Page 86 of Poisoned Kingdom
Irsha opened his mouth, but I cut him off with a hand.
‘Just don’t. If this was about you two comparing the size of your daggers, I swear . . .’
I shook my head in disappointment, snatching the cloth from Irsha to wet it. Reynard had already claimed a corner of the table, lounging like it was his private salon. That damned smirk of his was firmly in place as he listened to our exchange.
I walked over and pressed the cold cloth to his scalp, trying to stem the bleeding.
He shivered as the water trickled down but said nothing. Instead, he placed his hand over mine, thumb gently strokingmy knuckles while he fixed Irsha with a look that could melt steel.
‘He started it,’ Irsha said, lips tightening, ‘turning up armed and wearing a mask. I thought it was one of Jagon’s goons!’
‘He started it? Oh, brilliant.How old are you?’ I asked, glancing down to where Reynard’s arm now encircled my waist. I ignored it, needing to deal with Irsha first.
‘And don’t give me that look, Blade,’ I said. ‘I know about Jagon. Boyan already warned me. Honestly! Do you really think Jagon would send one man for me? What a bloody insult.’
‘Don’t be so harsh, Sana,’ Tova interrupted, appearing with a pair of tankards. He handed one to Irsha and sipped from the other. ‘I wasn’t expecting the king of Dagome to show up in our courtyard either.’ He glanced at Reynard, then added with a smirk, ‘Forgive me, Your Majesty, but I can see your hands are too busy to hold a drink.’
That was Tova at his finest, but Rey’s smile only grew wider at his jab.
‘You are forgiven, Master Orenson. I’d also prefer my hands to stay where they are.’
‘Well, I don’t prefer it. Now, hold this damn cloth,’ I said before turning toward Tova. ‘And you—give me that bloody beer.’ I pulled away from the king, taking the tankard from the stunned dwarf’s hand.
‘I was trying to be nice, Sana. That was my beer!’ Tova complained.
‘Now it’s mine. Get yourself another one and pour some for the king since his hands are free.’
Reynard shook with quiet laughter. Even though my body was still tense from the realisation that we had barely avoided serious consequences from his and Irsha’s fight, I couldn’t help but smile. He looked so . . . relaxed and at home in my humblekitchen. I could easily picture him sitting there, eating breakfast after staying the night.
The mental image shifted—Reynard naked, tousled from sleep—and suddenly, the beer in my hand couldn’t touch the dryness in my throat. My pale complexion betrayed my thoughts, and I silently cursed the treacherous blush crawling up my neck. Reynard must have noticed, because the wicked man stretched out on the chair, displaying his impressive physique before reaching up and loosening the laces of his shirt, letting the collar fall open.
I choked as beer flooded my windpipe, causing a coughing fit. Bent in half, I cursed everyone in the room while the three men observed me in silent amusement before Tova patted my back.
‘There, there, you don’t have to try to kill yourself to prove a point. We’re all sorry for upsetting you,’ he muttered, marching back into the kitchen. ‘Do you want some, Your Majesty?’ he called out. ‘I know my drah’sa, and trust me, when she’s in this mood, it’s going to be a long night.’
Cheeky sod.
I grabbed a nearby rolled-up map and smacked him on the back of his head.
‘Whatmoodexactly?’
‘The mood to beat poor innocent men who sacrifice their drink to slake your thirst,’ Tova said with a shrug.
Reynard placed the towel on the table and walked over to me. I stepped back when he reached for my hand, but with the table behind me, I couldn’t escape. The moment he captured it, he brought my hand to his lips, kissing the inside of my palm while my fingers cradled his cheek.
‘Please accept my apologies, Roksana,’ he said softly. ‘You are right. I shouldn’t have visited uninvited, much less have started a fight.’
Then he turned towards Irsha, letting out a resigned sigh.
‘Perhaps someday, Blades Master, you’ll join me on the training ground. I suspect we could learn a great deal from each other.’
Tova, naturally, snorted in the background, and I braced myself for another jab, but Reynard didn’t even turn.
‘Not another word, Master Orenson,’ he said. ‘Our wordplay has come to an end.’
My two closest friends hadn’t even realised when my mood had changed from teasing to annoyance, but Reynard had adjusted instantly, as if he were linked to my emotions.
‘Are you all right, little Viper? I’m sorry if I took it too far,’ he said with such sincerity that a strange sensation blossomed in my stomach. The weight of his words, the apology he didn’t have to offer, settled there like the beating wings of a butterfly.
