Page 68 of Shadow Kissed
“Damn, woman,” he curses. “I’ll never hear the end of this now.”
“Here you go.” Saveya rushes back into the room, waving the papers in her hand. I blink when I find Raegal sitting back in his seat at the other side of his desk. He winks at me knowingly, before giving Saveya his full attention. “You are wonderful.” He moves around the desk, taking the papers from her, and he takes her hand in his and kisses it. “Thank you.”
Saveya blushes and giggles at his attentiveness. “Oh, it is no trouble. Will you take me out riding the next time you go?” She looks at him with expectant hope and he catches my eye just as I suspect he is about to say no to her, and I nod my head at him.
“Of course. You both must accompany me next time.”
Saveya looks at me, absolutely delighted, and I plaster a smile on my face. “Together, we can make it less boring for her next time.”
“We should be going. Have a safe trip home, Lord Commander,” I say, jumping to my feet, eager to be away from this infuriating man and his teasing. “It must be nice to go home and see your family whenever you wish to.” I can’t help myself. I miss my brothers, and it infuriates me that I can’t see them.
He frowns at my comment. “I have no desire to return home, but duty demands it. You had best be running along. I don’t want Moryen scolding me twice in one day.”
We leave his office and walk through the barracks to the main entrance. I’m lost in my own thoughts, not listening to a word Saveya says as she chats away animatedly beside me. I am a mess of confused emotions. How can one man elicit such conflicting feelings in me? My mind flits back to what we did in the wilderness today. The feeling of his fingers and his intense gaze as I climaxed. I shudder, my core heating at the memory.
“Reya!” I stop in my tracks at the sound of Ark’s voice. He is walking towards us with a colleague. Dressed in his full military uniform, he looks every inch the soldier he’d trained his whole life to become. “What are you doing here?” he asks, looking at me and smiling at Saveya.
“Saveya, this is Arkynn,” I say, and they smile at each other. Saveya’s eyes flit to the soldier standing beside him.
“Apologies, where are my manners. This is Eryx. He is my shadow mentor.”
I don’t miss the appreciative gaze Saveya gives him before she flushes and looks away. “We were delivering a letter to your commander,” I explain. “Could I have a quick word?” I ask him. I side glance our two companions. “In private.”
Eryx clears his throat and suggests he walk ahead with Saveya to the main gates, leaving us alone. I look around us and step closer to Ark. “The missing girls. Did you know about their plans?”
Arkynn glances over at our two companions and nods his head. “I did.”
“So, they’re safe and unharmed?”
Ark blinks and then frowns at me. “Of course they’re safe, Reya. You think they would harm them? They took them to protect them.”
I place my hand over his. “Promise me you’ll be careful. There is talk of traitors amongst the soldiers.” I might not crush over him like I once did, but he’s still the boy I grew up with and I don’t want him to lose his life over this rebellion.
“I’m careful. I’ve had a letter from home,” he tells me, and my heart skips a beat.
“How are they? Are they doing, okay?” I ask him, eager for any news about my brothers.
Ark squeezes my hand, understanding how much I miss them. “They are doing well. Mother says they’re back in school and smiling once more. Even though they still have their moments of grief, my mother is there to support and guide them through it.”
I release the breath I’ve been holding. My heart aches. “I miss them so much.”
“I know,” he assures me. “One day, you will be reunited with them.”
I nod. I have to hold on to the hope that the rebellion can achieve its greatest desires and that one day I’ll be free to live my life as I choose, with my darling brothers beside me.
“The commander is returning home to discuss the girl’s disappearances, and about the attack on the crystal convoy,” I inform him. A slither of guilt runs down my spine and I chastise myself for it. The Lord Commander is the enemy, and I must do what is right for our people.
“Soldier, don’t you have somewhere to be?” Jasiel walks towards us and we step apart, putting distance between us.
Ark salutes him. “Captain, I was just heading to the mess when we stumbled across each other. Reya was just asking for news from home.”
“You’re back. Any news on the missing girls?” I ask him and he grimaces, shaking his head. “The trail went dead around twenty-five miles south of their district. We’ll not give upthough, we’ll keep looking. Now don’t you have somewhere to be miss?” He gestures with his eyes towards the exit and holds out his arm, suggesting he’ll escort me.
“Take care,” I tell Ark, glancing over my shoulder at him as Jasiel places his hand on my lower back and ushers me towards the gates.
“Are you asking for trouble, miss?” Jasiel asks me with a grin. “It’s fortunate that I found you with the boy, and not Raegal.”
I huff and frowning keep pace beside him. “I don’t understand what his problem is. Am I not allowed to speak to my friend? Am I to be isolated at the mansion from everyone and everything I know?”