He rolled her onto her side. Being helpless at the will of a more powerful force is a scary thing. I never liked it. You?
Kavya looked away and blinked a sheen of moisture from her eyes. You could at least tell me what you want! I can help you. Obviously you dont want to be here.
Were staying put, he said. Days will come and go. Your followers will know what Ive learnedthat youve deceived them. Wasted their hopes. He traced a finger along her cheek, down to where blood had dried on her neck. Youll witness one disappointed face at a time, until no one will ever again worship a woman named the Sun.
He retreated a few feet and crossed his legs. Kavya had stopped moving after her initial struggle. Self-preservation? Scheming? Probably both. A woman didnt rise up from dirt-strewn slums to command an army without possessing canny skills.
The Sun was no idiot.
She wasnt the goddess of his dreams. Neither was she the plain, almost anonymous orator.
Instead she was able to gather ready-made inspiration straight from her followers minds. En masse. How did she do that? What if she had the power to affect other Dragon Kings the way shed manipulated him? Her influence could be catastrophic. Not even the Honorable Giva, the leader of the Five Clans, could compete with such a rival.
No Indranan should have that much power. No one should.
So he stared. And she did. As the hours passed, they played poker with their gazes.
You might as well sleep. His voice was rough, especially since his last words to her had been filled with such bile. He was going to hate her for a very long time. You would have rested before your announcement.
Light blazed in her brown eyes, as if mountains could glow. No, I wouldve been walking among my people, making sure the agreement Ive helped broker remains secure. You have no idea whats at stake today.
Youre probably right, he said flippantly.
She pushed her feet against the hard ground, found purchase, and struggled to sit up. The hemp rope creaked. The effort to appear strong for prides sake must have cost her body. Kneeling on her heels, with her hair a mess around her heart-shaped face, she raised her chin. Tallis was perturbed by his unconscious reaction, because that subtle movement chastened him without a word.
Why did he keep underestimating her? Maybe he remained susceptible to her waysnot to her telepathy, but to her natural charisma. He couldnt find a strong line between the two, which was disturbing as hell.
You are a bigot and a troublemaker, she said with a voice made of bells and iron. Some petty slight has brought this injustice on me. Youre going to ruin everything.
Her expression hardened. Nothing overt. Eyes that had been passive took on a cold distance. Her mouth was shaped by voluptuous lips that pressed into a fixed line. Her hair was noticeably longer nowdark, with caramel streaks that highlighted its thick richness. Even her cheekbones seemed higher and more exotic. The anonymous image shed presented on the altar was completely gone. Talliss memory of it lingered like having looked at the sun before closing his eyes, still seeing the image behind his eyelids.
Your slights have not been petty, he grated out.
How do you know I havent been contacting my people for the last few hours, telling them to lie in wait for you?
Ill take that chance. Ive been taking it. He grinned, which actually made her flinch. The Pendray werent very guarded with their expressions, and hed lived in the human world for years. He liked the freedom of making his feelings known without language. That also meant being able to surprise Dragon Kings, who never expected such animation from their own kind. Youve been too distracted. At best, youve been successful and Ill find out soon enough. But I think you suffer from the illusion youve created. How many would know your genuine call of distress?
He shifted onto his knees before leaning down to kiss her cheek. Softly. Innocently. The touch was nothing more impassioned than a man might bestow on a sister.
The telltale hitch of her unsteady breath gave her away, despite how quickly she reclaimed her composure. He smiled. How often
were Indranan surprised?
She smelled of the thin, cold Himalayan wind. She was warm beneath his lips when he kissed her againan impression he could trust. Her shiver was honest, too. The Sun wouldve concealed that weakness had she been able.
My seaxes didnt intimidate you as much as when I held your waist, he whispered against her temple. Violence wont keep your mind occupied. But I can.
He traced his tongue along the line of her jaw. His stir of reaction was not surprising. His people had always been base and earthy, and shed been tempting him for years. Now . . .
Now he knew how she tasted.
I intend to use every method I can to make sure your thoughts remain right here, in this tent. With me.
This man, Tallis, was as intimidating as he was impossible to understand. He spoke in riddles. Being unable to skim his thoughts was pure frustration, like attempting to see through granite or hear a pin drop halfway around the world. Shed tried to find her bodyguards among a multitude of Indranan thoughts, but so many wore Masksmental distortion blocks to protect them from being detected by prowling siblings.