Cal nodded, a knowing smile curling on his face. Eithan actually liked the old man, more than he liked most of the individuals around the palace, at least. He’d been working for him for years, ever since the last had bled out and died on Eithan’s floor. The man was quite used to his requests.

He turned to go, but Eithan snapped his fingers, stopping him in his tracks.

“Lean frame and curly brown hair, Cal. I don’t care about anything else. But her hair must be a long mess of dark curls.”

His servant nodded again before turning and slipping out of the room. As soon as the door latched shut, Eithan stood and stepped over the lip of the tub, silently watching rivulets of water run down his naked form and pool at his feet.

No matter who showed up at his door, she wouldn’t be good enough. She wouldn’t have the innocent, wide eyes, or the perfect dusting of freckles he dreamed about every night.

He clenched his jaw. He’d have to resign himself to taking her from behind, because if he even saw a flash of a face that wasn’t Vera’s, he’d lose it.

Caressing a hand down his still painfully erect length, he sighed. Guess it wouldn’t be a mouth he fucked tonight.

Grabbing the pair of trousers Cal had set down, he threw them on over his wet skin, leaving them undone and ignoring the way the fabric immediately stuck to his thighs. It’s not like he’d be wearing them long anyway.

He dried his hands and made his way over to his bookshelf, counting the spines from the left, and picking up the fourth book. Letting it naturally fall open in his palms, he removed the key he’d hidden inside, and placed the book back on the shelf.

He moved to his desk, opening the bottom drawer, and removed the paper and quills inside of it. Then he reached in, pulling up the faux bottom to reveal the locked, hidden compartment beneath.

The one he kept all his private texts and journals in, as well as his favorite mementos.

Shifting a stained, ceramic shard to the side, he grabbed the most recent Bhasurian scroll he’d borrowed from the scribes and closed it all back up, returning the key to its original spot.

He’d write another letter while he waited, and then, after he rid himself of this raging fucking need and cleared his mind, he’d spend the remainder of the night studying. Just like he had every night for weeks. Thyabathi was a lot harder than it looked.

And with Sulian sending him to gods damn Midpath to oversee the guard, he’d need every night of studying he could get. Especially now that he had nothing else to do. He certainly wouldn’t visit Gibson anytime soon, nor did he have any great desire to visit any of his other usuals down there.

Eithan had taken Gibson back to his cell as promised, but he hadn’t touched him. Something had changed in the man’s expression that warned him off. His eyes had held a fire that shouldn’t have been there.