Page 57 of The King's Man
Though, speaking of asses—
“Are you hungry, Diadre?”
“Yes, actually,” I murmured as I let my sleep shirt fall over my own bare ass and pulled on my leathers underneath it, in case he’d turned as well. “Thank you for your words last night. I feel… ready to face the challenges today,” I said genuinely, as I unbuttoned the shirt and let it drop, keeping my back to him without turning to face him, pretending I dressed and undressed in front of men who were not lovers every day.
“I’m glad to hear it.”
God, he sounded almost as formal as I did.
I had slept in his arms and drooled on the man. Pissed in front of him. And seen his, erm, spear. How was I going to face him and pretend nothing had happened?
As soon as I had my shirt buttoned, I turned as I shrugged on my jacket, but Jann was at a different chest now, buckling weapon straps and arming himself with the quick, efficient movements of a man who’d done it every day for decades. I made sure to sheath more than one knife on my person, though something inside me still quivered at the thought of why I might need to draw a weapon in this place, then waited until he was ready.
When he finally turned from his weapons chest, it was to find me watching.
Our eyes locked and I sucked in a breath as my body froze.
His golden hair was messy, falling into his eyes. His cheeks darkened by stubble that glittered in the light, somehow making his jaw appear even sharper. But his eyes…
His eyes froze me in my tracks. Those pure, honey-colored eyes peering at me like a predator in the grass, framed in thick lashes and shadowed by heavy brows.
He’d stopped moving as well, his expression frozen somewhere between speaking and stunned. As our eyes locked, something snapped in my chest, a spear of electricneedthat shallowed my breath and made my hands twitch towards him.
Confused by my body’s reaction to him, but equallythrilled, I opened my mouth only to find I had no words.
While I was still trying to figure out what I wanted to say, Jann blinked and the moment was lost. As he turned toward the door and lifted a hand, beckoning me to go first, breathless disappointment tumbled like rocks bouncing down a hill from my ribs to my toes. It surprised me. But I still didn’t understand what had happened, or know what words were needed, I blew out a breath and walked towards the tent flap, thanking him quietly as he held it open for me, then followed me through.
I had slept late. The sun was well up, and there was movement outside, and the rise and fall of voices all around us as we walked the trails towards the cook fires.
I shivered in the shadows of other Nephilim when they passed us on the trail, and didn’t miss that Jann stayed right at my back. None of the men we met even glanced in my direction, their eyes all going to him over my shoulder, or avoiding both of us.
I was shaky when we made it to the cookfires, but I felt much stronger than I had the day before.
“Well done,” Jann rumbled in my ear.
“Yes,” I murmured dryly. “Such an achievement towalk through camp without crying.”
“Celebrate every victory, Diadre. They make the losses easier to bear.”
I nodded as we joined the line waiting for food—I was beginning to understand that in a Nephilim camp there wouldalwaysbe a line for food. But I was preoccupied because his body had brushed my back when he leaned in and goosebumps now washed down my side, raising the hair on my arms. I crossed them, though no one would see with my jacket on.
Jann was greeted by several of the men, some with the raucous enthusiasm of peers, others with the careful submission of inferiors. He returned every greeting, and sparred with his peers, but never moved away from me. The warmth and weight of him made a wall at my back that allowed me to breathe. Instead of keeping my eyes down to talk myself through the fear, I was able to make careful examination of my surroundings.
Politically, these men were my allies. How we would balance that alongside their personal threat, I didn’t know. But I couldn’t be of use to Yilan if I spent all my time shrinking from these men. I had to form a new strategy. Find a way to walk among them that remained safe, but allowed me to observe.
Yilan and I were agreed—while these men could likely be trusted to fight for Melek and were critical to support his claim to the throne, they were not yet true allies toourpeople.
While we worked together for Melek’s crown, we must also uncover any of them who may have slipped through the clash and retained hidden motives, or simply be incapable of working for peace with the Shadekin.
When we made it to the head of the line, I dished myself a large plate. I’d eaten little the day before. Now, after a trulyrefreshing sleep, I needed to eat well and rebuild strength so I could safely walk the shadows if needed—or run.
That thought raised the hair on the back of my neck.
As if he’d heard my mind, Jann pressed closer to my back, guiding me to one of the massive tables where we would sit to eat. I had to remind myself that my mind was well defended, and it was Shadekin who could speak into it, not Neph.
I settled in one of the single seats at the end of a table so that I’d have no direct neighbors. The chair was too tall for my height and would leave my feet swinging like a child's, so I bent one leg up under me so I could jump to my feet more quickly if needed. Then I dug into the steaming potatoes, peppers, and bacon with almost as much eagerness as Jann had done the night before.
Jann waited for me to sit, then placed his plate next to me at the top of the long side of the table. His lips pulled up in a grin.
