For a brief moment, the steel in his demeanour softened. Reiya’s heart thudded. She hesitated to feel hopeful, but the king almost sounded like he . . .approved.
He rose, movements slow but deliberate, as though the conversation had drawn more from him than intended. He paused at the tent’s threshold, one hand resting lightly on the canvas flap.
“Rest tonight,” he said. “You’ll be expected at Turasid Palace tomorrow.”
The king left the tent. Silence followed. Reiya let out a slow breath, only then realizing how tightly she’d been holding herself. From across the tent, Alarik met her eyes. Kaelen’s hand brushed her shoulder.
“I think he sees what we have,” she said quietly. “He may not fully agree with it yet, but he respects it enough to let it stand.”
Kaelen snorted. “Not that he has much of a choice.”
Alarik crossed the distance, his gaze meeting hers with a rare gentleness. “I don’t care what he says or thinks. You faced a king tonight and stood your ground. That strength? That’s all you.”
She swallowed, warmth unfurling. She reached out and laced her fingers with his, squeezing.
Kaelen’s gaze shifted to Alarik, his brow furrowing. His usual lightness faded, vigilance settling into his expression.
“What’s that?”
She followed his line of sight toward Alarik’s belt—specifically, the arrow shaft strapped to it.
“I suspect the arrow that killed Jodhar belongs to . . . Castiel,” she told him.
Kaelen’s grin faded as he exchanged looks with them both. “What did I miss?”
She exhaled slowly, the warmth of the moment fading as she explained her findings about the Tidebinder’s knot on the arrow that killed Jodhar.
Kaelen glowered, and she couldn’t blame him. They’d only just dealt with Jodhar—hadn’t even set foot in Asadia—and already, Castiel’s shadow was upon them.
“Have you spoken to Marzius?”
Alarik nodded. “Mezerin’s gates are sealed, security doubled. No one’s getting in or out without questioning.”
“Good. Tomorrow, I want Mezerin combed for anything suspicious. If Castiel—or one of his men—is already inside, we’ll find them.”
She swallowed hard, the weight in her chest easing—but not vanishing. Outside, the night stretched wide and merciless, stars scattered like cold fire over the dunes. On the wind, she caught the acrid sting of burning pyres, where the bodies of fallen soldiers and mercenaries were slowly given to ash.
Somewhere in that darkness, Castiel moved unseen, sliding his pieces across the board with careful, calculating hands.
Chapter Forty-One
REIYANA
Reiya woke up with the dawn and discovered: one small bed made a very cozy arrangement for three.
The warmth surrounding her was rich, layered—the heavy heat of bodies, the soft weight of blankets draped over them, the faint flicker of warmth from the brazier near the tent’s entrance. Outside, the desert remained in its hush, the air beyond the canvas still and cool. But here, within the cocoon of their shared space, it was all heat and quiet closeness.
Slowly, she eased into consciousness. Her cheek was pressed against Alarik’s linen-clad chest, the steady heartbeat beneath her palm a quiet reassurance. His arm curled around her back, anchoring her against him. Behind her, Kaelen nestled close, one arm draped over her waist, his breath a soft tickle at the nape of her neck.
The bed beneath them creaked softly as she shifted, the furs and thick woven blankets whispering against her skin. The faint scent of warmed leather and desert spice lingered in the air. Kaelen and Alarik fit around her as though they’d always belonged there, as if this space had never been meant for just one.
For a long moment, she simply lay there, letting herself feelit—this quiet sense of belonging. They might be in a tent pitched in the heart of the desert, but this was safety, comfort.
Home.
A slow exhale left her lips, her body stretching instinctively against the warmth pressed to her on both sides. She moved slightly, adjusting in their embrace, the shift drawing a quiet sound from Kaelen as his hold tightened. Alarik stirred beneath her, his fingers brushing over the apple of her shoulder in half-conscious reassurance.
Being here, within the protective embrace of their bodies, coaxed a simmering heat inside her belly. She swallowed, acutely aware of how intimately they were tangled—of how her body responded to their nearness. A restless ache stirred beneath her skin, an insistent pull she couldn’t ignore.
