“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“You will find the tapestry and bring it to me. This letter speaks of one hidden in the west, with an inscription. The writer copied this text here from the fabric, but it’s incomplete. This part says the queen of foreigners wove a tapestry with mind magic. For the city’s protection, she hid it in the west. Thewestof Selwas.” He paused dramatically. “And I know where it is.”
Isahn’s fingers froze, and he realized he’d been idly twirling one of Georgie’s curls.
“See here, this original note was sent from a town on Lake Rasda, and it speaks of a manor that looked up to the stars. Does that sound familiar to you?”
“Yes. Yes,” Peros said quickly.
Fucking fates.Isahn swallowed a groan.
“I need it. It’s the key to ensuring my reign over Domos remains plentiful and unchallenged. Youwillretrieve it.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” More groveling, Isahn imagined.
“Remain here for six more days, dine with my viceroys, sample my pets. On the seventh, you’ll be escorted from Hepikoru to fulfill your mission.”
“May I ask a question, sir?”
Though his mind was a hive of activity, of fear, Isahn could hear the king suck his teeth in frustration. “Speak,” the monster barked.
“Will I retain my memories of your illustrious true capital? It’s so fine here, full of such wondrous pleasures, I’d like to cherish it always.”
The king chortled, clearly pleased with the bevy of compliments. “No. You’ll only know what’s necessary. When you’ve returned with the tapestry, we can speak again.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty,”Isahn mimicked silently through a sneer.
With that, Peros was dismissed, and Gasparo followed. When the king’s footsteps grew distant, Isahn pulled his magic away from the wall. George waited until her father left the room entirely before she stood from the peephole and nudged Isahn to open their lamp.
They rushed through the walls, desperate to speak about what they’d overheard. George fumbled with the lock to the first door. Cursing softly, she handed the key to Isahn and allowed him to open the ancient panel. Then they were through, making their way up the final short stretch before pushing into her apartments in a cloud of dust.
“Bath and chat, yes?” George half asked, half commanded as she paced into her bedroom and cracked open the door to find Ean waiting in the hall, as always. “Have the guest room tub filled.”
Isahn watched the faerie’s brows lift. “Just the one, P Georgie?”
“Just the one.”
The young faerie’s cheeks reddened as George slammed the door in his face.
She rounded on Isahn. “First, kiss me.” George nearly leapt into his arms as she walked him backward into the sitting room.
He obliged, letting his lips linger. That seemed to placate her, though he was still reeling from the information they’d overheard. “Done. What’s second? Is it the chat or the bath? I mean, I have a preference, but we have a lot to discuss now.”
In his bedroom, she halted him, fiddling with the straps on her dress. “I want to get clean, and we can talk while we bathe. They’re both ‘second.’” She dropped her hands, and her breasts tumbled free as the fabric fell away to pool around her feet.
Isahn blinked, momentarily struck dumb by her perfect, soft body. When she popped up on her toes to kiss him again, he loosened the waistband of his linen trousers and dropped them to the floor.
George’s warm hands slipped around his hips, and she palmed his ass while he struggled out of his tunic. Although his body responded to her passion, there was something too frantic in her movements, and while he wanted her, he had to hold her back. He assumed she was dealing with the same stark realization he’d had in the walls.
“George, talk to me.” Isahn clasped her by the shoulders and pulled away so he could study her face.
She huffed at him. “Just kiss me, I don’t want to think about any of this bullshit.”
Isahn pressed a scorching kiss to her plump lips before pulling her in for a hug.
“It’ll be all right,” he murmured.
