Page 83 of The Gathering

“I can find Noirdiem bones by the cave entrances,” Draven said.

“Actually, there were a few there when we passed by on the way to the Nitesh,” Nadir said, setting down the dagger.

“I thought you took the river,” Draven said.

“I did. I like going by the caves, though. Sometimes you hear a dragon snoring.”

They wrapped up in the market soon, knowing by the sun that the meeting time was approaching fast. Nadir separated from him to go to his own room to bathe and change. Draven told him he’d meet him after the meeting with Dorian, and Nadir simply gave him a nod.

Draven met Aydra in her room, where he found her staring at herself in the mirror, hands stretching in and out in front of her.

“On my knees, my Queen,” he teased at her in a deep voice as he entered the room.

She gave him a small smile over her shoulder, the deep breath she’d taken exhaling audibly from her mouth, and he noted her silence.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Have I told you how much I hate meetings?” she drawled, smoothing out the fabric over her hips.

“You’ll like this one, I think,” he replied.

“Why’s that?”

“Because Hagen and Nadir will be there,” he said. “Usually pretty entertaining.”

A quiet huff of amusement left her. “Nadir… you may have to hold me back from strangling him.”

“Why don’t you like him for her?” he asked, genuinely interested as Nadir was his closest friend, and after seeing the way Nadir talked about Nyssa, he was curious why Aydra was so against it.

“It’s not that I don’t like it,” she said. “I simply know my sister, and I think I know Nadir enough that when I say they’re perfect, it isn’t an understatement.” She turned to face him. “What I worry about is my sister losing sight of what she’s worked for. I worry he will be a distraction she is not prepared for. And I worry for her breaking heart when he ultimately leaves.”

Draven reached for Aydra’s crown on the dresser, and as she bent her head for him to put it on her, he said,

“Let her make her own mistakes.”

Aydra huffed in an annoyed manner, looking up at him. “Stop being rational,” she complained. “Let me pretend I can save us all.”

A smile spread on Draven’s lips. “You’ve already saved some of us,” he said, kissing her softly. His forehead rested against hers, and he squeezed her hands. “Let the rest of them burn, my Queen.”

She chuckled under her breath. “Spoken like a true Venari.”

He kissed her again, slower this time, letting that ache radiate through his chest and pulse down his extremities. Her hands wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer, only parting when her raven flew inside and landed on the top of the mirror. He swayed with her a moment as they settled in the silence.

“I love you,” she whispered.

And he swore he would never get tired of hearing her say those words.

“I love you,” he promised.

Their walk to the meeting was mostly in silence. He could tell Aydra’s nerves were getting the best of her—it was a rare sight, and he couldn’t help calling her out on it.

“Stop fidgeting,” he muttered.

“I’m not,” she argued, fingers stretching at her sides.

“Liar.”

“Shut up.”