Page 32 of Cage of Destiny
How was she supposed to know? “Hewon’t change his mind like Odar did.” Kerdan thought she wouldstrengthen him, not weaken him as Odar believed.
“Are you agreeing to thisto hurt Odar?”
Maybe. “I don’t know.” Her father wasno dummy.
“Do you want to marryKerdan?”
“I don’t know.”
He sighed and came before her. “Thenegotiations will move forward after Jana is assassinated. Thatway, you can have some time to become better acquainted withKerdan. Then, if you decide to back out, you can since nothing willhave been signed. Also, your mother has to meet and approve ofhim.”
That sounded reasonable. It gaveAllyssa an opportunity to think on the matter some more, and shewouldn’t want to marry a man her mother didn’t like.
“And yourbrother.”
“What?”
“Savenek must approve aswell.” Darmik chuckled. “That should be an interestingmeeting.”
“Why?” Her brother didn’tknow her or Kerdan. How could his opinion be of value?
“You’ll see when you meetSavenek. Now get some sleep. I want to speak with Kerdan. We needto have some things squared away before tomorrow.” He went to thedoor. “And honey, if I ever find another man in your bedchamberbefore you’re married, I’ll kill him. I don’t care who heis.”
“Even if it’s my guardMarek?”
“Even Marek.”
***
Allyssa woke up in a cold sweat, ahand on her shoulder.
“It’s me,” Natheneksaid.
“What’s going on?” sheasked, sitting up in bed. The fire had burned out, and the room wasdark. It had to be the middle of the night.
“I told the guard outsideyour door to wake me if he heard any noise coming from your room.He said you were crying out. I came to check on you.”
She laid back down, wiping the sweatoff her face. “I had another dream about Soma.” This time, he hadher tied down while he loomed over her with a knife inhand.
“I’ll sleep on the groundbeside your bed. That way, if you have another bad dream, I canwake you before anyone hears your screams.”
“Are you sure?” She didn’twant to keep him from sleeping; it wasn’t fair to him.
“I’ve learned to survive onvery little sleep,” he admitted. “I do better when I have anassignment to focus on. So you’ll be helping me just as much asI’ll be helping you.”
Her father had explicitly stated thatnot a single man was allowed in her bedchamber—no matter who thatman was. Even if they were just friends and there was nothing goingon between them. Nathenek was older than her father and he feltlike an uncle to her, but still.
“I’ll make sure no one seesme coming or going,” he added, stretching out on the hard floor, asif he’d read her mind.
“We haven’t known oneanother very long,” she said.
“And?”
“How do you know what I’mthinking?” Grabbing one of her pillows, she handed it tohim.
He put it under his head. “I can readeveryone that well, not just you.”
A result of his trade? Or a skilllearned over time? “What do you think of Kerdan?” she asked, eagerto hear his opinion.
