8. Chapter 8

Chapter eight

Kamir was still struggling to let go of Tsaria, even when he was shown to the Cadmeeran palace’s medical area run by a very competent master healer called Laronne. Jael was being checked over in the next room with Tam keeping him company.

“Your Highness,” Laronne bowed. “I cannot examine your bond mate without—”

But Kamir’s gasp silenced him and his arms trembled, not with the weight of Tsaria, but the weight of his words. Bond mate.

“Highness, are you hurt?” Laronne rushed out.

“Brother?” Veda said, gently. Soothingly, as she would to a child. “He is safe here.”

“And the pallet is big enough for two. I should know,” came a voice from the doorway. Two guards flanked the speaker, His Royal Highness King Raz’mar Kinsharae, ruler of Cadmeera.

His mate Attiker was tucked carefully into his side, almost as if there was a real danger that Raz—as he was known to his friends—was somehow going to misplace him on the short walk from the royal apartments to the healing area. Feeling foolish, Kamir bent and very gently laid Tsaria on the bed. He had slept fitfully the whole journey and had said nothing.

“That wasn’t a joke,” Attiker said, freeing himself from Raz. “Scoot up on the bed. He will feel better if he wakes up by your side, especially as you are bond mates.”

Kamir sighed, even relieved as he was to see his friends, and much as he ached to do just that, he knew he couldn’t. “I doubt it. He thinks I am a monster.”

Raz frowned. “Because of your animal?”

“I wish it were that simple,” Kamir whispered, carefully tucking a stray strand of hair behind Tsaria’s still-bruised face. “His introduction to me was after he endured torture in the palace dungeons when originally brought to the coronation as a pleasure slave.” How he must hate me.

“And he’ll get over it,” Attiker pronounced confidently. “Raz had me arrested, after all.”

Raz sent his mate a loving smile. “It didn’t seem to stop you doing anything, though. I’ve been tempted to lock you up many times since.”

Attiker scoffed. “Try to and I’ll set Grandmother on you.” Kamir watched in fascination as the ruler of at least five hundred thousand people, and the commander of all Cadmeera’s army, paled at that threat. Veda chuckled and kissed Attiker’s cheek, then sketched a cheeky bow to Raz.

“I need a bath, brother, and food,” she said, turning back to glance at Kamir. “You are both in good hands.”

“And I believe you may find a surprise in your regular bedchamber, princess,” Attiker murmured. His sister shot out of there so fast even Kamir wanted to laugh, knowing what, or in fact who , would be waiting for her. He didn’t, though. Not until Tsaria opened his eyes and didn’t look at him with hate or fear, or the other hundreds of things he was imagining.

“Your Highness,” Laronne murmured, and Kamir obeyed the hand wave and scooted up on the pallet, close enough to be touching Tsaria, but giving the healer room to work. Raz and the guards took themselves away to give them a little privacy. Attiker offered to remove himself as well, but truthfully Kamir needed his friend there. Laronne’s examination was careful and efficient. “He’s underweight, as I’m sure you are aware, and has signs of recent forced captivity and subsequent injury.” Laronne carefully examined the abrasions on his wrists and ankle and Kamir wanted to weep. That he was subjected to torture while Kamir slept safely in his own bed was enough to make him want to vomit. “The head wound isn’t serious, and I believe it’s simply shock that’s keeping him asleep.” Laronne looked up. “Rest and good food will be all that is required.”

Attiker beamed. “I will have food brought in, assuming you want to stay in here tonight, Highness ?”

Kamir sighed and sent Attiker a level look and Attiker smirked. “You might have changed your mind about how you wish to be addressed.”

“Attiker,” Kamir said with more patience than he thought he had. “You saved my life. Eldara saved it a second time. I thought we were past all the titles.”

He shrugged. “She enjoyed herself. I think she wished she had gotten more of a fight. Her mate is keeping her a little too close for her liking at the moment. Then, how about you stay here tonight so Laronne is close, then we can move you to a suite tomorrow? I can have servants sent to assist you to bathe—”

A commotion at the door had Attiker moving quickly and producing a knife that Kamir had no idea where from, and then an older soldier stepped into the room. “Sire, his highness’s manservant—”

“Mansala?” Kamir blurted out. “Please, let him in.” Somehow, they had gotten separated.

Mansala appeared, looking like he was ready to fight everyone for access, and crossed, bowing to Kamir, who was still sitting up.

“I am safe.” Kamir assured him. He watched as Mansala glanced at Tsaria.

“There is an anteroom which can easily hold another pallet,” Attiker said. “I will have food brought, as I said, but there is a large bathing chamber through there and if you will give me a few moments, I will arrange clean clothes for you all.” Attiker turned and patted the older soldier on the arm. “Come on Ash, let’s leave them be.” He turned back. “We would love to see you two tomorrow. I can’t wait to introduce you to Grandmother’s elderberry scones, assuming Candy and Flynn don’t eat them all.”

Kamir watched them go. Candy and Flynn were their adopted children, but he’d only met them briefly. Mansala stationed himself at the door, checking every servant that wanted access to either prepare baths or bring food. Tam had taken Jael to his own rooms to eat.

Kamir quickly took a trip to the bathing room. He longed for a bath even though he was relatively clean, but he had no intention of being apart from Tsaria for that long.

He rushed back into the sleeping area to see two servants setting up food and waited until they left. “You should eat,” Kamir said to Mansala.

“I have my own in my room,” Mansala assured him. “I thought you might need help to settle his highness.”

For a moment Kamir had no idea what Mansala meant and then the words bond mate hit him again, and he realized Mansala had made the same assumption, and Goddess, he hoped it was true. Kamir desperately wanted to keep the beautiful man; unfortunately, the beautiful man might simply not want to be kept.

Kamir shook his head. “Go rest and eat. If I need help, I will summon you.”

“You are sure, Highness?” Mansala looked doubtful.

“He will not injure me,” Kamir said. Hurt his heart, possibly, as Kamir undoubtedly deserved, but not injure him.

What neither his highness nor the servant knew was that Tsaria had awoken a few moments ago and was maintaining the ruse while he worked out a way to get to Jael so they could both escape. He assumed they were in Cadmeera as his highness had told him that’s where they were going, but he had no idea why he was with the emir. He was glad to warrant a bed and assumed by the faint scent of salve that a healer had tended to him, but he was at a loss to understand why he was here. Unless it was because they thought he was somehow responsible for the dragon. Was that what a bond mate was? He wasn’t completely sure what that meant.

“You are safe.”

He opened his eyes, knowing the words were spoken to him and that the emir knew he was awake. He stared into the golden amber eyes and mapped the rest of him. They were similar in height. His highness had a few more defined muscles than he had before but he still didn’t look like he was being cared for. He had the same silky, straight black hair like most of their people, but his now seemed to have purple highlights. When would he have had the time to get a servant to add those? Unless Tsaria had been unconscious longer than he thought, but with the conversation he’d heard, he didn’t think so.

“Safe because I’m your prisoner?” Tsaria challenged, and his throat tightened as he saw genuine sorrow in the emir’s eyes.

“No, of course not,” the emir said. “I told you that Cadmeera would welcome you as a citizen.”

“And you?” Tsaria whispered. How did the emir feel about him? Was he welcomed? “Has your dragon appeared since?” They had held each other in the carriage so perhaps Tsaria didn’t have any effect on the emir at all. Would he be tossed aside when the emir realized that? He nearly scoffed at that. Of course he would. He wasn’t foolish enough to assume the emir wanted him for any other reason. They were so far apart in station he might as well be a sand worm, crushed beneath a beggar’s sole.

The emir’s gaze dropped. “No,” he whispered, “but that is hardly your worry.” Tsaria wasn’t sure what the emir meant. As soon as the emir realized Tsaria had no value, he would be lucky to be tossed outside the palace gates.

“Are you hungry?”

Tsaria followed his gaze and looked at the food left out, and while he was a little, he was surprised at the simple food. Small loaves and what smelled like heavenly date jam. There were cut-up vegetables to dip in some sort of paste, and purple cabbage leaves you could use to wrap a selection in and use as bread. It looked amazing and smelled even better, but Tsaria was surprised it wasn’t, well, fancier .

His highness smiled. “Raz and Attiker have made many changes to palace life. One of them being that they don’t eat in luxury while any of their people starve.”

Tsaria’s lips parted soundlessly in astonishment.

“Look,” his highness said. “I know this is scary and I know you have no reason to believe me—”

“I want to leave,” Tsaria nearly yelled as he shot up, but he wavered was as dizziness hit him. A man he recognized— Mansala—burst from the adjoining room, but the emir put up a hand to slow him.

“This is what you want?”

Tsaria nodded, even though it hurt his head.

“But Highness,” Mansala ground out.

The emir shook his head. “He has the right to his freedom,” and the emir went to the table and rang a bell. A moment later, a guard appeared, bowing. The emir smiled. “Tsaria wishes to leave the palace and his highness, the king’s consort, has granted him safe passage. I believe—”

“Sire,” and Tsaria turned to see Tam walk into the room. Tam glanced at Tsaria. “You can stay with me tonight if you want, then make a decision tomorrow.”

Tsaria inhaled quickly. Tam had saved his life.

“Jael is with me as well. I was just coming to report he has eaten and seems well,” Tam added, and that was enough incentive. Tsaria swung his legs over the side and stood but would have fallen if the emir hadn’t reached for him to steady his arm. Tsaria felt sick, but he wanted to get out of here. He yanked his arm free, and the emir retreated to the corner of the room. Tam took his arm and solemnly, they walked out. At the last second, Tsaria glanced back at the emir. His face was stoic, but his eyes were full of sorrow.

But Tsaria wasn’t foolish enough to suppose that the look was for anything other than the possibility of losing the chance that Tsaria could help him find his dragon once more.