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He grunts and then gives my sodden tunic a squeeze. "Then I will allow you to wash me, but only if I get to wash you, too."
"Deal." I don't mind a bit of pampering, and I'm itching to touch him. Something about just being close with Kassam eases some of the anxiety inside me. I slip my pants off and then step into the stream, not entirely surprised to see that it's only about knee-deep. At home, I'd probably be afraid of snakes or curious fish, but Kassam controls the environment here. There's nothing to fear. With that, I gesture for him to join me, and when he stands in front of me in the water, I take my time wiping the tunic over his skin. I tsk over every cut and scratch, even though they're healing. He tells me of how the day went, of the people he fought despite his efforts. He only wanted to seek Riekki, but defenders kept getting in the way and blocking him.
"I tried to kill no one, Carly. I truly did. They were just doing as the goddess commanded them."
"I know," I soothe. He's not a killer, my Kassam. Maybe the old Kassam was, but he's had his eyes opened, and he sees things differently now. He sees mortals as people, and I know each time he had to defend himself, it hurt him in his spirit. "It's over with," I promise him. "It's done. You've closed that door."
He nods slowly and cups water to spread over my skin. Instead of using the tunic as a washcloth, he merely spreads his wet fingers against my skin. It's both erotic and comforting, just touching one another, and when his hand moves between my breasts to touch the thick, obvious stitches there, he looks so stricken that I ache for him.
Sometimes I wish I could turn off everything he's feeling, because it's clear he's struggling. I do not like this, Carly, he told me once. I do not like feeling all this guilt.
I don't want him feeling all that guilt, either. He didn't ask to be trapped, after all. He didn't ask to be transported to my world. He's just coping as best he can, one day at a time. So I distract him. "How far is the journey to the Spidae? Are they close?"
He bends down, cupping another handful of water and trickling it over my breasts. I want to point out that they're not dirty, but he seems to be enjoying himself, so I just bite back my smile. "They live at the edge of the world."
"So…not close."
Kassam's gaze flicks to mine, and his playful grin returns. "No, not close. It will take some time to travel there, even on griffin-back."
I bite back a groan at that. Goody. More days on griffin-back. "I guess it's too far to walk."
"I suppose we could," he says, brushing his wet fingers over my nipple and watching it with fascination as it hardens. "But I worry it will put you in danger again. I am tired of you getting hurt by my choices."
I thwack him with the wet tunic, savoring the splat it makes on his chest. "Oh, I'm sorry, is it beat on Kassam time? I must have missed the memo."
He looks surprised, clutching at the tunic. "Did you just strike me, wife?"
"With a tunic. Don't be a baby." I reach over and flick a finger at his nipple, enjoying his outraged expression as he moves to protect it. "Are you done castigating yourself or should I see if we can find a whip in the next town and you can just beat yourself directly?"
Kassam stares at me, then throws back his head and laughs. "Well said, my pretty wife. I hear your words." He tosses the tunic aside and cups my face in his hands, grinning as he bends down to kiss me. "I am sorry if I am moping. I just don't like you getting hurt."
"I don't like getting hurt, either, but I know you wouldn't do it on purpose." I slip my wet hands around his waist, then reach lower and behind him to cup his firm ass. I'm not being eaten alive by hedonism's curse any longer, but I can still appreciate a delicious ass. And man, his is nice. "So let's stop with that, all right? Let's just enjoy our time together."
He smiles and leans in to kiss me again, brushing his lips over mine in a gentle promise. I close my eyes, savoring the feel of him, when he chuckles against my mouth. "Look. Little lights."
I blink up at him, slightly confused. When he gestures behind me, I turn to look at what he's pointing toward. It's the dark forest, shadowy with deep dusk, the sky above a rich purple. As I stare at the darkness, a tiny light flashes and disappears. Then another. And another.
