To Seduce An Assassin (The Omaja Series Book 2)(58)

“Show me one more. Give it all you’ve got.”

She performed the cross-slice with as much gusto and precision as she could manage in a dress and with hair hanging in her face.

“Excellent job, Graciella.” He smiled. “Would you like to learn to add a spin?”

“Yes!”

Liel appeared in the doorway. “Sire, a courier has arrived with news of your brother.”

“Send him in at once.”

Liel bowed and left.

“Finally, some news about our siblings,” Graciella said. “I hope they are well.”

“I’m certain they are fine. Jiandra’s stone keeps her perfectly safe, she can heal any disease or injury they might incur, and Yajna’s one tough brute besides.” He chuckled. “I should know; I’ve been wrestling with him since we were toddlers.”

She grinned. “Which of you won the wrestling matches?”

“Me, of course. Every so often I’d let him win, just to keep his morale up.”

Liel appeared with the courier following. Both men bowed to Yavi.

“Report,” Yavi said to the courier.

“Mahaj, Emperor Yajna sends word of their departure from Atulya this morning. He and the queen should be here before dark tonight.”

“Any news about the fever in Nirren?”

“Yes. The queen has cured every villager and animal that was infected. She stayed late in the village last evening to make sure there were no stragglers or re-infections.”

“Very well. If that is all, my steward will pay you and show you out.”

The courier bowed and followed Liel out of the armory.

Graciella smiled up at Yavi. “Wonderful news.”

“Yes. How about we go check on the status of your room move? We can continue our sword lessons tomorrow.”

She was reluctant to go before learning the spin move he’d promised, but she acquiesced. “All right.”

§

Yavi stood watching Graciella as she surveyed her new chamber, hands on hips.

“Everything appears to be in place.”

Her long, dark hair was all but completely unraveled from the braid down her back, and he longed to rake the leather tie off the end of it, gather her tresses in his hands, sift his fingers through the silky strands, and tilt her head back for a kiss. He shook himself to focus on the task at hand. “Check your armoire—make sure all your belongings are there.”

She went to open the double doors, then checked the drawers below. “Yes. And no stowaway demon children inside.”

He chuckled, folding his arms. “I apologize for the haunted state of my palace. It’s most disconcerting for guests, apparently. Sometimes they come running to my room at midnight.”

“Yes, it is a bit of a bother,” she replied, grinning. “Still, the place has great architecture, and I hear the chef is really good.”

“The best.” He cleared his throat. “Graciella, I want to revisit this idea of asking Wolfan to stand guard over you at night while you sleep. Why don’t I do it instead? I’ll nap this afternoon so I can stay awake. I’ll sit in that chair over there, and you can just pretend I’m not here.”

“Pretend the handsomest man I’ve ever laid eyes on isn’t here in my room watching me sleep? No, I don’t think that will work. You would be very distracting.”

Yavi frowned. He simply could not stomach sending Wolfan to her room late at night to watch her sleep. What if her blankets slipped away from her bare feet and ankles? What if she rolled over and her breasts emerged from the loose neckline of her nightgown? A healthy, red-blooded man’s restraint could only endure so much, and he trusted himself to withstand the temptation much more than his guard Wolfan. In addition, she’d declared Wolfan her “favorite,” so that could mean she was developing feelings for him, especially now that she considered Yavi unavailable. Wolfan was closer to Graciella’s age, a tall, well-built young man. Yavi didn’t like it. Not one bit.

An idea occurred to him. “Perhaps we should ask your sister who she thinks should guard you while you sleep—me, or Wolfan.”

“Oh, Jiandra will say you, of course.”

“Hah! Then why don’t we go with what Jiandra would want? She is very wise.”

“I don’t like her telling me what to do.” She flipped her hair over her shoulder and strode over to the mirror. She pulled the leather tie off the end of her disheveled braid and started brushing out her hair.

Yavi watched in rapt fascination. He hadn’t seen her hair completely loose before. It reached almost to her waist and hung down on each side of her face like a beautiful curtain as she brushed. She gathered it over one shoulder and started braiding it, turning back to face him. “Why don’t you trust Wolfan to stand guard in here?”

“Because you are too beautiful for words,” he answered softly.

She blinked at him, still braiding.

“The truth is, I would be jealous of any man who was privileged enough to stare at your sleeping form for eight hours.”

She finished the braid and reached for the leather tie. “Sounds pretty boring if you ask me.”

“Not to me.”

“Yavi, please stop complimenting me. I said I was going to help you keep your oath, but if you keep talking like that, it’s going to be hard.”