Page 58 of Fox of Fox Hall

Conall was quiet. “Bruises fade on theirown.”

Fox muttered sharply at that, but not more thana mutter, because he had no right to remark on anything Conalldid.

Muscles flexed beneath Fox’s hands as Conallturned to glance at him.

“Today was a success for you, I thought,” Conallsaid evenly, facing the door again. The rumble of his voicetraveled up Fox’s arms. “Two of Domvoda’s fertiles seemed rathertaken with you. They will likely not object to your continuedpresence at court.” He took a breath before going on. “Domvoda waspleased. You might be able to secure your place with him now, ifyou haven’t already.”

Fox stopped, almost frozen with his hands overConall’s ribs and his head bowed. “I’m sorry.” He wanted to put hisforehead to Conall’s shoulder but didn’t dare. “I’m so sorry. WhenI said that, I meant it to…”

“I know how you meant it.” Conall stayed quiet.“But you’ll understand if I don’t thank you for it.”

Fox nodded. “I should have trusted you to saythe correct thing. But I didn’t want you to discard your dreamsimply for….”

“For what?” Conall demanded when Fox didn’tfinish. “Say it.”

“For… for whatever you might feel for me at themoment. Which was presumptuous,” Fox insisted quickly. “Youwerehesitating, but you were probably more interested inthe honor the position would bring you and it had nothing to dowith me.”

“I would have stayed for you.” Conall reachedbehind him to take the tub of salve, manner calm despite what hewas saying. “I offered it before and meant it. That’s why you knewI would do it again, even if you don’t want to believe it.”

“There is no….” Fox moved his mouth uselessly,stopping and starting again. “Conall, you…. I am just…”

“A jumped-up street musician?”

Fox stared hard at Conall’s messy hair. “Yourfuture is more important than someone you’d get tired of before toolong. Someone who is cruel,” Fox added, his momentary spark ofindignation gone. “Domvoda’s creature,” he went on sadly. “A beastwho bites.”

Conall pushed himself to his feet. He walkedwith obvious stiffness to the table by the door, where he put thesalve down next to the curl of Fox’s hair tied with a dusty andcrumpled ribbon. Conall picked up the favor and held it in hispalm, regarding it with a somber expression.

“For a moment today after you said that, Ithought you were his Fox again… again or always. Which is yourchoice and your right. It wouldn’t even be anything new. That’swhat I told myself while I stood there. But that was a lie.”

“Conall,” Fox tried.

“I know why you said it, but for that moment….”Conall glanced over. “You did what he trained you to do. What hiscourt taught you. You did it because I scared you.” His eyebrowsdrew together. “Thisscares you,” he added, but almost tohimself, as if it had just occurred to him. “You nearly said asmuch.”

Fox was sure he hadn’t. “I don’t expect you tostay for me.” He had been bolder with the king. His quiet wordsshook now, strengthening Conall’s argument.

“You don’t know what you do to him and youcertainly don’t know what you’ve done to me.” Conall nodded slowly,again seeming to speak to himself. “You gave me your favor but notto help me win; you don’t care about that. You gave it to me toprotect me.”

Fox was too startled to manage even asputter.

“Knights are prone to fantasies, to dreams andromantic thoughts. Maybe we have to be.” Conall looked at Fox. “Yougave me treasure with this, Fox. I don’t think you realize. Theknowledge that you care for me, even a little, grants mestrength.”

He took a deep breath, then set the favor downbefore turning to come back. He stopped when he reached thebed.

“Fox,” Conall called Fox’s attention up fromConall’s mottled chest to his wounded eyes, “come here.”

There was not much distance between them as itwas. Fox frowned to show his confusion, but stayed on his knees toshuffle closer to the edge of the bed. Once there, he gazed up atConall, even more bewildered than before.

Conall cupped Fox’s cheek to keep him still,then spoke plainly.

“I would do anything for you, Fox. It’s time youheard that.”

A breath caught in Fox’s throat.

Conall didn’t allow Fox to pull away. He brushedhis fingertips back and forth under Fox’s cheekbone, distractingand calming. “I should have mated you when you first came tocourt.” The air in Fox’s throat sank to his chest, a solid lump,painful against his heart. “I’d mate you now if you wanted,” Conallwent on. “Are you breathing? Breathe, lovely.”

Fox pulled in a breath only to immediatelychoke. Conall moved his hand to Fox’s back and kept it there,steady and warm, even when Fox finally looked up again and croaked,“I’m not byr.” A stupid thing to say. Fox coughed but it didnothing for his rasping voice. “I told Domvoda that I had neveronce expected that he’d make me his consort or anything like itbecause of course he wouldn’t. I am not a byr. And then you… yousaythat.”

“If Domvoda wanted to, he could say that.”Conall had no mercy for anyone. “If he felt it and he desired it,it would be allowed. No matter how uncomfortable it is for them toadmit it, every byr family lineage—including Domvoda’s—has wildvines in it. When you have found a mate, you keep them. Even thesilliest byr knows this.”

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