“I—I have to go,” I told him in a rush. “I can’t…I can’t do this—”
“No,” he said. Frustration ate at his tone. He looked away from me, his jaw clenching. Then he donned that familiar mask. I watched his face transform. He met my eyes again, but this time, there was a clarity to his gaze. “My apologies, little one. You gave me your answer. I will not ask you again.”
I didn’t know what else to do but nod. Lesana was already raising my wages. If she found out that I was even speaking with Kythel outside of RaanaDyaan, what would she do? Surely she trusted me enough to know that I wouldn’t break our agreement. I couldn’t afford to lose my job. And one fleeting moment with the High Lord of Erzos threatened that.
One payment for a feeding was not enough to make up formonthsof nightly credits.
“You never told me,” he said.
“Told you what?”
“What are you looking for in Stellara?” he asked.
I looked down at the scroll.
Ruaala, I dream of Stellara this night.
I dream of our quiet place, where the world falls away, a secret realm of our own making.
Briefly, I closed my eyes.
I was looking for a memory. A lost one.
A lost love.
“I’m looking for…a quiet place,” I answered, meeting his ice-riddled, faceted gaze.
He frowned. I didn’t know how long we stood there, regarding one another. But he didn’t ask me what I’d meant. Somehow…I’d known he wouldn’t. Which was why I’d told him. Another half-truth, held suspended between us.
“Then I hope you find what you’re looking for, Millie Seren,” he finally said.
Then Kythel turned away. His heavy strides retreated until he left the archives entirely. Theboomof the door as it closed behind him made me sigh. He wasn’t anything at all like how I’d expected.
Just like last night, I felt raw in the aftermath of that sapphire gaze.
CHAPTER8
MILLIE
“Stay out of the lounge tonight,” Lesana ordered me, her shoulders seemingly tight though she smiled at a patron as he slipped past us into the common room.
“Why?” I asked, brows furrowing. “I was meant to—”
“You’ll be in the kitchen tonight with Draan,” she told me, spearing me with a long look.
Excitement made my breath hitch and my smile widen. “Really? He’ll allow that?”
“Yes,” she said. “Now, go.”
I watched her for a few moments more, my smile slowly dying. She’d been in a strange mood all day. Impatient. Sharp. But only with me.
I wasn’t a fool. There was only one reason she wouldn’t want me in the lounge.
“Are you truly so worried that I’ll break my promise to you?” I asked softly, hurt that she would think so.
Lesana’s nostrils widened briefly, her yellow eyes finding mine on the threshold of the bustling, crowded room beyond. Uproarious laughter and a cacophony of voices spilled from the open door. Synthetic strains of music were pouring from the Halo orbs which floated overhead.Loresmoke made the room seem perpetually filled with silver fog.
“Of course not, my dear,” she told me, her features smoothing. She reached out her hand to tuck a stray strand of hair behind my ear that had loosened from the gold clip. Softly, she added, “I know you won’t.”
