Chapter Twenty-One
Tiiran was too well-pleasured and distracted to consider Orin’s words properly until he was dressed again and somewhat clean, spread across Orin’s lap with his face at Orin’s neck to make sure any other ducklings around the country knew Tiiran existed. What Orin had meant still did not truly sink in until Orin finally sighed heavily and said, “I mean it this time, kitten. Imustgo. I should have left already,” and lifted Tiiran from his lap.
Tiiran licked his lips and glared sleepily up at him while Orin propped him against the desk, and his glare did not lessen when Orin reached for his pack and sword—which he had brought in with him but Tiiran hadn’t paid close attention at the time, busy being efficiently undressed by Nikoly, and then tied up by Orin under Nikoly’s rapt attention.
The rope was now coiled and on the desk. For Nikoly to use on Tiiran if he had to, Orin had said, smiling. He’d also said, not smiling, that maybe if it was there, Tiiran would be reassured to know it wasn’t being used on any other ducklings.
Which had led to Tiiran putting a small love-bruise on Orin the way he had on Nikoly. Orin had seemed confused by Tiiran’s insistence but hadn’t said no. Stupid of him to be confused; aside from Tiiran’s feelings on the matter, Orin could not entertain ducklings on the road who didn’t know their place because it would make Nikoly worry overhisplace. Tiiran wanted any other ducklings to know that only Tiiran had the right to mark Orin. Nikoly would accept that but want to be better than the rest, and Nikoly had enough to do at the moment than worry about that. Nikoly was determined to be the favorite. Perhaps Orin didn’t realize how determined yet, still too dazzled by his pretty face.
But Tiiran stopped himself before he could try to explain all of that to Orin again, finally catching up to what Orin had been telling him.
“Is there Outguard business now?Now? What could there possibly be?”
“Things must still be observed and recorded,especiallynow.” Orin was dressed and his hair neat, but he stopped to pull his hair loose and tie it up again, his movements sharp. “Is that not so, Tiiran of the Great Library?”
“Yes, but, Orin—” Tiiran stopped short, for he had no way to deny that argument. “Nikoly?”
Nikoly slipped back in the door, Gray slipping in with him and trotting over to the fireplace without hesitation to lie down on the rug before the dying fire. Nikoly barely seemed to notice. He held a wrapped bundle of food, which he handed to Orin, and a cup, which he gave to Tiiran. Tiiran immediately set it onto the desk, not about to be placated with tea.
“But it’s dangerous now,” Tiiran finally managed. “Moredangerous,” he added, because it had been dangerous for some time and Orin had hiddenhowdangerous from him.
Orin briefly closed his eyes. Nikoly met Tiiran’s furious stare and Tiiran faltered, not certain if, or how, he’d upset Nikoly too.
“Now you know a fraction of what I will feel knowingyouarehereand yet I still have to leave.” Orin picked up his sword and slung the belt into position over his back.
Tiiran’s heart skipped. “I’m not going to do anything. You told me to be careful and I have been.”
Nikoly coughed pointedly.
“I have,” Tiiran insisted. “I haven’t been dealing with the beat-of-fours. I don’t look at or speak to palace guards. I was snippy with some Master Keepers but that hardly matters.”
“Snippy.” Orin narrowed his eyes, then growled to himself and put the food Nikoly had given him into his pack.
“I said some things that might be deemed troublesome,” Tiiran admitted, “but only to you and Nikoly.”
Orin shared a long look with Nikoly, then turned to Tiiran. “You aren’t making this easier. If I hadn’t promised, if people weren’t counting on me, I’d say fuck the Outguard right now. Nikoly-pet,” Orin didn’t look away from Tiiran, “it won’t be easy for you. I’ll return as soon as I can so you can rest.”
Nikoly straightened. “Don’t add to your risk by acting hastily.”
“Risk?” Tiiran seized on the word, voice rising when Orin picked up his pack. “Orin! Orin, you only just gave me this! You can’t take it away.”
“Kitten.” Orin breathed it against Tiiran’s ear, for Tiiran’s back was suddenly against the wall, his feet off the floor while Orin held him tight. “You must stay quiet, for me, and for Nikoly. You must bite your tongue and look away instead of glaring. Please. Leave any library visitors to him and stay here in your office.”
“This isn’t my…”
“Stay here, with your head in a book, or on the top floor to dust shelves. For me.Please.” It was a rasp. “I will return soon. I promise. I will scale the palace walls if the entrance is barred.”
“Do not,” Tiiran demanded immediately instead of calling that bullshit what it was. “You have to come back to our room and you can’t do that if you are dead or captive.”
Orin set Tiiran carefully onto his feet but didn’t let go. “Our room?”
“Well, it….” Tiiran glanced to Nikoly, who watched them both with bright focus. “It feels right.” Tiiran would have rubbed his chest over his heart if his hands had been free. “Wrong for you to go and right for you to be there. Both,” he said, slow and achy. “Both of you. In our room. You will not come back here just to return to those fucking barracks. You’re ours.”
Orin put his chin on Tiiran’s head, and for several moments, it felt as if all of his weight was against Tiiran and Tiiran would have staggered if the wall hadn’t already been at his back. Orin exhaled heavily. “What are you doing to me, kitten? I’m not invincible.”
Tiiran looked to Nikoly again. “I don’t understand.”
Nikoly stepped forward to put a hand to Orin’s back. “I think Orin was also a stray, of a kind, and didn’t realize it until you called him back home. You are spiky, bee, but you’re warmer and more giving than you know.”
