Cardan & Jude oneshots

One more scar

Hi! Second chapter here <3

This one is from chapter 19 from The Wicked King where Cardan asks Jude if it is out of her system and she's a liar as always and says yes.

But here, Cardan doesn't go away.

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As I am trying to anticipate what Orlagh might do and how to know as soon as it happens, there's a knock on my door.

"Yes?" I call, and Cardan walks in.

I jerk to my feet in surprise. I don't expect him to be here, but he is, dressed in disarranged finery. His lips are slightly swollen, his hair mussed.

He looks as though he came straight from a bed and not his own.
He tosses a scroll down on my desk.

"Well?" I ask, my voice coming out as cold as I could ever wish.

"You were right," he says, and it sounds like an accusation.

"What?" I ask.

He leans against the doorjamb. "Nicasia gave up her secrets. All it took was some kindness and a few kisses."

Our eyes meet. If I look away, then he will know I am embarrassed, but I fear he can tell anyway. My cheeks go hot. I wonder if I will ever be able to look at him again without remembering what it was like to touch him.

"Orlagh will act during the wedding of Locke and your sister."

I sit back down in my chair, looking at all the notes in front of me.

"You're sure?"

He nods. "Nicasia said that as mortal power grows, land and sea ought to be united. And that they would be, either in the way she hoped or the way I should fear."

"Ominous," I say.

"It seems I have a singular taste for women who threaten me."

I cannot think of what to say to that, so instead I tell him about Grimsen's offer to forge him armor and swords to carry him to victory. "So long as you're willing to fight the Undersea."

"He wants me to have a war to restore him to his former glory?" Cardan asks.

"Pretty much," I say.

"Now that's ambition," Cardan says. "There might be only a floodplain and several pine trees still on fire remaining, but the four Folk huddling together in a damp cave would have heard the name Grimsen. One must admire the focus. I don't suppose you told him that declaring war or not was your call, not mine."

If he's the true High King of Elfhame, whom we are to follow to the end of days, then we've been a mite disrespectful, running the kingdom for him.

And if he's playacting, then he's a spy for sure and better than most of us.

"Of course not," I say.

For a moment, there is silence between us.
He takes a step toward me. "The other nigh—"

I cut him off. "I did it for the same reason that you did. To get it out of my system."

"And is it?" he asks. "Out of your system?"

I look him in the face and lie. "Yes."

If he touches me, if he even takes another step toward me, my deceit will be exposed. I don't think I can keep the longing off my face.

To my distress, Cardan actually takes a step toward me. He's towering over me, and I can't help but lift my chin to look at him. Those onyx eyes so desirable. When I looked at them, everything stopped. I couldn't breathe. I can't breathe right now.