Bokkan and I hadn’t discussed it last night. We’d been too… distracted by other things.
I was feeling less stiff and achy by the time I made my way downstairs. When I got there, Masu and Commander Guldan were waiting in the kitchen. Bokkan was nowhere to be seen.
I walked straight to the imp and hugged her. Even sitting at the kitchen table, she was nearly as tall as I was. She smelled like green herbs and wood smoke, and her arms were strong as they wrapped around my waist.
“I’m so glad you’re okay,” I murmured to her.
“I feel the same for you.”
I released her and looked at Guldan. “Commander.”
He nodded to me. “Lady Leda.”
“Where is Bokkan?” I asked.
“He had some business to attend to this morning.” His expression never wavered, but I knew he lied as soon as he spoke.
Bokkan had yet to spend a morning apart from me after the first. He would not have left the bedchamber without me unless it was important. Especially after the way he made love to me yesterday.
“When will he be back?” I asked.
“Later today.”
Another lie.
“Let me get you somesziteand something to eat,” Masu said, pushing her chair away from the table.
“No, Masu. Please don’t trouble yourself. I can get my own?—”
She waved off my words. “I am perfectly fine. Between the antidote the healer gave me yesterday and her magic, I feel better than I have in months. I will make you some eggs and get you something to drink. Sit down. You still look exhausted.”
With a sigh, I did as she said. I was tired and could certainly use some food and Penumbra’s version of coffee.
As Masu bustled around the kitchen, pouring me a cup ofsziteand chopping herbs and cheese to put in the eggs, I crossed my arms on the tabletop and stared at Guldan.
“So, what is Bokkan really doing today? He’s not going after Venna for yesterday, is he? Because he needs time to plan his attack if he is.”
The commander studied me, his face giving nothing away. “He is not attacking Venna’s estate today. If he were, I would be with him.”
“Are you sure?” I asked.
He nodded.
Another thought occurred to me then. “He won’t get in trouble if he does, will he? Because she came and grabbed me first, and I’m his mate.” I paused when that phrase gave me a secret thrill rather than a surge of fear.
Did I want to belong to Bokkan? Truly?
“No, he will not get into trouble if he retaliates for her actions. Female or not, she kidnapped you, the female he is courting. The female he wants to mate. It is not taken lightly in Penumbra. A daemon can be put to death for it.”
I flinched at his statement. “I’m not sure I want her put to death unless there is no other choice, but she should have to deal with the consequences of her actions. Like being locked up in a dungeon for a good long while so she has time to think about what she’s done.”
Guldan studied me with curious eyes. “You think that is preferable to death?”
“No, I think it’s worse because not only will she be stuck in prison, she’ll be forced to watch the world pass her by. And, when she is released, she will have to live with the embarrassment of everyone knowing what she did and that she wasn’t even able to abduct a single human properly.”
A sly smile took over Guldan’s face. It made him almost… handsome.
“That is almost fiendish,” he finally said. “Because to be taken down so thoroughly by a human would be considered extremely weak. Though I do think you have already humiliated her well by beating her in a challenge with almost no trouble.”
