Cameron smiled, but I had started to notice it no longer reached his eyes. He was also keeping himself very busy as of late. He was either in town or helping Miska with her herbs and remedies. Every lead we had regarding Xavier was a dead end, and I felt the light slowly dying in Cameron, no matter how hard he tried to hide it. Orym would’ve been an enormous help had Isaiah not killed him and his sister.
“Why is he, or you, for that matter, working?” Samkiel asked. “I told you I’d finish a third of the city when I returned.”
Cameron wiped at his mouth before holding up his hands in mock surrender. “Hey, I know. There are still a bunch of buildings that need roofing, and the townspeople are working themselves to the bone. Thane volunteered and is kind of running it with a small group, so I offered to help. I’d rather not run into the city and find townspeople impaled or squished.”
Samkiel sighed from the doorway. “I told them to wait. The houses they have to live in are secure. Plus, we are still working on the ones for new arrivals.”
“I know, but they seem stubborn, just like you two,” Cameron said, glancing at us one at a time. “Plus, they’re happy, and I believe they want to stay that way. I think they want you to see that they love and value their new homes. They don’t want to lose their safe haven. I think it is their way of trying to gain the favor of the gods. You know, like the old days.”
“Samkiel would never expect that of them.” I folded my arms. “He’s not that kind of leader, and he’s not that kind of god. Plus, he will not give rewards for heat exhaustion.”
Samkiel grunted in agreement.
Cameron nodded. “I know, but these people have been beaten down, taught to please rulers who see them only as stepping stones. I fear they assume that if they eat and enjoy themselves even for a second, they’ll be punished, and this will all be taken away.”
A thought churned in my head as I chewed the inside of my lip. He glanced at me as I sent my idea to Samkiel through our bond. I’d ruminate on it further and ask Samkiel what he thought later.
Cameron got up and walked to the trash, disposing of the crumbs of his meal.
“Where is everyone else? Miska? Reggie?” I asked.
“Well,” Cameron turned toward us after cleaning his plate. He placed his hands in his pockets and rocked on the balls of his feet. “No offense, but I figured your efforts would be a bust. Even beneath Unir, the royals were dicks long before Nismera ever came into power, and I doubt they will leave her after she’s pretty much given them all the power their tiny, greedy hearts could want. Plus, she’s a psychopath, and to follow her, they are not much better. So, anyway, I did you all a favor. Reggie is in the city with Miska and her new friends, planting gods knows what, and I’m about to head back to make sure no one accidentally kills themselves while sprucing up their new home. That means you guys have this whole place to yourselves for the next few hours. Just don’t pull a three-day fuck fest again. My poor eyes can’t take it, and I don’t think the castle would survive either.”
I burst out laughing as he smirked at Samkiel.
“Cameron,” Samkiel all but growled.
“You’re too kind.” I snickered.
Cameron smiled. “I tell everyone that, you know.”
“More like a troublemaker,” Samkiel added.
“Have fun. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” Cameron grinned and waved before leaving.
“That’s a very short list,” I called after his retreating form.
Hopping off the table, I walked over to Samkiel. He watched the door, the wear of the last few days etched into his face. “Are you going to tell me why you keep rubbing at your fingers?”
His head snapped toward me, and his thumb stilled over the third finger on his right hand. It was where he had worn the Oblivion ring for eons.
“It’s simply a nervous tic.”
“I know your nervous tics, and that’s not one of them.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “So we lie to each other now?”
He offered me a half-smile. “You worry too much.”
My hand ran over his. Only a pale tan line remained on that finger, and there was no darkness or sign of the powerful ring that used to live there.
“Is it Oblivion?”
“It’s not important right now. Not with everything else happening,” he whispered, his gaze focused on our hands.
“You summoned it without your ring during a nightmare. You’ve never done that before. I think it’s something to think about.”
That earned me a full smile. “Another time. Right now, maybe we can not make any jokes, small or not, about your soul,” he said, his eyes filled with reprimand.
I wrapped my pinky around his, holding our hands between us. “Promise.”
