Prince and Pawn by Lark Tavia

Author:Lark, Tavia [Lark, Tavia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-01-26T18:30:00+00:00

❧

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Audric

After Corin falls asleep, Audric reluctantly slides out from beneath him. He tucks a cushion beneath Corin’s head and allows himself the briefest caress of Corin’s soft cheek. Then he goes to the hallway and summons the nearest servant to fetch an oathguard.

The oathguard returns ten minutes later with a basket of Audric’s requested items, and Silvie, who looks annoyed and glamorous in crystal snowflake earrings.

Blocking the doorway, Audric grabs the basket. “I’ll take this from here.”

The other guard slips away at the dismissal, but Silvie isn’t so easy to shake off. “Where have you been? Prince Bellamy is throwing a fit in your chambers. He said you were supposed to meet him there.”

Audric winces. “Tell him we’ll be there in an hour. He should rest while he waits.”

“Yes, Your Highness. Wait, did you say we?”

Audric lowers his voice. “Corin deserves to learn this truth as well.”

“Is he in there?” Silvie goes up on her toes, trying to look past Audric. “This is going to be a mess, isn’t it?”

It certainly is. Audric’s stomach turns. If Bellamy is this incensed and frantic to see him, Audric must have been right about Geoffrey using Corin as an unwitting, unwilling grail.

“Nothing we can’t handle.” Audric hopes he’s right. “Make sure tea or coffee is brewing for Bellamy and Rakos. It’s going to be a long night.”

After Silvie leaves, Audric stands in the center of the room for a moment, eyes closed in meditation. He thinks through every part of his body, the well of his magic, centering himself like he’s been doing since he was a child. His emotions are still so much stronger and more fraught with Corin, but control is easier now that Audric isn’t fighting his desire.

Corin doesn’t wake as Audric cleans and bandages his forearm. There’s something soothing and reassuring about wiping the blood away, rubbing ointment into the punctures, and smoothing the bandage around his arm. Skills Audric learned for the battlefield. For childish escapades with Julien, when they didn’t want anyone to know how stupidly they’d hurt themselves.

Patching Corin up is just as satisfying as ripping him apart. He’s so small and fragile, but Audric doesn’t feel like a monster for hurting him anymore. Not when Corin begs so desperately for it.

Corin finally stirs as Audric buttons his sleeve. “You’re still here.”

“Of course, I’m still here,” Audric says. “Sleep a little longer.”

But Corin rubs his eyes and pushes himself upright. He touches his bandages through his sleeve. “Your Highness…”

“I won’t forbid you from apologizing, but I will ignore it.”

“I am sorry.” Corin takes a deep breath. “Thank you for staying. What time is it? You should probably get back to the banquet.”

“It’s not yet midnight.” It feels like it’s been far longer. Like this parlor exists separately from the natural flow of time. “But neither of us are going to the banquet. I need to talk to Bellamy, and so do you.”

Corian stares at him searchingly. “All right. Hand me that brush.”

Audric had intended to

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