Chapter 16 #2
“But I also sense her resistance wearing down,” Serise added.
“Thank you for letting me know,” I said. “If that’s all, you can go for now. Rest tonight. Tomorrow you resume your normal duties with Cyra.”
“They really don’t-” Cyra started to argue as she let go of Surgeon’s newly healed hand, but I cut her off.
Still not up for debate, I said into her mind.
She gave me a frustrated look and crossed her arms.
The twins, sensing I’d won the almost-argument, bowed to me and hurried out the door.
“What are you planning to do about the assassin?” Jasper asked me when they’d gone. “Gods above, what in the three hells is going on here?”
He stood and began to pace.
“What’s going on,” I said, “is that twenty-five years ago I let one dangerous enemy live, and another escaped death all on his own. Then the two of them reunited and found an even more powerful enemy with her own agenda.”
I hit my fist on the table. And to top it off, we also had one Triumvirate lord who’d been taken over by the enemy, and one territory that hadn’t even replaced theirs yet.
“As for the assassin,” I went on, “let me worry about her. For now, you and Maziren need to keep an eye on Morland while Cyra and I look into options for getting him out of Aidan. Do what you can to undermine him. We can’t let him sabotage Derridan’s defenses, or Magdalene’s army will march right into Thasia unopposed. ”
Jasper nodded. “I’ll see what I can do.” He met my eyes. “You’re sure Aidan is still in there?”
I nodded. “He was as of this morning,” I said gently. “Aidan is strong and resourceful. He’ll fight Morland.”
“I think he has been,” Jasper said. “I told you Morland kept saying things that were just a little bit wrong. I think Aidan’s been feeding him information, but he’s been getting the details wrong on purpose to try and signal me. Maybe I can communicate back in the same way.”
“Why would Aidan agree to feed Morland information anyway?” Cyra asked. “Wouldn’t it help his cause to let Morland flounder?”
“Not if Morland is threatening to hurt Jasper,” Maziren offered. “Aidan will do anything to protect Jasper, so if Morland threatened Jasper with harm if Aidan didn’t help, then maybe this is Aidan’s solution.”
“I haven’t known Aidan long,” I said, “but that wouldn’t surprise me.”
“We should get back, Lord Consort,” Maziren said as she checked the clock on the wall. “As Lord Bressen said, we shouldn’t leave Morland alone for long.”
Jasper nodded, and Cyra stepped up to take his hands in hers.
“I promise we’ll do everything we can to get Aidan back,” she said.
He gave her a sad smile and hugged her. I felt Cyra’s relief at the gesture, proof that he didn’t hate her for what had happened to Aidan.
Cyra drew a portal for Jasper and Maziren back into the market in Seatherny, and the two slipped through quickly before Cyra closed it behind them.
“Are you alright?” I asked her.
Her head snapped to me as if I’d just caught her lost in thought.
“Yes. Why wouldn’t I be?” she asked.
I debated whether or not to bring it up but then decided to be blunt. “Are you upset about Samhail and the assassin?” I asked.
She blinked at me. “What? No. Why would you think so?”
I shrugged. “You’re close to Samhail. I just wonder how you feel about his possible interest in another woman.” I stepped close so I was right in front of her. “It’s okay to be upset.”
She frowned at me. “I’m not upset.”
She glanced down at her hand, and I knew she was looking to see if her own skin glowed with a lie. I resisted the urge to look into her mind and learn what she saw.
“It’s strange to consider,” she said, “but I wouldn’t say I’m ‘upset.’”
She seemed to be arguing with herself.
“Alright. But you know you never have to hide how you feel from me, right?” I said as I pulled her into my arms. “It’s fine if you’re still sorting through your feelings for Samhail.”
Cyra had always been close to Samhail, and coming to terms with her complicated emotions toward him had been my burden to bear. In truth, I was just grateful it was him and not some other man she’d connected with. I could live with her loving Samhail.
Cyra just nodded.
“Would you like a distraction?” I asked huskily.
Fine, the distraction was as much for me as it was for her.
She smiled. “What did you have in mind?”
I lifted her onto the meeting table and slid her dress up over her thighs. My fingers skirted over the bare skin of her hips searching for the waistline of her undergarment, but they found nothing but smooth skin. I frowned and looked down.
Then all the blood rushed to my cock.
“You’re not wearing anything under your dress,” I whispered.
She let out a breathy laugh. “I was going to tell you about it while you were meeting with Aidan and the High Council to tease you, but the whole day went sideways before I had a chance.”
I groaned. “Fucking hells, Cyra. You planned to tell me about this during my meeting?”
She nodded, and I threaded my fingers through her hair to grip near the nape of her neck. My mouth closed over hers to kiss her deeply as I held her in place. She whimpered, which only made me harden even more.
I pressed her back against the desk and pushed two fingers inside her. She was wet already, and I moved them slowly in and out as her hips undulated against my hand.
“We really need to have a conversation about appropriate times for you to arouse me,” I rasped against her ear. I curled my fingers inside her, and she gasped in pleasure. “But first I’m going to make you forget all about Samhail.”
“Sam who?” she asked with a laugh as I sunk to my knees and dipped my head between her legs to feast.
Tandem Read: Go to Clash of Stone and Steel (Bk 3), Chapters 27-30