Janel shuddered against him. The good kind of shudder. She gazed up at him with lidded eyes as her hands traced a path lower down his back. Then she pulled him flush against her again and ground her hips. Kihrin groaned and decided he could live with being used as pain relief.

But Janel pushed him away, panting. She exhaled slowly as she leaned back against the door. She didn’t seem to care that it was covered with melting ice. “Right. If you don’t want that, then we should stop.”

“Don’t…” Kihrin ran his fingers over the links in her chain armor. “Don’t think I’m not willing.”

Janel laughed. “I can feel how willing you are.” She closed her eyes and leaned back against the door. “But … no, you’re right. This is bad timing. And there’s something I need to tell you first.”

“As long as you’re not going to tell me that you’re running outside to become a frozen Hellwarrior as soon as I turn my back, I can take it. Neither Aeyan’arric or her uncle are—” Kihrin paused as he realized what he’d just said. What Janel had said, earlier. “Hold on. Uncle?”

Janel cleared her throat. “Yes, uncle. Relos Var is Aeyan’arric’s uncle.”

Kihrin blinked and took a step backward. “Aeyan … arric.”

Janel straightened and adjusted her tunic.

Kihrin hadn’t made the connection. Relos Var’s real name was Rev’arric, just as his own past life’s name had also ended with -arric. Evidently, that was the family name.

“Does Relos Var have any … other … siblings?”

Janel shook her head. “No.”

“So that dragon out there is Relos Var’s niece and my—” He pressed his lips together.

“Your daughter.” She quickly amended the statement. “Your past life’s daughter. Not your daughter, obviously.”

“That doesn’t make me feel better.” Kihrin felt a temporary rush of anger. Had Aeyan’arric participated in his past life’s murder willingly, the same way Sharanakal and the other dragons had? Had she thought to become a goddess, been tempted by all that glittering power, only to be turned into a terrible monster instead?

Had Relos Var whispered in her ears too?

Kihrin took her hand. “Let’s go back. We stay here any longer and they’re going to think we really did go behind the straw bales. And much as I’d enjoy that, I need to hear the rest of this story.”

Janel gave him a worried look. “Yes, I really think you do.”

“You all right, foal?” Dorna asked when they returned.

Janel sat down in her seat. “Yes, thank you. I’m sorry about that. It was just a shock.”

Qown nodded, looking sympathetic. “We’ll get through this.”

Janel started talking.

Janel’s Turn. The Ice Demesne, Yor, Quur.

I woke the next morning in a bed, healed.