Page 65 of Blood and Fate

She had heard the exchange with Lena. He ran the interaction back over in his mind. Had Lena insulted Satori, as well? He couldn’t recall. Weariness washed over him.

“Would you mind if we sat?”

Her eyes widened. “I’m sorry, I’ll leave you alone.”

No, that he did not want. He held out a hand toward her, imploring, begging. “No, please. Stay? I don’t mean to take advantage of you, Princess, but when you’re around, my head is so much quieter.”

He realized quieter wasn’t necessarily the correct word. He still had the same thoughts and concerns. His problems didn’t go away. It was just that they seemed more manageable—smaller, somehow. Her presence seemed to bring comfort and a sort of strength.

She smiled softly. “I’ll stay.”

She moved toward where a small fire burned, though no one was around. Gone to get food or interact with people in the village, he didn’t care. It was a place to sit and be alone.

She sat, and he took a seat a few feet away. She reached out, warming her hands by the softly glowing embers. When she spoke, she didn’t look at him.

“Your daughter is beautiful.”

He whipped his head toward her and coughed, choking on his breath. Daughter?

“What?”

“The little girl. She’s beautiful.” Something like a quiet sadness flitted through her for a moment, and then it was gone. “She looks just like you.”

He ignored the immediate thought that popped into his head: she thought Adalyn was beautiful and that she looked like him. Instead, he focused on the daughter comment. He bit down on his lip to keep from smiling.

“Adalyn isn’t my daughter.”

Satori turned her head toward him, surprise on her face. “She’s not? How does she look just like you?”

Kais ignored the absolute, unmistakable relief he felt from her, swallowing down the lump it brought to his chest. He would unpack that later.

“Adalyn is my niece.”

“That woman is your sister?” The surprise on Satori’s face turned to absolute shock.

“No.” He punctuated the word with a raise of his brows. “Adalyn’s father was my brother.” An ache he had grown familiar with accompanied the words.

“Oh.” Satori’s surprise changed quickly to a sort of confused sadness. “Was?”

He closed his mouth, letting his gaze drift to the fire and then to his feet, his brother’s laughing eyes appearing in his head.

“I’m sorry,” Satori was quick to apologize. “I shouldn’t have asked; I don’t mean to pry.”

Kais looked back up, meeting her gaze, feeling her sadness and regret for his loss and her questions. “No, it’s alright, really. You’re not prying. I don’t mind you asking.”

Actually, her questions gave him a sort of hope. She sat there alone with him, and he felt no fear from her, only curiosity. She wanted to know about him. He’d unpack that later, as well.

“It was quite a few years ago. It’s just that when Lena comes attacking, it’s all drawn back up to the front.”

Satori shook her head. “I’m sorry.”

This time she wasn’t referring to her questions, it was more a sympathetic apology for the way Lena came at him.

He shook his head dismissively. “I’m used to it by now.”

And he was. Sort of. He was used to Lena coming to attack him; he wasn’t used to the emotions it brought up. He didn’t expect he would ever be used to that.

“My brother, Silas, was one of my men.”

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