Orin was in his travel clothes, although he was not as dirtied as he might have been if he’d been out in the field for weeks. He must have been tired, for he had shadows beneath his eyes and his short beard was slightly less than perfectly groomed, but he was healthy, with the wound he’d received several days before healing well.
“I’m so glad you’re all right,” Tiiran told him fervently, ignoring how Orin raised his eyebrows. “You kept it clean—your wound. And you don’t look too worn down—unless there are injuries I don’t know about?” He inched back to make sure Orin saw his frown.
“Even more unexpected.” Orin hesitated, then cupped the side of Tiiran’s face.
Tiiran swallowed but didn’t look away even though he could see others moving around them. “Orin.”
“I wasn’t sure what reception I would get.” Orin didn’t say it in a scolding or chiding tone and yet Tiiran shivered with shame. “You didn’t come back.” Orin studied him and Tiiran couldn’t do anything but blush and let him. “You didn’t say goodbye and were gone the next day. Ill, Nikoly said.”
“Just some sneezing,” Tiiran answered quickly, thought it felt like a lie, especially with his nose still reddened.
“Andthatkept you from your library?” Orin tapped Tiiran’s sore nose with his thumb, guessing correctly that Tiiran would have tried to work through an illness at any other time.
“I…. No.” Tiiran glanced around at those passing by, then dropped his gaze to Orin’s chest. “Not entirely.”
“I thought, perhaps, that I had finally pushed too hard or truly angered you.” Orin inhaled deeply then let it out, the rumble banished from his voice when he was done. “Yet you hadn’t seemed furious when you left me—us.” He didn’t acknowledge Tiiran’s flinch. “So I was left to wonder, what would frighten my Tiiran so much that he wouldn’t stay to show his claws?”
Frighten. Tiiran nearly dropped his head.
“Orin,” he whispered, “I’m sorry.”
“Do you even know what you to do me?” Orin soothed Tiiran’s trembling by petting down his back. “Of course, you don’t. Fire-heart you may be, but you’re not cruel—although once I thought of it, of what you said before you vanished….”
Tiiran darted a look up and met the real anger in Orin’s eyes before Orin tucked it away again. Tiiran swallowed a lump of pure nerves. “What I said?”
“What you said.” For a moment, Orin rumbled again. “You’re innocent in many ways, but you knew what you were saying when you told Nikoly to take care of me. That was a test, Tiiran, and you and I are going to discuss it.”
Tiiran started to deny it, but only got as far as opening his mouth when Orin sank a hand into his hair at the base of his skull and tugged. It brought Tiiran’s head up and made the rest of his body alarmingly warm.
He wanted to glance around to see if anyone was observing this, but couldn’t look away from Orin. “I didn’t know it was a test when I said it,” he said at last, without mentioning the rest of Orin’s challenge. “I shouldn’t have left without a word. And I’m not angry. With you. Anymore.” Tiiran shook himself, momentarily distracted when this created more tugging at his scalp and the warmth seeped into his blood. “I mean, I wasn’t angry with you. I was feeling sorry for myself but never mind that. I shouldn’t make you untangle me too.”
“Too?” Orin echoed, but released him. If Tiiran were more like Nikoly, he would have taken Orin’s hand and put it back in his hair. He settled for staying where he was, the two of them standing close right there in the corridor. Orin’s approval burned hotter when Tiiran didn’t move away. “It’s good to see you again too, kitten.”
Cheeks burning, Tiiran stepped back at last. He cleared his throat. “You’re really well? Not tired? There were no complications?”
Orin shot a look to the side, where two palace guards leaned against a railing, talking with one another but also keeping an eye on the corridor. He turned in the other direction and Tiiran stepped into place next to him.
“No,” Orin answered. “At least nothing you need worry about now.” He put out his arm, waiting for Tiiran to realize why and startle, and then place his hand at the crook of Orin’s elbow before he began to walk. Orin rested a hand over Tiiran’s, and Tiiran had to stare straight ahead so he couldn’t trip over his own feet.
“Are we headed to the library?” Tiiran asked after a while, so close to Orin he might as well have been walking with his head at Orin’s shoulder. Orin might have let him.
“Where else would you be going?” Orin clucked his tongue. “And where else would I be going when I haven’t seen you in several days?”
He ought to go to the barracks to bathe and rest, but Tiiran didn’t say it. “I was worried you wouldn’t speak with me again. I feel foolish now.”
“Maybe you should,” Orin answered without mercy, keeping Tiiran’s hand in place on his arm until they reached the library entrance, when he removed it just long enough to hold the door open.
Tiiran swept a look over the entrance area and the copying tables, absently noting who was where and who was missing, then that not enough curtains had been opened because the library didn’t seem as lit as it should have been. But the majority of his attention was on where Orin was leading him and Nikoly at the desk watching the two of them draw closer.
The overly friendly sworn guard had vanished. Nikoly stared longest at Tiiran, but turned toward Orin when Orin stopped.
“Oh,” Tiiran realized abruptly, “you two probably want totalk.” He didn’t spit the word, but he did pull to get away.
Orin tightened his hold. Tiiran bumped back against him, acutely aware of the pressure around his wrist. If he said something, Orin would let go. Normally, he would have without Tiiran asking. He wanted Tiiran to stay and wasn’t being nice about it.
Tiiran gave him a resentful glance but didn’t pull away again. “I thought you’d want me to leave you alone.”
Orin slid a knowing look his way before addressing Nikoly. “Hello, pup.” Nikoly turned toward him, eyes wide at the nickname. Orin spoke with deliberate calm. “Have you been good?”
