Page 43 of The Dragon King's Assassin

Chapter Twenty-One

I woke up in the King's bed. It felt as if someone were holding down my eyelids, but I finally managed to lift them and slide my stare around. Since I was on my stomach, with my face turned sideways on the pillow, the sliding didn't go far. And since the King was lying in my direct line of sight, I didn't want to move it far anyway. I shifted my gaze down enough to discover what was pressing against my hip—that would be Ren—then returned it to the King. My lover. He had called me his lover, so I could use the term too, right?

Taroc was on his side, facing me. His stern features were softened in sleep, but there was a new line between his eyebrows. I tried to lift a hand to touch it but my arm was even heavier than my eyelids. I groaned and gave up.

The King's eyes popped open. “Lock?” He laid a hand on my cheek. “Are you all right? Should I summon the physician?”

I tried to speak, croaked instead, wet my lips, and tried again, “I'm fine. Everything just feels really . . . tired.”

“You're not in pain?” He sat up, making it harder for me to see him.

“I don't think so.” I mentally scanned myself. “Did someone drug me?”

“No. The court physician saw to your wound, but you were already passed out. He injected you with a healing potion but wanted to wait until you were awake to administer pain medication.”

“I was fucking stabbed!” It suddenly came back to me and the knowledge jolted through my body, thrusting my muscles into action. I rolled onto my back and sat up. Then I frowned down at myself. “Why don't I hurt more? How the fuck am I sitting up right now? I know he cut my back muscles.”

“As I said, the physician injected you with a healing potion, directly into the wound. I have the best doctors in Racul in my employ. They have magical potions that they use in combination with traditional medicine.”

I scowled at him. “I've never heard of magical medical potions.”

“Because you can't afford them.”

“I can't afford a vanrussa, but I know they exist.

Ren yipped and resettled across my legs. She laid her face on my thigh and stared at me with her ice-blue eyes. Not as pale as the Agraiv's but close.

“Oh, you like me now, eh?” I asked her. “All I had to do was save your life and take a knife for you.”

“You did what?” Taroc asked.

“I know; it was dumb. She's just a dog. She was doing her job. But I couldn't let him kill her.” I stroked Ren's head. “She's a good dog. So, I ended up protecting the animal who was supposed to protect you. Go ahead, call me a fool.”

“You are ten times a fool,” the soft tone of his voice caught my attention.

I turned to look at him and found him staring at me with a tender smile. “Look at you. You're happy I saved her.”

“Yes, of course.”

I snorted. “It's only been a week and already that dog is more precious to you than everything else.”

“Not everything. I'm happy because you're both alive, but had you died, I would have been very displeased, Assassin. This animal is precious, but she is still only an animal. You are worth far more to me. Do not take another blow on her behalf again.” He smoothed back my hair, then pet Ren.

I tried to ignore the similarities in his gestures, how he pet me like his dog, but then his words caught up to me. “I'm worth more? So I'm property, eh?”

“You're more than property; I think you know that.”

I froze as he lowered his lips to mine. What was happening right now? Did the Dragon King just say that I was someone important to him? Was he kissing me as if he meant it? As if there was something more than sex between us? Was there?

Then I grabbed his shoulder and a small ache reminded me that I'd been stabbed. I flinched, and he jerked back.

“Fuck, did I hurt you?”

“No, I hurt myself. Just a twinge when I reached for you.”

“That's it; I'm getting the doctor.” He flung back the covers, got out of bed, and headed straight for the door.

Normally, the King slept naked, but he was wearing the same leather pants from the night before. I blinked at that, then groaned when Ren jumped off the bed to follow her master.

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