Riordan closed his mouth on whatever he had been about to say, his jaw clenching as he battled indecision.
“We could use her,” said Orion as he approached from behind Riordan. “You still need to go to the Highlands for the rest of the Imítheos army. None of their lieutenants or colonels will rally for either of us,” he pointed out with a gesture at me. Riordan was unsatisfied.
“We do not yet know what we are walking into here,” he reminded me significantly.
“True enough! What if they are still able to somehow repel that magic you use to eviscerate brains?” I insisted, making him wince. He glanced around to ensure no one had overheard before he nodded grudgingly.
“Please just be careful, alright? Stay close to Orion!” he said before looking at hisskiá.“Will you be able to fly with her on your back? No fancy maneuvers—”
“Of course,” Orion bristled in offense. “I would never allow her to come to any harm.”
“She is not used to—”
Orion stepped forwardand pulled Riordan’s head into his neck to speak into his ear. It was meant to look like an intimate embrace between theskiá,but I knew Orion was ensuring that no one but me could overhear them.
“I will defend her with my life. Just as I defend you,” Orion swore to him with an unexpectedly gentle patience. “You trust me with your life, do you not?”
Riordan inhaled, slow and deep, before his shoulders rolleddown, and he melted into Orion. He was anxious, which was so unlike him, and it saddened and angered me to know just how deeply Rian had rattled him.
“I do,” Riordan responded. “I trust you.”
“I have her. She is safe with me,” Orion stated, and he did not release Riordan until the king nodded.
Compelled by Orion’s sweet display, I stepped closer so I could give the king a quick but poignant kiss. It was mostly Ktínos around us, but I was still mindful of public displays of affection. One never knew when one of the other Imítheos might make an appearance and complain about my audacity to kiss my own mate. But Riordan still lingered, his lips reluctant to part from mine for a moment before he finally straightened to smile down at me.
“I did not have the chance to say that I like the armour on you. It suits,” he assured me.
“I cannot imagine why you think so,” I muttered with a playful raise of one brow.
Riordan allowed his eyes to drop, very briefly, and yet it was enough to make my heart pound with excitement. With a mere glance, without uttering a single damn word, this man could make me want to crawl for him.
He glanced at Orion with a similar appreciation for the gold armour that the Ktínos warrior had actually donned for the occasion of battle. Riordan’s attention lingered just long enough to make hisskiáshift in awareness before the king turned to walk back toward the commanders.
“I swear he does that on purpose!” I muttered.
“Hmm?” Orion hummed and tore his eyes away from Riordan’s retreating form with some difficulty.
“Making us drool,” I smirked pointedly.
To my surprise, the slightest of blushes kissed his face, and Orion glanced at Sofia standing dutifully behind me, pretending like she couldn’t hear. Then he straightened as if to reclaim his pride and composure and jerked his head toward my armour.He was being much more professional than Riordan was in front of others, but his eyes still felt scandalous considering how naked I felt in the armour.
“I told you to break it in,” he reminded me.
“Yeah, yeah,” I sighed dismissively and turned to give some final instructions to Sofia.
But I hesitated in surprise when I saw my handmaid’s dark expression was focused behind me. Orion and I both turned to see Castor had stolen Riordan away from the other commanders. They were having what seemed to be a rather intense discussion off to the side.
I glanced again at Sofia who was so intent on the two men that she had not even noticed me looking at her.
“What do you know of Castor?” I asked her abruptly.
“Nothing good,” she replied, seemingly before she had a chance to catch herself, and then she straightened more. “He is the Oligarch of Árgos,” she amended, tearing her eyes from Castor to face me with an unconvincing smile.
I gave her a look that promised we would be speaking more about whatever she was not saying later. Castor had finally broken away from Riordan and now headed…
Toward me.
Castor would like a word,Riordan warned me through our bond.He would not say what was so important.
