Crucible of Fate

with the two heads of the warring factions and then come back,” I instructed. “Don’t try and fix anything other than sending the boy back to his tribe. I want you to gather information and that’s all.”
    “I shouldn’t stay there and resolve the problem if I can?” Yuri taunted.
    I was focused on his words, but it was getting harder. It was difficult not to notice and be mesmerized by the curve of his lip, the dimple in his chin, and his thick expressive eyebrows.
    “Domin?”
    I cleared my throat. “No. You’ll give me a report, and I’ll decide what to do at that point.”
    “Yes, my lord,” he said mock seriously, the deference over the top and playfully patronizing.
    “That’s not what I meant,” I growled, not in the mood to banter with him. It was killing me that he was leaving. “You just need to come home!”
    “Why?”
    “Because it’s your duty.”
    “My duty?” He was still teasing me.
    “You’re supposed to stand right beside me!” I yelled and saw the surprise register that I was actually upset.
    “I will, then,” he said quietly. “I’ll get home as fast as I can.”
    I took a breath. “I don’t remember you telling me any of this.”
    “Well, I did. I explained this all to you last night at length, again, as well as several times in the past week.”
    Had I been listening? Ever?
    “Your steward—”
    “Kabore, yes,” I said sharply. “I’ve met the man, go on.”
    Judging from the twinkle in his eyes, I was clearly amusing him. “He suggested that I take this task off your plate by going in your place.”
    “And what if I don’t want you to go?”
    His eyes were really the clearest blue I had ever seen in my life, and when they fixed on mine I could feel a comforting weight settle over me, spreading calm. “Is that what you’re asking me to do?”
    I thought a minute. “Have other mates done these kinds of things?”
    “Of course,” he said. “Missions of goodwill are what mates of important men do.”
    “What if it’s dangerous?”
    “It’s not. How could it be? I’ll be there to help return a boy that the semel of Feran has probably just not had time to think about. The man basically has a civil war being waged on his land; I’ll bet you anything, the boy is an oversight. He’ll welcome me with open arms, and when I tell him that I am gathering information for you so that the semel-aten might help him find a resolution, he might even kiss me.”
    “He better not.”
    His eyes were warm. “Don’t worry about me. Everyone knows that to harm the mate of the semel-aten is a death sentence. No one would risk it.”
    I was not convinced. “You will take thirty men with you.”
    “Will I?”
    “Stop answering my commands with questions!”
    “Am I doing that?” He was so restrained, so calm.
    “Yes!” I yelled like a screaming idiot. “And it’s very patronizing!”
    “Stop ranting,” he directed, half grinning, his voice sexy and calming at the same time. “Now, listen. Thirty men on a mission of mediation is overkill.”
    “I disagree,” I said defensively.
    “I used to be a sheseru,” he brought to mind, his tone placating. “I know how many men to take, Domin. Don’t fret.”
    “I don’t fret!” I was indignant. “I just want you to be safe and—”
    “I will be perfectly fine meeting a semel and the djehus. If I have too many men with me, it will seem like I’m there to impose your will instead of talk. Take my counsel on this.”
    That was the second time he’d used that word. “What’s a djehu? I mean, I get that it’s some kind of leader, but the word’s new to me.”
    “A djehu is like an aker, except it’s elected. Apparently, this is how the tribe of Feran is. Hakkan Tarek allowed djehus to be picked by the people instead of them just going to the sylvan.”
    “Why?”
    “Because they are two very diverse groups who live apart, don’t ever mix, and have basically nothing in common.”
    “Except that they’re all panthers.”
    “Except that.”
    “You know you don’t have to explain it to me like that. I’m not a child.”
    “No. You’re not,” he said, his voice sultry and full of heat.
    I swallowed hard.
    “So, I’m going to meet with the semel, get Garai home, and then speak to the djehus and bring you back all their concerns, whatever they are.”
    “Fine,” I growled, prickly with frustration.
    “Good.” He soothed me. “Did you want to kiss me or—”
    “Just go.” I was