Hearts in Zenith (Four Husbands and a Lover)

83. Bad Peace

On the drunken night when the City of Idezza celebrated her triumph, Taffiz took me to the castle's tallest watchtower. The place was deserted, for us. I couldn't imagine how much he had to pay for this lapse in security.

"Good thing we don't expect a surprise attack."

It was well worth it. The sky turned crystalline and starry, despite the bonfires and the funeral pyres smoldering at the Piazza Divina. Heights didn't make me dizzy, but my head spun because of our victory and my ascension to the title of Captain-Commander.

Someone spread cushions, blankets and rose petals over the stone floor. Their fragrance completed the transformation of the grim tower into the lovers' bed.

Stars, pillows, rough surface—my lips stretched in an amused smile. This couldn't be a coincidence. Taffiz and coincidences didn't go together.

"Oh, sweetheart, you have more freedom than any other man I've met," I said. "But, apparently, all you've ever wanted was what Kozima had at eighteen?"

"Ah," he said, nuzzling my hair. "Isn't that what we all want? To love like we are eighteen? After I've indulged so many of your dreams, fulfilling one of mine didn't feel like such a terrible idea."

"I hope there will be no unpleasant surprises." I rubbed my shoulders. "I'm too exhausted to fight or even raise an alarm."

"We will not be interrupted. It's all that matters to me. The Knowable World can burst into flames around us, but if I have you, I don't mind."

He slipped a band of thick silk over my eyes.

"Remind me of the last thing you've said? Something about not expecting any surprises?"

"I said unpleasant surprises," he corrected me pedantically. "This won't be unpleasant."

Blindfolded, I sensed the warmth and pressure of his mouth on my lips more acutely. His teeth grazed my lower lip, a tiny pinch. I found his tongue with mine and nearly burst into laughter. He used chamomile to mask Ashanti!

I didn't have the heart to tell him that chamomile was the only flavor I abhorred more than Ashanti. Suppressing a wince, I tasted his mouth some more. Was it so bad? Bitter, but fresh. Hmm.

I pressed his head closer, digging my fingers into his silly plait to loosen his hair. He earned this. He was a good kisser. But the blindfold bothered me. Was he using it to save me from seeing his face while we were together? I touched the dark cloth and his lips slipped to my ear.

"I have silk bonds," he whispered. "If it helps... if you'll trust me more."

"No, I'll trust you more like this." I tugged the loose knot on the blindfold free and let it fall. A little shimmy, and with the help of his agile hands, my dress followed in the rustle of fabric. "I want to see you, I want to feel you and I want to know you."

His breath hitched as his glance roamed over my bare shoulders, breasts and hips.

"Did the story of your childhood really make Parneres weep?" I asked, taking a small step back.

"I lied," Taffiz confessed. "When I discovered that his unavailability wasn't what attracted you to him."

"So you lied, because you hoped I'd transfer my affection to you, if you can trick me into thinking your past was tragic?"

He shrugged. "When you put it like that... You have a strange effect on me, Ishmara."

"How so?" I pulled his shirt over his head.

"You make me behave irrationally." His eyes shone so brightly that I could see their glow through the black silk. Long limp hair glued itself to the shirt's fabric before I tossed the garment to the floor.