Page 212 of Lady of Starfire

He leaned over her, reaching out and cupping the back of her head as he brushed a lingering kiss across her lips. “There is. I’ll fuck you on top of all the gold later.”

Razik moved to climb out of the bed, and she gripped his forearm. “Where are you going?”

“To get you food. You’re restless.”

“I’m not—”

Okay, yeah, she was both restless and hungry.

She watched as he made his way over to the kitchen area, opening the icebox and pulling out various items.

“Do you always cook naked?” she asked, sitting fully upright.

He glanced up at her before he went back to what he was doing. “It’s my cave.”

Eliza hauled herself up and out of the bed, dragging on one of his tunics as she crossed the space. Then she hopped up on the counter, the surface cold against her bare ass through his shirt, and watched as he chopped an onion and pepper.

His eyes flicked to hers for a brief moment. “People eat on this counter.”

“Shut up,” she grumbled, drawing her sweeping curls over her shoulder.

He was dumping the onions and peppers into a pan with eggs and moving it over a small flame on the stove when she said, “Razik?”

“What?” he asked, reaching for a utensil to flip the eggs.

“What doesmai dragocenmean?”

He went completely still, keeping his back to her. She had slid her hands into the sleeves of his tunic, curling her fingers around the end.

“That was the deal, right?” she asked, her tone soft and small. “I tell you of the Curse Mark, and you tell me what that name means?”

“It is a term from Nordrir,” he answered after a long stretch of silence. “That world was once inhabited by dragon shifters. Or so I have read.”

She said nothing as he flipped the eggs he was making.

“My penchant for collecting treasure is nothing compared to a full-blooded dragon shifter. But their most valued treasure? It was calleddragocen.Maiis a variation of ‘mine’ in that language, and while they do not have twin flames, they do have mates. They called their matesmai dragocen.My most treasured. It was a sacred term to them, only used between mates.”

Eliza could hardly speak around the emotion clogging her throat. “That is why Tybalt reacted strangely when I asked him of it.”

Razik didn’t say anything else as he plated the eggs and sautéed vegetables. Finally turning to face her, he set the plates off to the side before he planted his hands on either side of her, caging her between his large frame.

“It was not something I called you lightly,” he said. “It was not something I would have called you unless it was true.”

“The only place I do not need my armor,” she whispered, her hand coming up to cup his cheek, eyes searching his.

“Never with me,mai dragocen.”

Chapter38

Cyrus

“This is the Black Syndicate?” Cyrus asked, taking in the various shops and buildings along the main street Cassius was leading him down.

Their faces were hidden deep within hoods, but he felt Cassius look over at him. “What were you expecting?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. Something more sinister? I’ve only been here in the dark when we came in to get you and Scarlett. Didn’t really have time to take in the sights. It’s so…nice. Not like a place where the foulest of the realm are trained and then released to wreak havoc.”

He could practically hear Cass’s eye roll. “Come on,” he murmured, steering him to a side street.

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