Chapter 8
NARYA
We reached the Blue Siren Inn just as the sun dipped below the horizon.
Warm, golden light spilled across the building, pouring down over the blackened rooftop that sloped towards the ground.
I hadn’t expected the inn to be so close to the border, or so grim-looking.
But then I remembered the fire that once ravaged these lands, swallowing up entire villages until only ash remained.
Though most of the buildings had been rebuilt, the inn still bore the scars.
The stone walls were all blackened, the shutters charred.
Timber beams curled inward, scorched but somehow holding strong.
Still, I was relieved to see it. Anything would be better than another moment in that damned saddle.
The press of Daigen’s back against mine, his arm around me… It was becoming unbearable.
He dismounted without looking at me. Then he paused and turned to offer his hand, still not meeting my gaze.
I slid off without accepting his help. My legs ached from the ride, my body exhausted, but I looked up and held his eyes for a moment.
They narrowed down at me before snapping over to Shadowmane.
“Now what?” He frowned at the stallion pawing at the dirt. "I did offer. She refused."
Shadowmane snorted and kicked the ground again.
Through whatever strange bond lay between them, the horse seemed to win the argument.
I watched as Shadowmane tossed his head and walked away.
The horses moved aside for him, making space for him to drink.
Shadowmane deliberately pointed his rear at Daigen, and I almost smiled.
I stretched my arms, the muscles in them throbbing. All I wanted was a room of my own. No more saddles. No more Daigen. But the sign above the door made me freeze.
Caters to all peculiarities. No desire left unfulfilled.
"This is a—" I stared at the sign incredulously, practically choking on my words. "It’s a brothel!"
Daigen smirked at me. “Remind you of anything?“
Of course it did. The place where we first met.
Heat rushed to my cheeks while Daigen’s smirk only deepened. He remembered too.
“Besides,” Emerias added, clearly amused by my reaction, “the last man who whispered our king’s name here had his tongue ripped out and nailed to the wall. We’ll be safe here. At least for a night.”
I swallowed hard. I was so exhausted I could barely even stand. All that mattered was the bed. I bit back my retort and followed Daigen inside.
The air smelled sweet, of jasmine and smoke and ale.
Velvet drapes divided the room into alcoves, muffling the sounds of moans and soft laughter from behind their folds.
A curved staircase wound its way upward across the room, lit by flickering sapphire crystals that dangled from silver chains that cast watery light across the floor.
A trio of Moonstone men lounged in a corner booth, half-drunk and half-undressed, a golden-skinned girl straddling one of their laps.
Her gold hair shimmered down her back like firelight, threaded with sunbursts, and her smile and laughter were too bright to be real.
Not that the men seemed to notice or care.
At the bar, a heavyset merchant squeezed a serving girl’s rump as she passed him with a tray of drinks, drawing a startled squeal.
An older woman watched it with idle amusement as she swirled a glass in a black-gloved hand.
She stood apart from the others: tall, beautiful, dressed in sheer black lace with violet beading and a low neckline.
The kind of beauty that looked intentional, designed to catch the attention of those around her.
All the laughter died when we entered. Even the warmth of the room seemed to tilt around us. The silence felt deafening. It was the Moonstone warrior moving to block our path that broke it, his hand reaching for his pommel.
Daigen didn’t even flinch. “Move.”
The word came out low and calm, but it cut through the air like he’d drawn his own blade. The Moonstone warrior looked at him, and his face paled as he stepped aside.
The woman at the bar straightened then, her attention zeroing in on Daigen.
She bowed, her amethyst eyes lowering and red lips curling into a practised smile.
Behind us, the Bloodstone warriors filtered in and quietly dispersed.
No orders were needed. Two moved to opposite corners near the exits.
One slipped into the back hallway. Another leaned against the hearth, watching the room with the cold stare of someone trained to see everything.
“My lord,” the madame purred as she swayed forward. “As always, what a pleasure it is to see you.”
Daigen kissed her hand, and my stomach clenched.
“I trust our agreement still holds?” he asked.
She dipped her head. “Of course. I didn’t expect you so soon, but I shall
expedite your arrangements.” She cast me a quick, appraising look. "Shall I prepare another room for you?"
He didn’t look at her when he answered this time.
“No. And I won’t be needing your services tonight. Just food and silence.”
Her smile didn’t falter, but something in her eyes flickered. Disappointment, maybe. She snapped her fingers.
"Kisa!"
A plump red-haired girl appeared, her pale skin dusted in gold shimmer. She bowed and beckoned us forward without a word. Daigen moved first, glancing over his shoulder to ensure that I followed. My heart pounded against my ribs. I gripped his cloak tighter at my throat and trailed after him.
The air grew thick as we climbed. My skin prickled with unease.
There were so many doors on both sides of the hall.
Tapestries hung over them, blending into the walls, but it felt like we were still being watched through the keyholes as we passed.
Moans echoed from behind them. A half-naked man stumbled out from behind one.
His face was flushed, and his eyes were glazed, clearly intoxicated.
He paused when he saw Daigen but said nothing.
If he knew who Daigen was, he didn't say.
He just turned and drifted towards the other stairwell, using the wall to steady himself.
The final chamber waited behind a large tapestry of a great white stag. Gold antlers gleamed in the setting sunlight as the creature lifted its head and looked at us, its crimson eyes glowing.
Kisa pulled the tapestry open and stepped to the side. Daigen turned to me then, his lips twitching.
“After you, sweetheart.”
I hesitated. Although he said he wouldn’t use the brothel’s services, he hadn’t said what he planned to do with me. And right now, I wasn’t sure I trusted myself to be around him. I needed to be alone so I could pull myself together.
I wasn't ready to accept the bond yet.
Gathering myself, I crossed the threshold into the room.
It was warmer than expected. And clean. Firelight gleamed from sconces carved in the shape of dragons.
The scent of lavender clung to the air, and the white linen on the four-poster bed looked fresh.
A latticed screen divided the bed from what I assumed was the bathing area. But the bed...
"There’s only one,” I said, staring at it.
Daigen stayed behind me. "You think I brought you here to claim you."
His footsteps echoed behind me. My pulse increased.
"I could do that anywhere, love." The door closed, and a lock twisted. My heartbeat jumped. "Tempted though I am, I brought you here to rest. You're no good to me dead."
My muscles tensed as I lifted my shoulders. "Then I’d prefer to rest alone."
"You’re in my room," he said calmly. "Unless you'd prefer to sleep in the stables?"
I turned slowly to face him. He leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed, eyes unreadable, smirking at me.
"You said you wouldn’t touch me."
The words sounded more like a plea than an accusation.
He pushed off the door. "I said I wouldn’t hurt you… Until you beg me to.”
I backed away from him as he stepped forward. He kept moving until the back of my legs hit the bed, and he leaned down, his breath ghosting my lips.
"You think I want obedience?" He shook his head. "It’s your surrender I want."
I closed my eyes, as if Gravyn was suddenly standing before me, telling me to submit to him.
"Submit to me and I'll make them stop, petal."
My heartbeat rose with my panic as my breathing increased. There was a moment of silence, then Daigen pulled away.
"I’ll wait for it," he murmured, still close. "Something tells me it will taste sweeter then."
I opened my eyes. Daigen scowled at me, but the space between us was enough to remind me that he wasn't Graven. And that right now, he wasn't going to hurt me.
"Come," he said, turning on his heel. "You need to eat."
He moved over to the small table that had been set for two.
Lifting the large dish, he revealed a delicious platter of roast meat and spiced vegetables.
The smell grounded me as I followed Daigen to the table.
My mouth watered. He pulled out a stool for me and waited until I was seated before sitting across from me. The fire crackled softly beside us.
I tentatively lifted my cutlery and sliced a piece of beef.
It melted on my tongue, and I closed my eyes, savouring the taste.
The rosemary and garlic sauce tasted just like Kaydra's cooking.
My chest squeezed at the thought of her.
Of the meals we shared as a family every seventh evening.
Were they truly safe? What if Gravyn hurt—
“You know, I should really punish you for what you’re doing.”
My heart stuttered in my chest. I hadn’t spoken a word since sitting down.
“Punish me?” I repeated quietly, forcing my voice to sound steadier than I felt. “What for?”
He didn’t look up. He only smirked as he chewed, then his tongue swept over the corner of his mouth, catching a trace of wine, and my pulse skipped.
“For disobeying me.” His dark eyes flashed to mine. “For not giving me what I want.”
He dipped his head again, the firelight catching the gold clasps woven into his hair. I fixed on the Bloodstone runes engraved on them instead of his lips. Anything to keep from being pulled under his spell.
“And what is it you want, Your Majesty?”
His gaze lifted then, the edge of his mouth twitching.
“You know what I want, Narya.” He dabbed his mouth with a cloth, never once looking away from me. “I want you. The real you. And I’ll conquer every wall you’ve built around you if it’s the last thing I do.”
I lowered my eyes and stabbed at the food on my plate. Good luck with that. No one had broken through my walls.
“Say something,” he said after a beat, his voice roughening.
I met his burning gaze. “What do you want me to say?”
“Tell me what you’re thinking.”
Heat rushed through me. I looked down, trying to hide the truth.
That a part of me longed for him to break through my walls.
“How long until we reach Carnelia?” I asked instead.
Through my lashes, I saw him tilt his head and brush his thumb along his jaw.
“Three days’ ride. Now tell me what you’re really thinking.”
“Is that a command?”
“Should it be?”
A laugh almost escaped me. I bit it back, my lips curling despite myself.
His tone wasn’t cruel. It was… playful. Still dangerous, but playful. I liked it far more than I should have.
I gripped my fork tighter, my heart plummeting. This was it.
The first crack in my walls. His first strike.
If I wasn’t careful, he’d get through my walls before I even realised.
I turned back to my meal and ate in silence. Daigen had already finished his plate. Now he watched me while sipping from his goblet. I didn’t touch the wine he sat down next to my plate, but I drank the water, my throat suddenly dry.
Out of the corner of the eye, the bed loomed like an altar waiting for me to make a sacrifice. I refused to look at it. Refused to even consider sharing his bed. Because… what if I enjoyed it? What if that tiny little crack he made ripped a hole in my walls?
When I looked back up, he was watching me through heavy-lidded eyes.
Something dark and hungry burned in his gaze, which slid slowly down my body, pausing at my lips.
Daigen’s throat jerked, and his grip tightened on his cup, fighting for control.
His chair scraped against the floorboards as he pushed back from the table.
I flinched and glanced at my knife, torn between reaching for it — or for him.
“Get some rest,” he said, his voice jolting me as set his cup down on the table and stood. “I’ll have your things brought to you.” He nodded to my ruined dress. “Burn the rags.”
I watched him walk around the table. He didn’t make for the door like I expected. He walked to me. My voice paused him, if only briefly.
“Where will you be sleeping?”
He didn’t answer me, just slid the knife across the table and handed me another one. The same dagger he’d given me beneath the Tree of Stars. The one I used to kill a man.
“If you’re going to reach for a blade, Narya,” he said, wrapping my fingers around the hilt, “reach for mine. It already knows the taste of my blood.”
Then he left, the door closing behind him.
I stared at the dagger long after he left, my fingers curled tightly the hilt, and wondered what I was beginning to fear more.
Daigen, or the part of me that wanted to run after him.
When I lay in the bed later that night, the knife tucked under my pillow, the last thing I felt before sleep took me was the blade’s cold edge against my palm… and the even hotter one of Daigen’s gaze still burning in the front of my mind.