We think this might help warm the ground permanently, but there’s a lot that’s still under consideration. For now, I think it’s a good idea to start with a small area on our private grounds so that we can assess if it works, and whether the curse will leave it intact,” Elaine says. “The fact that you were able to melt the snow at all inspires more hope than you can imagine. I’ve been casting spells to melt the snow for years, but the curse is immune to my magic.”I wrap my arms around myself and nod politely, trying my very best to hide my embarrassment. Elaine came to find me earlier today, in shock because months’ worth of snow had disappeared around the palace. I scrambled to explain myself and ended up telling her that I’d merely been practicing and lost control, but I worry she saw straight through me.I nod at the drawings she shows me, anxiety uncurling in my chest. “This will be hard to accomplish, and it’s going to be a lot of work for Felix.”“It will be,” she admits. “But he’s been waiting all his life to make a difference like this. If this works, the burdens on our people would be lifted tremendously. We aren’t quite sure why, but you appear to be immune to the curse’s effects. It does not haunt you the way it does us. Every magic user within this empire feels its pull. Each time we access our powers, a small part of it leaks away. It feels as though we’re giving the curse our location, our own magic working against us to destroy all we try to build.”noveldramaI bite down on my lip, fear ruling my thoughts as I stare at the plans of underground pipes. It took him days to rebuild the stable the curse knocked down, and now we’re asking him to help transform steel into pipes to meet the quantity demands our workmen can’t meet by themselves, and then transport them deep underneath the earth. Once that’s done, I have to heat the pipes, and hope that it heats the ground’s temperature sufficiently for us to grow crops. That is if the curse doesn’t wreak havoc; it could destroy the pipes before I have a chance to heat them, or the temperature could drop even further, dousing the heat I create. Then there’s every chance that I can’t heat the pipes at all. So far, all I’ve been able to do consciously is set small things on fire. I have yet to do much more than that. Elaine has been working on this plan from the moment I told Felix about my fire powers, but I fear I’ll let her down.I’m startled out of my thoughts by the sound of Felix’s voice. “Are you letting your thoughts rule you, Arabella?”I turn toward the sound of his voice and find him standing in the doorway of the audience room, where Elaine and I have spent the morning. His eyes roam over my body leisurely, and heat rushes to my cheeks as vivid memories of last night come to mind. The way he looked at me as he held himself up on top of me, the way he moaned my name, the way his eyes fell closed when he pushed inside me. My favorite memory of all was the reverence I saw in his eyes all night. He’s wearing that very same expression today.“You’ll be able to do it. I have faith in you,” he says, his voice soft. Felix walks up to me and wraps his hand around my waist, his head tilted toward me. He’s never touched me like this in public, and though it startles me, I don’t dislike it.Thankfully, there’s no strangeness between us. I’m certain my cheeks are crimson, and there’s a knowing look in his eyes, but there’s no awkwardness between us. If anything, this is a new kind of intimacy. One I didn’t know existed.“I have faith in you, too. This won’t be easy.”Felix leans in and pushes a strand of hair behind my ear. “I know it won’t be, but we’ll get it done together.”He keeps his arm wrapped around me as he leans in to look at the schematics on the table. “I’ve never transformed quite that much metal,” he murmurs, a hint of insecurity in his eyes. I lean into him, offering silent support, and he tightens his grip on me.“I believe in both of you,” Elaine says. “Between the two of you, we might well gain the upper hand in this fight. We’ll start with the atrium at first, and if that works, we move on to larger parts of the city. At each step, we’ll pause to assess any damage the curse might inflict, but so far, the curse has not touched the empress. I hope that will extend to her elemental powers, too.”“While this might work in theory, I don’t know how to keep a fire going. Each time my concentration wanes, the fire douses.”“We’ll train together,” Felix promises, his gaze reassuring. “And if it doesn’t work, then we’ll try something else. Truthfully, it’s an idea with a low chance of success and a high dependency on you. We’re asking too much of you.”“I’ll do whatever is necessary,” I assure him, wishing I could offer more certainty.Felix’s thumb brushes along my waist, drawing circles leisurely, and I bite down on my lip. What would it take for me to create permanent heat like the type we’ll require? Mere thoughts of Felix are allowing me to call upon my fire, but will that be enough?I look into Felix’s eyes, certain he’ll have a training schedule in mind that I will not be able to resist. He once said I’d set the palace ablaze if he took me to bed, and I came close to it last night.“When is the metal expected to arrive?” Felix asks, barely able to take his eyes off me for more than a few seconds. “I’d rather get started sooner than later. I expect this to be a tremendous amount of work, for all of us.”“A fortnight,” Elaine says, and Felix nods.“Would you like to accompany me to the audience room?” he asks, and I smile. When I first arrived, he’d have said, You will come with me, ordering me around like the brute the world thinks he is.“Yes,” I say. “I’d love to.”Much to my surprise, Felix’s hand slides down to mine, and he entwines our fingers as he pulls me along. His hand is large in mine, yet it feels perfect. He glances at me and snaps his fingers, my cloak appearing around my shoulders. Heat rushes to my cheeks at the sound, memories of last night flooding me, and Felix chuckles knowingly. “I’ll get you your gloves later,” he says. “For now, I want your hand in mine.”I bite down on my lip to hide my smile and nod at him, my heart racing. He’s different today. I’m not sure what I was expecting after last night, but I suppose part of me feared he would be indifferent. I feared that last night wasn’t as special to him as it was to me. I’m far from the first woman he’s ever been with, after all.Felix pauses as we round the corner leading to the atrium, turning toward me with a smile on his face. Something about the look in his eyes makes me take a step back, until I’m pressed against the wall, my heart hammering in my chest.“I missed you this morning, Arabella,” he murmurs, closing the distance between us. “All morning, you’ve been all I’ve been able to think about. I sat through countless strategy meetings, finalizing the acquisition of Romtheo, a tiny country filled with gold, but all I could think about was the honey color of your eyes, and the way they darkened when you whispered my name.” He leans in, his body pressing against mine. “Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to leave you in our bed this morning?”My breathing is irregular as I look into his eyes, nervous, eager for something. Felix appears to read my mind and smiles as he tilts his head, his lips capturing mine.A soft moan escapes my lips when he kisses me, and I instinctively wrap my arms around his neck, deepening the kiss. I’m breathless by the time he pulls away, and Felix smirks before pulling his hood over his head.“Let’s go, my love. The sooner I finish today’s work, the sooner I can take you back to bed.”