Page 79 of The Sundered Realms

“I do mean it, though,” Vhannor said seriously.

For the first time, when the priest returned his gaze, his expression was utterly serious. “Thank you for visiting.”

He’d wanted to help, but the rules of his faith prevented him from doing so without an exchange. Liris liked the priest a lot better than she had when they’d started.

She was growing correspondingly angrier at Vhannor.

“You’ll be okay?” Vhannor confirmed. “Jadrhun will know we talked.”

He shrugged. “He won’t sacrifice a resource if he doesn’t have to.” Neroth’s smile twisted. “That’s how you know I really don’t know the crucial parts of his plan.”

Because then Jadrhun would have killed him, neutrality or not? That put ‘big’ on another level. If Jadrhun didn’t think he’d need neutral parties...

He wasn’t planning to leave anyone behind who could stop him.

Neroth came forward again, one hand raised like a knife in front of him. He bowed lightly to Vhannor, kissed the fingers on his other hand, and set them on the Lord of Embhullor’s forehead.

“Blessings of the Forgotten on your quest, seeker,” Neroth said. Vhannor inclined his head in response, and the priest came to Liris next.

This time he made a point of taking his time with the kiss—leaning in to deliver the benediction slowly, giving Liris time to back away if she was uncomfortable with the game, all the while holding her gaze and filling his with heat.

Liris shook with suppressed laughter. “I’ll bring you some oil next time. Enough for your gleaming chest and your powerful... arms.”

The priest grinned. “I’m delighted you noticed my natural glow. It’s all worthwhile, now.”

“Oh, it was my pleasure,” Liris said as Neroth snickered. “My name is Liris, by the way.”

“Liris.” Neroth bowed. When he looked up, his eyes gleamed wickedly. “The pleasure is all mine.”

When she’d shut the doors behind them, Liris followed Vhannor as far as the steps.

Then she sat down before she lost her nerve and waited for him to notice.

He turned back instantly, which meant he’d at least listened to Shry about that.

“You want to do this now?” Vhannor asked.

“At the doorway to a neutrality seems like as good a place as any,” Liris said. “I thought it could wait before, since it’s not like I’m actually excited for you to tell me I’m a moron, and I was clearly wrong. So yeah. Now.”

Vhannor ran a hand over his head, then pulled up his spell pad again. “I’ll show you this one later—it’s for silence,” he said as he sketched. “You’re not trapped. If you choose to walk away from me, you’ll be out of it without needing to dispel at all.”

“I know that one already.”

He nodded crisply, then squared his shoulders. Swallowed. “I could not have done that without you,” he said quietly.

Of all the places she’d thought this would start, that wasn’t it.

“I know,” Liris said.

Vhannor let out a breath. “I can’t believe how close Shry came in there to blowing everything.”

“Excuse you?” Liris surged to her feet. “Shry is not the one who was the biggest liability in there.”

His head jerked back up, her words hitting him like a slap.

Liris snapped, “The next time you want to yell at me, don’t take your anger out on someone else.”

”I don’t want to yell at you.”

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