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I recognized the human woman who came in, superficially at least. There were few humans on Thorzan, and this woman was one of the few who had come in the second group. After my mother, so Crux hadn’t had a chance to abuse her as he had the ones before her. Or the ones after, like Beau.
She paused for a moment when she saw me, the smile frozen on her face, but she quickly shook it off. Because again, she’d never known true misery at the hands of any Thorzi. She didn’t like Crux, surely—no one did. But she wasn’t terrified of him the way so many were.
She bobbed her head in my direction. “Son of Crux.”
I couldn’t hold back my wince at the title. The only title in the world I was entitled to, and I wished to be called literally anything else. People could have called me a monster, like my own mother. Vorian the Bastard, like Xyren was inclined to. Or just “you,” as my father so often did, and it would be better than the constant reminder that I was forever linked to Crux.
“You can call him Vorian,” Beau said, coming back into the room, wrapping himself in a gauzy silk robe. “He prefers it.” As though he were the one with a mark that allowed him to read minds.
Maria’s soft dark eyebrows climbed high on her forehead, but she didn’t question him, simply nodded at me and amended, “Vorian, then.”
I tried to smile at her, and it felt unnatural and wrong. Her expressive eyebrows told me I hadn’t done it right, coming together to make a line in the middle of her forehead, an expression I’d come to learn on humans meant confusion or concern.
It was perhaps the softest look I’d earned from anyone but Beau and Kenosi in my life, but it wasn’t what I’d been trying for. I needed no one’s concern.
Beau hopped onto the bed and planted a kiss on my lips, giggling. “Stop that. Everything is fine. Maria’s awesome, and she’s been making me clothes.”
And well, even if it felt wrong, if it made Beau giggle in that sweet, carefree way, I’d struggle through a thousand awkward smiles a day.
“Then let us see these clothes,” I told him, kissing his lips, his forehead, and the tip of his nose.
He giggled again, climbing back off the bed and going to stand in front of Maria. “Sorry. Vorian’s not really comfortable here. Yet.”
One corner of her lips quirked up, and she nodded. “I imagine not.” She looked me over as she pulled up a collection of clothes and hung them on a rack near the bed. “Perhaps things on Thorzan are changing, though. I think I would like to see a palace where Vorian is comfortable.”
And from what I could tell, she was entirely sincere. I had no idea what to make of it.
CHAPTER25
BEAU
This is going to come as a shocker, but I’d never been to a tailor in my life. I hadn’t had the time, the money, but damn if I hadn’t had the inclination.
Thing was, I’d never needed a tailor for my off-the-rack separates for Sunday bible school.
But this—Maria—wasperfect.
Everything she handed me was brilliant and jewel-toned and silky smooth. The fabric hung loose so the breeze rolling over the top of the jungle through the luxurious open balcony off my room could whisk the heat away from my skin without issue.
But more than that, I felt beautiful. I raised my arms and the fabric floated out gracefully. The pants were loose. I looked like a lush boho queen.
Vorian sat in the bed, a throw draped temptingly over his hips while he watched. His face was serious, like he wanted to give me his honest answer and not just tell me I looked great by rote.
“Gorgeous,” he said simply. I didn’t think he was talking about the clothes either.
When heat rushed into my face, it was time to deflect. I spun toward Maria. “Everything is seriously so beautiful. You’resotalented.”
She grinned at me, white teeth shining behind her full brown lips. “Thank you. I’m so glad you’re comfortable. A lot of men, when they first get here, struggle to adjust to casual Thorzi clothing.”
“Ugh, yeah. I can imagine. But those tight pants all the time? No thank you. Much rather let things breathe down there.” But I didn’t mind Vorian showing off his tree-trunk thighs in those tight leather pants one bit, nope.
Once we’d made sure that everything fit, Maria rifled through the clothes, taking out one pair of pants that hadn’t really worked. She was leaving behind a couple dresses, flowy tops, and more of these awesome pants—almost parachute pants, and so comfortable.
“I think you’ll be okay for at least a little while, but if you need anything, feel free to call. Or you could come by my shop. It’s right at the edge of the palace’s market. I have tons of cloth there. You could pick something out for yourself.”
My cheeks hurt from smiling so much. “Yeah. I would love that. I’ll definitely come by. Soon. And, um, maybe—” I swallowed hard, glancing back at Vorian, but he was only watching with his gentle attention, like he took in every detail, but was happy to let me do as I liked. After Crux, that was so strange.
Still, before my nerves could get the better of me, I looked back at Maria and squared my shoulders. “I don’t really know how to sew or anything. But maybe, if you have time, maybe you could show me a few things? Only if it’s not a bother. I just mean, everything you’ve made for me is so beautiful, and I want to—to do something. Figure out how to—”
