Page 64 of Shadow Mark
“They are ancient. Venerable. Above such petty concerns as names,” he said, his words coming slower.
“That’s all very high-minded, but everything has a name. Crows—that’s a bird on Earth—give names to humans. Imagine that. Not words, but they assign calls to people. So what do the karu call themselves?”
Baris took so long to respond that she thought he had finally succumbed to sleep. “The bond is not like that. We do not share words, only impressions and emotions. My karu…” His voice grew quiet. “My karu did name me, I believe. He had images of summer berries, ripe in the bushes.”
Barry. The situation was far too sincere for her to tease him over a nickname. Instead, she said, “Berries. That’s great. Thank you for sharing that.”
“He was young when he chose me. I was young. We were young.”
“How do the karu choose their people?”
“Affinity. Curiosity.” He spoke slower and slower. “The hopeful supplicants make a pilgrimage to Miria, and—” he yawned, obscuring the next words “—you wait.”
“Just like that.” She had difficulty imagining how a person could go from the bottom of the social ladder all the way to the top by…well, it wasn’t exactly fate. More like a lottery, hinging on a karu’s mood and if they thought you looked interesting.
She continued to stroke his hair. Free from the tie holding it back, his dark hair spilled over his shoulders in a tangle. She liked how it looked undone, like this was a vulnerable moment meant only for her. Other people—the entire universe, it felt like at times—got the polished version of Baris. She got to see the messy side.
The quiet of the room surrounded them. Through the windows, the lights of Farhaven scattered in every direction like a starfield.
“Baris?” she asked in a hushed tone. He made a murmuring noise. “Why didn’t you let go? When the portal collapsed,” she added for clarification. The question hadn’t kept her up at night, but she never really took the time to sit and ponder it either. She might have made it through the portal. He had no good reason to go to extremes to save her. The logical choice would have been to let go and hope for the best.
“I wanted…to keep you,” he murmured, his voice thick with sleep.
Lenore remained still until Baris was well and truly asleep. “I’m glad you did,” she whispered.
BARIS
Baris woke to the aroma of toast and butter. An alarming gurgle sounded from his stomach. He tensed, unsure if he was about to be sick again. Slowly, he realized this sensation was hunger, not nausea. How strange. He hadn’t felt hungry in days.
He sat up on the sofa, his shoulders stiff and the rest of his body generally protesting the need to be vertical.
“Good, you’re awake.” Lenore appeared, carrying a tray of food, including buttered toast, and wearing nothing but his undershirt.
It sounded far more suggestive than it actually was. The shirt’s length nearly reached her knees, and the collar was so wide it slipped off her shoulders. Regardless, the sight set his mouth watering. The only words he could manage were, “You’re wearing my shirt.”
“I hope you don’t mind that I borrowed it. Gotta keep up the debauchery facade.” She placed the tray on the low table. “Camouflage for when breakfast was delivered. I needed to look the part.”
Now that she mentioned it, he noticed her tousled hair and the rumpled shirt. He said, “You look exactly like the morning after a night of passion.”
“Thank you.” She dipped her head in acknowledgment and poured out two cups of strong tea. As she bent over, the hem of her shirt rode up. He did not mind.
“I had hoped to see you debauched again. Shame that it is false.” He accepted the cup. “The next time won’t be.”
Her cheeks flushed a pretty pink. “Are you flirting with me, Your Majesty?”
“No title, not between us,” he said. “And why shouldn’t I? A beautiful female is wearing my shirt and serving me breakfast. I am the envy of every person in the kingdom.”
“No need to ask if you’re feeling better.” She took the top piece of toast and bit into it.
“I feel marvelous,” he said truthfully. The world felt brighter, and he felt lighter.
She made that humming noise that indicated doubt. “What you’re feeling is not-crap, and it’s the first time you’ve felt like not-crap in ages, so it seems fantastic, but it’s an illusion. You’ll run out of energy and hit a wall soon, then you’ll be back to feeling like crap.”
“Is that what Harol tells you?”
“That’s what a medical degree, years of experience, and having been a human who’s been sick tells me. Don’t get too ambitious. Your body needs time to recover.”
“I need to return to my duties.” Countless messages would be waiting. Frankly, he was surprised not to find Des waiting for him to wake, ready to go through the day’s agenda. “Where is Des?”