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“I thought he was just poor,” I mutter.
“Mmm, he acts like a male with nothing to lose. But don’t judge him too harshly.”
“I would never judge him. But I don’t get it. If I ever had a home like this, I wouldn’t want to leave.”
“The doctor says his vitals have improved. He will wake soon, and you can speak with him yourself,” she assures me.
“I want that more than anything.”
“I’m leaving for the night, but Raina?”
“Yeah?” I say, expecting another reminder not to be hard on my mate.
“This is a home for you now, if you want it,” she says as she pauses at the door. “You are Kar’Kali now. You are always welcome here. No matter what Niko has to say about it.”
I grin.
“Thank you, Lalo.”
“Sleep well.”
The old woman disappears down the hall; the only sound of her movements is the swishing of her silky night robe. I settle into bed for the night. I listen carefully to Niko’s breathing as I drift to sleep.
I decide it sounds stronger than yesterday.
CHAPTERTHIRTY-TWO
RAINA
The wordacross the market is that the Spirit Chosen, Makiva, is arriving in days. While there aren’t necessarily preparations being made, everyone is bustling with more excitement than usual.
“His Highness has heard of Niko’s injury and impending mating ceremony, so he is rushing to return,” the young woman who sells handmade soaps and braids hair tells us. “My fingers are aching from braiding all day. Every unmated female is coming to have their hair done for his arrival, in the hopes it will help ignite a mating bond with theKa’lakka.”
Lalo shrugs. “One could ignite the mating call while looking their worst and behaving like a fool.”
“I know, but I would not say that to my well-paying customers,” the industrious hair stylist says with a sly smile.
“Wait, back up—impending mating ceremony?” I turn on Lalo, who blinks innocently.
“It has been so long; you'll forgive an elder female for going overboard with a celebration.”
“So you’re planning a wedding?” I roll my eyes. “Niko is unconscious!”
“A minor detail.” She waves her hand. “It’s best to have everything ready for when he wakes up disoriented. That way, we paint him in powders before he can make some excuse.”
I don’t bother asking about powders because I’m sure I’ll find out in due time. Lalo’s certainty about Niko’s recovery calms my deepest fears about his condition. Lalo and the female squint at me while discussing what they will do with my hair. I pretend not to hear the whispered comments about what a shame it is to have chopped hair to work with. Their intentions are good, and it makes them happy, so I let them do whatever they want. When my hair gets long, it usually becomes a pain. The thick waves are heavy and frizzy, and I don’t like wasting my time with them.
I spend half a second considering whether I’m ready for “marriage.” It’s strange, but after years of being convinced that I would never be satisfied shackled to some man, the thought of marrying Niko seems inconsequential.
Of course I’ll marry him; my mind seems to shrug. I want him forever. This is simply a formality—something to please Lalo, who sees him as a son.
I just know that when it happens, he’ll make some stupid joke about what I once said to him.
I thought you weren’t a forever kind of girl; he’ll say with a smirk.Good thing you’re a lying kind of girl.
The king’sship lands to fanfare, and I can see the entire population ofThe Rightful Heircrammed into the market area for the first time. Crowds spill out onto the landing pad, waving handmade banners and teal blue scarves. There must be thousands gathered here to welcome the leader.
This isMakiva’s Revenge, the same ship on which many lost their lives when Niko was a child. It’s a streamlined battleship, oval-shaped with bars connecting in toward a center point. I’ve seen the basic design in photos before. It can fire from any angle and change shape if needed. Smaller ships can dock on the inside of the oval. It’s the most modern ship I’ve seen helmed by the Kar’Kali, with the exception of Lakkavi’s fancy transport. The exterior is black and reflective, no doubt making it nearly invisible to the naked eye while moving through space.
