Kit had grown up beneath the sky, more at home moving through the cracks of a city, with four walls serving as little more than a bolthole and a place to put a bed. Here . . . Kit bit down on her lip, watched Valerius take a slow, refined sip from his goblet. She paused and deliberately mimicked him, barely swallowing any wine at all. The taste felt strange, foreign, and exotic on her tongue. It was, other Alvads might have said, a taste to be savored.
"Of course," Kit said, bowing her head and smiling a brittle smile as, again, he brought up his aunt and sister. Don't betray me to them, he seemed to be saying. "I'll take my time to learn the estate today, then." If he was warning that, then what was he threatening? Stupid question; anything and everything he felt like. Best tread carefully.
"Ravok can be a little dangerous for someone without protections," Kit pushed. "You said you could provide some?" Her hands clutched together under the table, squeezing hard and tight.
x
"Of course," Kit said, bowing her head and smiling a brittle smile as, again, he brought up his aunt and sister. Don't betray me to them, he seemed to be saying. "I'll take my time to learn the estate today, then." If he was warning that, then what was he threatening? Stupid question; anything and everything he felt like. Best tread carefully.
"Ravok can be a little dangerous for someone without protections," Kit pushed. "You said you could provide some?" Her hands clutched together under the table, squeezing hard and tight.
x
