Chapter 25
Kailia
“Mother of Temural!” Kailia cried, her bow in hand and an arrow nocked and aimed before she registered the figure standing inside the sitting room of the royal chambers.
But then she did realize who it was, and she still debated letting that arrow fly.
If anything because the way he was looking at her—with that arrogant smirk and heated silver stare—made her think of last night.
The words he’d said. The confident way he’d told her what she’d do because of them.
How he’d been fucking right. How, despite her conviction to not let it happen, she’d found herself with her hand sliding down her torso, over her navel, and lower.
But he’d also been wrong. Because the thought of anyone else touching her made even her own touch turn into something burning and torturous. All the need and lust coiling in her core had vanished at the thought, and instead, she’d found herself in an ice-cold bath to erase the burning on her flesh.
“Serafina?” Cethin asked, that knowing look still on his face despite an obvious attempt to be nonchalant. “You know, most of the people in this realm don’t dare utter the names of the death god, his wife, or their children.”
“Perhaps among the mortals and even the Fae Courts across the sea, but I know there are worse things to fear in this world than gods and goddesses who are far too busy among other realms to interfere here,” she replied.
Cethin hummed, his gaze raking over her. “Have we graduated from daggers to arrows in your attempts to harm me?”
Slowly she lowered the bow, still holding the arrow to the string with her fingers. “I figured since this deal included your protection, there’s nothing really to stop me at this point. What are you even doing here?”
His brows arched at the sudden change of subject. “I live here, tiny fiend.”
“But you’re never actually here.”
His features flattened. “I promised to give you space.”
“That still doesn’t answer why you’re here now.”
She could swear that arrogance faltered a fraction, as if he suddenly wasn’t sure of himself. But it was gone in the next blink, his casual control back in place.
“I thought we’d have breakfast together here today,” he answered. “Just the two of us.”
“Why?”
He studied her, and she didn’t understand how that was a complicated question.
“I suppose for appearance’s sake, wife,” he finally answered. “I just need to bathe and dress. What are your plans for the day?”
“I’m sure the same as every other day,” she retorted while he brushed past her and headed down the hall.
“Which is?” he called back over his shoulder, pushing through the bedchamber door.
“Nothing,” she said, following him. “A queen in title only gives me little to do other than read history.”
“That seems important for a queen wanting more than a title.”
“It is, but— What are you doing?”
He was pulling his tunic over his head, and that was all sorts of pale bare skin on display with dips and indents that did things to her.
She’d seen plenty of naked bodies, but her reaction to Cethin was always different.
Always something she didn’t know what to do with.
This conflict in her soul she didn’t understand.
“I told you I needed to bathe and change,” Cethin answered, thumbing the button on his pants.
That was a valid point. He had said that.
But then he’d drawn her into conversation and distracted her. That was her own fault though, right?
“Husbands and wives have conversations, Kailia,” he said, as if he knew the internal struggle she was having in trying to sort this all out.
“Surely not while half dressed,” she blurted.
At least he’d paused the undressing, even if his pants were now merely hanging on his hips with the flap open.
His smile was pure amusement when he said, “Of course not. There’s often no clothing involved. Whispered conversations while heads rest on pillows after other activities.” When she only blinked at him, he added, “It’s things like this that make me question your claims of fucking experience, wife.”
Kailia pursed her lips. This male was one of the few people who could rile her up enough to forget herself and what she should be focusing on.
How was he so godsdamn distracting all the fucking time with just his words?
Then again, she shouldn’t be surprised. It was how he appeared to get everything he wanted, and she needed to remember that.
He said nothing else, leaving her with the echoes of his dark chuckle as he went to the bathing chamber. Leaving the door open. The sound of shifting fabric and the tub filling had her turning on her heel and making her way back to the sitting room.
Only to find herself cursing again.
“Fucking Temural!” she cried, her bow raised once more. Then, “What are you doing here?”
“I’ve told you multiple times I’m not standing in the hall all day, Lia,” Razik said from the chair he was occupying. “Why do you have your bow in hand?”
“Why do males constantly question a female with a weapon?” she grumbled, sending the bow and arrow away in a swirl of ashes.
“I don’t care if you’re armed,” Razik replied flatly. “Just curious why you feel the need to be so in your own rooms? But if the answer is Cethin, I understand. Just want to caution you that repeatedly stabbing him will raise questions.”
“By the gods,” she grumbled, throwing her hands in the air as she turned to go to the dining room.
It was smaller and far more intimate than the main dining hall they usually ate in. With a balcony that faced east, it housed a table for eight, but only two places were set at one end. Thankfully, staff had already been here because there was a small breakfast spread on the table.
She filled a plate, taking three of those rolls with cinnamon and some fruit. She heard Razik enter the room behind her, but she didn’t say anything, trying to get her defenses back up before Cethin returned.
Taking a bite of her roll, she tracked Razik as he filled the other plate before taking a seat, letting the silence linger. He seemed to enjoy the quiet as much as she did, but sometimes he forced her into conversation. Thankfully, today was not one of those days.
At least not until Cethin entered the room.
He came to a sudden halt, eyes narrowing on Razik, who had seemed surprised to see him here. But the shock was gone in the next blink, replaced with his usual apathy.
“What are you doing here?” Cethin asked, scanning the table. His lips thinned at finding Razik in his seat with his plate.
Razik took his time taking a drink of pomegranate juice before he answered with a lazy drawl and a pointed look at her. “My job.”
“There is no need to be in here,” Cethin said with all the command of the king he was.
But once again, Razik clearly didn’t appear to give two fucks. He remained seated, sprawled casually in his chair and eating one of the cinnamon rolls.
“Kailia and I have an agreement,” Razik said after a moment. “She doesn’t like being left alone on this entire floor, and I don’t like standing in the hall for hours on end. As the queen, she allows me to be in these rooms to do my job.”
Well, that wasn’t entirely true, Kailia thought to herself. She very much preferred solitude, but she had told him he could come into the rooms instead of standing in the hallway all day.
Cethin turned to her, the look on his face the portrait of frustrated annoyance, and for the life of her, she could not figure out the animosity between these two. If Cethin was questioning her experience with fucking, then she was questioning their aggressive denial of ever having been lovers.
“Kailia?” Cethin asked.
“What?” she replied, cutting off another piece of her roll with her fork.
“Is that true?”
“Why would he lie about that?” When Cethin only stared back at her, she added, “I find it odd you would assign a guard to me that you do not fully trust.”
“I don’t—” Cethin sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, and she could swear her own heartbeat was increasing at his stress. Which was strange and not at all logical. “We were planning a private breakfast this morning.”
“I was not part of that planning. Just informed of it,” she said. “That didn’t give me much time to give Razik notice.” She could swear Razik snickered under his breath, but she paid him no mind. “I also still don’t understand why.”
“Just…forget it,” Cethin sighed, reaching to slide some sausage to another platter before he filled the former plate with food. “You could have at least saved me a roll,” he muttered after a minute.
“As she already said, I wasn’t made aware you’d be joining us,” Razik said.
“You joined us,” Cethin ground out between clenched teeth, taking the seat next to Kailia.
Razik shrugged. “Looks like you need to work on communication.”
Before Cethin could reply, Kailia said, “I would like to go to Shadowfen.”
Both males went silent, turning to stare at her.
“Why would you want to go there?” Razik asked after a long moment of silence.
“Because that is where I’m supposed to be from. I think it would be helpful if I’d actually been there,” she answered, pushing her plate back.
“She’s not wrong,” Razik said, glancing at Cethin.
“I know she’s not wrong,” he snapped. With an elbow planted on his armrest, he rubbed at his brow with his forefinger. “The problem is, few know of this…arrangement. We’d have to go alone. To Shadowfen.”
“I’m sure Razik can come with us,” Kailia said in confusion. “Or Tybalt. But he doesn’t like me, so I’d definitely prefer Razik.”
Cethin’s features pinched, as if those words pained him to hear. “My schedule is packed for the next few weeks.”
“I can take her,” Razik said simply. “It’s not like we have anything else to do.”
“I am amenable to that,” Kailia agreed. “Shall we go today?”
“No,” Cethin interjected, and Kailia found him glaring at Razik. “I’ll take her. I just need to clear my schedule.” Meeting her gaze, he asked, “Can you wait a few days?”