clothing and then inquire about her young friend.” Calder took another deep breath and turned away from Sari once more to keep himself from falling under her spell. “If you hear nothing, come back and I will take her to find Macro in the guard center. I have no appointments until this afternoon. I have time to help her.”
“Is that wise? Being alone together for so long?” Taryen asked him in concern. “If you take my appointment with Lady Gaer, I can take Lady Sari to Macro.”
“Lady Gaer enjoys me,” Calder said, thankful Taryen was scheduled to be with a sister who actually preferred both of them. He and Taryen’s looks and personalities were vastly different; most females had a strong preference for one or the other. “I like that plan very much. Your afternoon will be free, and I can deal with Lady Gaer.”
“What do you do with her?”
Calder turned to Sari, his eyes wide when he heard the distress in her voice. “I’m sorry?” he asked, wondering if his mind was playing tricks on him.
“With Lady Gaer, what do you do to entertain her?”
“I’ve lost my good sense.” Calder must have been discussing these things in front of Sari without using the queen’s language. He hadn’t even noticed the mistake when he was usually unfailingly diligent. Not using discretion had terrible repercussions for both of them. His infatuation with Sari wasn’t only putting himself in danger, it was making Taryen vulnerable as well. “I have to go now. Taryen will stay with you. I’ll find your clothes and inquire on your young friend. I need air.”
“I thought we were speaking the queen’s language.” Taryen sounded stricken as he switched to the language in question. “I think I’ve lost my good sense as well.”
Calder walked into the bathroom, fished his robes from the day before out of the hamper, and pulled them on, knowing Sari wasn’t likely to take off his clean ones. When he walked back into the bedroom, he found Taryen staring at Sari with curiosity and something much more dangerous swirling in his dark eyes. Knowing Taryen was finding himself sexually susceptible to her made Calder hesitant to leave the two of them.
“Lady Sari,” Calder said after a long moment, coming up with an idea. “How far have you traveled in your journeys?”
“From here?” Sari asked, frowning. “Very far. I’ve just recently traveled to the Sacred City, and I only made the journey because I heard there was work to be found as servants to the rich who profit off the Rayians.”
“So you’ve been to the mountains?” Calder pressed.
“Y-yes,” Sari stuttered, giving him a strange look. “Many mountains. Is there a specific area you’re inquiring about?”
“And the ocean,” Calder went on, unable to help the smile tugging at his lips. “You’ve seen it?”
“Yes,” she said, now laughing at the strange questioning. “I’ve seen several oceans.”
“Will you tell me about them?” Taryen asked, his voice breathless with excitement that had nothing to do with desire. As if realizing his boldness, Taryen lowered his gaze and spoke in a calmer, more subservient voice. “That is, if you don’t mind, my lady. Something to do while we wait to pass the time.”
“We’ve never left the Sacred City,” Calder explained, unable to help the pain in his voice as he spoke about his lifemate. “And Taryen has the heart of a journeyman. He would very much enjoy hearing your tales.”
“Oh.” Sari looked back to Taryen, sadness flashing in her eyes. “I’d love to share my tales.”
“Thank you.” Calder wished Sari wasn’t quite so endearing. It wasn’t helping his attraction to her in the least. He placed a hand to his chest as he studied her face, feeling a wealth of emotions he never expected to feel when regarding a woman. “I appreciate it, Lady Sari. Looking at you makes me want to—”
“Do very nice things?” Sari asked, giving him a beaming smile that made her eyes
“Is that wise? Being alone together for so long?” Taryen asked him in concern. “If you take my appointment with Lady Gaer, I can take Lady Sari to Macro.”
“Lady Gaer enjoys me,” Calder said, thankful Taryen was scheduled to be with a sister who actually preferred both of them. He and Taryen’s looks and personalities were vastly different; most females had a strong preference for one or the other. “I like that plan very much. Your afternoon will be free, and I can deal with Lady Gaer.”
“What do you do with her?”
Calder turned to Sari, his eyes wide when he heard the distress in her voice. “I’m sorry?” he asked, wondering if his mind was playing tricks on him.
“With Lady Gaer, what do you do to entertain her?”
“I’ve lost my good sense.” Calder must have been discussing these things in front of Sari without using the queen’s language. He hadn’t even noticed the mistake when he was usually unfailingly diligent. Not using discretion had terrible repercussions for both of them. His infatuation with Sari wasn’t only putting himself in danger, it was making Taryen vulnerable as well. “I have to go now. Taryen will stay with you. I’ll find your clothes and inquire on your young friend. I need air.”
“I thought we were speaking the queen’s language.” Taryen sounded stricken as he switched to the language in question. “I think I’ve lost my good sense as well.”
Calder walked into the bathroom, fished his robes from the day before out of the hamper, and pulled them on, knowing Sari wasn’t likely to take off his clean ones. When he walked back into the bedroom, he found Taryen staring at Sari with curiosity and something much more dangerous swirling in his dark eyes. Knowing Taryen was finding himself sexually susceptible to her made Calder hesitant to leave the two of them.
“Lady Sari,” Calder said after a long moment, coming up with an idea. “How far have you traveled in your journeys?”
“From here?” Sari asked, frowning. “Very far. I’ve just recently traveled to the Sacred City, and I only made the journey because I heard there was work to be found as servants to the rich who profit off the Rayians.”
“So you’ve been to the mountains?” Calder pressed.
“Y-yes,” Sari stuttered, giving him a strange look. “Many mountains. Is there a specific area you’re inquiring about?”
“And the ocean,” Calder went on, unable to help the smile tugging at his lips. “You’ve seen it?”
“Yes,” she said, now laughing at the strange questioning. “I’ve seen several oceans.”
“Will you tell me about them?” Taryen asked, his voice breathless with excitement that had nothing to do with desire. As if realizing his boldness, Taryen lowered his gaze and spoke in a calmer, more subservient voice. “That is, if you don’t mind, my lady. Something to do while we wait to pass the time.”
“We’ve never left the Sacred City,” Calder explained, unable to help the pain in his voice as he spoke about his lifemate. “And Taryen has the heart of a journeyman. He would very much enjoy hearing your tales.”
“Oh.” Sari looked back to Taryen, sadness flashing in her eyes. “I’d love to share my tales.”
“Thank you.” Calder wished Sari wasn’t quite so endearing. It wasn’t helping his attraction to her in the least. He placed a hand to his chest as he studied her face, feeling a wealth of emotions he never expected to feel when regarding a woman. “I appreciate it, Lady Sari. Looking at you makes me want to—”
“Do very nice things?” Sari asked, giving him a beaming smile that made her eyes
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