Page 42 of Blood and Fate

He saw the moment she felt his presence, her back stiffened, her chin raising just a bit.

She turned to look at him. “General.”

A half smile curved his mouth, but it felt sad. “Kais.”

“Kais.”

If you could hear the sound of an eye roll, that was how she said his name. But she had said it, and it was like music. He was already waiting for the next time he would hear it.

He tilted his head slightly. “May I ask you a question, Princess?”

The other men riding nearby seemed to sense something from Kais and drifted away to give them some privacy. When Satori noticed, unease flitted through her, but it seemed she refocused on him, doing her best to ignore it.

“What is that?”

Kais pulled his lip between his teeth, pushing it out slowly as he took a moment to consider his words. “Sometimes I think you’re afraid of me. But I can’t think of anything I’ve done to merit that. Please tell me what it is so I can remedy it. I don’t want you to be so uncomfortable around me.”

She watched him for a moment, and he waited as different emotions washed through her. Surprise, discomfort, uncertainty, confusion.

“I— I’m not afraid of you.”

He smiled softly, repeating a phrase he’d spoken to her when they had met, “You are a beautiful liar.”

She glanced away from him, her cheeks taking on a pink hue.

Kais slowed his horse so he could offer as much eye contact as possible. “I need you to understand.”

He didn’t miss the way her throat bobbed as she swallowed.

“I give you my word. By Shala and Miram, I will never do anything to purposefully bring harm to you. I just want you to know that.” He paused. “If ever you feel unsafe, you can come to me.”

Mistrust drifted through her again, and then the fear.

“Wait, tell me what you’re thinking,” he pleaded. “Just then.”

Her eyes grew wide at his question.

“Princess, please. It’s not a surprise that I can feel the fear when it spikes through you like that. I know you feel it too when I’m near. Please tell me why.”

Resignation. “Very well.”

He turned further toward her, desperate to catch every word she spoke.

“I’ve only known that you are the enemy. It is difficult to suddenly trust you, as you ask. My logic tells me you’re waiting to return me to my father, gain an audience, and kill us all.”

His face fell at the same time his heart dropped. Bile churned in his stomach.

He shook his head. “Never. I would never. I truly do intend to return you to your father and your home.”

Something he couldn’t quite catch raced through her. Some unpleasant emotion at the mention of returning her home, but then it was gone.

He added his next words, just in case. “Unless you don’t wish to go home. Then I’ll take you wherever you desire.”

She laughed bitterly. “As if I could go anywhere else. He would hunt me down.”

The feeling that accompanied her last sentence told him she wasn’t speaking of her father.

He reiterated his earlier promise, “Princess, if you ever need protection, find me.“ He shook his head in wonder. “Call out to me. I may hear you.”

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