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“He will suffer for such an offense. Is it acceptable to gift the teeth of your enemies?”
“I don’t know if you’re serious or not,” she said after a long moment. “No. No teeth. He’s testing common medications on a human, which is fine, but he needs to inform me first. We reached an understanding. If he does it again, things will get messy.”
He had been serious. The treasury held a necklace of teeth strung together like pearls. It had been a favorite of his grandmother. He decided to keep that bit of information to himself.
“How are you feeling?” She waved a hand, as if that could erase her question. “Sorry, that makes it sound like you’re just a diagnosis to me. You’re not. I’d like to be your friend. So, how are you?”
“Some days are better than others,” he answered truthfully.
“Harol doesn’t share details about your appointments, if you’re worried. He’s on the up and up with patient confidentiality.”
“I assume that idiom means he is compliant.”
“Basically.”
“Do you take this path every evening, and do you always walk alone in the dark?” he asked.
“Are you implying it’s not safe?” She did not sound frightened, more curious and offended at the implication that she was incapable of keeping herself safe.
“Not at all. This is the kind of situation a friend would be concerned over.”
“Friends? Are we friends now?”
Footsteps crunched on gravel. The karu called to each other in the trees.
“I would be honored to count you as a friend,” he said.
“Okay. Friends. I can do that.”
They arrived at the side door of the wing and entered into the warmth. Baris greeted the guards. A short flight of stairs brought them to a landing. This wing of the palace was reserved for the royal family. Now, it only housed Baris. So many empty rooms for one person. When Vekele and Sarah were in residence, they stayed there. Before, his traitorous aunt Cassana had rooms. Giving Lenore a suite broke tradition, but no one questioned him.
Lenore pointed to the left. “I’m down this way. Thanks for walking with me.”
“My pleasure,” he said with a bow. The gesture was a bit much, but it brought a smile to her face. He did not understand human beauty standards. How could Lenore be considered plain when she was so clearly radiant?
Being merely a friend would be more difficult than he anticipated.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
LENORE
Being the king’s friend came with unexpected benefits.
A knock on the clinic door broke her concentration. Lydia stood in the doorway, holding a massive gift box complete with a red ribbon.
“Found you,” she said, letting herself in. “Is this where they’ve been hiding you?”
“I’m not hiding. I’m working.” That morning, she saw her first patient unsupervised. A member of staff slipped on a wet floor and sprained their ankle. Basic stuff. Still, seeing her own patient filled her with a sense of accomplishment.
She didn’t even mind when Harol instructed her to write up her notes and then read about the most common karu-symbiote-linked ailments. The winter holidays were coming, which meant the palace denizens would consume everything in excess. An upset stomach and headache became more complicated with a bond that amplified the discomfort. Lenore sequestered herself in the tiny office at the back of the clinic to finish entering her notes and start studying.
“What are you doing here? Not that I’m not happy to see you. I am,” Lenore said.
Lydia set the box on the desk, covering the open book and notes. “I’m working too. I landed a gig with a clothing designer. Can you believe it?”
“Oh, that sounds right up your alley.”
“Right? Nia wants a human perspective.” Lydia’s voice shifted, growing more refined, as she pressed a hand to her chest, clearly quoting this Nia. “Humans are hot at the moment, so my job is basically to show up at parties wearing her designs. Be seen, darling.”
