Elli’s stomach squeezed into a nervous fist.
“Why? What do you know about it?” she demanded.
“Tell me why you want to go and I’ll tell you what I know,” he countered. “But first, come with me to the Garment District.” He beckoned for her but Elli held her ground.
“Why the Garment District?” she asked, frowning.
“So I can buy you a new dress, of course,” he said, sounding exasperated. “As you said, you can’t go to the Tenebrian palace looking like that.” And he pointed at her stained robes.
“All right.” Elli felt her cheeks getting hot. “I’ll go with you as long as you don’t touch me.”
“I already promised I wouldn’t, didn’t I?” he growled. “Look, I’m not here to molest you, Ellilah—I’m here to protect you.”
“Who said I needed protection?” she demanded.
“The Goddess, when she sent me,” Roke said shortly. “Now come on.”
He turned and headed up the street and—after a silent moment of internal struggle—Elli followed him.
Twelve
Don’t trust him—why are you even going with him? whispered a doubtful little voice in Elli’s head.
Elli didn’t know the answer to that herself. But somehow she felt like she had no choice, so she followed the big warrior as he walked up the cobblestone streets of Capital City.
They left the Greengrocer District behind and entered the Garment District, just as he had said. There were fancy clothes hanging out in front of some of the shops and working clothes hanging out in front of others. But just as Elli was eyeing a silvery-blue gown with tiny yellow flowers sewn all over it, they came to a stop in front of a small café instead.
“What are we doing here?” Elli asked as Roke walked inside and took a seat at a small table in the corner.
“Getting some lunch.” He crossed his long legs with their tall black boots at the ankles and invited Elli to sit in the chair across from him with a wave of his hand.
“I’m not hungry,” she said sullenly but then her stomach growled, giving lie to her words. It had been some time since the thunder melon, which never really filled you up anyway, but just sort of melted away after you ate it.
“Oh!” Elli put a hand to her stomach, mortified, but the big warrior only laughed.
“Sit down,” he said. “Let’s have something to eat and get to know each other—since it seems we’re partners now.”
“You are not my partner,” Elli said firmly, though she did take the seat across from him.
“Until you’re out of danger, yes I am,” he said grimly. “I’ve been an agnostic all my life but the minute the Goddess spoke to me, I knew she was real—and not someone to disobey. So I’m going with you into that fucking Tenebrian palace, even though I don’t have any idea why you’d want to go to such a place.”
“I’m on a quest,” Elli said, lifting her chin. “To get a piece of the Healing Lattice to save the Descending Priestess Superior, who is dying.”
Roke nodded thoughtfully.
“A noble cause. And who sent you on this quest?”
“I sent myself,” Elli admitted. “But I believe it is the will of the Goddess. She sent me a way to get away from the Priory of Extreme Atonement. And she sent me a way into the palace,” she added, brightening at the thought.
It hadn’t really occurred to her until that moment, but meeting the Duke and his zorel had worked out perfectly for her. The Goddess really must be blessing her quest to save the old Priestess Superior!
“And she sent me to protect you,” Roke said dryly. “She was fucking relentless about it.”
“What do you mean, ‘relentless’?” Elli asked, frowning.
“Well, first I’ve dreamed of you every damn night since that human Christmas party,” he growled. He must have seen Elli’s eyes widen because he raised a hand. “Don’t worry—it wasn’t any form of Dream Sharing. I’m half Havoc and we don’t Dream Share or bond with females.”
“Well somebody in your family must have broken that rule,” Elli pointed out. “Otherwise you wouldn’t be only half Havoc.”
The Havoc were a branch of the Kindred tree which had been created by a Kindred scientist who had been left by the female he loved. Heartbroken, he had set out to genetically engineer a race with the intelligence, strength, size, and musculature of the Kindred, without their need to find and bond with a mate. The Havocs’ motto was, “We do not Bond.”
But clearly someone in Roke’s immediate family tree had disregarded that motto. The scowl on the big warrior’s face was a clear indication that she was right.
“My mother was Kindred and my Sire was Havoc,” he admitted. “And yes, he bonded with her—against his own Sire’s wishes. And then, when I was only ten cycles old, she died—leaving both of us desolate.” He frowned and looked down at his large hands, clasped on the small table. “So you don’t need to fear that I’m looking to mate or bond you, little priestess. I’m only here because the Goddess sent me—and to make up for ruining your life,” he added, looking up. “I truly am sorry about that—I didn’t think a few kisses would do you so much harm.”