Page 60 of Lake of Sorrow
“She thinks you’re drawn to him too. That I’ve seen before, so it’s not that surprising. Women somehow sense what he is.” Targon waved, not mentioning the beast specifically, maybe because he’d also sworn to keep that secret. “The way the taybarri do, maybe. Except women aren’t as smart as taybarri. They know to be wary of Vlerion.”
Kaylina clenched her jaw to keep from blurting an indignation about being compared to big furry animals, even if the taybarri were more than that. They weren’t animals at all if their elders were as intelligent as humans.
“I suppose if I forbade you from getting close to him, it wouldn’t do anything,” Targon added.
“Captain, I’m aware of the danger. I’m not trying to get close to him. I’m just appreciative that he’s helping me.”
“So appreciative that you can’t keep from rubbing up against him and shoving your tongue in his mouth.”
“That hasn’t happened.” Her cheeks heated with embarrassment as well as her ongoing indignation over the whole situation. Kaylina hated that Targon had seen them together, but tongues hadn’t been in mouths. There had only been… Well, maybe there had been a little rubbing.
“What would have happened if we hadn’t shown up?”
“I don’t know, but Vlerion said that after he’s already changed, it’s less likely to happen again. I think— I’m sure if he had believed there was a threat, he wouldn’t have hugged me.”
“Hugging isn’t what was about to happen.”
Kaylina sighed.
“And he shouldn’t have changed in the first place.” Targon pulled a newspaper off a shelf and smacked it down on the desk, the article she’d already seen on top. “That’s the last thing we need right now. Between the mangled bodies showing up in the city, the Virts having spotted him furry in the castle dungeon, and this anonymous journalist trying to link him to the rangers… Vlerion is lucky his name hasn’t specifically been printed in this gossip rag yet. Once that happens, it’s going to be hard to protect him.”
“I understand, Captain, but it was out in the preserve, and it was because the vines had him and the Kar’ruk were coming, not because I was rubbing anything of his.” Her cheeks grew hotter as she lied. Shame filled her because she felt the need, but it wasn’t her fault the situation had forced her to try to rouse the beast.
“Vlerion also said he changed because of the Kar’ruk.” The frank look Targon leveled at Kaylina made her think he knew the truth. Somehow. “Usually, he’s honorable and honest with me and the men. He’s not a great liar, so when it happens, I can tell.”
“I wanted to save his life,” Kaylina whispered. Tears threatened, and she blinked to stave them off. She didn’t want to cry in front of this man. “He was trapped, and I thought the beast could break the vines. He wasn’t able to as a man, you see, and I wasn’t strong enough, not even with his sword.”
“How come you could get the vines off Jankarr but not Vlerion?” Targon walked around the desk and closer to her, studying her intently.
Trying to tell if she was lying?
“I didn’t know I could then. And I have no idea if I could do it again. It surprised me. I’m still not sure what I did.” Kaylina resisted the urge to back away from Targon. She hated that he was taller than she—taller and bigger and stronger—and could loom over her. “I think it has to do with this.” She lifted her hand, turning the back toward him. “The plant in Stillguard Castle branded me. Did Vlerion tell you? It seemed to convey some… I’m not sure what. Out in the preserve, it was kind of guiding me. I think it’s what let me free Jankarr.”
“I’ve never heard of anyone being branded by a plant.” Targon gazed at the mark, then took her hand and rubbed his thumb across the raised scar.
Kaylina gritted her teeth, bristling at the presumptuousness. If Vlerion had rubbed her hand, she wouldn’t have minded, but she didn’t like Targon, Targon who wanted to use her. And what did his statement mean? That he thought she was lying?
“Strange.” He let go of her hand.
She wanted to stuff it into her pocket. “I’ve been told before that I’m not normal.”
Targon snorted and walked around to the other side of the desk, glancing out the window on the way. “That I believe.”
His glance became a second look, then a longer one back at her as he pointed out the window.
Kaylina crept closer until she could see four taybarri, including Levitke, gazing up at her through the panes.
“I didn’t feed and groom her when we returned, like the ranger book says,” she admitted, backing away from Targon again. “I wasn’t sure it was my place to or where their food is stored.”
“Book?”
“The something guide to honor and things.”
“The Ranger’s Guide to Honor, Duty, and Tenets. You’ve been reading it?”
“Vlerion keeps giving me copies.” Kaylina didn’t mention the pages she’d ripped out of the latest one. Thinking of it reminded her to give the rubbing she’d made to Frayvar. Later, when he wasn’t peeved because she was interested in things besides digging up evidence to prove her innocence.
“Hm.” Targon waved her to a chair, then sat in the large one behind the desk. “Listen, Korbian. You’ve got some power I don’t understand, and apparently it’s more than being appealing to animals.”