Page 53 of Monster Married
This precise thing was one reason why I had distantly hoped that Rory would prefer staying on Earth, where none of these politics would ever play a role in either of our lives. Right this moment, I didn’t care about any of it. All I cared about was him finally opening his eyes and looking at me, saying my name.
The urge to run to him now and leave Zeddira behind was like a fire in my blood, and it took everything I had to remain calm. Thinking of everything Rory had done for our sentenmen made it easier.
“I see. Our fathers do want me to extend you all an invitation to the House so your mate might recover there if you prefer that. It’s temperate this time of year, and you know how competent the healers there are.”
Zeddira was flawless. Overly familiar when speaking with me directly, yet utterly polite and using hangu honorifics when speaking about Rory. I did consider the offer, not least because I could see how my Sadir would love being pampered by the staff of an entire House. He wouldn’t enjoy a House’s expectations in return for that pampering, however.
“Thank you, Zeddira. I will consider that.”
He nodded and sipped some more of his tea rather than dismissing me.
“You do not want to inquire about the incursions?”
“Forgive me. The mate call is new still and has barely settled. I find myself having a difficult time focusing on anything that has not to do with my mate’s welfare.” I bent my head in apology. He’d just wanted to know whether I was desperate enough to ask if he had any information on the humans making deals with the Koa Esher. I was not.
“I can imagine. Most of the humans the main Raiken has had to deal with are not at all well equipped, though some few are. Protectors who have experience fighting in and guarding the border regions with the Koa Esher like yourself will be needed in the future. It seems the veils are merely borders in and of themselves, and like all other borders, demand special attention.”
I inclined my head. “I understand. But you must know?—”
“Yes, yes. What kind of protector would you be if you did not wish to protect your mate first? Well, I will not keep you from him any longer. Attend to the human. I will send my staff to call on you and your mate soon.”
The dismissal made him look like the haughty hangu of the higher echelons of a House once again, and I left as if none of it bothered me. That, I knew, would annoy Zeddira as much as I could ever hope to annoy him.
Chapter 17
Inkiri
Hove had given our sentenmen an apartment in the Raiken’s old wing, which meant the rooms were small and the bath was old, if functional. The hallway leading there from the library wing was narrow and bare, just dull stone and a retrofitted light here and there.
For all that, it was clean and quiet, out of the way from the hubbub of the students and the full Raikengana going about their duties. It was nothing as nice as the rikori, but the Raiken was the safer option. Or had been, up until Zeddira had gotten here.
Lissir stood right outside the door to our suite, back against the wall by the window at the end of the hallway so he could look outside while he waited for me.
“I’m sure Vergis would have told him to fuck off. What did you tell him?” Lissir asked in English. Few here spoke it, even fewer as well as we did after two years spent mostly on Earth, studying what life had been like there before the lagasar. It was unlikely we would be overheard.
I shrugged. “I tried to focus on listening. Other humans have been coming here through the fusing points in the veils. I don’t think he has any idea why the Koa Esher decided to help the humans who want Rory, or why exactly they want him. He probably thinks it’s because he is a rare conduit.”
Lissir cocked his head. “Inkiri. You know that whatever the agreement between the Koa Esher and those humans was, the Koa Esher saw what happened here. We didn’t manage to capture all of them.”
I let out a long breath. “I do realize that.”
Lissir reached for my hand in that familiar manner he used with only a few people.
“The house we lived in on Earth was warded by Vergis and has been safe for two years. We should go there. It has everything we need.”
Lissir wasn’t wrong. At the same time, Rory had wanted to stay here. Was it selfish of me to take him back to Earth when he had told me he didn’t want that, or was it more selfish of me to wait and risk something worse happening while we hoped for him to wake up?
“How has he been?” I asked.
Lissir squeezed my hand before releasing it and looking out the window. “Fellisse got some tea into him. Not much. Vergis returned while you were out and is watching over him while Fellisse is sleeping. Nokim is sharing some of his finds from Earth with the other makers here. We can be gone quickly.”
I sighed. “We might have to. Zeddira has brought doctors and who knows who else.”
Lissir nodded. “Yes, doctors from your House and from the main Raiken, as well as makers who were talking about the human guns.”
“You’ve been out yourself?”
Lissir flexed the muscles in his shoulders. “Mmm. I get bored, cooped up in a place like this with no manga to read. You know I always enjoyed spying more than waiting for something to happen. I may have asked that sweet young Raikenga who has taken a shine to your mate to keep his ears open.”
