Pateras nodded. “It’s entirely possible. Yiria’s Grand Matriarch won’t react well. This will likely invite another war.”
“We can’tafforda war. We can barely support our current defense against Soterra as it is, and they have yet to throw any real weight behind an action.” Dimitrios shoved fingers through his hair. “We have to speak to their Grand Matriarch right away. She has to know I never would have sanctioned this.”
“Have you yet chosen someone to replace Nektarios Callas?”
So far, the only chosen member of his council was the man standing before him. He had yet to find anyone he could trust as his foreign emissary.
“Any suggestions?” Dimitrios asked.
“I’ll give it some thought if that is what you wish.”
“Please.”
“In the meantime, might I suggest you reach out to Yiria yourself? It will take time to reach her, but as I understand it, Shadi is a reasonable woman and will, at the very least, listen to what you have to say. We shouldn’t delay.”
Dimitrios dropped his chin in a nod, then froze as the familiar sound of clacking nails sprinted toward him. He turned as three pups skidded around a corner, followed by Caius, who was sweating and out of breath. Theron, Thalios, and Lykos leapt excitedly at Dimitrios’s legs.
He bent for his pets and let them lick his chin and face, the tension of the last hour vanishing from his limbs. “Devils, what are you doing out of your room?”
“They snuck out,” Caius explained, breathless.
A rare chuckle escaped the general. “I will see if I can learn anything more about our situation, and report back, Your Majesty.”
“Thank you, General.”
Milonia appeared then, nearly as out of breath, and swept to a stop upon seeing him. Today, her chiton was a pristine ivory, fastened at the shoulders with bronze clips. Geometric patterns bordered the hem and neckline in deep shades of burgundy and gold.
“My apologies,” she said. “It seems someone”—she shot a look at her son—“didn’t latch the door properly.”
His Head of House had a way of avoiding his gaze in recent weeks, and he couldn’t stand it despite knowing it was for the best. The kiss they shared slammed into him every time he saw her, and he wanted more.Neededmore.
“It’s all right,” Dimitrios said.
He’d taken to letting the dogs roam the palace with him, but didn’t think it appropriate today. Caius had an open invitation to play with them, however, and it seemed the young man had taken advantage in his absence.
“They need a walk outside,” Dimitrios said to Caius. The puppies yipped and bounced at the familiar word, then darted toward the exit. They knew exactly where to find the nearest garden. “I trust you’re up for the task?”
The boy beamed. “Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Go on, then. Hurry.”
“Stay close,” Milonia said. She smiled after her son, but her expression faltered at the edges.
Dimitrios should find Pateras. Or return to the stake at the center of the furious lords. But that damning scent—lilacs. Faint but inescapable. The woman had him chained by the ankle to her every move.
His heart kicked hard, ravenous. Would she taste the same? He’d been avoiding peaches since their kiss, unable to stand the sweetness of it when it didn’t come from her mouth.
“I should go.” Milonia’s words were formal, and her eyes swept the floor, the walls, the tapestries. Never him. The courage she was rarely without seemed to have vanished entirely.
She turned away, chin lowered, and started back the way she came.
Her approaching absence became a weight too unpleasant to bear. “You’ve been avoiding me.”
She froze, gown swaying gently around her ankles.
He moved in behind her, drawn like a midnight tide. Close enough to feel the day’s heat lingering on her skin. “I’ve been avoiding you, as well,” he murmured. “It hasn’t helped.”
Milonia turned, slow and deliberate, lifting her chin. Those dark golden-brown eyes—utterly unreadable—locked with his.
