Kalian waited in the street outside an inn while Moira booked a room. She'd had the foresight to tell him to stay behind, knowing that most people would start screaming if he walked in covered with blood. She'd promised to get a room with a bathtub so he'd be able to clean himself and his leathers.

Kalian looked up as a window opened. Moira's dark head leaned out and she beckoned for him to come. He gripped the trellis attached to the wall of the inn and hauled himself up to the room, ignoring the pain in his hand. He swung in through the window and Moira closed the shutters behind him.

He looked about the room briefly, surprised to find such a cozy setting. There was one large bed pushed up against a wall and covered with a thick patchwork quilt. Nightstands stood on either side of the bed, and there was a dresser just to the right of the window. At the other end of the room was a porcelain clawfoot bathtub, complete with running water. A tall wooden screen made up of three different panels sat in front of the tub, offering some privacy.

"Are you hungry?" Moira asked. "I thought I'd go down and eat something. I need to make sure people see me, so I have alibis in case someone suspects I had something to do with Laydon's death."

"I'm not hungry," Kalian murmured. "You go. I'll clean up."

"All right." She crossed the room but paused with her hand on the doorknob. Kalian didn't look at her as he unbuckled Asar's scabbard and set the sword aside. The door creaked open, then closed once more.

Kalian tugged his boots off and his leathers soon followed. With a wave of his hand and a flash of magic, the blood and gore coating them was gone. He also erased the bloody footprints he'd left on the floor. Kalian stuck his head out the window and wiped away any trace of blood from the street and the trellis.

Finally, he turned to the bathtub and switched the water on. Kalian let it grow warm before he plugged the drain. He stepped out of his thin underclothes and tossed them on the floor. Kalian turned off the water once the tub was full. He settled in, folding his wings over the lip of the tub. He rested his neck on it and closed his eyes.

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Moira waited thirty minutes before returning to the room. She knocked on the door before entering, but there was no response. She ducked inside, then froze, spying the back of Kalian's head on the lip of the bathtub. He wasn't moving. Her heartbeat quickened with fear and the image of his scarred wrists flashed before her eyes.

Moira darted over to the tub and crouched. The water was mostly clear, but Kalian's eyes were closed. She touched his shoulder. "Kalian?"

His head twisted towards her and he opened his eyes. They were glazed over and there was little sign of recognition within them. Moira lifted her hand to Kalian's cheek, worry crashing through her. He covered her hand with his own. She glanced at his scar and was relieved to see that it remained a ridged line, not an open wound.

Almost without realizing it, Moira reached for a washcloth sitting on the table beside the tub. She dipped it into the warm water and dropped a bit of soap onto it. Kalian was still holding her other hand to his cheek. He didn't let go, even when she scooped water onto his shoulders and scrubbed them clean with the washcloth. She worked her way down his arms and onto his chest.

Moira paused, spreading her palm flat above his heart. It was beating steadily, but a little faster than normal. Kalian's eyes had closed once more. Moira's own heart skipped a beat as she dragged the washcloth lower, reaching his midriff. His toned stomach was next and her breath caught. She remembered all too vividly how it felt to be pressed up against his bare chest. How those hard muscles melded with her soft curves.

Her gaze fell lower still and a warm tingle spread through her body. Moira moved on to his legs, doing her best to keep her attention fixated elsewhere. Tonight had been a hard night. Nothing else needed to happen. Kalian was upset, and she didn't need to complicate his emotions even more.

Moira finished with his legs and sat back on her heels, swallowing hard. Her mouth was completely dry, and not even biting her tongue helped. "Do you want me to wash your hair?" She whispered.

"Yes." His voice was so faint that she barely heard it. Moira shifted behind him and Kalian slightly readjusted his position. If she looked over his shoulder, she could see everything and...

Moira jerked her gaze back to his hair. She cupped water in her palms and let it trickle down his slate black locks. Kalian leaned his head back. She splashed more soap into her palms and buried her fingers in his hair. Kalian made a small sound as she began to scrub gently.

"Calandra never did this for me," he breathed. A smile ghosted across his lips. "She was very modest, even after we were married. She liked her privacy and never infringed on mine."

"Am I infringing?" Moira asked, a nervous rasp in her voice. Stars, she hadn't been so nervous in a long time. Her hands shook as she combed her fingers through Kalian's hair.

"No," he replied. "No, it's good that you're here."

"Why?"

"I shouldn't be alone right now."

Her gaze flickered to the table, where his obsidian dagger sat. "Promise me you won't do anything while I'm asleep tonight."

"Maybe you shouldn't sleep."

Moira began to rinse his hair out. "What would I do instead?" Was he insinuating what she thought he might be? Was he asking her if she wanted to... Moira licked her lips and bit her tongue, but again, she couldn't draw moisture back into her mouth.

"I don't know. Maybe..." He craned his head back to look at her. She saw the moment he realized what she was thinking. His blue eyes darkened in a way that made her knees weak. A variety of emotions fluttered through her stomach. Kalian glanced at her lips briefly. "I want to." Her breath hitched. "You have no idea how badly I want to." He closed his eyes, exhaling slowly. "But I can't."

"I know." Moira wasn't sure how she managed to get the words out. "It's been a rough night. Nothing else needs to happen. Things are complicated enough already." She couldn't explain the sharp disappointment that clawed at her chest. "I'm finished. You can get out now."

She backed away and sat on the edge of the bed. Moira stared at the floor, even when she heard Kalian rise and the water in the tub began to drain. She didn't look up until he was standing in front of her, dressed in the thin shirt and pants he wore beneath his leathers.

Gently, Kalian cupped her face in his hands. Moira held his gaze, unable to slow the rapid beating of her heart. "I can't tonight because I'm thinking of them." He leaned closer and brought his lips next to her ear. "And I want to be able to think only of you. I don't want my attention to be divided. You don't deserve that."

"You'll never forget about them. You'll never stop loving them."

"I won't," he agreed. "But I think I can move on. After I find the man who killed them and avenge their deaths. Can you do the same?"

"I...I think so."

Kalian drew back, something similar to longing filling his eyes. It was soon replaced by amusement. "You aren't going to skin me alive for admitting I want to fuck you?"

Moira couldn't hide the excited shiver that ran through her. Kalian's grin turned into a smirk. "No. That depends on why you want to fuck me. Just because you think I'm pretty, or for other reasons?"

"Other reasons. Many other reasons." Kalian moved to the other side of the bed and sprawled out. "I'll share them when it's time." He closed his eyes without another word. In just a matter of minutes, he was soundly sleeping.

Moira stood and shrugged out of her leathers. She untucked her tank top from her leggings and lay down on the other side of the bed. Once more, excitement coursed through her. She rolled over and watched Kalian. Moira hesitated for only a moment, before she nestled closer to him.

"I thought you said this shouldn't happen again," Kalian murmured, apparently not asleep.

"It shouldn't. Nothing should be happening." Moira closed her eyes. The quilt rustled as Kalian reached for her. His arm folded over her waist and he buried his other hand in her curls. "But I can't stop it," she whispered.

"Neither can I." His words were so soft, and yet, she thought she recognized a hint of guilt within them. Before she could give it more thought, sleep pulled her away.

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Kalian didn't speak of what had happened during their four day ride back to Selcouth. Neither did Moira. But they both seemed to have some sort of new understanding with one another. Every night when they made camp, Moira spread her bedroll beside his, close enough that he could hold her if he wanted.

And he did. Kalian held her every night, drinking in her scent and keeping her warm with his wing. He was careful to restore his glamour before falling asleep though, not wanting to risk Moira waking up to see a Faerie sleeping next to her. Despite the changes in their relationship, Kalian knew she would never accept what he truly was.

That fact was a source of guilt for him. How could he lead her on like this, knowing that he would soon betray her? How could he do this to both of them? He didn't know, but he couldn't stop. He could no more stop caring for her than he could stop caring for Calandra and Yara. He loved them. He was falling in love with her.

No doubt there would be things to work out when they returned to camp. They couldn't exactly sleep together without arousing curiosity, and it was clear that Moira didn't want anyone asking questions. Still, they couldn't avoid them forever. They couldn't avoid each other forever. Kalian couldn't avoid the truth forever.