“Is it?” I feel like he should expect more from me.
“I would do it every day should you let me,” he says seriously, “but if you insist, when we get out of here I’ll allow you to pleasure me.” The man puffs out his chest.
“How kind of you, you strange gray man, toallowme to do such things.” I slap at his chest as he feigns a wince.
“You sleep, little one. I’ll stay up and make sure we aren’t surprised—won’t be long until that door opens and our fates are decided.”
I want to stay up with him, but I am spent and boneless. I settle into the crook of his arm, and sleep comes quickly.
* * *
The loud clanking causes my eyes to shoot open. I’m no longer wrapped around my handsome gray stranger. Instead, I see him standing in front of the bed, holding a broken-off piece of its frame over his shoulder like a baseball bat. I pull the sheets over my still nude body as I watch the screens of the forest fade, turn to some kind of metallic structure and snap back to reveal walls with beautiful wood carvings and decor. From a forest to a stately bedroom in less than thirty seconds.
When the door swings open, a gray man in a dark suit stands there, holding two inhalers. He looks toward my gray stranger, ready to strike with brute force, then back to me in the bed. This new man rolls his eyes and scoffs.
“F’tee Ke’ain! I leave you alone for all of ten minutes and you infect yourself with harken gas, leave me to deal with those Deenz assholes, and still somehow manage to get your dick wet—even without memories?” He looks at the broken spindle from our bed. “At least let me give the antidote before you crush my skull in?”
My gray protector drops the makeshift bat to his side and reaches for the inhaler, putting it into his mouth and pressing the button. A purple mist curls from his nose as he shakes his head. He turns toward me, smiles, and grabs the second inhaler from the new man’s hand. He walks to the bed and holds the inhaler up to my lips.
“Take a deep breath,” he says as he pushes something into my mouth for the second time today. “Opal.”
He presses the button, and I realize he has saidmyname. His eyes darken and his pupils dilate as soon as it leaves his lips.
“Gra’eth, we need to secure a pie for Opal,” Ke’ain says without breaking eye contact with me. I can hear the royal attorney swear and mutter as he stomps down the hall.
CHAPTER5
?ROYAL DUTIES?
?KE’AIN
I followGra’eth out of my bedroom and toward the smashed clean room. I look down at the mangled bodies of two Deenz. The one at my feet stares at me with lifeless, rounded eyes. Its black blood bleeds out from the gunshot wound in its head and onto its scaled purple skin. They’ve been dead about as long as I’ve been in the panic room with Opal. I kicked the lifeless body hard in the head, my foot connecting with a thud, and more of its thick blood splatters onto the leg of my quickly thrown on suit pants.
“How in the f’tee did these scum infiltrate the palace walls, and what did they want with Opal?”
“Well, in short, I have no f’teeing clue why or how—but I do know that they’re dead.”
He turns to me again, his eyes giving my Opal the once over. Her small pink form is wrapped in a sheet from my bed and she’s clinging to me. Her oddly fingered hands grip my hips tightly, and I can still smell her fear.
“I also know that you seemed to handle your alone time with our guest—”
I cut off what is sure to be a comment that will make me hurt Gra’eth. “What I do with Opal is very much none of you f’teeing business.”
I drape my arm over her shoulder and pull her closer into the crook of my chest, a space she fits into so perfectly. She’s still scared, but she juts out her chin in defiance of my friend and confidant.
“Regardless, your royal duties continue.” He pulls his data pad from his breast pocket. “I’m supposed to have you on a si'bok in less than thirty minutes for the opening of tourist season.” He tilts his head toward my little human. “What do you want me to do with Opal while you’re working?”
Her name out of his mouth builds a growl deep in my chest that I suppress. He’s trying to be helpful, but I scoff. “We aren’t doing anything with Opal, she’s coming with me.”
I know better than to attempt to neglect my royal duties, but I’ll let her leave my side over my dead body. My heart drops as I think about what would have happened if the gas had done its work before we got to the panic room. If they had taken her from me…
“Ke’ain,” I hear her soft voice as she tilts her head up to meet my gaze, “don’t leave me alone.” Her warm breath fans over my side.
Gra’eth sighs. “I guess I’m going to need to find her something more appropriate to wear.” He raises his brows. “Should I tell your parents to expect a guest?”
“I’ll deal with my parents,” I say, actually unsure how to approach the situation of my human guest with the king and queen.
Gra’eth brings his attention back to the data pad and types a few things. The blue light of the analyzer is pointed at Opal. She flinches as the blue laser scans over her form.
