An abandoned boy, a grieving prince, and a reclusive sorcerer find themselves caught in a web of peril and mystery...
Domi, a young thief abandoned on the street at birth, just wants to save his dying foster mother. But first, he must survive the m...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
With a frustrated growl, Domi tossed yet another book on the pile on the cedar floor next to his cot.
He had no idea what the heck he'd just read. Half the words remained unfamiliar even after he sounded them out with painstaking care, and though he had heard a few of the others before, he didn't have a clue what many meant.
Someone needed to write a book on promenia use for illiterate idiots. Not that Domi was illiterate—any longer—or an idiot. Still, the book made him feel stupid. What was the point of writing so many words if readers didn't understand them?
"Knock, knock."
Domi glanced up as the boy's voice drifted into his room. He possessed no door to open for a guest, just a few hanging screens providing patchwork privacy along the two sides of the room open to the garden. "Come in."
His heart beat faster when Sidus stepped between two of the pieces of long canvas fabric.
The handsome boy glanced from him to the mess of books strewn across the floor and back again with an arched brow. "Got enough reading material?"
"No, because I can't actually read most of it." Domi tilted his head. "Why are you here?"
Sidus plopped down next to him on the bed. "Can't I come visit a friend?"
"Are we friends?" Domi asked, unsure whether he liked or disliked the boy's closeness. Heat flooded his body, leaving him flushed as though with fever.
"Oh, do you want to be more?"
Domi should have expected the response, but as he had every time today, the starholder took him by surprise.
"I met you this morning."
"That was forever ago." Sidus leaned back on his hands. "We're ready for the next stage in our relationship."
"How can you say things like that with a straight face?" Domi asked. His cheeks flamed, but at least no promenia sparked, so that was progress.
Sidus chuckled. "Sorry, I just can't behave myself, as Gemma always reminds me. Though she's why I'm here. She and Epileus." He shook his head. "I wanted to apologize for their behavior earlier. They were really rude."
"They didn't seem to be my biggest admirers, that's for sure."
Sidus sighed. "We talked a bit at dinner. They said it wasn't you. Just... Well, they reminded me I'm betrothed. The wedding won't be for two years, but..."
"Oh." Domi peered down at his hands. He wasn't sure what he felt. Relief that these embarrassing exchanges might stop? Disappointment too, for the same reason?
Sidus nodded. "So I will need to talk to my betrothed first, before making my move." He winked as Domi's head jerked up. "What? Don't you know Promethidae take lovers outside of marriage?"
