Weight of the World

Chapter Twenty-Five

—Tregaar, Valdornne—

As far as distractions went, he had made an incredibly good investment. It was rare for Regis to invite someone to his bed, and when he did, he chose only those he knew would have the utmost discretion. That had led to some mildly pleasant and sometimes painfully boring arrangements, but Hadrius Tor'Varyan had far exceeded his expectations. Obedient but not boring. Passionate but not defiant. Regis had never had a partner who so perfectly understood his expectations and desires in bed. It was an experience he was looking forward to repeating.

Leaning against the railing of his balcony, Regis watched his new lover quietly as he sipped his whiskey. Hadrius continued to sleep, a well-earned rest that Regis would not interrupt just yet. Even without being lovers, Regis knew Hadrius worked himself harder than most Silencers. He was rarely afforded an opportunity to rest and the barracks, where Hadrius stayed when he wasn't on duty, hardly offered any comfort.

His Echo chirped softly in his ear. Regis turned away as he answered.

"Hey, boss," Raler's voice came through clearly. "Hyun and I picked up Archbishop Derrick. We're waiting for you at the location."

"Very good. Did anyone see you?"

"Nah. We got away clean. Be prepared, though. He doesn't seem much in the mood to share."

"Whether he chooses to help or not, it makes no difference to me. Either way, I'll get what I'm after."

Ending the call, Regis let out a soft sigh and downed the rest of his drink. He made his way inside and set his glass aside as he looked down at Hadrius. One touch on his shoulder was all it required to wake him. Hadrius shot up in bed, eyes wide as he reached straight for his bow, believing there to be some sort of intruder. He stood directly in front of Regis without a stitch of clothing on, bow trained toward the door.

"Relax, soldier," Regis quieted him. "There's no threat."

Hadrius relaxed his shoulders, turning quickly. "Are you alright?"

A strange question. Regis shrugged it off. "There is somewhere I need to be, business to attend to. You have ten minutes to get ready."

"I only need one," Hadrius shook his head, reaching down to begin gathering his clothes. True to his word, he was dressed in a matter of moments and ran a hand through his hair to untangle it. Though he looked a little disheveled, one could hardly guess what they had been up to. Regis nodded to him, satisfied, and made his way to the door.

*************

The ride to the location, an old shop along the outskirts of High Town that served as a holding area for Path prisoners, was taken in relative silence, another reason he liked having Hadrius as his personal guard. He never asked too many questions. When they arrived, Hadrius readied his bow, maintaining a short distance behind Regis as they made their way into the shop.

Archbishop Derrick was tied down to an ordinary wooden chair in the middle of the barren space. Raler and Hyun were both stationed nearby, both looking relatively bored with the entire scene. Like Hadrius, his Silencers were the hardest working members of the Path of Light. They would earn a few days off after this.

Gagged and blindfolded, the archbishop shifted as much as his binds would allow, clearly panicked. The sight would have made Regis smile if he had much interest in doing so. The archbishop was right to be worried. Hadrius took his place beside the door, bow still held in hand as Regis stepped forward and undid the blindfold. The archbishop's beady eyes widened.