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“And what if I hadn’t?”

“Then I’d have waited for you as long as it took. I was bored up there without you. Besides, I knew at some point you’d have to come back here.”

“Why?”

“Because you had Jhan’s Ehlealah with you.”

“Damn. I was hoping that I was wrong and it was simply a fascination. They really think they’re mates?”

“Vivian and Quin do. Why do you care if they’re mates or not?”

“Because she’s as violent as Jhan is. I just know I’m going to have to save their hides at some point.”

Rosie laughed. “You’d love nothing more, and you know it.”

Rokai grinned. “Want to get in the cleanser with me?”

“No. I’m all dressed!”

“And you look spectacular. That color yellow makes you look delicious.”

“You mean beautiful,” she corrected.

“No, I don’t. I mean delicious. I want a taste.”

“Rokai! No blood on the dress!”

“Fine! I’ll be back,” he said mischievously, then darted for the cleansing room.

~~~

Jhan stood at the window in the second floor room of the officers barracks he’d been assigned since arriving. He was almost ready to head off in search of Rokai and Elspeth himself. It had been far too long and it was more than possible that they’d had some unexpected issue arise and were now waiting for someone to come save them. If that ended up being the case, he’d save her. Rokai, he might leave to rot in jail for having Elspeth caught up in the middle of his latest chaos, but he’d save Elspeth.

Despite the brightness filling the mid-morning sky, a flash of light caught his attention behind the palace.

At almost the same time someone knocked on his door.

“Yes?” he called.

Kol opened the door and stuck his head inside. “Hey, just got word Rokai asked for permission to land on the palace’s grounds again.”

“They’re back?” Jhan asked, rushing toward the door.

“Rokai is.”

“Is she with him?”

“He didn’t say she wasn’t.”

Jhan broke into a run.

“Hey! Check the guest suites on the second floor!”

Jhan ran as quickly as he could despite the dress uniform he wore. When he reached the palace’s front doors, he paused only long enough to speak to Ban Lo. “Rokai and the female, Elspeth, they’re back?”

“They are. Rokai is in Sovereign Zha Quin’s office. The female is in a guest suite on the second floor.”

“Which one?” Jhan asked, his voice almost a growl.

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