Chapter Thirty-One
“Welcome!” Lord Bara stood up as Vas, Drellan, Behez, and I were shown into a sitting room. He came over to us and extended a hand to Vas. “You're Lord Varra, I presume?”
“Yes.” Vas shook his hand with a wide, fake grin. “And you are Lord Bara?”
“Yes! Varra and Bara. How silly. But I find that silly coincidences often are the calling card of fate.”
“How poetic.” Vas drew me closer. “This is my mate, Kailan.”
“I won't shake your hand since I hear you're newly mated and I know how Dragons are with their mates, but it's nice to meet you, Kailan.”
“And you, Lord Bara.” I inclined my head and tried not to gawk at the other man in the room.
When Navin said he was pretty, that had been a grievous injustice. I had never seen anyone as lovely as this man.
The embodiment of beauty sat demurely on a narrow-backed chair made for winged people, his knees together and his graceful hands upon them.
His white, feathered wings were folded behind him, their tips bent out toward the side in the same direction of his legs.
The Gods had never fashioned so fine a face—the features masculine and yet delicate.
Full lips, upward tilted eyes, and high cheekbones all confined in a heart-shaped face with a pert chin and yet a strong jawline.
Long hair the color of ripe plums hung in gentle waves around his sleek but muscular body and past his hips.
His enchanting features were enhanced by necklaces of pearls and jewels, a hairpin of diamonds and white feathers, golden bands around his upper arms and wrists, and even anklets set with more jewels.
His white silk robe offered a glimpse of a smooth chest, the pale skin flushed with pink and enhanced with a dusting of gold.
A belt strung with traditional Tabaa beadwork kept the robe closed.
Despite wearing enough jewels to buy a fleet of ships, he was barefoot.
It would have looked odd if his feet weren't so damn pretty.
Was that a toe ring? The man looked like a painting come to life—one that should be displayed in a private room.
“Ah, I see you've noticed my consort.” Bara motioned to the man. “Come, Eliel, and greet our guests.”
Thick, long lashes lifted to reveal Eliel's dark green eyes.
I sucked in a breath, but not because of their striking jewel tone.
In such a face as his, I expected no less.
No, it was his pain that struck me. After what Navin had said, I'd been prepared to meet a man wearing a mask, as I had with Vas.
But this was no mask. It was truth. Harsh, ugly truth in the most beautiful face on all of Serai.
The despair in Eliel's eyes was muted, as if it had been there so long that he had gotten used to it.
Even as he smiled the loveliest smile I had ever beheld—a smile to bring men to their knees—I wanted to weep for him.
And then the despair vanished, replaced by the mask I had expected. Eliel's pain sank beneath a guise of genteel pleasure as he strode gracefully over the thick rugs and stopped before us to bow.
“This is Eliel, my love.” Bara brushed the hair off Eliel's shoulder and then clasped the back of his neck.
It was such a strange thing to do. Most men would lay their hand on their partner's back or even pull them into a side embrace. Maybe, if they were especially adoring, they'd lift their lover's hand to kiss it. But this wasn't love. Not even close.
“It's so nice to meet you, Eliel.” Taking a cue from Bara's earlier comment and his obvious possessiveness, I didn't offer my hand but instead inclined my head.
Eliel's gaze flicked over to me, and once more, I glimpsed the pain. “I'm very pleased to welcome you into my lord's home. We so seldom get visitors.” Even his voice was lovely, holding a melodic quality that hinted at a talent for singing.
“I won't offer my hand either,” Vasren said. “I do not wish to offend your lord. But it's a pleasure to meet you, Eliel.”
“And you, my lord.” Eliel bowed again to Vas.
“He is stunning, is he not?” Bara stroked the back of Eliel's neck. “I found him while hunting in the Hanhepi Forest and lured him to the city.” He finally withdrew his hand, gliding it along that perfect jaw before brushing Eliel's pouting lower lip with his thumb.
As Bara lowered his hand, I caught a glimpse of a white ribbon tied around his wrist. It was quickly covered by his sleeve as he took Eliel's hand. That struck me as odd too. The man covered his lover in jewels, but wore a ribbon as a bracelet?
All the strangeness was so upsetting to my rational mind that I had to mentally shake myself and refocus on why we were there. Tearing my stare away from Bara's claws, curled around Eliel's dainty hand, I glanced around the room for cues. There. Perfect.
“Oh, my!” I took a step to the right. “Is that a fox skeleton?”
Bara's face lit up. “It is, yes!” He drew Eliel with us as he led me over to the skeleton. “It was a white fox from the Kingdom of Rasokai.”
“Did you hunt it?”
“I did, indeed. I used to travel extensively.” He waved his free hand around the room to indicate the art and other skeletons on display. “All of these specimens were my prey.”
Interesting phrasing.
“A true hunter. I noticed you even described your romance with Eliel as a hunt.”
Bara grinned broadly, a wicked gleam entering his eyes. “All great love stories are nothing more than pretty hunts.”
“Are they?” I murmured under my breath. Louder, I said, “I find it fascinating that you display bones instead of taxidermy. Most hunters I've met prefer to see their victims as they were when alive.”
“Victims?” Bara laughed. “I guess they are victims. And I am more than a hunter. I'm a scholar. Bones tell me more than the flesh. Look at this fox. What do you see? Look closely now.”
I leaned over and inspected the skeleton. Then drew closer. “This bone was broken and mended. So it wasn't an injury sustained in your hunt.”
Bara let go of Eliel at last. “Great Gods! Yes, precisely. Well done. This fox broke his leg at some point but the injury healed.”
And then you came along and killed it, you fucking prick, I thought, barely keeping the bitterness out of my face.
Bara didn't notice, just kept talking. “But there is so much more to see. Even had I not known what animal this was, the bones would tell me its story. The points of teeth tell me it ate meat. The eye placement tells me the animal had binocular vision, indicating a predator. The length of the limbs tells me how it moved, the joints revealing the way it could bend, and the fusion of the bones tells me its age. If I wanted to, I could drill into the bones and remove the marrow for even more information.”
“The marrow?” I cocked my head. “What information could marrow hold?”
“With enchanted tools, I could determine the region it's from, if it had any magical abilities, and much more.”
“Magical abilities lie in bone marrow?”
“Yes, I believe that is where magic is stored, even inside us.” His eager smile shifted into a smirk. “Well, those of us who have magic.”
“My mate holds a piece of my soul inside him.” Vasren slid his arm around my waist as he joined us. “He may not be able to wield Fire or Water, but he does have magic, Lord Bara.”
“Yes, of course.” Bara held up his hands, and I noted that his claws had retracted. “I meant no offense. I deal in facts. Humans, as a race, have no magic. That is a fact.”
“And facts do not offend.” I glanced at Vas.
Bara smiled at me, his expression once more surprised. “Yes, precisely. At least, that is how I feel about them.” He paused, staring at me. “You have the most beautiful eyes.”
I cleared my throat as Vasren growled.
“Oh, I'm so sorry! It's purely a scholarly interest, I assure you. I've never seen a human with golden eyes. It must be a mutation.” Bara held up his hands again, giving me another look at the white ribbon. It was tied simply, in a bow, as one might put a ribbon at the end of a young girl's braid.
“A mutation?” Vasren snarled.
“Sweetheart.” I laid a hand on Vasren's chest. “A mutation is merely an alteration from what's normal. And my eyes are not normal. I would agree that they're a mutation.”
“Again, you impress me, Kailan.” Bara inclined his head. “It's not often that I get to meet a fellow scholar. I'm delighted. Absolutely delighted. And I apologize again for my accidental offense, Lord Varra.”
Vas nodded, but didn't relax until I kissed his cheek. That won a grin from him.
Rubbing Vasren's back to keep him calm, I returned to my conversation with Bara. “I have an interest in human history, Lord Bara. I asked my mate to bring us to Tabaa so I could see the Lamatoka tumuli—the platforms of the dead. Do you think those bones could tell stories as well?”
“Indeed, I do. And yes, your guard, Drellan, informed me that you were interested in the site.” He leaned in to add, “He called them burial grounds.”
I chuckled. “Well, that is the term widely used, although incorrect for obvious reasons.”
“I find it amusing how people so often overlook the obvious.”
“As do I,” I murmured.
“Dinner, my lord,” a voice came from our left.
“Ah, perfect!” Bara waved us toward the doorway, where a Deldin stood, dressed in a simple uniform of a white shirt and beige pants. “Follow the Deldin, if you please.”