Page 54 of Daman

I nodded.

He brought the tablet forward and showed me the screen. A warrior held a sickle-like sword and wore metal armor that resembled dragon scales. The helmet was slightly pointed on top and had a design on each side that looked like horns curving back. The warrior’s face resembled a wolf, and he had a dragon tail. The illustration was fully outlined in black, and he’d been working on coloring and shading it.

“Telling you about Dacia earlier made me want to draw him,” Daman said, his voice softer than usual. “His name is Draco, and he was the symbol of the Dacian army. Our warriors were said to be fierce like wolves with the strength of a dragon. Enemies feared us because of it.” A sad smile touched his lips. “When I was a boy, I would watch the warriors pass through the city in awe. I wanted to be just like them and couldn’t wait to grow up. I was such an idiot back then. I should’ve enjoyed being a boy while I could.”

“This sword…” I ghosted my finger over it, following the long blade and the sharp curve at the end. “It’s like the one you carry.”

I hadn’t seen him fight with it yet, but I’d seen it among his belongings.

“Yeah. It’s called a falx sword. I have a ton of weapons in my collection, but that one’s my favorite. Maybe because it reminds me of a time when I didn’t have the weight of the world on my shoulders.” He pulled the tablet away, dropping his gaze in the process. “Now you’ve seen one of my drawings, so you can stop looking like a pitiful puppy.”

Any amount of vulnerability put Daman on high alert, and he secured himself even more behind his walls, blocking everyone else out.

“Thank you for showing me.”

“You’re welcome.” Daman remained between my legs, though his expression turned hard. Guarded. “It’s not a big deal.”

“It is to me.” Because seeing his art was like getting a glimpse inside his head. Perhaps even his heart.

“This thing between us means more to you than an arranged marriage. Doesn’t it? You actually really like me.”

“Yes.”

“Why?” He frowned. “I’m horrible, Warrin.”

“Because I see what you try to hide.”

“And what do I try to hide?”

“Everything.”

“You think you have me figured out, huh?” Daman leaned in closer, his eyes flickering to my lips and back up again.

“Not as much as I want to. I want to know more.” My body temperature rose, as did the need to have him as close as possible.

A simple touch was all it took for me to surrender to that need. He slid his hands to my waist and pressed his lips to mine. I softly moaned and tugged him onto my lap. He straddled me on the chair as we kissed, our bodies pressed together, our breaths shared. My fingers curled in his hair as his gripped my jaw.

The heavy kiss made my head spin. But even so, I had never felt more grounded. My soul soothed, like I’d been waiting all my life for that exact moment. Waiting for him.

We had kissed before. We had joined our bodies. However, the way he kissed me right then felt different, like he was surrendering to me, his mouth softening. Yielding. Like he was letting me in, little by little, with each passing of our lips.

A tug came from inside my chest as my connection to him strengthened.

Daman tore away and scrambled off my lap, eyes wide and his breaths rough. He rubbed at the center of his chest, right where mine was aching too.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, alarmed.

“N-Nothing.” He took a step back, then another. “I, uh, I need to take a piss.”

He left the room before I could say anything.

Confused, I stared at the archway he’d just passed through, my heart racing. Whatever this intense feeling was, he had felt it too.

Was that why he’d left so abruptly?

I didn’t see much of him for the rest of the afternoon. He shut himself inside our bedroom and listened to music that had a lot of screaming. I stood in the hallway outside the door, wanting to knock but not sure what to say once—or if—he answered. So I went into the library and grabbed a book off the shelf instead.

Later in the evening, the sound of engines rumbled from outside. I peeked out the window to see Armen and Dimitri riding up on snowmobiles, one blue and one green. They looked brand-new.