Chapter Eighteen
You will return often.
They were simple words, commanding words. So, why did they affect me so much?
Because Jucai had said those words, and he'd said them with a plea in his tone.
Jucai, the King of Ilshi, with his two harems full of slaves who would fulfill any desire he had.
The Sea King who killed monsters and loved oranges.
The man who had lain beside me and sang to me when he thought I was unwell.
Jucai, the arrogant bastard who also comforted his slaves.
The man who'd been asleep for longer than I'd been alive and had come awake with an insatiable hunger.
Except by me.
There it was. This man, who could have anything and anyone, wanted me.
He wanted me enough to give up his bed slaves.
Even knowing that I couldn't always give him what he needed, when he needed it, he still chose me.
I wasn't what he needed. I was what he wanted.
I was the man he raged in jealousy over and demanded more of. And that was intoxicating.
As I rode in a royal carriage to the Hall of Talons with Jucai the next morning, I set my gaze out the window.
I couldn't look at him. It was too fresh.
I had crossed a line with him that I swore never to cross.
I'd gone too far. He'd taken me too far after only three days. And I didn't want to go back.
Jucai's salty cinnamon scent tickled my nose. Salt makes everything taste better, and now it makes everything smell better. If I looked at him, I'd fall to my knees and beg him to take me back to the sea and never let me surface again.
Absolute insanity.
“I will speak to the sailors with you,” Jucai said.
I jerked my gaze to him. “I don't advise that, Your Majesty. I will get more out of them without you there.”
“I disagree. My presence will either scare them or make them nervous. Either way, they will be more likely to tell the truth.”
I leaned back and considered this. “All right. Let me go in first and see how much I can get from them. Then you can join me.”
“Agreed.”
I looked out the window again. “We are nearly there.”
“Come here.”
Oh, fuck. All right, be strong. I looked at him without falling to my knees. I can do this. Act casual. You are unaffected by his absurd beauty.
“What?” I turned back to him.
“I said, 'Come here.'” He held out a hand.
“We don't have time for anything.”
Jucai raised his eyebrows. “You assume I want sex?”
“Don't you?”
“I had you in the garden and then three times during the night. I am content for now.”
The memory of straddling Jucai on that garden bench flooded my mind.
Naked from the waist down, I had ridden him hard, sealing our agreement.
With the boughs of the orange tree hanging low to hide us, it felt like a secret world with two inhabitants.
The scent of oranges would forever remind me of him and that moment.
“Then what do you want?” I asked, trying to make it sound aloof. Instead, it came out as a whimper.
“I want you to come here, Nadar.” He patted the bench beside him.
I got up into a crouch and shuffled across the carriage to his bench. Jucai put his arm around me as I settled, and I looked over to find his expression gone tender.
“I haven't thanked you for proving my innocence. Thank you, Nadar. You have done my kingdom and me an incredible service.” He set something in my hand and kissed my cheek. “You will always be welcome in Ilshi.”
“Thank you.” I opened my hand and looked down. It was a little gold nautilus shell strung on a chain. “It's lovely.”
“Here, allow me.” Jucai fastened the chain around my neck. “This is a summoning shell.” He took my hand. “Should you ever need me, crush this shell, and I will come to your aid.”
I touched the shell and met his gaze. “Jucai, this is . . . thank you.”
“It will give me a chance to repay you.”
“You don't have to repay me.”
“I want to.”
The carriage pulled to the side of the road and stopped.
I glanced out the window and then back at Jucai. “I hope I never have to use this.”
“I don't.”
Chuckling, I got out of the carriage. The Sea King climbed out after me, and his guards got out of the carriages behind ours.
They joined us, two going ahead of us into the Hall of Talons.
The others watched the street until we were inside.
Their caution was warranted. We still didn't know why someone had targeted Ilshi.
But I was about to find out.