Page 71 of Under the Lion Star

“It was Orin,” his voice sounded as if someone was strangling him.

My eyes widened in shock, but I said nothing.

“Sanna sent us letters,” he held his head in his hands. “The morning after she found our parents, she wrote to Orin and me, telling us we needed to come home.”

He looked up, his eyes rimmed with red as he stared into me, silently pleading with me to understand.

“I wasn’t near Orin at the time, or I would have gone to get him straight away. But I knew Liras was with him. I figured that he would make sure Orin got back to Galvord,” Leor let out a humorless laugh. “In the end, I suppose he did.”

“What happened?”

“All I know is what Liras told me, given my brother has only recently spoken at all,” he sighed. “But Orin took off when he read the letter. Liras didn’t chase him down, and I can’t fault him for that. It’s something we both do, self-isolate. Liras probably assumed Orin just needed to clear his head.”

Leor opened his hands in front of him, studying his empty palms.

“But Orin didn’t come back,” he continued his tone tight with emotion. “Liras went to look for him after a few hours, but Orin knows how to hide his tracks well, and it took Liras two days to find where he had gone. In the note, Sanna mentioned that the assassins got away, sneaking south toward the Garam Sea. I think that made Orin assume they were in Keldsfen, given it’s the only major town along the water that Fjorn hadn’t already taken.”

“He wanted revenge,” I supplied, rubbing my hand up Leor’s spine.

“Liras found the town burning. The things he saw, Z,” Leor pressed his eyes closed. “Bodies littering the street. Even women. I’ve never known Orin to harm a woman, Z. Ever.”

“The witness?” I asked.

“I knew nothing about that. I don’t think Liras did, either. When he found Orin, the entire town had been slaughtered. My brother was lying on the docks, completely catatonic and muttering to himself. So, Liras dragged him into a small boat and rowed him across the Garam Sea. He stole a cart out of Hinterholm and wheeled him through the forest until he reached Galvord.”

“Leor, it takes us nearly eight hours to cross the sea on a massive ship,” I said in disbelief.

“Liras and Orin share something deeper than friendship, deeper than family. They’d do anything for each other,” he shook his head. “But he shouldn’t have had to. I should’ve been there. I should've gone to Orin as soon as I got that letter.”

“You couldn’t have known,” I offered.

“Liras snuck him into the back entrance of the castle after dragging him across the realm for two days,” Leor frowned. “Orin just kept saying ‘violet eyes’ over and over again but eventually fell asleep. When he woke, he was just gone. Like when you first met him.”

“You can’t tell Doran,” I said in a panic, remembering their earlier conversation. “Orin isn’t a threat to anyone.”

“I have no plan to. Orin has always had an anger issue, but it’s usually discerning,” he sighed. “I just… I wanted you to know.”

“Thank you for telling me,” I whispered. “For trusting me.”

“I trust you more than anyone else,” he sat up straighter, running his hand through my hair. “With my life.”

His mouth met mine, but it was soft. Tentative. As if he wasn’t sure what my reaction would be. When I answered with more vigor, sliding my tongue across his lower lip, he fisted the hand in my hair and tilted my head back.

His lips alternated with light grazes of his teeth down my jaw and neck, his other hand gripping my hip tightly. I moaned when he slid his tongue into my mouth, pressing me back until I was lying flat on the bed.

“I need you naked,” he murmured against my lips, working to unlace the front of my dress.

“You first,” I countered.

He pulled back, giving me a cocky smirk before he stood and quickly disrobed. His hand snatched mine, pulling me to stand in front of him as he worked to remove each article of my clothing. All I could do was stare at his length, which hung heavily between his muscled thighs.

My eyes darted between him and his cock, causing his smirk to grow more as my mouth hung open.

“It’ll fit,” he supplied. “We’ll make it fit.”

I reached out to grasp it, my eyes fluttering closed at the weight in my hands.

“Ah, ah,” Leor gripped my wrist, pulling my hand away. “You first.”

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