With one last, long look, Caterina turned, her coat flying around her, and swept away.

Jaya set her tea down and sank back against her seat as she stared into the fire. That was a threat; anyone could see that. But what, exactly, would Caterina’s next move be? She sat there for five whole minutes, gazing into the flames, looking for answers.

As the adrenaline left her body bit by bit, Jaya took a breath and turned—and then promptly forgot to breathe again, all thoughts of Caterina flying from her mind. It always surprised her, the surety with which Grey Emerson moved through a space, like he was claiming it for himself. People were watching him with a kind of quiet reverence and moving out of his way, but he didn’t seem to notice. His eyes, those tempestuous, wild blue eyes, were locked on her.

“Hi,” Grey said when he was close enough for her to hear him, to smell him. He’d brought in a scent like fresh snow and pine.

Jaya gestured to the empty chair. “Would you like to sit?”

He looked past her, out the enormous panes of glass that made up the far wall and faced the lit-up ski slopes. “Actually,” he said, looking back down at her. “I’d like to ski. It might be easier to—I think it’ll help me to clear my head.” He stuffed his hands into his jacket pockets.

She studied his expression. It was haunted and ashamed, but it was also truthful. He really did want to tell her; he was trying to build up the courage to do it.

Any anger she’d been feeling toward Grey dissipated and was replaced by curiosity. Jaya nodded and stood. “All right. I’m game.”

The ski lift ride up was magical. The air was crisp and clear and cold like a piece of dark crystal. As they rose higher and higher, Jaya’s breath caught at the sight below them—the stone lodge was lit up in a thousand twinkling lights, the giant fountain in the courtyard staggering under a heavy blanket of snow. Ice crystals glittered in all the tree branches, like strands of diamonds.

“Wow,” she breathed, forgetting for a moment who she was with. “Winter here really is enchanting, isn’t it?”

Grey grunted in response.

The ski lift arrived at the top, and they both took their turns stepping off. Grey held his hand out to Jaya so she wouldn’t fall. She looked at it in surprise for a moment, then took it and laughed. “God, this is a lot harder than it looks.”

He glanced away, his face a cloud of turmoil at the conversation that lay ahead.