Page 108 of Court of Claws

“I’m not as... well, innocent as I was when we left Camelot.” I thought of the heads in the box that Arthur had shown me that night. The hunters. “Not that I ever was,” I amended.

“You were more innocent then though. It’s true. You’ve seen more horror,” Draven said softly. “I wish that hadn’t been the case.” I felt his eyes on my face. “What are we doing here exactly?”

I gave what I hoped was a nonchalant shrug. “We’ve just made the Prince’s Paramour thing real. We played it out. Now we know. Now we’re going to sleep. You in your room, me in mine.”

“That’s how it is?”

I sat up and looked around for the robe that had started this all. It was halfway across the room, in a puddle on the floor. I made myself rise, cross over, pick it up and pull it on, without thinking of how his eyes were on me all the while. “That’s how it is.”

“Right.” Draven swung his legs off the bed and stood up. He grabbed his trousers off the floor and slung them over one shoulder, completely at ease with his own breathtaking nudity. “Goodnight then.”

“Goodnight,” I said, trying to keep my voice easy as he walked out the door.

I stole a glance as he crossed through the doorway. His back was straight. No hint that anything I’d said had hurt or surprised him.

Nothing hurt the Prince of Claws.

He was impervious. And soon, I would be, too.

Ilay on the bed fora long time after that, wrapped in the satin robe.

When hours passed, I began to resign myself to the idea I might not fall asleep that night at all. So much for having a better rest in the Summer Palace.

But finally, a comfortable dozy state came over me and I crawled under the covers, pulling them up around my chin as I had done when I was a child.

It was strange to be sleeping alone. That was all that was wrong, I told myself. I simply wasn’t used to it anymore.

I hadn’t truly slept without Draven nearby in a very long time. Months in fact.

Eventually my eyes closed.

I dreamed.

I dreamed of my mother.

She was running through the city of Numenos with me in her arms.

BOOK 2

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