Page 168 of The Moon's Fury

“Come, I’ll show you the rest.” He led her out back. The right side of the courtyard was bare. On the left side, however, it appeared Marwon had maintained an entire garden. Bright greenery was nestled within the courtyard, blocked off from the island with slatted wooden boards. Her gaze landed on threesilpharoonplants close to the villa. She glared at him, but Zarian raised his hands and said, “I didn’t ask him to plant those.”

With a huff, she turned back to the garden. There were bushes with flowers she didn’t recognize, various types of herbs and the leafy stalks of what looked like root vegetables.

It was an impressive garden, but she knew someone else who would appreciate it more, someone who would have darted off the veranda and knelt between the plants, dirt-smudged journal in hand.

Her heart ached.

As if sensing her distress, Zarian rubbed her back and kissed the crown of her head, pulling her into his arms until the pain in her chest receded, soothed by his comforting scent.

They headed inside, and he showed her the kitchen next. There was a large island separating it from the living area. The gray countertop was some sort of glossy, smooth rock. There was a sink against the left wall, and Layna was surprised there was plumbing, though on closer inspection, she saw there were no handles.

Zarian gave her a knowing smile before gently tapping the left side of the faucet. Her jaw dropped as water immediately gushed forth. He tapped it again, and it stopped.

“What—”

But he tugged her hand—apparently, he had other surprises. There was a tall cabinet along the wall where the kitchen began. He pulled it open with more force than she thought necessary, and when he did, a sudden gust of refreshing, cold air blew across her face, stealing her breath. Inside the cabinet were empty shelves, and he opened a drawer to reveal … cubes of frosted crystal?

“Ice,” Zarian explained.

She looked at him in confusion, brows furrowed, her mind not comprehending the cold air on her face, cooler than even the brisk mountain breeze at night.

Zarian grinned, clearly pleased with her reaction.

“Marwon was a builder in Valtisaan.”

68

Handsonhischest,Layna led Zarian backward to the overstuffed sofa in the seating area. He tugged her into his lap, fingers playing with her hair.

“Tell me everything.”

He shot her a wry smile. “I’d been to Valtisaan on various missions over the years, but never longer than a few days at a time. But when I was searching for my”—his throat bobbed—“brother, I was there for several weeks. It’s when I learned ofsihrrock. I didn’t think much of it, distracted as I was. And then Jamil found me and brought me back to the Oasis.”

He paused, gaze drifting as he pieced his history together in his mind. “Two years after that, I returned to Valtisaan. I was there to—” He broke off suddenly, and she splayed her palm over his chest, rubbing gently. “I was there to kill someone.”

“Marwon?”

He shook his head. “No. An adviser on Tamzin’s council. I couldn’t even tell you why.” A dry laugh escaped him, but it was a wounded sound, all humor beaten out of it. “After it was done, I went to a tavern, ready to drink myself into oblivion. And I did.I drank until I could barely stand. They threw me out. Marwon found me and brought me to his apartment. While I nursed my hangover the next morning, he managed to tell me about his family in broken common tongue. He had come to the continent searching for work. His father was sick. A recruiter found him in Baysaht and brought him to Valtisaan.”

Zarian’s jaw clenched, another deep sigh escaping him before he continued. “By then, I knew what Valtisaan did. Marwon’s time was limited. I told him what I knew. He was already starting to suspect something was off. Other workers had disappeared. So we left. I brought him back to the Isle, and…” His hands squeezed her thighs. “And something about this island felt like home. Even back then.

“I stayed with Marwon for a week before returning to the continent. It was easy to explain away my absence as a drunken escapade.” A crease marred his brow, and his hands inched higher on her thighs, squeezing tighter.

“When did you go back?” she asked, twining her arms around his neck.

“A year after that. I couldn’t stop thinking about this place, the peace I felt here. How my mind was silent.

“My father gave me more leeway. ‘Time off,’ as it were,” he said with a twist of his lips. “I think he was trying to make up for what he did to my brother.”

She cupped his cheek, and the sadness in his eyes nearly brought her to tears. He continued, “When I returned the second time, Marwon had already built his villa.”

“Where did he findsihrrock?”

Zarian dragged his thumb across her lips. “So impatient,” he murmured. She bit his thumb, and he grinned. “He found a vein in a cave. I’ll show you tomorrow. He must have seen the longing in my eyes when I looked at his villa, because he offered to build me one. I declined several times, but he ignored me. So Ihelped him build this,” he said, gesturing around the room. “I’ve returned every so often, whenever I could find time to make the journey. I brought Jamil with me once or twice. It’s always been my plan to settle down here one day. If I lived that long.”

Layna was quiet, worrying her lower lip between her teeth as she processed everything Zarian had told her. “I thoughtsihrrockwas only found in Valtisaan.”

“It’s only been found in Valtisaanso far. There could be veins all over the continent. In another decade or so, I suspect life will look very different.”