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“Mess with your mind?” Tehdra had never before heard the phrase.
“Any human in Nuria who wishes to return to Earth can do so. However, the Serangite Ruxia will remove all memory of this world before they journey back.”
“So advise the king that you desire to return with your memory intact.”
“I do not believe it so simple.”
“Of course it is.”
Startled grey eyes met her. Kismet shook her head as she stood completing her examination.
“We have different views of this world. I love my head. I do not want to be Alice in this strange world. I can see myself making such a request and he yells ‘off with her head’.”
“King Ajali does not kill indiscriminately.”
“No, he does not. I simply refer to…” she trailed off with a sigh. “I do miss Earth. Thank you for allowing my examination. I must leave and prepare for the afternoon luncheon.” She smiled, then exited the chamber.
Humans were strange creatures, Tehdra decided. Severa
l resided in her kingdom despite the offer to escort them to their world. She had an old priest from Earth in the Northern keep, and he had journeyed to Earth at least twice and came back excited with the possibilities. He regaled her with stories from Earth and always returned with books, paintings and random trinkets that were so different from theirs. He fed her countless of tales of their world—past kings, their politics, their faith in their Supreme Being and pirates. Yet, if he wished to return they would never remove something as sacred as his memory, and they were seen as the brutal and vicious ones.
A hard smile curved her lips as she moved with the shadows towards Ajali’s library. She wanted no more interruption. She travelled down hundreds of stairs and through massive corridors, passing dozens of people, yet none sensed her cloaked in the shadows. She chuckled, strangely enjoying herself. She cast off the shadows and flung open the great doors to the king’s private chambers and halted at the sight that greeted her.
***
Regret slammed into Ajali the minute he saw Tehdra’s face as she barreled into his private sanctum. Pain, naked and raw, darkened her eyes when she saw the hari Suri on her knees, pleasuring him. Anger curled inside of Ajali at his weakness. She was not his kala; he should not feel guilt that she saw him with another hari. Yet it almost consumed him like the hottest of fires.
What infuriated him more was that Suri sucked, licked and employed her tongue to his cock for minutes, and he felt nothing. He had willed his mind to pleasure, yet the only thing that had tightened his gut was the shock at his lack of reaction. What he could hardly accept was the reaction of his body upon Tehdra coming through the door. His erection had risen hard and sure, simply from her presence. Suri hummed in pleasure at finally arousing him, not realizing that it was the sight of Tehdra that caused such a visceral response.
He gently pulled himself out of Suri’s mouth and ordered her to leave. There was no pain of rejection from her. She simply curtsied and swept out of the room after throwing Tehdra a puzzled frown.
They stared at each other for interminable minutes. He waited for her reason for entering his private sanctum without invitation, and she stood rooted to the spot.
“What is your reason for barging into my chambers, Tehdra?” Ajali steeled himself against the emotions that flared in her eyes.
Pain radiated from her but something dangerous flashed in her eyes before her lashes swept down, shielding her gaze. She sauntered into the room a few paces as if she were unconcerned.
“I wanted to thank you for the honor of inviting me as your escort to the games of Nuria. High Chancellor Bastien extended your invitation.” She gave him an icy smile, and then coolly exited, but he had noted the slight uneven jerks in her movements.
Fuck! He’d been an ass, and the only thing he had proven was that Tehdra owned his fucking soul.
“Tehdra.”
She paused at his soft command.
“Ladies-in-waiting will attend to you and prepare your wardrobe for the games. Take heed of their knowledge, and all that will be presented to you are gifts. No caftans or jewels should be returned.”
With only a slight inclination of her head, she swept soundlessly from the room.
Ajali inhaled deeply and exhaled on a loud sigh.
Gavyn entered only to pause at the tension that remained. “She did not deserve to see you with another hari.”
Ajali’s eyebrow arched at the soft reprimand. “She is not a hari in my kingdom, Gavyn. She is a spy. Am I to only bed her because she fascinates me more than all of my other haris combined?” Ajali’s gut was in knots that he’d hurt her, but Gavyn did not need to know she was becoming a weakness. No one must be aware or she would become a pawn in the war to take his head.
“You admit that she has a stronger hold on you than your other haris?”
Ajali stared hard at Gavyn. Gavyn’s smirk tempted Ajali with the urge to smash in his face. Gavyn observed it, and deliberately caressed his blade, taunting him into action. Ajali ignored him and his laughter.
