Chapter 35
Luckily, Antas made sure I found my way back to my room, otherwise, I would have just passed out in some random field.
I tried to find Bryon as I’d promised him, but either he was hiding from me, or he’d already left the celebrations.
My silent protector had been patient while I’d investigated, but I could tell Antas had been relieved when he’d finally delivered me to my doorstep.
What I saw inside the chamber was hard for me to believe. Rewi lounged cross-legged on the bed while Dion was sprawled on a chair near the window, and both simply talked. Not shouting at each other, not throwing sarcasm around—no, just a casual conversation.
A cloud of something hot and angry churned in my insides. Why was he able to chat like that with a friend of mine he’d just met—and who he’d previously hated—but not with me? Without saying a word, I closed the bedroom door and swayed toward the washroom.
“Are you drunk, Nayana?” Dion’s voice sounded a lot more amused than he had any right to be.
“Stop making fun of me.” I clearly wasn’t in the mood for his difficult personality, so I disappeared into the washroom as fast as I possibly could without falling flat on my face.
Instead of cleaning up, however, I lingered by the closed passageway and tore a page out of Dion’s Big Book of Eavesdropping.
The room behind the door stayed silent for a moment, and I braced myself for someone making comments about me or the state I was in.
Instead, Rewi was grilling Dion about magic.
I felt absolutely stupid and got ready to sleep without further hesitation, trying to concentrate on the fact that I’d finally rest in a proper bed again tonight, not on a bedroll on the ground.
I was sick of these things and of the stupid sky—the men refused to carry tents with us, no matter how often I’d gotten drenched in the night by surprise rain.
‘Tents just slow us down, Jama.’ Even the mocking voice in my head sounded like Dion—and used his stupid nickname.
When I’d finished washing myself—as I imitated Dion’s sneering expression and showed it to myself in the mirror—and changed into my nightgown, I returned to the chamber and slipped into the bed without saying a single word. Rewi had already climbed under the covers and was half asleep.
As the door closed behind him, I noticed Dion had prowled into the washroom, and Rewi turned to me, mumbling something almost inaudible. “Your life’s crazy now. You’d be insane not to dive in and enjoy it to the fullest.”
I replied with a small snort that could have meant anything.
But I rolled on my side and smiled at her.
Most likely, it looked more deranged than friendly, thanks to my state of inebriation, but I was at least halfway sure that it’d made a valiant attempt.
And it better be because it wasn’t my friend’s fault that I’d had a shitty day.
“Why don’t you come with us to Amalach?”
“You know I’d love to, and nothing could stop me from joining you if I had doubts that the company you keep wouldn’t be enough to protect you. But I’ve talked to your men today, and I think they’re all decent and capable people. I trust them to take good care of you.”
“They are trustworthy, I agree.”
“Also, we can surely agree that Bryon won’t be able to travel with you for obvious six-foot-something reasons, can’t we? Still, someone has to keep an eye on him. So I’ll make him my task. That’s the least I can do for you.”
“Did he talk to you?”
“Yes. He had a lot of choice words about your sexy protector, yet he still believes, given more time, you’ll come around and pick him over his competition. Rewi, she’s just confused.” Her imitation of Bryon’s voice was surprisingly spot-on.
“It has nothing to do with Dion that I’m not choosing Bryon.”
“We both know that, and I’ll make sure Bryon understands that too—and he will. He’s the one who’ll need more time to come to terms with the fact that he missed his chance with you. In the meantime, I’ll keep an eye on him. I know you care for him nonetheless.”
“I do, but not in the sense he wants me to.”
Rewi nodded, and there was nothing more to add.
“Believe me, I’d love nothing more than to join you on your adventures, but—”
Rewi stopped speaking in mid-sentence. At the same moment, the mattress dipped, and I was pulled from my position into something firm.
Petrichor and evergreen scents enveloped me as Dion hauled me around like a rag doll until I was completely tucked into his warm chest, his arms circling my waist, and if I wasn’t mistaken, the tendril from earlier was back, wrapped itself around my calf, vibrating—or did it purr? —in a comforting way.
“Dion. What in the gods’ good names are you doing?” Not that it felt terrible to be cradled against his stupidly perfect body, but after all that had happened today, it really was uncalled for. My rapid heartbeat agreed as the ghost of a smoky taste returned with a vengeance.
“Going to sleep. The bed is too small if we don’t huddle together.”
“Sleep on the floor.”
“No.”
I wanted to slap him every time he used one-word answers, and I bucked to show my displeasure. “I mean it.”
“I mean it too. Since I haven’t slept in a bed in ages, don’t expect me to turn into an honorable person today.”
“As long as you both keep your hands above the blanket, I don’t mind.”
I stared daggers at Rewi. “Traitor,” I mouthed to her, and she grinned.
“So, now that’s settled, go to sleep, Nayana. If I have to deal with a hungover you tomorrow, I’d rather do it with one that has slept enough.”
“Insufferable, bossy idiot.”
“Good night. To both of you.”
I huffed as Dion chuckled, and Rewi turned her back to me. Finally, I closed my eyes. It didn’t take long for the warmth and the general feeling of safety to pull me into a deep, dreamless sleep.
I woke up at the break of dawn, the two women in the bed still fast asleep.
Allowing myself a few moments to bask in the feel and the fresh scent of Nayana, I nuzzled my face into her hair.
Sure, I’d been an absolute bastard yesterday, but I didn’t regret anything.
Every word I’d said to her had been true, and this was the hill I’d be dying on.
The kiss, though, hadn’t been planned. It’d just happened. Worst of all, it had almost broken my resolve completely. The way she’d melted in my arms, how she’d answered to everything I’d given her with more—and then some. I wondered if she knew how easily she could be my undoing.
Luckily, I’d been able to steel myself very quickly.
My cock had disagreed, but I’d never allowed my anatomy to rule me before, no matter how much it ached.
So, all things considered, I had only a few regrets.
I’d carry that memory with me until the end of time, especially since I wouldn’t allow such a mistake to happen again.
Crossing that line once, I’d be able to forgive myself. Crossing it again? Never.
Slowly, I unwrapped myself from the sheets and the tiny blonde woman and her grassy citrus scent.
I got up, making sure not to wake both females.
Moving around silently was something I’d mastered a long time ago, so I got quickly dressed before packing my and Nayana’s bags, all without making a sound.
When I was done, I scribbled a small note on a scrap of paper.
Unpacking my canteen again, I placed the flask on the bedside table with the message that was telling Naya to drink. She needed to get some water into her system for the hangover that I was certain she would wake up with.
Nodding to myself in satisfaction, I left the bedchamber and went to the inn’s dining room to get some breakfast.
To my surprise, I wasn’t the first one downstairs. Instead, Fig sat at one of the tables, studying a piece of parchment, and he displayed a furious as fuck expression. I sat down across from him.
“What pissed in your porridge, Fig?”
He didn’t answer. Instead, his hand holding the paper shook.
“Fig?”
Still no reply. Whatever was written on the parchment must rattle him so much that his almost legendary composure was waning—hmm, now that I thought about it, that had happened quite often recently.
But I wasn’t in the mood to exploit his state of mind because an unsettling and foreboding sensation settled in my stomach, and I started to shift in my chair.
“Godsdammit, Fiolar! Talk to me.”
Using his unabbreviated name finally got his attention. His eyes met mine, and they blazed with anger. With a fluid motion, he tossed the parchment over to me. “We’re officially on borrowed time. Read.”
Frowning even more, I picked up the letter and instantly comprehended that we were indeed in so much deeper shit when I caught the royal crest adorning the paper. Fuck. Deeply disturbed, I studied the message.
General Fiolar,
Your prolonged absence has been noticed, as well as who and what you have taken with you. By now, I can no longer safely presume that you simply forgot to inform me about where your extended vacation would lead you.
I grant you and your comrades another fortnight, not more, starting from the day I write this letter, to bring your affairs in order and return.
Should you decide to fail to heed this summons, I will be forced to treat your continued absence as desertion and treason.
Not only will each of you and your comrades be stripped of your ranks within the royal army, but should you fail to surrender what my brother stole from me, I will punish each and every one of you most severely.
I will not tolerate your antics any longer and expect your swift return to the palace.
HKGFT
“Well—fuck.” What else could I say? I crumpled the paper in my hand and slammed it down on the table so hard the wood cracked.
“The letter was written six days ago.”
“I saw that.”
“We can’t go back yet.”
“I know.”
“Maybe never.”
“I know that too.”