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“But what about your bro bond?”
Vekele laughed. Genuine mirth radiated from his brother, a male whose life had been imprisonment, assassination attempts, and betrayal. Sarah did that. She brought life back to Vekele. He wanted that for himself. Desperately. Enough to be reckless.
“What I will tell you must stay between us three,” Baris said. Everything in him screamed that three could not keep a secret, but they saw what happened. His failure. His condition would not remain a secret for much longer.
“Understood,” Vekele said in a serious tone.
Sarah glanced at Vekele and then nodded her head in agreement. “What is it?”
“Without my karu, my symbiote is dying,” Baris explained.
“What does that mean?” Sarah placed a hand on Ghost’s head, as if seeking comfort.
“I see. We are not finished,” Vekele said, gesturing for Baris to step closer. With efficient movements, Vekele untied the fasteners enough to expose Baris’ shoulder and applied a cooling gel to the injury. “What are you going to do about this?”
That was what Baris liked about his brother. He skipped the existential crisis of what it meant to lose a bonded karu and the symbiote and went straight for the practicalities.
“Wait for it to die completely and attempt a second bond,” Baris said.
“That is risky,” Vekele said, his tone flat.
“As much as I enjoy our continuous argument over my risk-taking behavior, my medic—your medic—says it cannot be avoided. The symbiote must die completely. There is no other option.” It was risky on several fronts. Even after the symbiote dies, a new bond may not take. It was well known that karu could bond several times in their long lives, but for a person to have multiple bonds was unheard of. An Arcosian simply did not outlive their karu. Should not.
Baris clenched his hand in frustration.
The second, more dangerous issue was political. Any sign of weakness in the monarch and the ambitious, ruthless ones at court would start scheming to put themselves on the throne. Baris had enough doubters who questioned his desire for peace. If it were discovered he could no longer summon the shadows, it would be the end of his reign.
Ghost nudged Baris’ hand, offering comfort.
And possibly the end of his family’s life. Everyone he loved was in this room. He had to protect them.
“The council is pressuring me to marry again,” Baris said. He did not wish to take another mate, but his duty to the crown came before his personal wants. No, he was being dishonest. He knew who he wanted to take as a mate, but it was a selfish choice. “You see the complication.”
Vekele made a noise of understanding.
“Is this another one of those political intrigue things? Because you’re going to have to explain it to me,” Sarah said.
“I need a queen capable of producing an heir,” he said. “An alliance with a powerful family will strengthen my reign. My current…condition will make me appear vulnerable and—” He made a stabbing motion with one hand.
The pink color drained from Sarah’s face. “Right. Got it.”
“I’ve had quite enough of my late queen’s family attempting to murder me.”
“You’ve got like a bajillion cousins. Pick the least awful one of them,” Sarah said. “Or, hear me out, you marry for love.”
Baris and Vekele laughed. His ribs ached with the movement, but it was worth it. Love. As if the council would ever allow that.
“It’s not such a far-out idea,” she said, sounding annoyed.
“Your happiness with my brother is a fortuitous anomaly. I would not dare hope for such a rarity for myself,” Baris said.
“Are you okay?”
“I am well. How is Lenore?”
“You know Lenore’s name?” Sarah asked, surprised.
The suggestion that he could ever forget Lenore Kelley was beyond absurd. The image of her standing in front of the refracting pattern of colors, glowing and shifting, was burned into his memory. Brown hair whipped around her steely gray eyes. There was an honesty to her face that compelled him. He wanted another kiss. More touches. More conversation. More time. Always more.
