Tameka held up her official imperial draft and preened. She was occupying Xelan’s corner-desk in the study while he cleaned up for the night. Finally relaxing with Celindria gone, Aria and Torch went out on the town. “Looking for souls to taste,” as they’d put it. As Xelan’s half-brother and sister, Tameka loved them. As soldiers for Iona Pax, she cherished them. But as social beings, she worried about their ability to adapt.
The same could be said for Andrius and Devis. They went with Aria and Torch to explore the nightlife Ishkur offered, but both ancient Progeny brothers suffered from PTSD, and ‘introvert’ didn’t cover it. She hoped among the four of them, they would have some fun.
With those four, Tumu, Lamassau, and Pax out for the evening, the stronghold felt empty and a little sad. Tameka missed the chaos. While reading over the document of her very own, she stretched her arms high and leaned to the side—
“That is a gorgeous sight to walk in on.”
Xelan.
With a grin, Tameka turned to face her husband. He was walking into the study, ruffling his hair dry with a towel. Unfortunately, like Tameka, he wasn’t naked. She was still wearing her cropped top and slacks from the races. He was in some pajama bottoms, hanging off the bones of his hips in just the most enticing way—
“My eyes are up here, beautiful.” Xelan’s grin was entirely too self-satisfied, yet it suited him.
Which reminded Tameka…
Preening once again, she took her ultra-important draft in hand and met him halfway. “I’m making an imperial decree. Would you care to review it before I enact it, starting tomorrow?”
Xelan’s eyes widened slightly, but the playfulness stayed in his smile as he took the page from her. “Gold ink. Nice touch.”
“Lucas inspired me,” Tameka said it on a sigh as she fell gracefully on a plush couch.
With rapt attention, respectfully serious, Xelan scanned over the decree. Upon finishing, he met Tameka’s eyes, and the playfulness lessened sadly. He said, “A Transparency Decree… Tameka, I’m sorry you’ve even felt the need to write this.”
None of that.
Tameka stood and wrapped her arms around him. “Shh… This isn’t only about you. It’s Rayne and Lucas and so many others. I’m sure F8 and Kombuchi also have their secrets. But now, they have to forfeit them to the judgment of the King Elect council. From there, we can all make an informed vote and determine if it’s necessary to share the information with the public. You know? Like Tumu—the Tritan King Elect—was half-Aegis. Or that Rayne was alive and wanted to remain in hiding so she could boink your brother.”
Xelan winced, but at Tameka’s teasing nudge, he managed a strained smile. “I understand, and I think it’s an excellent idea.” He pulled her against his side and kissed her curls.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
“Good. Now, if we’re done talking about politics, I have a pantsuit to strip out of. Maybe with music. Maybe with you sitting in a chair, enjoying the show—”
Xelan pulled over the nearest plain chair from a conference table, sat in it, and gazed up at Tameka with alluring intensity.
Damn
She was so lucky—
“Father?”
Tameka also loved T.a.o. and appreciated that at least this time, she’d waited outside the study instead of barging in. What was with Seamswalkers and privacy?
Xelan held up a finger, saying, “Hold that thought,” as he went to the doorway.
Tameka eavesdropped from the middle of the study, overhearing things like, “Fate won’t wait any longer for its inheritor,” and, “He returns.”
The last one sent a chill down Tameka’s spine. Especially as Xelan looked over his shoulder at Tameka with an apologetic smile. He asked, “Will you come with us?”
“Of course.” Tameka didn’t hesitate, and there was no disappointment. They’d get to the dance later. She crossed the study, saying, “I can’t let you go off on some mysterious errand alone.”
T.a.o. beamed—truly radiant with joy—as she opened a conduit to what looked like a lab in Ishkur’s bridge. She took Xelan’s hand, who took Tameka’s, and they stepped through.
Into Kyle’s lab.
Tameka’s blood pressure plummeted as her brain puzzled together what her heart hoped wasn’t true.
Razor stood three inches taller than his brother. Tameka could tell because the ill-fitting suit, which was tailored perfectly for Lucas, couldn’t stretch to cover the Pain Curator’s wrists and ankles. Judging by the slight strain around his eyes, he knew and disparaged this. Also…
Razor was fucking alive.
His freaky Aegis eyes flicked to Tameka’s as if he’d heard the exclamation in her thoughts. There was the slightest, faintest twitch to the corner of his lips—resisting the urge to smirk—before he devoured Xelan’s shirtless situation with hunger blatant in his eyes. But all the while, Tameka knew he kept his peripheral on her, gauging her reaction.
Bastard.
Xelan—sweet, wonderful, naïve Xelan—grinned and crossed the room to rope Razor into an extremely warm hug. “I’m so glad you let someone talk some sense into you.”
Razor was looking over Xelan’s shoulder at Tameka as he smoothed a circle on Xelan’s naked back. All with a slight lift to the corner of his mouth.
Only when Kyle put his hand on Tameka’s shoulder did she even realize he, Silence, and Andrew were in the lab. It startled her, and Razor suppressed what she was sure was a chuckle, masking it as clearing his throat from overwhelming emotion. The Pain Curator muttered to Xelan. “One and Story Taker fattened up your skinny offer until I couldn’t refuse. I’m officially under the employ of the Concerted Empire of Iona Pax as a criminal profiler. It is my pleasure to serve you.”
Razor. Did. Not. Just. Say. That.
Did he just fucking wink at Tameka?!
T.a.o. Seamswalked between Tameka and Razor. The fae woman said, “Merriment from taunts. Do not feed what should remain starved.”
Perspective. As composure washed over Tameka, she took T.a.o.’s hand. “Thank you.”
“Is something wrong?” Xelan sounded so oblivious. It was cute and infuriating.
Damn Razor for getting under Tameka’s skin. “Everything’s fine, amos.” She shot daggers at Razor’s gleeful stare before addressing Lucas, Andrew, Kyle, and Silence. “So you four took it upon yourselves to resurrect the Pain Curator. I don’t even have to ask if you have a plan in mind. I trust you. But please… Are there any other secrets I should know about?”
Silence peered at Kyle, who looked over at Andrew, who glanced at Lucas. Each of them shared the same expression of kids confessing to breaking something. It raised goosebumps on Tameka’s skin as the question rang in the air until…
“I can think of one other thing.”
At the sound of Triss’ dusky voice, Tameka shut her eyes and prayed the nightmare would go away.
Speaking of transparency…