Dearly Despised (Calluvia's Royalty 5)

A deep crease appeared between Warrehn’s brows. “What exactly did Idhron say?”

“Idhron pretty much admitted that he brainwashed Dalatteya into thinking that Eridan was dead and into liking the kid enough not to be a threat to him when he returned. A few years ago, he also planted into her mind the knowledge that you were on Tai’Lehr, so that she could do the dirty work for him and have you killed and Eridan could ascend to the throne. That’s where the assassination attempts on you came from.”

Samir’s stomach turned. This was the first time he was hearing of this. He distinctly remembered his mother claiming that she’d had no idea about Warrehn’s survival. So that had been a lie.

Unlike him, Warrehn seemed unbothered—or maybe because it wasn’t news to him. “That’s it?” he said, raking a hand through his thick hair, the muscles of his wide back flexing.

Samir dragged his eyes away and looked down at his lap as he waited for Rohan’s answer.

“Idhron also admitted that he created a trap in her mind that was supposed to spring if someone tried to search her mind for information about the High Hronthar or Warrehn. But he says there are other traps in her mind, protecting the blocks of her memories he wasn’t able to access. They’re the ones preventing you from delving deeper into her mind, and Idhron can’t remove them, because he isn’t the one who put them there.”

Samir bit his lip to prevent himself from speaking. Rohan might have known who Warrehn had been having sex with, but it was another thing to speak and acknowledge it aloud. Not to mention that if he said something, Warrehn might actually remember that he was still in the room and take the communicator off speaker.

“He’s allegedly the best mind adept on the planet,” Warrehn said flatly. “And I’m supposed to believe he wasn’t able to access those blocked memories?”

Rohan snorted. “My thoughts exactly. I think he’s telling the truth about the mind traps, but he may not be telling us everything he knows.”

Sighing, Warrehn grunted, “I don’t trust him. Just because he’s good to my brother it doesn’t make him a decent person. Eridan is the only thing he cares about besides power.”

Huh. So could those rumors about Eridan be true? About him and the Grandmaster of the High Hronthar?

Warrehn looked back at him, as if only then realizing that he wasn’t alone in the room.

Samir gave him his best innocent look.

Warrehn’s blue eyes lingered on his mouth, which probably looked red and puffy from all the times Samir had to bite his lips in order not to moan.

“War?” Rohan said. “Are you there?”

His shoulders tensing, Warrehn turned away again. “Yes,” he said tersely. “I’ll get to the bottom of it. Thanks for letting me know.” He ended the call, but not a moment later, his communicator chimed again.

It was Eridan this time.

“I’m coming back to the palace,” he said. “Tonight.”

Warrehn straightened up. “You’ve changed your mind?” he said hoarsely.

“No,” Eridan said. He sounded annoyed. “I’m just teaching Castien a lesson. He didn’t tell me he was responsible for those assassination attempts on you.”

“Are you really surprised?” Warrehn said, chuckling.

Eridan let out a humorless laugh. “I mean, not really. I know my Master and what he’s capable of. I’m mostly annoyed that he didn’t tell me about it until now. I’ll stay for a bit in the palace so that he grovels a little before I take him back. I can stay, right?”

“Of course,” Warrehn said, his voice rough. “You’re always welcome, Eri. This is your home.”

When he ended the call, he turned back to Samir and looked at him with inscrutable blue eyes. “Go to your own room. I don’t want Eridan to find out about”—he gestured between them—“this. Stay away while he’s visiting. Don’t let me catch even a glimpse of you. I’ll find you myself when it gets bad.”

Feeling irked for reasons he chose not to examine too closely, Samir said, “Fine.” He reached for his clothes and dressed quickly. He thought he could feel Warrehn’s eyes on him, but when he looked back, Warrehn wasn’t looking at him.

Pursing his lips tightly, Samir strode out of the room.

He wasn’t even sure why he was so pissed. He just… He supposed he’d just gotten used to them sleeping in one bed and it pissed him off that Warrehn had dismissed him like a used thing. Something unimportant.

Something he was ashamed of.

Chapter 14

The next day, Samir told his mother about the traps in her mind.

Dalatteya’s face paled for a moment before she regained her usual composure. “Don’t worry about it, darling,” she said, her gaze distant and thoughtful. “I’ll handle it.”

“How? You can’t exactly go to the High Hronthar with this problem.”

His mother shook her head. “Not to the High Hronthar, no. But there are other telepathic species off-world that offer their services for a price. I’ve heard of an off-worlder I can hire to examine my mind.”