The room we rented was spacious yet cozy. An embodiment of all those medieval taverns I’d read about in my fantasy romances. The fire was burning away, and the green curtains were drawn, giving it a secure, homely feel—a good place to unwind. It had also been vacant when Cee arrived, so there’d been no need for bribes. I’d asked her about it as we snuck through the back door like celebrities avoiding a mob.

Much to Cair’s satisfaction, we’d met no one as he climbed the stairs, two at a time, with me still in his arms. He’d locked the door behind us, barely stopping to admire the king-sized bed or the shower and tub situation before he was helping me bathe. He’d tenderly scrubbed the reaper’s blood from my skin, then drained and refilled the murky water to wash my hair. His tentative fingers had felt heavenly on my scalp—on every inch of me, really—but it was over far too soon. Gary had delivered bandages and ointment, and my mate had insisted on dressing the wound without further delay. I’d let him do whatever he needed. It was no real hardship, being taken care of and pampered.

And if it helped him regulate, then it was a win-win.

“We’ll stay here for a few nights,” he said as he tucked the tail of the bandage securely under itself. “Let you rest and heal properly. Then we will return to the palace.”

My eyes snapped to his, blinking as I processed what he’d said—his first full sentence since we’d got here. “Um, no…” I countered with a short, incredulous laugh. “We can stay here for two nights, then we’ll carry on.”

“But—”

I covered his hands with mine, lifting one to my cheek and nuzzling it. “I’m not giving up because of those assholes.” I kissed his palm. “I want to find out if this Zadok guy really is my dad. I’ve waited long enough.”

“We can still do so,” he said, thumb brushing my skin. He wore a concerned frown that I wanted to smooth out with my finger. “But in the company of the royal guard. Two weeks and your wound will be healed, then I can gather a⁠—”

“I love you.” I cut in, sending him a smile that I hoped conveyed my gratitude for his unnecessary fretting before adding a firm and concise, “But no.”