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4
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As I prepared for bed,I chatted amiably with the women who slept in the cots beside me. As always, they complained about sore joints and the ungrateful residents whom we served, and I made small talk, although my mind was elsewhere. When a sudden hush fell over the room, I sensed that all eyes were on me.
Turning slowly, I discovered Kiango standing in the doorway of the servant's quarters, his broad shoulders blocking out the little bit of moonlight that shone through and casting a dark presence across the room.
Clearing my throat, I hurried over to greet him, and he gave me a warm embrace before pulling the door closed behind me and guiding me away from the others.
"Is there something I can help you with?" I asked, concerned.
He eyed me with a tilt of his head and a genuine smile. "It seems that my young apprentice has received some unusual tutoring today. He's strutting around like he won some kind of tournament. He suggested that a woman had come to his aide. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"
My jaw dropped open and the heat rushed into my cheeks. "I haven't the faintest idea," I managed weakly, biting the inside of my cheek to stop from smiling.
Kiango grunted and gave me a look that said he clearly didn't believe me.
"Well, if you don't mind, he could use some additional guidance on his form. Perhaps you could find time in the afternoon tomorrow?"
I swallowed hard, fighting the riotous butterflies in my stomach before I could speak.
"Is that an official request from a Guardian to a servant?" I asked cautiously.
Kiango's eyes flashed and he gave me a curt nod. "It is."
"Then I shall be there."
With a soft snort of humor, Kiango turned and walked away, leaving me alone under the moonlight.
"Easy, old girl," I cautioned myself beneath my breath, hurrying back inside and throwing myself into my cot with growing excitement.
Fooling around with a Guardian was a dangerous game, and not just because I had already failed the trials and been kicked out of the palace once. Sooner or later, Silas would pass his training, and he would be expected to take a tribute of his own. When that day came, he would no more look at me than at any other object of utility within the palace.
However, I couldn't stop myself from indulging in a little bit of fantasizing in the lonely darkness.
Laying in bed, I stared up at the ceiling, remembering the way Silas's hard muscles had felt under my fingertips. A pang of jealousy struck me when I remembered helping Ember sneak out to meet with Kiango before she had passed her tests. Would it be so bad if I had a taste of that same joy for myself?
I fell asleep dreaming of the possibilities, letting myself imagine how different things could have been if I had passed the trials. I used to have these dreams all the time, reimagining myself as a Wife just like Tatyanna and the others. This time, though, it was Silas escorting me through the palace in the gorgeous glittering gowns, my arm through his as he proudly showed me off to all the other Guardians.
My dreams took me up to his private quarters, the bedchamber of a full-fledged Guardian. My Guardian. He laid me down and I looked deep into his dark eyes as he leaned over me. I could see his lips again, perfect in the dim candlelight, lowering themselves down to brush against the soft skin of my throat.
And then I woke as the first rays of morning light cast themselves through the window.
All day long, I worked with one part of my mind on the task at hand, and the rest checking the trajectory of the sun until I could excuse myself to meet Kiango and Silas at the training ring. I could not help the giddiness in my step as I schlepped the laundry down to the wash room, or the lilt of the tune that I hummed mindlessly through the long hours. Even when I had the displeasure of running into Tatyanna down by the sanctuary, I did not let her cattiness disturb my mood.
Finally, the time came, and I abandoned my chores, stopping only briefly to wrestle my hair under control and shake some of the dust out of my robe. I strode across the courtyard purposefully, meeting Kiango's eyes long before Silas noticed me.
"Thank you for joining us," Kiango said warmly before turning to Silas. "I trust you won't mind that I invited her?"
I looked to Silas with some interest, amused by the startled look on his face and the way he blushed.
"You..."
I nodded. "Yes. Kiango said you were talking about me last night. I must have made quite the impression."
Although I spoke with a heavy dose of sarcasm and mockery, I found it difficult to keep from blushing myself. I wasn't sure how long I could maintain my standoffishness before Silas realized that I couldn't keep my eyes off of his gorgeous abs and striking face.
Fortunately, Kiango was not one to waste time, and he put an abrupt end to the awkward moment.
