for my people... even if it will kill me.”
“My prince...” Bleu started and Loren looked up at him, hiding none of the weariness invading his body, pressing down on him and crushing his heart. “I spoke out of turn without thought for your feelings. I apologise. It was cruel of me.”
Loren shook his head. “No need to apologise, Bleu. I know what I must do. I have put it off for too long, giving my brother too many chances to hurt our people and those I care about, all because I cling to a ridiculous ideal that I can save him.”
“It is because your brother is one of the people you care about that you desire such a thing.”
Loren supposed that was true. He loved his brother, even after everything that had happened, and he didn’t want to imagine a world without him, let alone make it real.
The hard edge to Bleu’s expression softened. “I am glad I never had a brother.”
Loren managed to smile but there was no trace of feeling behind it. “Your sister is trouble enough.”
Bleu’s face fell. “Do not remind me. She is off in the second kingdom of the demons, intent on uncovering some artefact that was lost millennia ago. She will get herself into trouble one day.”
“One day?” Loren smiled properly now. “When is she not in trouble, and when is her big brother not having to go to her rescue?”
Bleu smiled too and Loren was glad to see his second in command relaxing again.
Olivia ruined it by speaking. “Our linguistics department would love to study your language, if you would let them? I’m sure they would find it fascinating.”
Bleu scowled at her and then at Loren, keeping to their language. “The female seeks to allow her comrades to learn our language so they might infiltrate our species and bring them harm.”
Loren shook his head. “She does no such thing. She is merely curious. It is the way of her species, and our own. Did we not seek to learn the mortal languages as they entered an age of great civilisations? We did not do so to find a way to bring them to their knees or harm them. We did so because we were curious and wished to communicate with them and understand them.”
Loren rose to his feet and turned to Olivia, speaking in her tongue now. “I am sorry but that is not a good idea. No species outside of ours can speak our language and that is how we wish to keep things. Not even the demons can speak our tongue.”
She looked crestfallen but rebounded quickly. “Their loss. At least I get to study you.”
The glimmer in her brown eyes spoke of how much she was enjoying his presence for reasons other than merely studying him. It was a dangerous feeling, and one he shared too. He liked being around her, felt drawn to her even when he knew no good would come of it and that he could never allow his guard to slip. He had to resist her and couldn’t get involved with her. He had to maintain his rigid control and his distance.
“Speaking of studying.” She pointed to the ring-shaped machine and the bench that had slid out of it.
Loren called his trousers back to him and sent his armour away. He looked down at the two metal bands around his wrists.
“I do not think it wise to remove my armour completely. Will it be necessary?” He didn’t think it wise because Bleu would probably try to remove Olivia’s head if she attempted to force him to remove the bands containing his armour, leaving him completely vulnerable.
Olivia looked as though she wanted to say yes and then flicked a glance at Bleu and shook her head. Loren looked across at Bleu, catching his grim look and the way his fingers were curling around the hilt of his sword again, ready to draw it.
Loren went to her and followed her instructions, lying with his head at one end of the bench, closest to the entrance of the machine.
“It will make funny sounds but it won’t harm you. We use it all the time. It’s just going to give me a complete image of the inside of your body and then I’ll do the same
“My prince...” Bleu started and Loren looked up at him, hiding none of the weariness invading his body, pressing down on him and crushing his heart. “I spoke out of turn without thought for your feelings. I apologise. It was cruel of me.”
Loren shook his head. “No need to apologise, Bleu. I know what I must do. I have put it off for too long, giving my brother too many chances to hurt our people and those I care about, all because I cling to a ridiculous ideal that I can save him.”
“It is because your brother is one of the people you care about that you desire such a thing.”
Loren supposed that was true. He loved his brother, even after everything that had happened, and he didn’t want to imagine a world without him, let alone make it real.
The hard edge to Bleu’s expression softened. “I am glad I never had a brother.”
Loren managed to smile but there was no trace of feeling behind it. “Your sister is trouble enough.”
Bleu’s face fell. “Do not remind me. She is off in the second kingdom of the demons, intent on uncovering some artefact that was lost millennia ago. She will get herself into trouble one day.”
“One day?” Loren smiled properly now. “When is she not in trouble, and when is her big brother not having to go to her rescue?”
Bleu smiled too and Loren was glad to see his second in command relaxing again.
Olivia ruined it by speaking. “Our linguistics department would love to study your language, if you would let them? I’m sure they would find it fascinating.”
Bleu scowled at her and then at Loren, keeping to their language. “The female seeks to allow her comrades to learn our language so they might infiltrate our species and bring them harm.”
Loren shook his head. “She does no such thing. She is merely curious. It is the way of her species, and our own. Did we not seek to learn the mortal languages as they entered an age of great civilisations? We did not do so to find a way to bring them to their knees or harm them. We did so because we were curious and wished to communicate with them and understand them.”
Loren rose to his feet and turned to Olivia, speaking in her tongue now. “I am sorry but that is not a good idea. No species outside of ours can speak our language and that is how we wish to keep things. Not even the demons can speak our tongue.”
She looked crestfallen but rebounded quickly. “Their loss. At least I get to study you.”
The glimmer in her brown eyes spoke of how much she was enjoying his presence for reasons other than merely studying him. It was a dangerous feeling, and one he shared too. He liked being around her, felt drawn to her even when he knew no good would come of it and that he could never allow his guard to slip. He had to resist her and couldn’t get involved with her. He had to maintain his rigid control and his distance.
“Speaking of studying.” She pointed to the ring-shaped machine and the bench that had slid out of it.
Loren called his trousers back to him and sent his armour away. He looked down at the two metal bands around his wrists.
“I do not think it wise to remove my armour completely. Will it be necessary?” He didn’t think it wise because Bleu would probably try to remove Olivia’s head if she attempted to force him to remove the bands containing his armour, leaving him completely vulnerable.
Olivia looked as though she wanted to say yes and then flicked a glance at Bleu and shook her head. Loren looked across at Bleu, catching his grim look and the way his fingers were curling around the hilt of his sword again, ready to draw it.
Loren went to her and followed her instructions, lying with his head at one end of the bench, closest to the entrance of the machine.
“It will make funny sounds but it won’t harm you. We use it all the time. It’s just going to give me a complete image of the inside of your body and then I’ll do the same
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