Read Online Kingslayer by Honor Raconteur - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Honor Raconteur
Ads: Link
his head fall back against the windowsill, eyes still mesmerized by the light on the water. “I just feel like an unwelcome interloper. While I understand why, it’s not a comfortable feeling.”
“People will come to trusht you shoon enough,” Bohme promised and clearly meant every word. “Ash we did. When you capshured us.”
Darius snorted. “Bohme, the only reason why you four trusted me is because you didn’t have any other option.”
“You treated ush well. Even me,” he pointed out as if this were a perfectly logical argument.
“Because there’s no merit in letting three defenseless women be ill-used!” Darius retorted in exasperation. “And I wasn’t about to let the one man loyal enough to protect them be mistreated as a reward for that loyalty. Heavens, man, that’s common decency.”
Bohme snorted, head shaking in disagreement. “Common deshenshy not common in war.”
“It should be,” Darius grumbled, almost to himself.
“But ishn’t. You are good man. Othersh will shee thish shoon too.”
Fed up with the whole situation, Darius raised both hands and rubbed at his tired eyes. “Trust is not won overnight. I know. My father taught me that. I can be patient.” Hopefully. But speaking of earning trust…. “Bohme, I do have a question.”
“Shir?”
“I feel like I should somehow thank Raja Tailli for giving you to me.” He scratched at his cheek with one finger. “I know the proper gift to send if we were in Arape, but I have a feeling it would be different here in Niotan. Especially since she’s married, I don’t want her husband to get the wrong idea. What would be a good gift to send?”
“Errr…” caught flat-footed, the bodyguard hesitated strongly before admitting, “Shego would be better pershon to ashk.”
“Ahhh, that’s a good idea. I’ll do so.” But he couldn’t do that in the dead of night.
Tired of being restless and antsy, Darius searched for something to do. This room, while beautiful, was oddly generic. It felt like any other guest room. Perhaps if he put some personal stamp on it, he would be able to feel more connected to this place.
With a flash, it came to him. Darius snapped his fingers in realization. “Of course. Why didn’t I think of this earlier?”
Bohme’s eyebrows quirked in surprise. “Shir?”
“Bohme, do we have any candles in this room? Long white ones with holders.”
“I believe sho, shir.” Turning, he went out of the bedroom and into the study, where Darius could hear him rummaging around. He came back quickly, hands curled around two candelabra. They’d obviously been meant for reading, as they were a hand’s length tall, with little engraving in the metal. The white candles in them were unused with the wick still pure. Excellent.
Darius quickly rose to his feet and took them from Bohme’s hands. “Perfect, thank you.”
“Need them for reading?” Bohme asked in open confusion.
“No, prayer.”
Bohme stared at him for a long moment in surprise. “Prayer?”
Darius flashed him a quick smile as he went to an open corner in the room and starting placing the candles on the floor. He never prayed in the open, always within the sanctity of his own bedroom, so he wasn’t surprised that Bohme didn’t know of his religious beliefs. “I don’t know about the god or gods you worship here in Niotan, but we of Arape believe in two gods. The one that I pray to is Shaa, the creator of all that is good.”
Bohme watched as he put the candles down in alignment with each other, forming a large square. “Why candlesh?”
“You must always pray in the presence of fire, no matter how small,” Darius explained as he stepped inside and sank down in between the candles. He crossed his legs comfortably and stretched out his hands experimentally. Good, that was the right distance. Close enough to feel the heat, but far enough away to avoid being burned. “Can you hand me that flint—yes, thanks. You see, Shaa is the
“People will come to trusht you shoon enough,” Bohme promised and clearly meant every word. “Ash we did. When you capshured us.”
Darius snorted. “Bohme, the only reason why you four trusted me is because you didn’t have any other option.”
“You treated ush well. Even me,” he pointed out as if this were a perfectly logical argument.
“Because there’s no merit in letting three defenseless women be ill-used!” Darius retorted in exasperation. “And I wasn’t about to let the one man loyal enough to protect them be mistreated as a reward for that loyalty. Heavens, man, that’s common decency.”
Bohme snorted, head shaking in disagreement. “Common deshenshy not common in war.”
“It should be,” Darius grumbled, almost to himself.
“But ishn’t. You are good man. Othersh will shee thish shoon too.”
Fed up with the whole situation, Darius raised both hands and rubbed at his tired eyes. “Trust is not won overnight. I know. My father taught me that. I can be patient.” Hopefully. But speaking of earning trust…. “Bohme, I do have a question.”
“Shir?”
“I feel like I should somehow thank Raja Tailli for giving you to me.” He scratched at his cheek with one finger. “I know the proper gift to send if we were in Arape, but I have a feeling it would be different here in Niotan. Especially since she’s married, I don’t want her husband to get the wrong idea. What would be a good gift to send?”
“Errr…” caught flat-footed, the bodyguard hesitated strongly before admitting, “Shego would be better pershon to ashk.”
“Ahhh, that’s a good idea. I’ll do so.” But he couldn’t do that in the dead of night.
Tired of being restless and antsy, Darius searched for something to do. This room, while beautiful, was oddly generic. It felt like any other guest room. Perhaps if he put some personal stamp on it, he would be able to feel more connected to this place.
With a flash, it came to him. Darius snapped his fingers in realization. “Of course. Why didn’t I think of this earlier?”
Bohme’s eyebrows quirked in surprise. “Shir?”
“Bohme, do we have any candles in this room? Long white ones with holders.”
“I believe sho, shir.” Turning, he went out of the bedroom and into the study, where Darius could hear him rummaging around. He came back quickly, hands curled around two candelabra. They’d obviously been meant for reading, as they were a hand’s length tall, with little engraving in the metal. The white candles in them were unused with the wick still pure. Excellent.
Darius quickly rose to his feet and took them from Bohme’s hands. “Perfect, thank you.”
“Need them for reading?” Bohme asked in open confusion.
“No, prayer.”
Bohme stared at him for a long moment in surprise. “Prayer?”
Darius flashed him a quick smile as he went to an open corner in the room and starting placing the candles on the floor. He never prayed in the open, always within the sanctity of his own bedroom, so he wasn’t surprised that Bohme didn’t know of his religious beliefs. “I don’t know about the god or gods you worship here in Niotan, but we of Arape believe in two gods. The one that I pray to is Shaa, the creator of all that is good.”
Bohme watched as he put the candles down in alignment with each other, forming a large square. “Why candlesh?”
“You must always pray in the presence of fire, no matter how small,” Darius explained as he stepped inside and sank down in between the candles. He crossed his legs comfortably and stretched out his hands experimentally. Good, that was the right distance. Close enough to feel the heat, but far enough away to avoid being burned. “Can you hand me that flint—yes, thanks. You see, Shaa is the
Similar Books
