Jardun's Embrace
Page 17
I hadn’t assisted the vryndarr, the drezdarr’s elite warriors, with the mission or risked my life to save their leader. I’d done it because the toxin was a threat to many lives, human and ketaurran alike. I had no interest in being thanked for the role I played in the rescue. If I hadn’t known punishment for refusing a ketaurran leader’s request was severe, I’d have left the day after we arrived.
Other than the few times Sloane and I had ventured to the trader’s market, I had nothing to do but wait and visited the terrace frequently. I tipped my chin into the breeze, warmed by the early afternoon sun, and stared at the deep-green sky, where a cluster of blue-gray clouds had formed along the horizon signaling an oncoming storm.
Feeling confined and edgy, my patience gone, I decided to indulge my curiosity about the drezdarr and headed for his personal quarters. It probably wasn’t a good idea and meant major trouble if I got caught. Since I wasn’t big on following rules anyway, I decided it was worth the risk. With any luck, the drezdarr would be awake so I could get my thank-you, then leave.
I crept down the corridor leading to his private rooms, pausing outside Burke’s sleeping chamber long enough to hear him arguing with Vurell. Both males were obstinate and strong-willed and had differing viewpoints on whether or not the injuries Burke had received during our rescue attempt had healed enough for him to be allowed out of bed. I stifled a grin and silently slipped past the open doorway undetected.
Surprisingly, there were no guards standing in the hallway outside the closed doors of the drezdarr’s quarters. I knew I shouldn’t be here, but couldn’t force myself to walk away. After taking several deep breaths to calm my racing heart, I pressed on the door and slipped inside.
The interior of the room was dimly lit. Large wooden panels had been secured over the window areas to block out the sunlight. I waited for my eyes to adjust, then perused my surroundings. To the right sat a long desk and chair. Filling the area to the left was a massive bed, the frame constructed from stone much like the rest of the building.
From where I stood, I could see the large outline of a body beneath the blanket on top of the bed. I heard a male groan, not a normal sleep-laden noise, but the pain-filled moan of someone in the throes of torment. The heartfelt and overwhelming need to comfort him was too strong, so I cautiously inched closer.
After one glimpse and a shocked gasp, I clamped my hand over my mouth. Even with the sweat soaking the dark hair and plastering it to the skin around his face, I recognized the male before me. I knew the face all too well. It belonged to the male who had abandoned me, the male responsible for shredding my heart and letting my family die.