That’s why I’m going to be on the northern ice sheet with the Commander during the first blizzard of the next cold season. It will be a more effective display than taming a warm-season thunderstorm. Also Commander Ambrose grew up in Military District 3 and knows by experience just how much damage they can do.”

“Oh.”

“See how you shouldn’t jump to conclusions?” Smugness oozed from him.

“It wasn’t a jump. More of a leap. No. A skip. Definitely a skip. No jumping involved.”

“Really?” He doubted me.

“Yes. You don’t know what a jump is.”

“I don’t?” Confusion replaced his dubiousness.

“Yes.”

“Care to tell me?”

“No. I’ll show you.” I pounced on him, dragging him to the floor. Smothering his squawk with my lips, I pinned him under me. When I had regained my breath I said, “That’s a jump.”

“I’m still a little fuzzy on the definition.” He snaked his arms around me. “Please continue your demonstration.”

I pressed my body against him, but a nagging thought hovered. I wouldn’t have been this bold before. Dismissing the notion, I turned my full attention to the man below me, certain he would agree that change, in this case, was for the better.

Sometime during the night we transferred to my narrow bed. I woke with Kade curled around me as the morning sun’s rays shot through the cracks in the shutters. Groaning, I peeled the covers back and yanked at Kade’s anchoring arm on my hip. But he wouldn’t move.

“Blow it off,” he muttered half-asleep.

“I can’t. I’m in training. I’ll skip my afternoon classes. Hell, I’ll even skip lunch for you, but training is too important.”

He lifted his arm. “Are you worried about being attacked?”

“Not at this moment, but I need to be able to defend myself just in case.” I slipped out of bed. The cold air raised the hair on my arms and I quickly dressed in my training uniform—loose, comfortable gray pants and a white sleeveless tunic. The day would warm in a hurry. I brushed my hair, pulling it back into a ponytail.