The Kept

The Wait

Tanek was late. They had been six days in hiding, and the Kenton was only a two-day journey from the cabin if traveling at a leisurely pace. Even allowing a day or two for him to recover, get Amparo settled, gather supplies, and learn whatever news he could from Kenton, he was still at least two days later than he should have been. Nerys and Dadien occupied themselves during the day by gathering food from the forest, and watching for signs of more mercenaries.

The evenings were more challenging. Every sunset that passed without Tanek's arrival intensified the unease they both felt, but neither would touch upon the subject of what they would do should the worst happen and Tanek never come. Instead, they studied the books and maps that lined the walls, talked of their pasts, and how to deal with their families once they were wed.

Talk of their impending marriage made Nerys uncomfortable, though it was, admittedly, a better arrangement than her first. Dadien displayed none of the callousness and cruelty of his brother, she was not being held against her will, and they shared an understanding that left no room for the false affections that had caused so much frustration in her dealings with Gereon.

Still, she was careful to keep a chaste distance between them, with the exception of one long night spent huddled together in wary silence against the sound of boots on the floor above them. And neither of them ever suggested opening the bottles of Haolaetian wine they found in a box on one of the shelves.

Still, Dadien would flirt carelessly, and there were times when Nerys could not speak to him without recalling the feel of his lips on her skin.

"Tomorrow will be our last night here," Dadien said on the evening of the sixth day. "We cannot afford to wait any longer. If Tanek is not here by then, we will have to move forward without him. If Vayk and the crew escaped, they will be waiting for us in Brookstone by now. I have to meet with our allies there, and reorganize our efforts. I've already been missing long enough that some might think I've died."

Nerys nodded over the book she had been skimming. It was on Haolaetia's contributions to the last war. Despite being the smallest of the four kingdoms, theirs was the largest naval fleet because of the prolific wine trade that had been the cornerstone of the kingdom for centuries.

"We would probably go crazy if we stayed here much longer," she remarked.

"Maybe you would. I was quite enjoying it."

Dadien flashed her a devastating half smile.

"Stop that!" Nerys said, suddenly annoyed.

"Stop what?" he asked, the smile intensifying. "Enjoying your company?"

"Never mind." Nerys turned back to her book, hoping Dadien hadn't noticed the rise in color on her cheeks and ears.

"Are you blushing?"

"No. Why would I?" Nerys sounded unconvincing, even to herself.

Dadien rose from his seat, took the book from her hands, and made a face at it. "Well, it's certainly not from your reading material..."

"I need to step out." Nerys stood abruptly and Dadien caught her wrist. "Let go."

He did as commanded, holding his palms out in surrender to the warning in her tone. They looked at each other silently for barely a moment before he abandoned his bid for mercy, took her face in his hands, and kissed her.

She was lost in an instant.

Something unbidden compelled her to gently nibble at his soft, plump bottom lip. He started a bit, a shiver running between them, before grabbing her waist and lifting her body to his. They tumbled backward into the chair, with Dadien now occupying the space where Nerys had sat, and Nerys occupying him.