Chapter 34 Razik
Razik
“Are you almost ready?” Wren called out.
He ignored her, searching the shelves for a specific volume he knew was in this room.
He didn’t get to come here nearly as often as he liked, so he figured he might as well grab some books while he could.
The whole idea of Kailia’s power not working in her dreams had given him a few new theories, but they were ones he definitely could not throw out unless he was sure.
“Razik, seriously,” Wren said, appearing in the room. “I know this is where you’d prefer to spend your days, but most of us do not like spending our time in caves.”
“What’s wrong with my cave?” he asked, finally finding the book tucked away on a bottom shelf.
“There’s nothing wrong with it for you,” she said. “And I know why you came here. I’m just ready to go back.”
He didn’t say anything in response, grabbing the other two books he’d already collected.
He didn’t know what she was complaining about.
For centuries he’d been working to make this place his own.
It wasn’t a simple godsdamn hole in the side of a mountain.
Few people knew about it, and he liked it that way.
People were busybodies, and nobody could touch the things he kept here.
This is also where he came when his power was too low, and after the events of the Union Ceremony two nights ago, it had been pretty fucking low.
Primal instincts took over when his power was that depleted, and it had taken everything not to draw from Wren right then and there.
But he hated doing so in front of people.
Source bonds were rare in Avonleya these days.
It made him feel like he was on display somehow.
More than that, he hated that it put Wren on display.
She’d dealt with enough shit in her life.
Feeling more than a little vulnerable with his magic reserves so depleted, he’d Traveled them to his cave where they wouldn’t be disturbed.
It was the one place he felt like he could truly let his guard down because no one knew where it was.
Tybalt knew the location. Wren knew of it, having been here, but even she wouldn’t be able to tell anyone exactly where in the Nightmist Mountains his cave was hidden.
Beyond that, he had so many wards around the thing, no one could ever simply stumble onto it either.
It was completely hidden. Completely secure. Completely his.
But they’d been here nearly two days now, and Wren didn’t like staying holed up for long, even if they weren’t in a cave. She was a social thing and needed interaction beyond him. He couldn’t exactly blame her, given how little he cared for conversation and how he’d rather be reading.
“Did you rest enough?” he asked, slipping the books into a leather bag.
“Yes, Razik,” she said with a roll of her eyes.
“I took a lot from you. There is no way your reserves are refilled because mine aren’t even full,” he replied.
“And I can’t do anything about that for a few more days,” she retorted.
“Which is why I’d rather you stay here. Where it’s safe,” he argued.
“Razik, I’ll be fine,” she insisted. “Please don’t make me stay here.”
“I’m not going to make you do anything,” he said flatly. “Will you at least stay at the castle for the next few days? Don’t leave?”
She patted his chest as he slipped an arm around her waist. “Sure, Razik.”
“You’re placating me,” he grumbled.
“I would never,” she said with a wink as he Traveled them back to the castle.
She went to pull away, but he caught her hand. Looking back over her shoulder, she waited for him to speak.
“I know you hate it, but it is my responsibility to keep you safe. It’s part of the exchange here,” he said, searching her eyes.
“I know, Razik.”
“And I know I can be an ass, but if something happened to you because you were vulnerable after I took too much power from you…”
Her smile was soft, full of understanding. She moved back to him, pushing onto her toes to press a chaste kiss to his cheek. “I know, Razik.”
“So you’ll be back here tonight?” he asked when she pulled away once more.
“Yes, and I’ll stay on the castle grounds all day,” she added, walking backwards towards the door. “Let’s go.”
He sighed, following her out and down to the dining room. It was much later than usual, and he was relieved to only find Kailia. Although he didn’t miss the flash of disappointment on Wren’s features.
“Good morning,” Kailia greeted, setting down her teacup. “I was questioning if you were going to be here today.”
“Where else would I be?” he asked, letting Wren fill her plate before he did.
“You weren’t here yesterday,” she pointed out.
“I can’t spend every day with you, Lia.”
She frowned. “But you do.”
“And every once in a while, I need a day off. What did you do?”
“I stayed in my rooms. With Cethin.”
He arched a brow, setting the bag of books aside and picking up a plate. “Then it sounds like you were in good hands. I’m sure security was doubled in the hall after the events of the Union Celebration.”
“Yeah,” she murmured.
They ate in silence. Or he did while Kailia drank her tea. Wren chattered about this and that, and he could tell she was more than ready to find other company when she finished her breakfast and excused herself.
“Anything I need to know about?” he asked Kailia after a few minutes of comfortable silence.
“What would you need to know about?” she asked, fiddling with her teacup.
He looked up from his nearly empty plate. “I don’t know. That’s why I asked you.”
“Oh.”
She set her teacup aside, looking anywhere but at him.
Setting his silverware down, he sat back in his chair. “What is wrong with you today?”
That had her eyes snapping to his. “What is wrong with you today?”
“Lia,” he said with a growl, studying her.
There was something different about her, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. Cethin’s scent was clinging to her. More than sleeping beside him but not strong enough to indicate they’d fucked. But something had definitely happened between the two.
“If you don’t want to talk about it, fine. Let’s go,” he said, forgoing the rest of his breakfast and getting to his feet.
“There’s nothing to talk about,” she retorted, standing as well.
“Right. That’s why you smell like Cethin,” he volleyed back, picking up the bag of books.
“We share living quarters. That only makes sense,” she reasoned. “You smell like Wren.”
“Because I siphoned power from her, then stayed close to her while she slept to replenish what I took,” he said flatly. “You didn’t siphon power from our esteemed king, but you definitely took something from him.”
“I don’t know what that means,” she snapped.
“Apparently you didn’t take enough because you’re easily irritated today,” he bit back, extending a hand to her. When she slipped her fingers into his, he squeezed them as he leaned in and added, “And by that I mean—”
“I know what you mean,” she interjected.
He smirked, Traveling them to his study. It didn’t go unnoticed that she didn’t immediately yank her hand away like she usually did. It was a slow pull back, almost like an afterthought as she peered around him to the bag in his other hand.
“What’s that?”
“Books I collected while I was replenishing my magic,” he answered, rounding his desk and taking a seat. Pulling out the books, he stacked them in a neat pile before taking the first one and opening it.
She’d wandered to her usual perch on the sofa across the room, all the books he’d pulled for her tidily arranged, but she didn’t pick one up. Instead, she tucked her feet under herself, and before she even opened her mouth, he sighed.
So much for a quiet day of researching.
“Are you able to fully refill your reserves from Wren?” she asked.
“My Source bond with Wren is not up for discussion,” he answered, pointedly keeping his eyes fixed on the book, hoping she’d take the hint.
“I’m not asking about your bond with her per se. Just the Source bond in general.”
“That depends on how powerful each participant is. Ideally, Source and dependent are equally matched.”
“But you’re more powerful than Wren.”
He nodded.
“So…you can’t fully refill your reserves? That’s why you still look so tired?”
By the Fates.
“Is that why Cethin always looks so exhausted?”
“Cethin doesn’t have a Source,” Razik replied.
“I know that, but— After the incident with the nagasky, he was to the point of passing out from exhaustion. He never sleeps, but his power never seems to lessen. And he used a lot of power that night. How would he refill his reserves so quickly?” she asked, as if suddenly realizing all of this.
He had a few ideas about how Cethin was keeping his reserves full, and if he was right, the king was being just plain stupid.
“That sounds like something you should ask him, not me,” Razik answered. “Do the two of you ever talk?”
She sent him a glare. “Yes, we speak. Quite a bit as of late, actually.”
“Then write this down to talk to him about later. Better yet, all these random things you ask me? Add those to that list too.”
Kailia scowled at him. “Why are you being such an ass today? More so than usual, I mean. Is it the whole needing a fuck thing again?”
“No,” he grumbled.
“Are you upset?”
“No.”
“Then…?”
Razik rubbed his brow. “Sometimes we just have days, Lia. Days where there’s nothing in particular wrong or shitty, you just…” He shrugged, not sure how else to explain this mood.
She studied him in that too-observant way of hers before she said simply, “Okay.”
“Okay?” he repeated.
She nodded, picking up one of her books and getting comfortable on the sofa.
Okay.
Simple and accepting. As if she was willing to simply sit here with him, foul mood and all. No prying. No arguing or hurt feelings.
A simple acceptance of who he was.
Something he’d never once experienced in all his centuries.
“We have an errand to run,” Razik said when Kailia finally emerged from her bedchamber. “What took you so long today?”