Page 8 of A Kingdom of Lies
I woke to darkness. It was not noise that roused me, but the shifting of Erix’s hard body as he peeled himself away from me. For a moment it felt as though we’d only just fallen asleep, but a single glance towards the endless black beyond the window told me otherwise.
“Where are you going?” I asked, voice croaky. Rolling over, I was met with the outline of Erix’s bare back. He sat on the edge of the bed, just out of reach.
“You should go back to sleep,” he replied softly.
“Then join me,” I said, reaching out, fingers grazing his back.
Erix shrugged me off, his head turning enough to the side that I could see his sharp jaw and taut expression. I pushed myself up and crawled over until I was behind him on my knees. Reaching out again, I let my fingers trace the curve of his shoulder. This time he let me touch him. His skin was cold and coated in gooseflesh. Erix shivered as I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and brought my lips towards his ear.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, already knowing the answer but being unable to shy away from it.
“My mind is just… busy. That’s all. Robin, please. Go back to sleep. I will be okay.”
“Firstly, you’re not permitted to tell me what to do. Secondly, are we back to using my name, because I was beginning to enjoy the nickname.”
My attempt to lighten the tension worked, evident as Erix sighed slowly. Two strong arms snaked around me and in one great motion I was sitting upon his lap, nothing but his firm hands holding me in place. Erix had a tendency to sleep without the constraints of clothing, however I noticed he wore trousers.
“Are you planning on leaving me?”
“I could never leave you, little bird.” His nose pressed against my own as two strong hands ran down my back and cupped my hips. “I just could not sleep and needed some fresh air. I thought a walk would help. I never meant to wake you.”
So that was why he was so cold.
I looked beyond the window, the sky pure obsidian – not even the stars had come out, hiding behind the dense, winter clouds that drifted through the night.
“Well, I’m awake now. And I command that you take off your trousers and get back into bed.”
Erix pouted, fingers slipping and gripping slightly harder upon my butt. “Then as your personal guard I would have to obey.”
“Good. Then stay.” I pressed a small kiss upon his face, inches beside his lips.
It should have alarmed me how quickly his demeaner changed. One moment his expression was distant, but the next it sparked with emotion as though there had never been a problem.
“Do you have any other requests for me? I am awake, after all… perhaps a walk is not the only activity that would clear my mind.”
I didn’t want to acknowledge what worried him, because the same thought also filled my mind. Morning was not far away and with it came the meeting with King Doran. Erix would stay behind, as agreed, and let me petition for the safety of everyone I cared about.
Clearly, he struggled with that idea. But he had to learn to trust me, just as I trusted him.
“Hmm,” I replied, voice light and full of innocence. “Now, what else could we do? I can’t think of anything else but sleep…”
That was, in fact, a lie. There was something else we could do – something that would distract us both.
“That is a shame.” Erix stood from the bed, picking me up with him. My legs wrapped around his middle to keep myself aloft. His hold was unwavering, hands still splayed and firmly grasping my ass. He moved away from the bed, my stomach jolting with sudden excitement.
“Because my mind is full of ideas,” he finished. “Would you like me to share them with you?”
Erix stopped only when my back was pressed up against the wall. There was something thrilling about sharing the night with him. It was as though the fear of darkness vanished when he touched me.
It was easy to keep a hold of his eye contact for the silver glint pierced through even the darkest of shadows. Although I enjoyed the moments in the dark, when only my sense of touch was useful.
“Erix?” I said.
“Yes, little bird,” he replied, so close to me his breath tickled my cheek.
“Why did you offer yourself up so freely?” I asked, as though the volume of my question determined the mood of the room. I’d not braved the question yet. There was nothing good about this time to ask it, but then there never would be.
Erix didn’t reply straight away. Instead, he leaned into me, nestling his face into my neck, pressing his lips to my skin. It was a good distraction technique, but I read his actions for what they were.
