Chapter 35
KYE WAS NEARLY at the ruin when another question occurred to her. And it was the first thing she asked when she got into his quarters, after going through the motions of requesting entry, as everyone had to do. A standing order she understood a lot better now, given he needed to be sure his disguise was always in place. And an order she still complied with; until they had decided what to do, she kept to the routine. And when she was in front of him in his quarters, she asked her question.
“So where did Eirlys think you were, those times when you left the twins to her?”
He didn’t seem startled by the question. Perhaps he’d gotten used to them, for she’d had a lot once she’d gotten over the initial shock. And once she’d realized he would, for the most part, answer them for her.
But he did look slightly uncomfortable.
“Where?” she repeated, truly curious now.
He grimaced. “I believe she thought I was visiting Sanguine.”
Kye’s brows shot upward. For the neighborhood of Sanguine was known for only one thing: paid companionship. Mating for hire, to put it more bluntly.
“And why,” she asked, “would she think that?”
He gave her a sideways look. “I have, in fact.”
Something made her hold back the words that leapt to her lips at that. She knew him, and knew there had to be more to this. She thought for a moment. And then smiled.
“I would guess,” she said slowly, “that the women of Sanguine sometimes hear some interesting things.”
The smile he gave her in return was payment enough for her forbearance. “Yes, they do. And they care about Ziem, more than some others I could name.”
“Barkhound comes to mind.”
“Indeed.”
“So Eirlys thought . . .”
“Yes. It seemed the only likely thing she would believe, so I let her believe it.” The grimace again. “Besides, she thought the women of Sanguine were the only ones who’d have a coward like me anyway.”
“And wouldn’t they just be pleasantly surprised?” she asked archly.
He looked so startled even the mask couldn’t hide it. And she remembered when he had offered to remove the mask when they were alone, so she would not have to look at or touch such a disfigured man.
I love you in all your forms. Have I not proven that?
Her answer had driven him a little bit wild, and when they’d withdrawn to the alcove, he’d let go of all boundaries, and driven her so wild in turn it had been all she could do not to scream with the bursting pleasure of it. Only the knowledge that there were many of the Sentinels close by had halted it. So instead, she had turned the suppressed cries into physical release, clawing at him, writhing beneath him, digging her fingers into the solid, powerful muscles of his back and shoulders until he drove deep one last time and she heard his own barely-stifled exclamation. And afterward she kissed away the blood from his lip, where he had bitten it to keep from shouting her name.
“Dear Eos, do not look at me like that, Kye. Or I will take you right here on this table.”
His voice was breathless, his jaw tight. And the shudder his words and the image they painted sent through her was fierce. And visible; she did nothing to try and hide it. He groaned, took a step toward her. She reached for him.
Then he stopped. Swore under his breath.
“Pryl will be here in a few minutes.”
“Then I will hold that thought close. And clear the table.”
He groaned, and she saw his fists clench. It pleased her to know he felt the need as strongly as she did. It quickened her breath, and the rise and fall of her breasts, the friction of the fabric of her tunic against nipples aching for his touch, his mouth, nearly made her echo his groan.
But the thought of her tunic reminded her of what was in its hidden pocket.
“I did come for a reason,” she said.
“Is not driving me out of my mind reason enough?” he asked, his voice harsh.
“Yes,” she admitted. “Although I believe it’s only fair to point out that thoughts of you drove me mad first.”
She heard him swear again, and his jaw tightened as he turned his eyes upward as if looking for help. It may have taken him a while to let down the Raider’s barriers, but once he did, he did it wholeheartedly. And she smiled inwardly as she pulled out the card.
“I brought you this,” she said.
He gave a last shake of his head and then took it, his brow furrowing as he recognized it. “A Coalition pass card?”
“With the password.”
“How did you come by this?”
“That’s for later. The best part is who owns it.”
“Oh?”
At his raised brow she grinned. “The sentry at Barcon’s office.”
His eyes widened. His gaze shifted back to the card.
“Well, now,” he said, and only in that moment did she realize where she herself had picked up the phrase. Well, now. . . . She’d thought the exact same thing upon getting this information.
“Yes,” she agreed, still grinning.
“You know it’s not likely he has anything of use to the Sentinels in there.”
“And who cares?”
He raised a brow at her again.
“He has things he has no right to. Things he’s taken from the people of Ziem. Things he’s purloined from the dead, for Eos’s sake. Would it not be worth it for the sheer pleasure of taking whatever the pretentious blowpig does have?”
She saw his mouth quirk. Saw him fight it. But then the grin broke out. Even beneath the mask of scars it was potent. To her, at least.
“Indeed it would.”
They laughed together, and she thought in that moment her heart had never been so full.
“There is one problem,” she said reluctantly.
“I assumed there would be.”
“We’ve only got until six in the morning. That’s when the owner will likely discover it missing.”
“Time enough,” he said mildly, not at all rattled. And for a moment, she allowed herself to marvel anew at the man Drake had become. “And now,” he said in the same mild tone, “the rest of the tale of how you acquired this?”
She sighed, knowing there was no way to put it off any longer. “I got it from the twins.”
He went still, and she hastily explained what they’d told her. When she’d finished, he closed his eyes and let out a compressed breath. “They’ll be the death of me, those two,” he muttered.
And for an instant, the world seemed normal to her, and Drake no different than any adult responsible for two imps who could not stay out of trouble.
But then all the other, much more likely things that would be the death of him came flooding back, and the moment evaporated.
He tapped the card against his fingers, much as she had. And then he walked to the door and pulled it open.
“Teal!”
The younger Harkin brother was there quickly. “Sir?”
“We need a diversion,” he said. “In town. West side of the compound. Can you come up with something in the next couple of hours?”
A wide grin split the man’s face. This was his favorite thing to do, since it usually involved blowing something up. “Aye, sir. I can manage that.”
As the man hustled off, he turned to the table and pulled something out from under the canvas of the map. He held it out to her. She took it automatically, before she realized what it was. When she did, she stared at it, then at him.
“I came across it among Samac Rahan’s things. I do not think he would have minded.”
Her gaze dropped to the book of drawing paper. It was nearly full, only a few sheets missing. In the Coalition world, this was a treasure worth more than coin. At least, to her, since it was harder to get.
“It seemed only fair, since I made you burn your last two,” he said.
She looked up at him again, fighting the emotions that welled up inside her. That he knew this, that he understood what it would mean to her, meant more than she could possibly explain. She wanted to throw herself at him, hug him fiercely, but as usual, there were other demands that came first.
“Thank you,” she said, barely managing the husky words through her tight throat.
He smiled, a personal, intimate sort of smile, as if he’d heard everything she hadn’t said.
“It will help with something I was thinking about,” she said.
“What?”
“I was thinking to design a commemoration of some sort. For those who have sacrificed, as he did. Something we could put up somewhere, so none of us ever forget who we’ve lost.”
“A wall of honor,” he said softly, voicing perfectly what she’d been trying to express.
“Yes. Yes, exactly that.”
“It is a good idea, a wonderful thought, Kye.” His smile warmed her in yet another new way. “Perhaps even something more, if you could. Something for those they leave behind, to have and hold.”
“A medal of some sort?” She liked the idea.
“If you could draw it, Brander could devise it.”
“Yes. Of course. We could call it the Rahan,” she suggested.
His gaze went warmer still. He reached out, cupped her cheek. “And this is why I love my tough, hardened warrior.”
It was a long moment before she could force herself back to the matter at hand.
“I’d better get started back down, if I’m to be in place before Teal wreaks whatever havoc he comes up with.”
She saw the shadow flit across his face, as it always did whenever she did anything with the slightest risk. But he kept to his word once more and said nothing, did not hesitate, or worse, forbid her what was her right. “Yes.”
“A second set of hands and eyes might be worthwhile,” she said as she considered the building she was about to breach.
“Yes.”
“Who should I take?”
“Me.”
She blinked. “No,” she said, finding herself in the odd position of being the one to forbid. “This is too small, merely an annoyance raid, to strike at Barcon.”
“It is personal,” he agreed. “A chance to hit the man who handed our world over to the Coalition. And who is directly responsible for the deaths of my parents. No one else would be as invested in this as I am.”
She hadn’t thought of it quite that way. And as much as she hated the idea of the Raider risking himself on such a small foray, she could not argue his reasons.
“Besides,” he said, “don’t forget Barcon’s office was once my father’s.”
She had forgotten that. And how Barcon had gloated that he now occupied the office once held by the vaunted Torstan Davorin. No wonder Drake insisted on taking this chance to strike back. And he would know the inside of that building better than she, or probably anyone else would.
She didn’t like the idea of the Raider risking himself for what was essentially symbolism. But he had not quibbled over her going, and he had more reason even than she to want to strike this blow, so she would return the favor.
“Us, then,” she said.
“Yes. Us.”
And in the glance they exchanged was much more than a simple mission plan.