His eyes narrowed. What did that mean?
“You know, they have it all wrong. She’s a goddess, not a demon. In the beginning the Great Creators formed her as an angel. They became so smitten by her beauty and kindness that they granted her their power and blessed her to be the mother of all living. But her first bonded, Adym, tried to subdue her, and she refused to submit. She left him for a lesser god, Samael, and chose to remain on Earth to protect and bless her children ever since. . . Do your people believe differently?”
Ryker exhaled and shook his head in a noncommittal answer, but to my surprise—and delight—he dropped his hands back to my hair and started plaiting a few strands of my bangs. If I was a cat, I would have purred.
Closing my eyes, I sighed in contentment. His touch absorbed my attention, erasing my earlier thoughts and focusing them solely on him. Sitting together in the grass under the shade of the large oak, I could almost believe it was real, that Ryker actually had feelings for me—that he cared for me, instead of wanting to kill me. That maybe there was a chance we could be happy together. It was a lie. But it was getting harder and harder for me to remember that—because I didn’t want it to be.
Was it really too much to ask?
“Are you ever going to try to kiss me again?” I kept my voice teasing, attempting to hide the traitorous anticipation coiling in my gut.
Ryker’s hands jerked to a halt. My eyes flew open, but I wasn’t fast enough to see the expression on his face as he shot to his feet—displacing my head from his lap none too gently onto the ground—and stalked off.
Well, that was definitely a no. I sighed, watching him leave, then stared up into the plethora of multi-hued leaves above me, almost surprised by the deep ache in my chest. Why was I so bad at the art of wooing?
“Kaleah?” A scared voice broke through my thoughts. Tarra stood in the doorway to our chambers, her eyes darting around as she shifted back and forth on the balls of her feet.
“Tarra? Is everything okay?” I rose, crossing the garden to greet her.
“Yes, of course.” Her eyes scanned over me, like she was looking for something. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine—”
She rushed forward, throwing her arms around my neck, her body trembling.
“What’s wrong?” I returned her embrace, holding her close.
“I just passed Ryker out in the hall, and he looked furious,” she squeaked. “I thought I was too late.”
Furious? Why would Ryker be mad at me for teasing him about trying to kiss me? Confused, I pulled away from the younger girl and brushed a few stray curls of blonde hair from her face. “Too late for what?”
Her bottom lip trembled. “To save you from Ryker.” My brow furrowed as she hugged me even tighter. “I’m so sorry for the way I treated you earlier.”
My heart lightened, happy to know she didn’t hate me anymore. “I’m sorry, too, Tarra. It was wrong of me to use you the way I did. I was just scared, but that's no excuse.”
Tarra shook her head. “No, it’s okay. Facing death is a terrifying reality. Kaleah, you have to know, I would never wish you harm,ever.”
“Of course—”
“I was wrong, Kaleah. It’s just hard for me to wrap my head around the thought of death and killing. I’m sorry. Please let me make it up to you. I have something for you in the workroom.”
“I’m not supposed to leave—”
“Please,” Tarra rushed, gripping my hand in hers. “It’ll only take a moment, and it could save your life.” Staring into her pleading eyes, I nodded.
“Thank you.”
We headed back through my rooms. My golems shifted, and Tarra gave a petrified squeak as Judex loomed behind me.
“I’ve heard the other servants talking about it but I didn’t think the rumors were true,” she gulped. “It’s terrifying!”
I scowled. “No, he’s magnificent.”
Tarra peeled her eyes from him, shuddering. “Can we please leave it behind and take one of your other golems?”
I blinked, surprised by her fear, but although I didn’t want to put the girl through more than she’d already been, Judex had been awakened for a reason. “I’m not supposed to leave, let alone be out of Judex’s sight. I’m sorry, but if you want me to go with you, he’ll have to come too.”
Tarra exhaled, her wide eyes shrinking slightly. “Very well, whatever it takes. I promise, you won’t regret it.”