Heir of the Gods

Ch. 16: A Secret Kept

"So..." Julianus brushed a light finger over her shoulder. "Are you going to tell me about your brother?"

Cassia sighed, pillowing her chin on her crossed forearms. She opened one eye and frowned. What he'd finished moments ago had left her in a haze of pleasure and she didn't want anything to ruin it.

But she had promised she would explain.

His dark eyes were heavy-lidded, almost sleepy, but the softness of his expression didn't match the keenness of his gaze. She closed her eyes again, muttering a few choice words under her breath that made him chuckle. After a few more moments, she sat up.

Julianus stayed where he was, splayed diagonally across the mattress. He reached past Cassia and snagged one of the pillows, stuffing it under his head as he looked at her. His hair was mussed and a small bruise was darkening on his collarbone, right beside his scar.

"Marcus..." she hesitated. Then she rolled her eyes and lay back down, resting her head on his abdomen. "He thought that you were the best man to send to Antelium. That you would keep Malitech from making it all a bloody mess."

Silence fell heavy on the room. Julianus inhaled deeply, then exhaled slowly. She could hear the echo of his heartbeat as she waited for his response.

"And you?" he asked quietly. "What do you think, Your Highness?"

Cassia traced a line down his bicep, pausing at the scar just over his elbow. "I thought he was right. Which was why I came to the meeting and...pushed my father toward sending you. Why I said those things about you." She worried at her lip, then said, "I didn't mean them."

"Oh, Princess," he sighed before letting out a small laugh. "We started this game telling each other a single truth. I would ask you don't start lying now."

Sitting up, she stared down at him in confusion. Julianus gave her a gentle smile before cupping a hand around the back of her neck and tugging her down into a long kiss. Finally, he released his hold just enough so she could look him in the eye as he said, "War dog. Blood-mongering beast."

She flinched minutely as he threw those words back at her. 

Julianus brushed his thumb along her cheekbone. "I am both of those things, and you know it. That is why Marcus is sending me. That is why you are sending me. That is why I am going."

Shaking her head, she started to protest, but her voice grew unbearably small beneath the weight of his gaze. "Was Marcus wrong to think that you could keep Malitech from slaughtering the entire city?" she finally whispered.

With a snort, Julianus shrugged a single shoulder. "What is it, exactly, you expect me to do if he orders just that?"

It became impossible to meet his gaze. He sat up, cocking his head. "Do you expect me to disobey, Princess? Do you know what they do to soldiers who disobey orders? Do you know what they do to generals who refuse to carry through an attack?"

Her lips formed the words, but she couldn't bear to say them. The image they provoked was far too ugly.

"I think you do," he said, leaning back. "Will you become disillusioned when I can't stop your bastard brother from doing anything?"

"I thought we had agreed not to lie," she managed, throat dry. A clock chimed in the other room, making her nearly jump out of her skin. "I have to go."

Julianus caught her wrist and, reluctantly, she met his gaze. A grimness she'd never seen before tugged at his mouth. "I will do what I can," he promised, "but my first responsibility is to my men, Your Highness."