Page 45 of An Honored Vow

Kairn licked his lips hungrily and nodded. He crossed the dance floor in three strides and grabbed me by the waist like he was picking up a bale of hay. He did not bow before the music began nor did he keep a respectable distance between our bodies as we twirled around the dance floor. I glanced around the room and saw that all the men were acting the same, draping their partners over themselves in a fashion that would never have been allowed with noble ladies. Not even in Damien’s dingiest of after parties.

The courtesans laughed and giggled, well-practiced in the art of making men believe they were enjoying their company. I was glad that this would be their last night of play-acting they would have to suffer through.

“Are you feeling better, sire?” Kairn’s steps were sluggish, but I didn’t know if that was the sleeping draught making its way through his body or just a lack of grace.

He grunted but said nothing.

“Such a shame that the king could not join us,” I pushed. I couldn’t pull words out of men easily like Dynara. At least not without my knives. But I had to try. If the pendant on his chest was concealing some kind of weapon, I needed to know. Preferably before the room went up in flames.

Kairn sniffed loudly. “The king has more important matters than attending parties.”

“You’re the second most important man in the kingdom and yet you’re here.” I batted my lashes and my pulse raced, fearing I had laid the flattery on too thick. “Who will protect him from an attack if you are not by his side?”

Kairn’s scarred lip pursed. “The Arsenal is not his personal guard. We do not travel with the king.”

“We?” I raised a brow. “Are your brethren here? I’m sure we could find them escorts that would please them.”

Kairn shook his head. “The Arsenal does not travel together. The kingdom is best protected if our strength is spread across the entire continent.” He grinned, evidently believing his rehearsed speech made him sound more important than he was. But there was something interesting in those words. That hadn’t been how the Arsenal operated when I was Blade. Damien must have made changes for a reason.

“I’m sure my sisters would feel safer with as many of you in the city as possible.” I feigned a look of panic and leaned closer to him to whisper. “We are all terrified those monsters will come from the clouds and roast everyone in the city alive.”

Kairn pulled me against him. “No need to worry about that.” He stuck out his chest like a mating bird. I would have written it off as a poor attempt of wooing, but Kairn’s black eye flashed and the amber pupil was no longer a perfect circle.

There were three of us in this dance now.

It could have been a coincidence, but I think something in Kairn’s words triggered Damien’s worry. Perhaps my gut feeling about the pendant had not been as outlandish as I’d thought.

I waited three seconds. If Damien had recognized me through the glamour, Kairn would have already shoved his sword through my throat, but his eyes were anchored to my breasts. It would be a shame to burn such a lovely bodice, but I already knew I could never stomach wearing it again now that his hands had touched it.

I forced down the urge to vomit as I stroked Kairn’s cheek. “What takes more bravery? Fighting off one of thewaateyshirakor defending us from the Elves in the west?”

Kairn’s eyes narrowed. I watched the amber pupil shift from the sideline of my vision as I trailed my hand down Kairn’s chest and toyed with his belt.

He grinned. “Those Elves are nothing compared to the shadowy beasts. Our armies will take care of them soon enough.”

“They’ve lived so long. Has that not made them good fighters?” I pressed my chest into his, and it had the exact effect I’d intended.

Kairn’s jaw went slack as he stared. Then he straightened as the crescendo hit its peak. “It’s the Fae you have to worry about. Elves are just as easy to kill as they are to capture.”

I blinked in disbelief. I hadn’t even needed to weave Nikolai’s capture into the conversation—Kairn was already alluding to it. A sly smile curved up my mouth as I started to ask him about where they could keep such prisoners, but Kairn went rigid. The amber pupil flared across his black eye, and I knew that the Blade was no longer the one in control of his body.

Damien’s scowl tugged along Kairn’s scar. I thought he had somehow guessed who I was, but he never got the chance to ask.

A loud boom shook the walls.

Everyone turned their attention to the band as if any of their instruments could make such a sound.

Only Damien in Kairn’s body looked up and saw the large amber gem come loose and plummet to the floor.

We both backed away with enough time to spare ourselves, but Lord Kilmor was caught in the fall. His body was pinned underneath the giant stone, blood oozing from his mouth. He tried to speak, reaching out with his hand, which still held a wineglass. He groaned and his arm went limp.

Dynara’s chest heaved as she screamed. I knew that her terror was not real, but it didn’t keep the men from surrounding the fallen gem and their lost lord. Dynara stepped back through the crowd in four deft steps and started up the staircase.

Crison was already standing at the top of the landing, her glamoured pendant around her neck. “I will fetch some servants from theirquarters to help clean up this mess at once,” she called out to the lords, who were already chattering about who the king would name as the next Lord of the Harvest.

She slipped through the door and waited for Dynara. They needed to secure the entryway again before the lords tried getting out. Crison tugged at Dynara’s arm, but Dynara waited, silently pleading with me to follow them and leave Kairn behind.

But I couldn’t. He knew where Nikolai was, and I already owed Nik so much. I wouldn’t turn my back on him now.

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