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Lucia dunked a piece of the dry bread into the honey and popped it in her mouth.
“My behavior last night . . .” Kyan continued. “My behavior during these past several days, has been inexcusable.”
“I’m glad to hear you admit it,” Lucia said drily.
“That you’re still here this morning, that you haven’t abandoned me, is a miracle.”
Finally she looked up at him. “Do you think I have anywhere else to go?” she said, her tone wracked with accusation. Kyan’s hands were clasped in front of him on the table, and he wore an extremely grave expression.
“I’m unbearable to be around, I know it. I’ve always been this way. It’s . . . in my nature. Fire, you know.”
“Oh, I know it. I know it very well by now.” She let out a long sigh and leaned back in her chair. “So what do you propose we do?”
“You are important to me, little sorceress. You’re the only living thing on earth that still connects me to my family. You are my family.”
Her throat tightened. “Is this how you treat family? With cruelty and abuse?”
“You’re right. You’re absolutely right. I’m sorry.” He leaned forward until she had no choice but to gaze right into his sincere amber eyes. “Here is what I propose. There’s no sense in continuing on in vain with our search for a gateway to the Sanctuary. Instead, we need to find that boy again, the one from the village market. Are you certain he has the obsidian orb?”
She felt a pang in her belly as she thought back to Jonas Agallon and the girl Kyan had killed. “I can’t be completely certain,” she said solemnly. “I thought he did, but perhaps I was wrong. We can look for him. But if we find him, you’ll let me handle him, understood? I won’t let you get carried away again.”
A smile tugged at his lips. “Lucia Damora, magical protector of unworthy mortals.”
“Only because you’ve given me no other choice, oh fearsome fire god.” She let out a sigh and fought a smile of her own. “I forgive you this time. But if you lose your temper again, if you do anything to make me feel like I’m not worthy of your company because I’m nothing but a filthy mortal, we will have a very big problem, you and I.”
“Completely understood,” said Kyan, placing his hands on top of hers. “So. Now that all ill will is healed between us, tell me, little sorceress, how do you feel on this”—he turned and glanced out the window at a sky full of dark storm clouds—“rather gloomy and unpleasant Paelsian day?”
She’d heard it was always gloomy and unpleasant near the Forbidden Mountains.
“How am I?” she repeated.
Pregnant, she thought. I’m pregnant and my magic is weakening because of it.
Lucia couldn’t help but think about the warning Queen Althea had issued her when she was little more than twelve years old.
“Men will tell you lies to get you into their bed, to use you for their own pleasure, only to discard you right after. You must not let this happen. If you do, all you’ll end up with is unwanted children, a wasted life, and squandered potential—all because of a stupid decision to share flesh before a proper marriage. And if your father were to get word of that kind of behavior, he wouldn’t hesitate to kill you.”
What helpful, motherly advice from the woman who’d resented Lucia’s existence since the day Gaius brought her home.
Alexius had used her for plenty of deceitful reasons, but not for her body. She’d given herself to him freely because she thought she was in love with him.
Perhaps she really was.
“Little sorceress,” Kyan said, leaning forward. “Are you still here with me?”
She pulled herself out of her thoughts. “Yes, I’m here. Where else would I be?”
Part of her wanted to share her concerns about what was growing within her, but she held her tongue. Better to keep this a secret for a while longer, especially from Kyan. She’d been able to hide so few secrets from the fire Kindred, she’d allow herself this one.
Lucia gazed out of the window at the mountains in the distance. How tall they were, all sharp, jagged black rocks spreading north to south along the western border of Paelsia. She had read books about this countryside, ancient texts proclaiming that the Sanctuary could be found if one ventured deep enough into those mountains.
“What do you know about the Forbidden Mountains?” she asked Kyan.
“Only that mortals have given them a silly name, and they’re rather unpleasant to look at.”
“You’re an eternal, all-powerful elemental god. Is that really all you know about the storied mountains that many fools think lead directly to the Sanctuary?”
He shrugged. “Geography doesn’t concern me—that’s my brother’s area of expertise. Mine is a bit more interesting.” He held his hand out and produced a flame that danced a jig upon his palm.
