I pressed my lips together to keep from telling him everything. I couldn't. He would betray me. And that would . . . it would hurt worse than the torture I had endured. Even if I separated myself from the pain, I'd feel it for a few moments. And those moments would be excruciating.
“Thank you,” Tor'rien whispered.
I jerked my stare back to him. “For what?”
“For what?” His eyes went wide. “For being loyal to me. For enduring that for me.” He lifted my hand and kissed it. “If you can't tell me what they asked of you, I'll accept that. It's the least I can do. But I want you to know that I know what you did for me, and I'm grateful. It's been a long time since someone has shown me that kind of loyalty.”
My jaw fell open.
“Even though it was before you and I became lovers, I'm not surprised that you would be loyal. You are an incredible man, one who upholds my laws and stands by me no matter what you think of me. Because you believe it's the right thing to do. And that is humbling. So, tell me when you can, if you wish to, or don't. But know that I will always listen and be as loyal to you as you have been to me.”
Tor'rien cupped my cheek and eased me closer, into a kiss.
With shock holding me, the minutia of the kiss blossomed. I could feel everything. The velvety skin of Tor'rien's lips. The tingle that came when he brushed them over mine. The hesitant, then firm slide of his tongue. Without analyzing these things, I enjoyed them more. Felt them on a deeper level. And they sank into me with that feeling. Deeper and deeper. Tor'rien's kiss wove past all of my resistance in a way even sex with him hadn't. I felt closer to him. Close enough to confide.
I jerked back. Panting, only a few inches away from him, I stared into his eyes.
Eyes convey a lot. But not as much as people think. It's the micro-movements around the eyes that have led to the beliefthat eyes can give a true glimpse into a person's psyche. And yet, I wasn't analyzing twitches or tightness. I just looked.
Tor'rien held my stare. He looked back. I don't know what he saw, but it must have been satisfying because he smiled and broke the enchantment.
Sliding his hand away from my face, he said, “I can wait.”
It was exactly what I needed to hear, and it made me wonder if I was wrong. Perhaps people could see the truth simply by looking into someone's eyes.
The carriage came to a stop.
“One more thing, Tekhan.”
“Yes?”
“Don't ever do that again.”
“Do what, Your Majesty?”
“Choose me over you. If someone is hurting you, and you can make it stop by betraying me, do it. I'd rather have you safe than loyal.”
My brows lifted. “Respectfully, Your Majesty, no. Fuck, no.”
“Tekhan, I will never get the image of you, broken and bloody, out of my mind. It will haunt me forever. Please, don't add to it.”
There was no suppressing the tide of feeling that bombarded me with his words. No denying it. And no words came forth from me in response to his. I could do nothing but sit there and stare at him.
Then Sir Gilhu opened the carriage door and broke the enchantment. I dashed out, unsure if I was running from the King or what he made me feel. Then I stood on the sidewalk and took in the neighborhood.
Several things bombarded me at once, my mind collecting them and piecing them together. This was a poor neighborhood. There were humans in the alleys, creeping in shadows usually reserved for Raltven. The area around the royal carriage quickly cleared, telling me that most of the residents didn't want to be noticed by the King or his entourage. An oddity in any other neighborhood. But in places like this, it made sense. Especially with me escorting the King. The badge on my coat wasn't comforting to these people, even those who weren't criminals. A badge meant trouble.
And this was where Katai lived.
Vasren lived in the castle, and he wouldn't have taken his lover to this area of the city. No, he brought Katai there because, despite the location, it was Katai's home. A neighborhood full of poverty and crime. It seemed like an obvious answer to the question of Katai's innocence. Too obvious.
Straightening my coat, I stepped toward the building. This wasn't a single home, but a collection of apartments similar to my building. But my apartment was in a pleasant neighborhood, and that made all the difference.
“You're sure this is where Vasren brought him?” the King asked Gilhu.
“Yes, Your Majesty. This is where Katai lives. Vasren gave me the address himself before he left with his lover.” Gilhuwrinkled his nose as he looked down the street. “Honestly, I don't know how he met a man from this . . . neighborhood.”
The King looked around. “A city must have areas such as this, Gilhu. The classes are integral to a functioning society.”
