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We shake hands, and Lasta sighs and then asks me a question in a casual voice. “So, when are we going to kill Kriseri?”
I give him a smirk, opening my mouth to respond when I see Lorelai sway slightly beside me out of the corner of my eye. She corrects quickly, ever-wary of showing weakness in front of anyone who could be a threat, but I know her better than that by now.
I shove down the witty retort I intended to deliver back to Lasta, instead offering my arm to Lorelai. She eyes it warily, but her eyes skate back to Lasta, and the naga’s presence seems to be enough to make her accept my silent invitation.
“Later. Tonight, we need to rest. It’s been a long journey.”
Lasta eyes Lorelai like he’s sizing up a rabid worg but gives me a curt nod, walking away without so much as a goodbye.Typical.
I guide Lorelai through the gardens and toward the castle, soaking in the thinly-veiled awe in her expression. In all honesty, I hadn’t thought too much about the kind of adjustment this would be for her. Her dugout shelter in the woods is a far cry from the bustle and understated glamor of Zalith’s palace, and I make a mental note to keep an eye on her. The last thing I want is for her to become overwhelmed or feel threatened in the place I hold so close to my heart.
Gods know my little killer would fight like a fiend if she felt threatened.
I smother the smirk that thought brings about before it can reach my lips. Lorelai’s dark eyes widen as we step inside the palace, but I guide her quickly toward the staircase, not wanting to chance an encounter with anyone else this evening.
I want her awe all to myself.
A wave of heat curls at the base of my spine as I think about the privacy and safety we’ll be able to enjoy here in the palace. No one to come tromping through the woods. Plenty of space and time to do with her what I will. No one to distract her.
Not that I’d be entirely averse to an audience. I’m sure my little killer would be soaked at the thought of being taken and filled in front of anyone who might challenge my claim to her.
I bite my tongue, trying to force the thought away. I can’t control myself around Lorelai, not that I particularly want to, but this evening is not the time. She’s tired after that journey, and in a brand-new place, a place that may trigger her rage at any given moment.
Not tonight. Not unless she provokes me.
Before I know it, we’re standing in front of the door to the advisor’s suite – my suite. I open it, guiding Lorelai inside as I see a familiar shadow standing at the end of the hall. I jerk my chin at the servant who runs this wing, motioning him over as I hear Lorelai take a sharp inhale.
18
LORELAI
Ihave to consciously keep my jaw from dropping as I look around the room – if it can be called that – that Slyth and I are staying in. It’s probably ten times the size of my little hole in the woods. But even compared to normal buildings, it is massive, and the wealth drips off of every wall and fixture.
“Bring it straight up,” Slyth says behind me, and I turn to see a servant nodding as he slips away. Slyth shuts the door, and I quickly turn away.
I move about the room, hesitantly touching the walls, which are expertly crafted. Windows adorn one wall and there is a great view of the city beyond.
“Enjoying the view?”
I jerk around, trying to keep my features schooled into a cool mask as I face Slyth. But there is a knowing smirk on his face, and I realize that I haven’t been hiding my amazement all that well.
“It’s… nice.” I shrug one shoulder, and his grin only grows wider.
He gestures to a small door on the opposite side of the room. “Come on.”
Curiosity gets the better of me, and I start to follow him. His tail comes up to press on my lower back and guide me to his side as he jerks open the door.
This time, I lose all sense of myself. My jaw drops open as I take in what I know now is a bathroom. It’s nearly as big as the room with natural light from the moon pouring in from windows high up along the walls.
Two basins are fixed to the wall, and I blink at the pipes that jut out above them. “You can fetch water whenever you please?” I ask, shaking my head.
Slyth’s smirk deepens. “Naga have learned to engineer a better way of life instead of using magic like the dark elves.” His words are filled with pride, and I notice he puffs his chest out a little more.
He steps away from me, his tail sliding over my hip in a soft caress, and I fight to ignore the excitement that pounds through me at the touch. I’m so caught up in it, though, that I don’t register what he’s doing at first until water starts pouring out above the bath.
I blink, staring at what looks like steam coming off the water. Surely, they don’t havehotwater here.
Stepping forward, I stick my hand under the pipe, stunned at the warmth caressing my hand. I’m stunned, and I know it is written across my face.
