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The journey back was uneventful, the low that now burned between Kiyo andI now questioned the wisdo about hiht too: what had happened between us back in the glade had coet back at Dorian That wasn’t really a good reason to start a relationship It wasn’t even a really good reason for casual sex, and honestly, I wasn’t sure what my status ith Kiyo at theso quietly and obediently that I finally broke the silence to reassure her I’d keep ive her credit for not pushing the matter until I settled ht to Dorian’s, once we’d crossed back into more familiar territory My plan was to deal with hiht it would be safer to have the crown there Dorian’s guards rins, and while they were surprised to see Kiyo, most see back alive was a good sign

As soon as we entered the castle, I ordered a o to Katrice and inform her that I now possessed the Iron Crown and that if she wanted to talk surrender, I was all ears As Dorian’s consort, I had the power to order around his staff - but I had a feeling that would end soon

Kiyo and I were admitted into Dorian’s exalted presence out in a courtyard, where he was -tormented courtier named Muran play the harp I knew for a fact that Muran had had exactly one lesson, and Dorian seeh This kind of thing was one of Dorian’s greatest pastih I felt bad for Muran, it provided me with a little amusement Today I felt none

When we entered the courtyard, Dorian took one look at our faces and prouards He still wore that small, carefree smile, but I’d seen a subtle shift in the lines of his face He knew soood ruler

"Well, here you are," he said, sitting back in the gentry equivalent of a lawn chair Except, of course, I’d never seen Hoilded Normally when I arrived, Dorian kissed me, but his wariness must have held him back "As beautiful as ever, es I suppose this means you either succeeded or just barely escaped with your life?"

"We succeeded," I said "I’ve got the crown"

Again - that sht flickered in Dorian’s eyes He leaned forward "I knew it I knew you could do it" He studiedover my shoulder "May I see it?"

"No," I said bluntly "No one’s going to see it It’s going to be hidden ahere it can’t be used to start eating up people’s lands"

Dorian’s eyebrows rose, and he began to speak I could already i to co the lines of, "Whatever are you talking about,as I cut hiar-coated denial You’ve known all along what the crown could do! You knew it’d scare Katrice because it douess at the thoughts spinning in his head Denial or backpedaling? He finally ith the latter

"And what better way to push her into peace?" he said at last "The point of a war like this is to eventually march over and subdue someone anyway Isn’t it h another way?"

"A way that rips her land frodoetting closer I was so, so angry So angry that this rier at him than Katrice at the moment From her, at least, I expected betrayal "And that’s what you would have wanted to do - not just scare her You would have found so that drastic step, just like you got o after this in the first place"

Much of the humor had faded froone after it if you’d known?"

"No"

He shrugged "Well, there you have it"

I was aghast "That’s it? How the hell can you be so lax about this? How can you act like it’s okay to have tricked ? How can you claim to love me and lie to me?"

"I do love you," he said "More than you know I did this for your own good"

"You did it for your own good," I snapped "I can’t believe I fell for it again You’ve done this before, and now I’m done Done with you Done with all of this I don’t need your help any war on enie," warned Kiyo softly He didn’t contradict me, not in front of Dorian, but I understood the subtext It was the point he’d made before: not to spurn Dorian’sthat sentiet past your hurt pride, you’ll see that we’re in this together Use the croever you want, but be reasonable so that the two of us can finally end this war"

My voice was low and dangerous when I spoke I was furious that he could be so condescending, that he assumed he could just smooth this all over "There is no ," he said "We need to finish this war together, and we need to be together, period We’re meant to be"

"No," I said "We’re done It’s over"

I could see from his face that he didn’t take that seriously either He didn’t get it His ego wouldn’t allow hihtly touched "

I glanced around The as rising and falling, an to gather above It wasn’t uncommon for my emotions to unconsciously affect the weather, but the fact that I could do it in a land under sorown If Dorian had wanted sunny weather, it should have stayed that way The realization of what I could do was heady Nonetheless, I pushed back, cal the storm clouds

But Dorian wasn’t concerned about any of that His attention had snapped to one sesture: Kiyo’s touch on my arm I’m not sure how Dorian knew - maybe just the way Kiyo and I stood near each other - but in that moment, Dorian realized what had happened between Kiyo and uments here, hat finally broke that laid-back attitude His face turned to stone

"Oh," he said to Kiyo, voice coain" Outrage filled me at the insinuation that I could be passed around - a sentiment not unlike what Kiyo himself had expressed Dorian allowed oing to be, then that’s how it’s going to be You ht that there’s no us, but we are still in this war together My armies are too en down Dareth!"

Dorian’s voice rang out, loudly enough that one of the guards behind the glass doors heard He swiftly opened the doors and stepped outside

"Your Majesty?"

"Please escort the Thorn Queen and her pet from the preain Should any of her household come, they may be allowed into my presence" His eyes flicked to me "Send Rurik as your proxy for allall the work anyway" Dorian’s attention went back to his guard "You have your orders"

Dareth had trouble keeping the shock off his face I had become a fixture around here, treated nearly the same as Dorian After a fewoverriding any disbelief he estured inside

"Your Majesty"

The respect was there, but thethrown out and could see Dareth practically praying I wouldn’t resist I didn’t, and while a dozen parting retorts to Dorian filled my head, I shoved them aside He thrived on that kind of attention It would only make him feel more important, and I wanted it h the cold reality of as happening an to follow Dareth without co toward my neck, I ripped off the necklace I wore, the one with Dorian’s ring I tossed it at his feet, e I hoped he understood He did His answered et out of here"

I turned away, letting Dareth take us to the castle’s front doors As soon as ere outside, I heard hi of our hospitality I iuards shared his shock, but I walked on without looking back Once Kiyo and I had traveled far enough that the land shifted and put us in Maiwenn’s kingdom, he turned to look at me

"Are you okay?" he asked, worry in those dark eyes

"Fine," I said flatly I was confidentDorian still hurt He’d dismissed me so easily, once he’d realized I’d slept with Kiyo I’d expected son that I’d meant more to him than a useful consort I should have known better "Let’s go back to Tucson"

I’d kept Volusian and Deanna ahile we’d ht them both back now I told Deanna to co on her probleave orders to return to the Thorn Land He would tell Rurik to go to Dorian and then wait until word ca banned froh; I didn’t want to see the reactions of my people when that happened

Kiyo and I crossed back to Arizona at a nearby gateway, going to his place instead of ood as any ’real’ doctor, and I didn’t want to have to explain my new cuts and bruises to soreeted ic

"Are you sure you’re okay?" Kiyo asked later I was lying stomach-down on his bed while his needle went to work on the cut

My cheek rested on a pillow,his dresser as I tried to stay still "Fine"

"You keep saying that, but ent doas pretty serious" I could iine the frown on his face "I didn’t expect hiether," I said "Guys get upset when their girlfriends do that" I’d broken up with Dorian in my head the instant I found out about the deception, but as far as he was concerned, I’d cheated on hi someone who’d deceived you didn’t seem like that much of a betrayal

"Yes," said Kiyo "Yes, they do" He tied off his thread and re-bandaged it all "Please, please do not pull these out again The fact that this isn’t infected is aup and carefully putting hts for a while I’ out of the Otherworld until they really needDeanna’sto pass it off on someone else"

"She won’t like that," he said

"It’ll get it done," I said "And she’ll like that Probably even faster than if I did it"

I started to stand, but Kiyo caught hold of my hand and kept me down His expression turned sly "You want to stay for a while?"

I shook s to do Besides, just because we did e did doesn’t ain"

His ot rushed I suppose we shouldI don’t know Do you want to go on a date?"

"A date?" I laughed in spite of myself It seeh these last few days Too ordinary "Dinner and alike that I could pick you up later, after your errands are done Or tomorrow if you need a little more time"

A little more time? Maybe I needed a lot ht have juht after my relationship with Dorian had crumbled, but as I’d said, that didn’t ain I’d had sex with Kiyo in the throes of er; I had more to think about now that I’d cooled down - and seen Dorian’s face My head told h, but my heart already missed him

"Toh I should probably check in at the clinic anyway"

I honestly didn’t understand the terms of Kiyo’s employment With his constant visits to the Otherworld, he didn’t seeency vet clinic he worked at He just seemed to shohenever he wanted It wasa dual existence betorlds

Confused feelings or not, I let hiood-bye before I left There was a part ofout in his bed and avoiding the rest of the world Worlds, even But I had too et hoe into clean clothes I arrived to what initially appeared to be an empty house, but the cars in the driveway tipped h, a minute or so after I walked inside, I heard Ti only jeans, his black hair standing in all directions

"Hey, Eug Didn’t expect to see you back"