Page 81 of The Gathering

“Table this for now,” Draven said after Nadir had bought a white flower. “I want to bring the Prince in on anything else that arises.”

Nadir’s brows raised at the statement. “Really? Not your Queen?”

“My Queen would march in there as her own personal army and kill as many as possible,” Draven said. “As much as I’d love to see it, that’s not what we need right now.”

“And you think the Prince has something to offer?”

“I think the Prince is smart,” Draven declared. “He should know what he’s facing. He needs to be included and trusted.”

“And the Princess?” Nadir asked.

“She’s enough going on with what’s happening here,” Draven said. “Dorian can handle the strangers. Nyssa needs to handle Magnice. We can combine her knowledge of this place and bring her into discussions later. But we have to be smart about it.”

Nadir’s eyes squinted at his friend. “You trust her,” he realized.

Draven nodded. “I have my reasons.”

“Care to share?” And Draven chuckled under his breath.

“Something tells me you’ve your own reasons to trust her,” he said slyly.

Nadir smiled crookedly, toying with the white flower between his fingers. “She could very well be plotting against me, and I think I would fall for her anyway,” he admitted. “I—“ Before he could say more, something caught his eye at the next vendor, and he stopped to chat with the woman.

Draven looked up at the sun, toying with his hands. The news made his stomach knot, but he knew his friend was right. There was nothing they could do without help. He could not risk the lives of all his people and Nadir’s by continuing to fight blindly.

They had to wait.

Draven eyed Nadir as he straightened from the woman’s cart, and he didn’t miss the wink Nadir gave the girl.

“Adding her to your playtime?” Draven asked when Nadir caught up.

Nadir toyed with the squishy hacky-sack he’d bought as they started walking. “Not a chance,” he said, and Draven recognized the smirk on his lips. “I’ve permission to play with the Princess. She’s a closet freak, I think. That’s a wild forbidden fantasy I never thought I’d be—“

“Is that all she is? Fantasy?” Draven asked, not realizing he would be getting protective of her, still the mention of Nadir calling her such made his stomach knot.

“Ah…” the playfulness evacuated from Nadir, and he rubbed his neck. “Honestly?”

Draven nodded.

“It feels… different,” Nadir admitted, and Draven noted the sincerity in his friend’s downcast eyes. “We talked forhours. I can’t remember the last time I felt so fucking free around another who I was attracted to like that.” There was a strain in his voice that made Draven’s eyes narrow. “And the sex…” He rubbed his hands over his face, cursing under his breath. “Oh,Architects, thesex—felt like I was higher than what any herb could give me. Fuck, mate, you’re lucky I made it out of bed this morning. I could have stayed with her all day. I didn’t even want to sleep. She—“

“For once, no details,” Draven said, halting his friend before he said too much about… whatever Nyssa was to him.

“What—You never turn down details,” Nadir said.

“You’ve also never been sleeping with someone who is like a little sister,” Draven said, and the words felt strangely normal.

Nadir grinned. “Oi, he’s a family man now,” he teased. “You’ll be telling me you plan on marrying the Sun Queen soon. Wouldn’t that be an empire? You’d be an eclipse of power together.”

Draven didn’t say anything.

And Nadir caught it.

“Fuck off—“ Nadir punched Draven’s stomach, grinning wildly. “You serious?”

Draven nearly glared, hand running through his hair. “Maybe.”

“Shut—“ He threw the bean sack he’d been playing with at Draven as a laugh escaped him. Draven caught it and threw it back. Nadir swatted, and the ball went flying into a merchant cart.