Page 107 of A Tongue so Sweet and Deadly

“I promise.” Ardow squeezed her shoulders. “Now tell me about you. Is the regent still giving you a hard time?”

It was Lessia’s turn to blush, and Ardow laughed when she playfully shoved his shoulder.

But when he eyed her, she realized he wanted an answer.

She shrugged. “I don’t know, Ard. He seems like a good person, but he is as hot as he is cold. He is extremely perceptive, and he seems to like playing on my emotions to figure me out.”

Ardow tensed, his smile falling off his face. “He doesn’t know about you, does he?”

Lessia shook her head. “But I am worried he might figure something out.”

Even though she couldn’t tell Loche even if she wanted to, she had a feeling he read way too much in her silence.

“Be careful, Lessia. While he might have done some good for Ellow, he is not a good man.” Ardow bore his eyes into hers. “You only have a few more weeks of this, and then you’re free. Be smart, and do not let emotions get in the way of what you’re doing.”

Frowning, she observed him.

A deep wrinkle lined his forehead when he stared back at her.

She tried for another smile. “There are no emotions involved.”

A knock at the door caused them both to turn toward it, and when Loche walked inside, Ardow shot her a stare.

“Am I interrupting something?” Loche’s jaw ticked as he stared at Ardow’s arm over her shoulders.

“No!”

Lessia snorted when she and Ardow spoke in unison.

But the laugh faded when Ardow’s face remained tight as he glanced from her to Loche.

“I was just leaving.” Ardow slowly got up, turning his back on Loche as he mouthed, “Be smart.”

A frown formed over her brow at the hardness in Ardow’s eyes as he spun around.

“Regent.” Ardow offered Loche a nod as he slipped out of the room.

She shifted her eyes back to Loche when the door closed behind Ardow.

He had a deep purple bruise over his cheek and a cut lip, and when he walked to pull up a chair to the bed, he limped slightly.

“Are you all right?” Lessia didn’t miss the slight wince that slipped across his features when he sat down.

Flicking his hair out of his face, he smirked. “Zaddock andI have had some disagreements the past few days. I believe he quite enjoyed himself today.”

His searing gaze swept over her body when she nodded, and Lessia pulled up the blanket when it lingered on the bandages over her tunic.

“How are you feeling?” His eyes softened when they met hers again.

“I’m fine. The broken bones will heal in a few days, probably faster than that cut on your lip.” She moved her gaze to the darkening evening outside when the air between them filled with crackling electricity.

It was a clear night, and the large moon was nearly full as it hung over the calm sea.

She wished she could open the doors to let the brisk air in and relieve some of the tension Loche had brought with him.

“The guards who did this to you are gone.”

She snapped her eyes back to his. “What do you mean, gone?”

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