midnight, I was just as tipsy as he was, if not more so. I giggled and danced, feeling free for the first time since I’d woken up in Winterset.
“The wine here is divine.” I giggled, grabbing Kellin’s hands. “Oh, my gosh. I just rhymed.”
“It’s Roseberry Wine,” Kellin informed me, chuckling. “It’s quite potent.”
“Why isn’t it working on you?” I asked, leaning against him.
“Trust me, it is.”
We laughed loudly and drank down another glass. I mingled with our guests, smiling at their words and laughing when appropriate. They all seemed to adore me. Suddenly, it hit me that I might let them down. I didn’t want that. They were good people. They were my people, and they deserved every effort I could give them. The thoughts were fleeting as I sipped more wine.
I let out a contented sigh. My eyes were heavy after many hours of dancing and celebrating.
“It’s too bad I can’t always feel this way,” I said, looking up to the moon.
“You can,” Kellin argued. “All you need to do is let go.”
I didn’t reply. Instead, I lay my head against his shoulder and closed my eyes. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and gave me a gentle squeeze.
“Are you tired, Ana?” Kellin asked softly after a moment of silence.
“Mm, yes,” I answered sleepily. “I want to go to sleep.”
“I can escort you to your chambers if you’d like,” he offered.
I nodded, and he helped me to my feet, his arm winding around my waist and steadying me.
“Where are you going?” Soran asked, stopping us.
“Analia is tired. I’m going to take her to her room,” Kellin replied. “I’ll come back down once she’s settled.”
“Good, because you know there’s nothing like a midnight hunt,” Soran stated, a glimmer in his eyes.
“Oh, God.” Kellin rolled his blue eyes and shook his head. “Are you serious? Do you not remember the last time we did a midnight hunt in the Barrows?”
“I won’t get lost this time,” Soran promised solemnly.
“Right.” Kellin grinned, pulling me away. “We’ll see about that.”
“What’s the Barrows?” I asked sleepily as we made our way to my chambers.
“It’s this nasty marsh area just south of the castle walls. It smells terrible there. Soran chased a wild boar into there once, and he ended up lost for over four hours. When he finally came out, he was covered in swamp muck. It seriously smelled like something died on him, and it took the better half of a week to wear off.”
“Did he get the boar?” I asked, stumbling a bit on the stairs.
Kellin steadied me before answering. “He did. Soran is a damn good hunter and an even better warrior,” Kellin replied proudly.
“He’s a good brother and friend,” I murmured, my eyes getting heavier by the second.
“He is,” Kellin agreed, opening my chamber doors. He went to the lanterns and quickly lit them, casting the room in a soft glow.
The full moon streamed in through the open balcony windows, and I smiled. At least I wouldn’t be in the pitch black. I hated that aspect of Winterset. The lack of modern electricity really made me appreciate what I’d had before.
“Will you help me with this dress?” I asked, struggling as I tried to undo the corset ribbons in the back.
Kellin stepped wordlessly behind me, his hands trembling, and untied the corset. The dress loosened, and I let out a sigh of relief. The designers had me stuffed in that thing. I snatched my chamber robe and stumbled behind the folding dressing screen. With clumsy hands, I changed out of the dress. When I came back around, Kellin was standing out on the balcony staring up at the moon. I walked out to him and rested against the stone railing beside him.
“It’s beautiful, the moon.” He gestured up to it. “I haven’t seen a moon like this in a long time.”
“It is beautiful,” I agreed, gazing up at the large orb which hung in the night sky. It appeared larger than Earth Realm’s moon and was brighter. There was a pretty hint of purple to its white light. “I’m glad it’s not red.”
“Red?” Kellin frowned. “There’s never been a red moon in Winterset.”
“Really?” I asked, intrigued. “Never?”
“Never,” Kellin stated.
“What would a red moon mean?”
“Well, if there ever was a red moon, it would be a blood moon. If you read the old texts, they claim a red moon only comes when the harbinger of fire comes—” Kellin’s eyes widened, and he turned to stare open mouthed at me. “What have