I brushed his hair back from his face, my fingers soft against the furrow of his brow. He was doing so well considering, but when he thought I wasn’t looking, there was a haunted look in his eyes. Like he was still seeing the world through the vision of an akadim, still being plagued by the memories.
I sat up in our bed and stretched my arms. “First things first,” I said. “Before we do anything. I need to feed you. You need food. A lot of food. I should have already gotten you some.” If he hadn’t passed out in my arms after the shower, I would have. But I couldn’t let go of him. Not once all night. I couldn’t leave the room, or be away. Not even for a second. Not after what we’d been through. I shook my head, feeling a pang of guilt anyway. “You didn’t even eat last night.”
“No?” One eyebrow lowered, his eyes hooded.
“No,” I said.
His lips curled. “Oh, you fed me all right,” he said. “I ate.”
“What? No you didn’t.”
He grabbed my waist, and threw me onto my back, crawling over me. He kissed my belly, his tongue darting out and dragging across my skin with a kind of tortuous sensuality leading down to my core. I gasped as he nuzzled his nose between my folds, inhaling deeply.
“I. Ate,” he repeated, and gripped my hips, leaning his head over to bite one. “You fed me very well.”
I covered my eyes with my hand and laughed. “I meant real food.”
“Hmmmm,” he said, forcing the sound through his lips so they vibrated against my sensitive skin.
“Rhyan,” I shuddered, already wanting him again. But despite his sudden playfulness, he did need real food, actual calories and nutrients. Especially now that he was powerless. I remembered all too well what that was like. I reached down between my legs, his head already back there.
He licked me from bottom to top. Then pressed a kiss on the bundle of nerves at my center.
“Fuck,” I grunted. But I gripped his head, and pulled him up over me, kissing his lips, and tasting myself. “Rhyan, focus. Ineed to feed you nutrients. You can havethatfor dessert if you eat everything else first. But we have a problem.”
“Besides getting to Glemaria without getting caught and while I have no power?” he teased.
I shook my head, biting back a laugh. “I’m glad you’re in a good mood.”
“I’m trying,” he said, and kissed me again.
“There is the problem of getting to Glemaria without getting caught, while you have no power,” I said. “And then figuring out how to remove your father, while also not getting caught— because as much as I want to see him pay for his crimes, and make sure he can never hurt or touch you again—” Something dark flashed in his eyes, the muscles of his jaw working. “I’m not losing you. I’m not risking you. If we do this, we do it right. We do it together. We survive, and we remain free.”
“We will. I swear,” he said.
“Good. Because perhaps what’s worrying me more than you without power at the moment, is you without any boots to wear.”
“Right,” he said, frowning. “I don’t have any shoes. And I can’t jump.”
“We’ll get you boots. Auriel and I had some money we … procured.”
“Stole?” Rhyan’s good eyebrow lifted.
“Well, it’s not like Auriel had access to a bank account.” Or me, as the Empire’s traitor.
Rhyan laughed. “No. So we’ll go and get some boots in town.”
“We?” I asked.
“I’m coming with you.” He sounded like he meant to be flirtatious, but his voice wobbled, like he was scared—scared of being separated again. It had happened before. In Korteria. I’d let go of his hand when we were jumping together, escaping from his father’s nahashim. He’d traveled without me, and I’d been taken by Brockton Kormac.
After a separation like the one we’d just had, I imagined it was hitting Rhyan even harder. It was hitting me, too.
I squinted at his feet. “If you’re sure. But so we don’t get any unwanted attention, I’ll glamour boots for you to wear in the meantime,” I said, “before you get real ones. I also … since we’ve been here, I’ve been changing my hair and armor to hide my identity, and blend in. Blonde and silver.”
“Like Ka Kormac,” Rhyan seethed.
“So no one knows it’s me.”
