Chapter 34
Chapter
Thirty-Four
TATE
She surprised me again. Somehow, I never pictured Ara as someone who enjoys baking, but it fits perfectly.
The memory of tonight—and I don’t mean just the kiss—of her opening up, telling me about her childhood, glimpsing traces of what made her who she is today, is something precious.
If we hadn’t been interrupted, I would have been content to talk the night away.
The interruption currently stands in the doorway, pinning me with his gaze, while I get up to leave the room.
“If this is your attempt at scaring me away, don't bother,” I tell him, and Ian’s eyebrows rise.
“She’s promised to the crown,” he warns, shifting, so he bars my way.
“She was mine long before she was my brother’s.”
His eyes widen slightly when realization hits.
“Still, she's promised to your brother now,” he persists, and the mention of my brother makes my mood plummet. My voice drops to a threatening growl.
“What you and everyone else need to get in your head is I'm hers. And she's mine. And short of killing me, there's nothing you can do about it.”
“Well, that can be arranged.” He bristles.
“Why would you waste your time keeping away a man who is ready to kill or die for your sister when there’s a real threat waiting for her?
” My curious tone is conversational despite revealing the depth of my feelings.
“I would never harm her. I'll always have her back and keep her safe.” I shake my head. “I’m at her mercy. And you think you can change that? Why would you even want to?”
His brow creases at my mentioning of another threat.
“What do you mean?” he asks.
“I mean that someone attacked her during Picking, that I killed two men who tried to harm or take her in Telos two weeks ago. A blond skyrider turned up dead in Telos just a few days before we left.” I pause, letting what I said sink in.
“I mean that someone is targeting your sister. Until you have eliminated that threat, you would be stupid to keep me away from her.”
Ian watches me, contemplating. “When was that? I need details.” His eyes narrow. “I’ll look into it.” As if I made it all up.
“I already did,” I tell him. “But while one attack came from men from Kystis, the others were from Belarra. Maybe someone targets her because of her role as our future queen.” Or because I’d do anything to keep her safe.
Ian curses. “Does she know?” he asks.
“Of course, she knows. But I didn't make her see the connection to the dead skyrider. She doesn’t need the guilt.”
Ian nods, then steps aside to let me pass. We walk down the corridor to our rooms in silence.
“I do my damn best to keep her in sight, to keep her safe. That’s why I’m here,” I tell him, while I reach the door to my room. He pauses in front of his and turns to me.
“And who is keeping her safe from you?” he asks, and I chuckle.
“She's doing a pretty good job of that herself.” With those words, I enter my room and close the door firmly behind me.
Sleep doesn’t come easily that night, and when I hear silent footsteps creep down the stairs just when the sun rises, I dress in a rush.
Out the window, I spot a familiar shape hurrying around a corner.
Where is she going now?
Within minutes, I’m out in the courtyard, my eyes trailing the silence around me, when a hand lands on my arm.
“Sorry, I didn’t recognize you,” the guard says and takes a step back when he spots the skyrider insignia on my chest. The courtyard is quiet. Ara is already gone.
I curse. I’ll have to trust she’ll come back unharmed.
Since there is no way I’ll be able to sleep, I make my way over to a space that seems to be used for training.
“And who might you be?” I turn at the voice behind me, and I don’t have to guess who the man standing in front of me is. He can only be Benedict, Ara’s twin. The resemblance is too obvious. He hadn’t been in yesterday. His unit accompanied a merchant, from what I gathered at dinner.
Somehow, the same features that seem soft and feminine on her work for him, too, and there is nothing soft about him.
A strong jaw and muscular build drive that point home.
Hair of the same golden blond is shorn short on the sides and longer on top, and falls slightly into his face.
Ara’s brothers truly are a bunch of handsome bastards.
“I’m looking for Ara,” I tell him.
“That doesn’t answer my question, and where my sister is or isn’t is none of your damn business.”
I bristle at that because the fuck it isn’t. But this man is important to Ara, so I will be nice, even if it kills me.
“I’m Tate Kyronos, her centurion,” I tell Ben coolly. “So it’s very much my business.” Trying to dispel the tension, I add, “I’ve already heard much about you.”
“I can’t say the same,” Ben states, smirking, while his eyes size me up. He reminds me very much of Ara at that moment, and I fight a grin. “If I see her, I’ll tell her you’re looking for her,” he finally says.
“I’d appreciate it,” I reply and turn away before I say anything Ara would hold over my head later.
I go through training and a shower afterward, but she still isn’t back, so I go to her room.
Her scent hits me first, wraps around me like she did last night, making my pulse spike and my cock ache. Holy mists, this woman has me in a chokehold.
The room has two windows with breathtaking views. One overlooks the courtyard and the gate, the other looks out over a small garden, a healer’s paradise with mostly herbs, some flowers, and fruit trees.
The room itself is light with whitewashed walls. The soft dark green curtains, pillows, and a duvet, along with the plush rug next to her bed, give the room a warm and cozy feel, while the assortment of weapons cluttering the surface of a desk, armoire, and nightstand makes me smile.
Her bed looks like she just crawled out of it. Her wardrobe is open, displaying various dresses next to training gear, armor, and two longbows. A stack of books lies next to her bed, with a dagger acting as a bookmark in the one on top.
While not exactly neat, her room is clean, and every weapon is well cared for. Displaying the same mix of chaos and dedication that is purely Ara.
It takes a long, long while until she opens the door, and she stops short when she sees me sitting on the edge of her bed, reading the book that she had marked.
“Tate.” Her eyes trail over me. “I would have hurried if I had known you were waiting for me.” She arches her brow, clearly asking what I’m doing in her room. Then she notices the book, and her eyebrows jump up even more, before she clears her throat. “Interesting choice.”
“That’s what I was going to say.” I put the book down. “I saw you leave.” Where were you? The question hangs unspoken between us.
“Last time I checked, I’m not your prisoner.” She crosses her arms, tilting her head.
“You’re doing your best to piss me off, aren’t you?”
“No, I’m not even trying.” Her face splits into a grin, and I can’t help but reciprocate.