Crucible of Fate

Yuri’s phone?”
    “Of course,” Crane gave me his word. “But please, Domin, you have to rest.”
    “But—”
    “Please,” Jin insisted.
    I tried to pull away from Koren. “I think I can walk on my own,” I said, sounding drunk as I accidentally bumped noses with him. “I don’t need your help.”
    “You’re going to have to take it,” he said, gesturing for Jamal to hook my other arm over his broad shoulders.
    Had Yuri been there, I would have been carried.
    It was just another reason to miss the man.
     
     
    I N MY room they placed me gently on the bed and propped pillows behind my back and under my feet. I wanted to move, but there was no way until I ate and drank. Sprawled out, I regarded Koren and Jamal.
    “What if he’s already dead?”
    Jamal shook his head. “No one in their right mind puts their hands on the mate of the semel-aten.”
    “But that’s the point—they’re crazy.”
    “Who, my lord? This threat of the priest’s, it could be empty.”
    “Then why isn’t Yuri answering his phone?”
    “There could be a million reasons,” Jamal said tightly. “You know that as well as I.”
    “I need to know that he’s okay.”
    “Of course.”
    “Send men to Ipis now.”
    “Your sheseru took it upon himself to do that, my lord. Taj is on his way to Ipis as we speak, with fifty men and ten of the Shu.”
    “Really?”
    “Yes, my lord, he left moments ago, when I convinced him that you would live.”
    “Why was he waiting to—”
    “He needed to know first” was all Jamal said.
    “Why?”
    “Why do you think, idiot?” Koren chided. “Because he’s your goddamn sheseru and he’s not leaving until he knows that you’re okay.”
    “But if Logan were hurt but Jin was in danger, then—”
    “Don’t compare Yuri to Jin! One is a true-mate and the other is an infatuation that will soon wane.”
    “Kor—”
    “If you were dying and Yuri was your reah or your yareah, all effort would be immediately made to bring him to the semel. After you and Logan went after each other in the pit that time, Mikhail went immediately to bring Jin to Logan.”
    “Yes, I—”
    “But Yuri is not your mate. Whatever name you want to call him by is fine, but two men, unless you happen to find another male reah somewhere, will never be maat.”
    I shook my head.
    “It’s not, Domin. Panther law does not recognize—”
    “I know what it recognizes, and I will change the law for all panthers, not just me.”
    “And you can, and you will, I have no doubt of that. But until then, a man like Taj, who places greater importance on you than on Yuri, is going to wait to make sure you’re okay before he runs off into the night to check on your boyfriend.”
    “Whatever you want to say, he is my mate.” I coughed hard, which sent a wave of pain through my entire body.
    “Please, my semel,” Jamal began. “You need to—”
    “What if it’s Constantine?” The question was directed at Jamal. “What if he’s the one who’s going to kill Yuri?”
    “Constantine is a member of your khatyu, my lord. You must believe in your own men.”
    I didn’t trust anyone at the moment.
    “Constantine would lay down his life to protect Yuri. Look somewhere else for betrayal, not at your own house.”
    “My own house?” I snarled. “Are you fucking kidding? Like my house is so sacred and secure? Like I’m so beloved that no one would try and hurt me? Are you listening to yourself?”
    “My lord—”
    “Elham El Masry had the nice lady that brought me breakfast, lunch, and dinner try to poison me. If it wasn’t for you, I’d be dead.”
    Koren gasped, but I didn’t care. Let him be shocked.
    “Yes, I—”
    “So don’t give me the whole ‘in my house’ bullshit. Anyone could be trying to kill him. Anyone! I trust you, Kabore, my sylvan and my sheseru, my mastaba—oh.” I had a sudden thought because my brain was firing all at once and I couldn’t keep anything straight. “Did someone call Ebere and tell her that Crane won the challenge?”
    “No, my lord.”
    “Well, for crissakes, she’s gonna want to know.”
    “Yes, my lord.” He sounded pained. “But would you please just—”
    “Anyone in the tribe of Feran could be trying to kill him.”
    “My lord, aren’t you forgetting who Yuri is?”
    “I don’t understand what—”
    “He’s not some weak creature easily overcome; he was a sheseru and one of the strongest panthers I have ever seen. He will not be easily