He watched the tension seep out of Saetan’s body. Saw what might be a shimmer of tears in those gold eyes.

“Good night, Lucivar,” his father replied.

It was after midnight when he landed in the courtyard in front of his eyrie. He’d been too churned up to go home when he got back to Ebon Rih, so he’d flown, working his body while he struggled to empty his mind. Now his body was tired, but his mind . . .

There were so many ways he could have died. Accidents happened in the hunting camps when youngsters were being trained to handle weapons. Warriors died trying to prove themselves in the Blood Run or the Khaldharon. There were battles between courts—usually staged as contests and exercises with weapons shielded to do nothing more than bruise, but there were always males who used those contests as an excuse to shed a rival’s blood, and there had been plenty of warriors who had resented that a half-breed bastard had fighting skills they could match only in their dreams.

There were so many ways he could have died. And he almost had died when he escaped and ended up in Kaeleer. If he had . . .

The door opened behind him. Marian said hesitantly, “Prince Yaslana?”

He turned and looked at the reason his feelings were still churned up. “Come here.”

She came toward him, her steps uncertain, trying to gauge his mood. “I could heat up something for you to eat.”

He shook his head. “I’m not hungry.” He reached out, touched her hair. When his fingers trailed along her shoulder, she started to step back. “Marian . . . Let me hold you. Please. I need to hold you.”

She didn’t move toward him, but she folded her wings tight so he could wrap his arms around her and draw her up against him. At first, she held herself stiffly, but when he didn’t do anything else, she relaxed enough to rest her head on his shoulder and put her arms around his waist.

He brushed his cheek against her hair, savoring the feel of her, the smell of her.

Everything has a price.

He would have to talk to Saetan and reach an agreement. He was an Eyrien warrior and Jaenelle’s First Escort. He had to be able to step onto any kind of battlefield and fight to defend his Queen. He had to be willing to die for his Queen. He couldn’t do that until he got a promise from Saetan that there wouldn’t be another Zuulaman.

His arms tightened around Marian. No Eyrien mattered more to him than she did. So he had to have that promise.

Because if he died without it, the price would be too high.

FOURTEEN

FOURTEEN