Page 49 of The Empty Throne

The layers of dust somehow made it creepier.He'd hired servants to properly close up the house, but they hadobviously skipped this room. Kite couldn't blame them.

Something nagged him. Whatever they werelooking for, it washere. He just had to find it.

Leaving the doorway, he stepped into thecenter of the room. There wasn't really much to it. The walls werecovered in wide stripes of red and darker red, the ceiling paintedblack to make everything feel even smaller. Against the far wall,framing the window that looked out on the ocean-facing side of themanor, were two large, heavy bookcases. On the left wall were twolarge paintings that formed a diptych of a giant sea monster, blackand green with too many glowing eyes, dragging an enormous shipdown into the depths. The details were stunning—and brutal.

Opposite them was a single large painting asbig as the first two combined. Too big and awkward to hide a secretpassage, though he'd checked all the same. This painting was evenmore violent than the diptych, showing a dark cavern lit by strangeglowing plants that cast light on corpses, skeletons, chests ofgold, and all manor of detritus left by the explorers who'dventured too far and died.

Kite was starting to think Bittersea hadnothing on his relatives.

He turned away from the creepy paintings.Below the cave painting was a small table, set with a ratherostentatious candelabra in the middle and black and gold figurineson either side, each of some creature he didn't recognize. Moremade-up monsters, probably. The one certainly had enough damnneedle teeth.

Next to the door was a small sofa, black withdark red detailing, and an ebony table in front of it, the dustacross it undisturbed, like a wispy tablecloth. Between thebookcases, right in front of the window, was a plush reading chairthat would have been fantastic to sit or sprawl in for hours, feetpropped up on the ottoman shoved beneath it out of the way. If theroom weren't so ugly and creepy, it would make the ideal readingroom.

From the ceiling hung a surprisingly plainchandelier intended for mage lights, a showy expense typical of allfour Houses.

Damn it, he wanted to stamp his foot infrustration.

"I had a feeling I'd find you here."

Kite snapped around, maybe startling a bit,and huffed as Lysa stepped into the room. As always seemed to bethe case, he was utterly distracting, even in the face of creepy,mysterious rooms. His auburn hair had grown just a bit in theirtravels, hinting at the curls it would have if allowed to lengthen.Strangely, the cuts through his eyebrows were still razor perfect.Beneath his right eye, those three blue lines drew attention,making him want to move closer, touch them, even though Kite knewthey'd feel no different than the rest of his skin.

He couldn't deny he'd love to know how softLysa's skin was, how warm.

Shatar, he was out of his damned mind,lusting after a cursed, abused man thirteen years his junior. Whilethey were trying to save his fucking life. Kite scrubbed a handdown his face. "I don't think I'll sleep until I figure out whythis room bothers me."

Lysa's brows lifted.

"Beyond the obvious," Kite added.

Smiling faintly, Lysa joined him in themiddle of the room. They'd scrounged up wash basins, soap and morea couple of days ago, and he still smelled faintly of orangeblossoms and honeysuckle. Kite turned slightly away before he didor said something stupid.

They were running out of time. The spellskeeping Lysa's curse at bay were burning away with increasingrapidity. Who knew what kind of problems were occurring back home.Sobeki could handle them, but he shouldn't have to handle themalone.

"What do you think?" he asked. "Am I losingmy mind?"

"I think if something is calling to you thishard, we should trust that instinct. The subconscious mindfrequently sees things the conscious mind doesn't. It's finding thedetail that will allow the two parts to come together."

"What is the point of a subconscious mind,"Kite muttered. "That's not at all useful."

"There is more information in the world thanwe can handle at once, so much of it is filtered. Sometimes thatcauses disconnects. So is the latest and most popular theory,anyway."

Kite grunted and turned in a circle to lookthe room over again. "Well, I wish they would reconnect so I couldat least get some damned sleep."

Lysa laughed. "A good night's sleep would bewonderful."

Kite winced inwardly at how selfish he mustsound, complaining about his restless mind when Lysa was dealingwith actual crippling pain and fear of an agonizing death if theyfailed.

"That wasn't a reprimand or anything," Lysasaid, seeming to follow his thoughts. "I think all of us would liketo be home." Sadness fell over his face, probably at remembering hedidn'thavea home anymore.

"You're welcome to remain in Cremisio—atCremin, if you want. If there's somewhere you want to go, I'llensure you have all you need for a comfortable journey." He lickedhis lips. "You and Sobeki seem like you would get along, both beingsuch ardent scholars."

Lysa flushed. "Whatever my scholar marks, Iam leagues behind someone as accomplished as Lord Myre." He laughedself-deprecatingly, looking away to stare unseeing at the uglydiptych. "Unlike me, he earned his skills and acclaim. I wouldnever dare inconvenience him with my presence."

Anger coursed through Kite, as hot and sharpas a heated blade. He moved without thought, cupping Lysa's facebetween his hands, forcing him to look up, the scent of honeysuckleand orange blossoms washing over him, as sweet the man who wore it."You could never be an inconvenience. Whatever you say, I believewith all of me that you earned those marks you wear. You clearlywould accept nothing less from yourself. I'm sorry to speak ill ofyour father—" not even a little bit "—but he's an abusive bastardwho does not deserve the son gifted to him. Getting away from anabuser is one of the scariest and most difficult things a personcan do. Not only did you do that, but while enduring an agonizing,deadly curse. And you did it by fleeing into enemy territory. Donot disparage yourself."

Lysa's teeth sank into his bottom lip, andKite realized abruptly just how much he was encroaching. He let goand stepped hastily back. "My apologies, I'm no better than yourfather."

"No better—" Lysa laughed, a genuine, joyful,and amused sound. He was absolutely beautiful that way. Fuck, Kitewas a fool. "Your Highness, you took care of me even when I was aprisoner, saved my life, and are quite literally risking yourentire kingdom to help me. In the midst of trying to do that, youstill find time to comfort me, for no real reason at all. You couldnot be more the opposite of my father if you tried." His laughtercalmed into a soft, rueful smile. "Standing in the world's ugliestroom being cheered up by my father's greatest enemy is not how Ithought my escape would go."

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