Chapter 25
“Home sweet home,” I muttered, stalking through the old arched entrance into the Chamber of Truths. At least my hands weren’t bound. That was about the only thing I had going for me.
“You don’t have to do this, Zaba,” Kier said gently, turning me to face him on the threshold, his thumb caressing a path of warmth along my jaw. “ The castle is being scoured from top to bottom; we’ll find the sword. You don’t have to lock yourself down here.”
“Unless someone took it,” I replied, heaviness settling over my soul. I’d had one damn night in our bed, and I already missed it. I missed being with him, uncomplicated and easy. But I couldn’t risk Cleodora getting to me. And she would.
The moment she realised I was unprotected, she’d make me spill more information that would lead to hundreds of deaths. Or she’d turn me upon my family like a weapon. I wouldn’t let that happen, so here I was back in the chamber, relying on the old room’s ability to block her compulsion.
“Zaba,” Kier murmured in that soft voice I loved. Now, it just brought my shields up. “The only people with access to that area, I have vetted over multiple years. No one would steal the sword.”
I dragged my tongue over my canine tooth. “Except me, you mean.”
He came closer, until his chest brushed mine, his hand moulding to the side of my face. “You wouldn’t even know. If you’d been compelled to move the sword, you wouldn’t know.”
I glared, but it was horror crushing all the air from my lungs, not anger. Kier made a soft sound and crushed me into a hug, all my struggling useless when he was determined to comfort me. I let out a deep sigh and surrendered to the hug.
“I hate this,” I muttered. I didn’t mean his arms around me.
His arms tightened, almost painful, like if he squeezed just hard enough we’d permanently merge and I’d be glued to his body where he could always keep me safe. “As do I.”
“I’ll be fine in the chamber.” As long as Gaia didn’t exact vengeance for our little bout of grave robbing. I leaned up to kiss Kier’s cheek, letting my lips linger, soaking up his warmth, letting his scent fill my senses.
“I know you will,” he agreed, “because I’m not leaving your side.”
“Kier—” There were emergency meetings planned, the council of Lazankh were panicking, and with damn good cause since an army twenty-thousand strong marched in our direction.
But one look in my husband’s dark eyes and I saw his headstrong refusal to budge.
So I gave him a coy glance. “But all that time down here, alone, together… whatever will we do?”
His swift grin made all my troubles disappear, at least for the moment.