Royal Assassin: Book Five of The Empress Saga

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

"Am ashen," Ban murmured. He led Moon through a series of steps and was proud of himself for not treading on her hooves.

"He is ashen? Why this?" She eagerly indicated with her chin to Ban's left, and Ban obliged by raising her hand to give her a spin. She seemed to enjoy the spins more than anything else. He just needed to keep his arm raised high enough that it cleared her antlers.

"Left white one with Ascania. Should not be clouds between us and rybka."

Moon nodded sagely. "I sight this, too. But, would be ashen to not be with kith. Ashen on both paths, but white one is in white place. Jin is in dark forest. I sight she needs us more."

"Aye," Ban sighed. He felt he understood what Moon was saying, but he still didn't feel good about it. Then again, he supposed he shouldn't. He glanced around the room at the others on the impromptu dance floor. "She speaks kith for these?"

Moon smiled and gave him a look. He didn't need her to say it for him to know he should feel like a rocker.

Come to think of it, I've never met a rocker. Rather, a mountain goblin. Seems a little prattish to use them as an insult, doesn't it?

He blinked to bring himself back to the moment. "She sights these as kith. Kith not just tribe. Not just fey. They are slayers no more. They are kith. Are kin."

"Is thing that is," Moon said. "Not all what is. For more than just this."

Ban furrowed his brow and looked down at his feet. He slowly raised his eyes back to hers. "She sights them as this, because... I sight them as this?"

She smiled dreamily. "Aye."

Ban chewed his lip, barely managing to take their course away from where they'd collide with Kolbat and her Corsair's dance. "I am clouded. I... I not have words to speak this."

"Then say it however you'd wish."

"Nay. I must sight how to speak this to you as this."

Moon pulled closer and nuzzled into Ban's chest, wrapping her arms around him. "I think I've an idea what you mean to say." She sighed with contentment. "It's not something the fey say with words. We never made words for it. Instead, you show it, and you've shown it to me every time I see you. Is good thing to be loved by this red."

Ban had to dance two dances. The one he'd been doing and another to avoid getting an antler rammed into his jugular. Not for the first time, he wished he had a pair of his own to block that from happening. That seemed to be how the goblins kept from stabbing each other all the time.

The occasional poke to the soft tissue was a small price to pay for moments like this.

"I love you, lisichka."

"And I love you, heart-blessed."

Ban noticed their dance took them to where Moon's back was to nothing but empty room. With no one to see what he did, he reached a little lower and gave her backside a squeeze. It elicited a startled yelp and earned him a swat, but he had no regrets and would've done it again.

"Ashen red," Moon scolded, but it had no bite behind it. "Ashen until end of days. Not when kith can sight this."

"They wouldn't. I made sure. Besides, you really think anyone here would think less of us for a little bum-touching?"

"Is not this," Moon insisted. "Is that it brings warm blood. He can only be cleansed if he cools it."

Ban raised his brow. Every now and then, he came across phrases he hadn't yet encountered, but he had a strong sense of what Moon referred to. "Nay," he said firmly. "Enfri speaks this. Not for two weeks. She even said it twice to get the point across."