‘You definitely made an impression on him.’ Rey’s wistful tone dragged my gaze back to earth. ‘Come on, sweet Viper. Let me look after you before this bastard rips my leg off for keeping you outside on a chill night.’ He grinned before scooping me up as if I were as light as a feather.
‘No, wait. I only need kava and something to eat. We need to call the council and Tova. I have the schemata…’ I grabbed his neck when he leapt forward. The surroundings blurred as Reynard ran. He was rushing up the stairs of the Dragon Terrace as if it were nothing.
‘Tomorrow, Viper.’ He smiled, keeping his eyes on the path. ‘Tomorrow, I’ll be a king, and you can be my shadow. I promiseyou the world won’t end if we carve out a few hours for ourselves.’
We paused briefly at the entrance to the castle, allowing the guards to open the heavy, ornate doors. Our arrival sent the servants into a frenzy. The entire place suddenly came alive, humming with buzzing activity as he carried me to his private quarters.
‘A bath and a meal for two; nothing fancy, just nutritious,’ Rey told the head maid who accosted us.
‘No…’ I began protesting, too anxious about my friends to indulge myself in rest and food. Rey looked at me, and a small, intimate smile ghosted across his lips.
‘Send messages to the Dark Brotherhood, Master Tova, and Lilliana at the House of Lillies,’ he said. I gasped, listening to his instructions. ‘Tell them Lady Roksana is safe and sound but spending the night in the palace. They are welcome to visit tomorrow.’
‘Thank you,’ I said when we entered the bedroom.
‘I know how much you care for them. I won’t let them worry about you, or you worry about them when I want you all to myself.’ He laid me gently on the bed, closing his eyes when I kissed his cheek. ‘However, if Tova charges in here to drag you back home, I swear I’ll lock him in the deepest, darkest dungeon.’
Behind us, the servants came and quietly set up a tray with food while others rushed to the bathing chamber, filling his massive tub with hot water. I moaned as fragrant steam billowed through the door.
‘Feed me, bathe me, and I’ll let you keep him locked up this one time.’ I stopped because he pressed a piece of sweet pastry to my lips.
His eyebrow raised at my hesitation, as if wondering why I hadn’t opened my mouth yet. So I did, slowly taking thefood until my lips closed around his fingers, licking the sweet stickiness of the jam coating them. ‘I’ll have to congratulate the chef. This distinct taste of dragon must be hard to achieve,’ I said.
‘Fuuuck…’ he murmured, irises flashing golden while his body stiffened under me, ‘You’re right; bath first. I just wanted to feed you. Please, let me look after you tonight.’
He meant well, but his plea reminded me of my condition and what he would see. Survival no longer held back the memories of that time, but I didn’t want to confront the darkness festering inside me. I wanted to erase it, to forget it all. I never again wanted to see, to feel, to smell Tivala’s dungeon, the dirty hands of his goons groping my body, beating me, cutting my braid.
I fucking won, and I won’t let that bastard taint my life any longer.
‘Y-You said this night is… that this night is for us,’ I stuttered, heart hammering in my chest. ‘Then pamper me, my king. Hold me and chase the shadows away.’
A shiver ran through my body. It was the closest I’d come to confession, but the words didn’t want to come. I didn’t let it stop me, embracing Rey instead and hiding my face against his chest. I needed him and the safety of his touch, his strength, his devotion. I needed this gentle warrior to eradicate every memory until there was only him.
‘Sana?’ he whispered, stroking my short hair.
‘Be gentle with me, please. That’s all I need,’ I whispered.
That was all I could muster. I didn’t want him to know how broken I was, that underneath the tough façade, the pieces might never fit the way they once did. That I was using the gold I saw in his eyes to fill every crack until I could be whole again.
Reynard took in my face, the vulnerable expression I could no longer hide. His eyes darkened when he lightly caressed my cheek with his thumb. ‘Guide me, my love.’
His uncertainty melted something inside me, and instead of answering, I climbed onto his lap, kissing him again. ‘Is this guidance enough? Love me, Rey. I want your hands to… Don’t leave any part of me untouched.’
A plate shattered on the floor, and I flinched with a terrified yelp, reaching for the poison at my belt. As I turned, I met the panicked gaze of a chambermaid, who stood with her hands pressed to her mouth and shards of the plate at her feet.
She dropped to her knees, muttering apologies and began to pick up the shards. Reynard waved her off. ‘Go, and tell others to leave. We have all we need.’ When the doors closed for the last time, Rey lifted me and strolled to the bathing chamber.
Water sloshed lazily, steam rising and softening our surroundings. As soon as he put me down, Rey grabbed a bowl filled with dried flowers and herbs and tossed them into the water.
‘Lavender?’ I asked, sniffing the air, relieved at having something to distract me. ‘Excellent choice; there is nothing better than a man smelling of lavender and roses.’
‘Of course, my Viper. You want me as gentle as a docile gelding… and you’ll have me, flower petals and all.’
He reached out for me, and I flinched. His hand hovered in mid-air before he slowly lowered it and looked at me with concern. I cursed myself for this involuntary reaction. ‘Would you like to bathe alone? Or I can call a maid,’ he asked, still as a statue, drawing his eyebrows together.
‘No, please. No one else. Just you,’ I answered so vehemently that he smiled.
This time, when he reached for me, I stepped closer. Somehow, as I watched him struggle with the small fastenings of my travelling dress, the fear subsided. His frustration with the tiny buttons was just adorable
