Page 54 of Crown of Light and Ashes
"Take your time," he says, confidence evident in every line of his body. "But choose wisely. I only make this offer once."
Banu remains silent, her eyes darting between us with unusual caution, though I notice her breathing has finally returned to normal.
"For the record," she finally says, her voice still carrying a shadow of its usual confidence, "I think this arrangement could work. Better than the alternatives."
"No one asked you," I mutter, still reeling from the implications of our deal.
Kaan watches us with an expression I can't quite decipher—something between amusement and calculation. With a dismissive flick of his wrist, he dispels the shadows holding Banu.
She steps back, straightening her clothing and rolling her shoulders as if to shake off the encounter. Though she appears composed, I noticea slight tension in her posture that wasn't there before, and her wings remain somewhat flattened against her back.
"I find I'm beginning to understand you better,hatun, having met your... companion," Kaan says, his gaze lingering on Banu.
"Banu is not representative of my general temperament," I say stiffly.
"Thank the stars for that," Banu agrees, making a visible effort to recover her usual demeanor, though her voice carries a subtle tremor. Her color is slowly returning to normal, though she keeps a careful distance from Kaan's shadows. "One of me is quite enough for any realm."
Despite everything, I feel my lips twitch toward a smile. Kaan notices, his own mouth curving in response.
"I look forward to hearing your truths," he says, moving toward the door. "Tomorrow, after the morning council meeting." He pauses, glancing back with a dangerous glint in his eyes. "And,hatun? I expect those answers to be... illuminating."
The double meaning in his words sends a shiver through me that has nothing to do with fear. As he leaves, his shadows trailing behind him like a living cloak, I find myself wondering which is more dangerous—his cruelty or these moments of unexpected connection.
The blood bond pulses between us, carrying his final thought as he disappears down the corridor: Mine to understand. Mine to possess. Mine to unravel.
And beneath my anger and confusion, a treacherous part of me responds with anticipation rather than dread.
As the door closes behind him, Banu sits on the edge of my bed and sighs, her hand unconsciously rubbing her throat where the shadows had tightened.
"Well," she says with a small smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes, "that was certainly interesting."
Chapter Sixteen
Three Truths
Kaan
SHADOWS COIL RESTLESSLY around my feet as I await my wife's arrival, their agitation mirroring the storm brewing in my chest. The memory of Nesilhan's fairy conspirator, Banu, still burns fresh in my mind, but what truly sets my blood on fire is the knowledge that my bride has been using modified fairy potions to weaken our blood bond beyond what we agreed upon, making it harder to read the depths of her thoughts and feelings.
Three truths. That was our bargain. Three honest answers in exchange for allowing her some privacy through standard blood bond dampening. But she's taken liberties with our agreement, and I find myself craving more than truth. I want to strip away every layer of deception until she stands bare before me in every possible way.
"You look like a caged shadow beast contemplating murder,"Emir observes from his position by the window, his tone carefully neutral. "Should I be concerned about your mental state, or is this your normal pre-wife meeting ritual?"
I shoot him a withering glare that would make lesser men soil themselves. "I'm contemplating various ways to disembowel you while maintaining our friendship. It's quite the mental exercise, really."
"Charming as always," he replies dryly. "Might I suggest practicing your matrimonial diplomacy instead? That expression would terrify small children and most grown adults."
"Excellent," I grin. "Fear is an important foundation for any lasting relationship. Along with occasional threats and regular sexual dominance."
Emir pinches the bridge of his nose like a man fighting a headache. "Your relationship philosophy explains so much about your court's high turnover rate."
"People either adapt to my methods or become decorative examples for others," I shrug, while my shadows writhe with barely contained violence. "I find both outcomes equally satisfactory."
"And Lady Nesilhan?" Emir asks carefully, recognizing the dangerous territory he's entering. "Which outcome are you hoping for with her?"
The question hits unexpectedly close to something I don't care to examine, a raw nerve I thought I'd severed long ago. My shadows respond to my emotional turmoil, darkening to an almost solid black around me as my careful control wavers.
"She's different," I admit, the words slipping out before I can stop them.
