Kalliope & Sjan-dehk & Iyen
&
HafizPart 2
Sola 28th
Time: Night
Location: Castle Hallways near Banquet Hall
“You know, Sjan-dehk, this is probably one of the stranger feasts I’ve been to,” Iyen mused. The tease in her words perfectly reflected the playful smirk on her face.
“There’s usually, you know, a little more feasting and not so much walking, in my experience.”“Really?” Sjan-dehk asked, his voice dry and eyes unamused as he glanced at her.
“Thought it’d be because you haven’t gotten us thrown out yet.” The slap Iyen gave him on the arm wasn’t as light-hearted as what her laugh suggested, but Sjan-dehk brushed it off. After all, she did have a point – it had to have been almost an hour since the two of them had arrived at the castle for the King’s banquet, and all they had managed to accomplish thus far was to get lost amidst a maze of hallways and corridors. That they all looked the same to their eyes didn’t help in the least.
“Hey, that only happened twice!” Iyen pouted, but that quickly turned into a cheeky smile.
“Three or four times, if you count what happened in Inahk and Sjangjah, and Sakaka. And half of those times were because of something you started, in case you’ve forgotten.”“No, I only finished what some other cunt started,” Sjan-dehk corrected. A pair of servants came towards them, their shuffling gaits hurried. Sjan-dehk greeted both men with a tip of his hat, and was about to ask for directions when they quickly bowed their heads and scurried off. Iyen didn’t even have time to say a word.
Well, Sjan-dehk didn’t blame them for such a reaction. They were probably busy with getting the banquet ready. And besides, it wasn’t as if either Iyen or he looked particularly friendly. Although they did put some effort into looking formal and presentable, they still looked as if they had been at sea for the day, and had only the time to freshen up. That was in fact the truth, in Sjan-dehk’s case – he had been collecting testimonies from the people whose settlements had been sacked by pirates a few days ago. He had only been in harbour for perhaps two or three hours before it was time for him to leave for the banquet.
And so, he had come wearing the best clothes he could scrounge up – the uniform he reserved for parades or anything that called for a little more pomp. It had geometric patterns embroidered in yellow thread on the chest, and a stripe of a similar colour running down both trouser legs, but it was otherwise identical to his uniform, albeit a little stiffer and made from better fabrics. And of course, Sjan-dehk wore his usual, well-worn kit over it. From either hip hung a sword, and a pair of pistols sat on his lower back.
“Well, if things turn to shite today, I can add one more to your count,” Iyen said.
“Or maybe three or four, since you’d be the first to get thrown out of a place outside of the Commonwealth.”“That’ll get me in the history books, aye,” Sjan-dehk replied with a chuckle. He matched her grin with one of his own, and met her mischievous eyes with a similar gaze.
“Though now that I think about it, that distinction has to go to Yehn-tai. Got himself and a few others into a fight with local drunks the other day, and got hauled out of a drinking house. Had to deal with that shite myself, so that was fun.”“First to get thrown out of a formal party outside of the Commonwealth, then,” Iyen corrected.
“Let’s hope it doesn’t come–” Muffled voices wafting from around the corner caught Sjan-dehk’s attention, and he immediately cut himself off. One of the voices, he recognised.
Kali. He couldn’t tell to whom the other voice belonged, but they didn’t sound like a Caesonian to his ears. But he didn’t care much about that. What he did care about were the words this stranger was saying to Kalliope. Sjan-dehk didn’t understand most of them, but those that he did, didn’t sound nice.
“Sounds like a fight,” Iyen said, her voice falling to a whisper and discarding its playful tone.
“Aye,” Sjan-dehk replied. He crept forward, Iyen following close behind him, and peeked around the corner. And sure enough, there was Kalliope, standing in the middle of the hallway, behind a man whose outline was largely obscured by an expensive-looking robe. Sjan-dehk narrowed his eyes. Even though this strange person blocked much of his view of Kalliope, what he could see of her face was enough to tell him that she was in distress.
“Hey, that’s her, isn’t she?” Iyen asked in a hushed voice.
“The lady you–”“Yes,” Sjan-dehk interrupted.
“Well then, I’ll follow your lead.” Iyen’s hand fell to the hilt of the short, elegantly curved blade by her side. Her fingers curled around the grooved handle, and she rested her other hand on a coil of rope wrapped across her body. Shards of metal embedded in its twines shimmered in the low light. And although she wore her clothes tight around her body, Sjan-dehk knew from experience that she had more than just a few blades hidden away in her braces, her leg wraps, and even in the pins that kept her hair in the tails that she favoured.
But now wasn’t the time for violence. As much as Sjan-dehk wanted to march up to that person, give their head a proper slap, and be done with it, he had a feeling that doing so would probably make things worse for Kalliope.
“Easy,” Sjan-dehk whispered.
“I think we can do this without any need for violence. We’re just here to find our friend, aren’t we?”Iyen grinned.
“That, we are.”Sjan-dehk stepped around the corner, making sure his footsteps were loud enough for Kali and the stranger to hear him coming. Iyen followed, hovering just behind his shoulder. As Sjan-dehk drew closer, the pain on Kalliope’s face became all the more evident. It took all of his restraint to not simply draw his pistol and gun the stranger down right then and there.
Easy. Let's not make any trouble for her. He cleared his throat.
“Lady Kalliope,” he called out.
“Iyen and me, we were looking for you.”“Hello,” Iyen greeted with a smile and a wave.
“We found you!”“Yes, hello,” Sjan-dehk said, looking over his shoulder at Iyen with a look that very politely asked her to remain quiet. He turned towards the stranger, a man whose very stature announced to all of his importance and power. Sjan-dehk, however, didn’t care about either, especially when they belonged to someone who had brought Kalliope to such a state. And so, when he spoke, he did so in a very casual and rushed manner.
“I am Sjan-dehk of Jafi,” he introduced himself, then pointed to Iyen.
“Iyen of Sudhrayar. We are here for Kalliope of Caesonia, and now we find her, so…” He glanced at Iyen and tilted his head towards Kalliope. She nodded slowly. Only then did Sjan-dehk walk around the man, paying him almost no heed, to gently take Kalliope by her arm.
“Easy, I got you,” he said in a low voice, just loud enough for her to hear.
“We go now,” Sjan-dehk said, louder, clearer, and with finality, and started to pull Kalliope away.
Hafiz had already won. He knew it; she knew it. Her trembling frame spoke louder than words, each shuddered breath a confession of defeat.
Then, like an unwanted pest, he arrived. His fingers twitched at his sides, suppressing the rage simmering beneath his exterior.
The man approached with an infuriating ease, moving as if Hafiz were merely an obstacle.
He adjusted his cuffs gracefully, his expression almost benevolent. Hafiz stretched out a hand as if to intervene, though he had no intention of stopping them.
““Ah… how fortunate,” he purred softly, eyes fixed upon her trembling form.
““She was just about to collapse.”Let him believe he’d rescued her. Hafiz’s smirk widened, gaze never wavering.
“Such a fragile thing.” As Sjan-dehk pulled her away, Hafiz allowed the barest brush of his fingertips against her wrist—a whisper-light touch that spoke louder than any words:
You're still mine.He didn't watch them leave. He didn't need to. She would never be free. And she knew it too.
At first, Kalliope didn’t react when Sjan-dehk and Iyen approached. She didn’t even seem to register their presence. Her gaze was locked ahead, unfocused, shoulders stiff, fingers trembling at her sides.
It wasn’t until Sjan-dehk stepped around Hafiz and gently took her arm that something flickered in her eyes—recognition, confusion, fear.
Her breath stuttered. She flinched as if expecting pain. Her first instinct was to recoil, to shrink away, to brace for the inevitable blow or cruel grip that would remind her exactly where she belonged. But it never came.
Instead, there was warmth. A steady, grounding presence.
Then, a voice—low, familiar.
"Easy, I got you."Sjan-dehk.
Her eyes darted up, panic still clouding her vision, but now she was seeing
him. And it wasn’t Hafiz. It wasn’t chains, or cruelty, or the past creeping in to consume her whole. It was Sjan-dehk, guiding her, pulling her away.
She wanted to move. Needed to. But her legs felt stiff, disconnected from the rest of her body. She stumbled, barely able to follow his lead. Her breaths were shallow, too fast, too uneven. The pressure in her chest built with every step, a vice tightening around her ribs.
And then, Hafiz was gone.
Sjan-dehk had led her far enough away.
But the distance didn’t make her feel safer.
She couldn’t breathe.
Her chest heaved, but no air seemed to fill her lungs. The walls blurred, tilting at strange angles. A soft, strangled sound tore from her throat as her fingers clawed at the fabric of her dress, desperate to loosen something—anything—but it wasn’t her clothes that were suffocating her.
It was Hafiz. His presence still lingered, wrapping around her like chains she couldn't see but could
feel tightening, tightening…
"I—" Her voice cracked.
"I can't—" Her legs gave out. Sjan-dehk quickly tightened his hold on her.
If not for his grip, she would have collapsed. Instead, she crumpled against him, shaking violently, her nails digging into his sleeve.
"I can't breathe," she choked out, panic thick in her voice.
"I can't—he—he—" She squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head, trying to force away the memories, the fear, the overwhelming certainty that she would never truly be free. But it clung to her, smothering, suffocating…
She was drowning.
And no matter how hard she gasped for air, she couldn’t break the surface.
“It’s okay, he’s not here now,” Sjan-dehk said quietly. Slowly, he shuffled the both of them over to a wall and gently leaned her back against it. Then, he carefully kneeled, bringing her to a sitting position on the floor.
“Let’s get you comfortable, alright?” He peeled himself away, but continued to hold one of her hands in a tender grip. Just enough for her to know that he was still there, but not so tightly that he exerted any pressure on her.
“She’s panicking,” Iyen said, concern written all over her face. She ran a hand nervously through one of her tails, twirling dark hair around a finger.
“Shadowed Green help me, Sjan-dehk. I hope you know what to do.”“Aye, I do,” Sjan-dehk replied, casting a glance over his shoulder.
“Could you keep watch? We’ll need some space around us.”“You got it.” Iyen took a step back, a hand hovering by her weapons.
Sjan-dehk turned back to Kalliope. He pulled on the ends of his hat’s chinstraps, loosening them just enough to let him push it back and let it rest on his back.
“Kali,” he called softly.
“Kali, I need you to look at me, okay?” Doubt gnawed at the corners of his mind – although he did know what needed to be done in such a situation, his experience with it had been mostly limited to getting a despairing sailor back into action as quickly as possible. That wasn’t what Kalliope needed, and it surely wasn’t what he wanted to do for her.
But as quickly as that doubt appeared in his mind, it disappeared. There wasn’t anyone else that could help, not at this moment. It had to be him.
“Kali,” he repeated her name, reaching out with a hand to cup her cheek. Very gently, he turned her head to let their gazes meet. He greeted her with a warm smile.
“Good evening, Kali. Just look at me, alright?”He squeezed her hand again, rubbing his thumb over the back of her palm. Whatever it was that had distressed her so, it had to have been incredibly traumatic.
And related to that man. A frown flashed across his face for a moment, but he quickly forced it away. Now wasn’t the time for him to delve into things. He just had to focus on Kalliope. Nothing else mattered.
“I’ll admit that I don’t know what happened,” he began slowly, his dark eyes still locked onto her bright, verdant ones.
“But whatever it was, it’s not happening now, yes? Whoever that man was, he’s not here with us now, and he won’t be with us, not if Iyen over there can help it.”“I’ll cut his balls off if he tries,” Iyen chirped.
“That, she will.” Sjan-dehk gave her a sharp look over his shoulder. Iyen shrugged, but nodded, and Sjan-dehk looked back at Kalliope.
“You’re safe here, Kali. With me–” He stopped suddenly, a flush creeping over his cheeks. Then, he cleared his throat.
“Well, you’re safe now, that’s what matters. Nobody can hurt you now, not while I’m…Not while Iyen and I are around.”Kalliope’s breath still came in short, shallow gasps, her fingers twitching against the fabric of Sjan-dehk’s sleeve as if trying to find something solid, something real, to anchor herself to. The walls still felt too close, her skin too tight, the weight of invisible chains pressing down on her ribs, squeezing, suffocating.
Then, warmth. A hand against her cheek, gentle but firm, guiding her, pulling her back.
Not Hafiz.
Sjan-dehk.
His touch was nothing like Hafiz’s. Hafiz’s hands had been cruel, possessive, meant to break, to claim, to remind her that she was
his—a thing, not a person. Even when he hadn’t been violent, even when his touch had been deceptively soft, it had always been tainted with the knowledge that he
owned her.
Sjan-dehk’s touch was the opposite. Solid, grounding. He wasn’t forcing, wasn’t taking. He was
giving—warmth, steadiness, something she didn’t realize she had been starving for until now.
She needed this.
She needed him. It was terrifying.
Her wide, glassy eyes locked onto his, and for the first time since Hafiz’s voice had shattered her world, she saw something that wasn’t fear.
Sjan-dehk was speaking, but the words barely reached her through the roaring in her ears. Something about safety, about how Hafiz wasn’t here, about how Iyen would cut off his—
A sharp, broken laugh clawed its way out of her throat, more a strangled gasp than anything else. But it cracked something inside her, just enough to let in air.
Safe.
She didn’t know what that felt like. Not really. Not in a way that made sense.
But Sjan-dehk was here. He was
real. That had to mean something.
She forced a shaky inhale, her grip on Sjan-dehk’s sleeve tightening as if trying to remind herself that she had control over her own body. Her other hand rested in his, trembling slightly, but she didn’t pull away. Couldn’t.
Her lips parted, voice barely more than a whisper.
“I—I thought I was back there.” Another ragged breath. Her head tilted slightly into his palm, drawn to the warmth despite herself.
“I couldn’t—I couldn’t tell what was real and what wasn’t.” She swallowed hard, throat raw, and let her gaze flicker toward Iyen for just a moment.
Something twisted deep in her chest.
She hadn’t noticed the woman at first, but now? Now she saw the easy confidence in Iyen’s stance, the way she lingered close, the familiarity in her voice. How he had brought her to this dinner.
Kalliope’s breath hitched.
Of course.
She had let herself think—even for just a moment—that this could be something. That
he could be something. But he already had someone. And why wouldn’t he?
Her fingers slowly loosened their hold on his sleeve, her walls rushing back up, the instinct to protect herself slamming into place like armor.
Still, she couldn’t make herself pull away from him completely.
Her voice was quieter now, something hollow creeping in.
“You’re wrong,” she murmured, eyes dropping away from his.
“He’s not gone.” Her hand slipped from his sleeve, falling back to her side.
“He never will be.” Her lips parted, then closed, then parted again, something fragile flickering behind her gaze before she buried it deep.
“His scars are the deepest.” And no matter how far she ran, she would never be free of them.
Up until now, Sjan-dehk had thought that they had been making good progress. He had allowed himself to relax when he heard Kalliope’s choking laugh, and had allowed himself to believe that all would soon be well when she uttered a couple of clear sentences. This sudden change in her voice, however, told him that he had let his guard down too early. And to make things worse, he had absolutely no clue as to its cause.
He threw an uncertain look over his shoulder at Iyen. She shrugged, looking just as confused.
“Iyen, could you go look around the corner?” Sjan-dehk asked. Sending Iyen away was a stab in the dark, but it seemed to him that Kalliope’s manner had changed only after she had glanced at her. Perhaps she wasn’t comfortable being vulnerable in the Sudhrayarn’s presence? Sjan-dehk thought that to be a possibility; the two women weren’t even acquaintances.
“Make sure no one disturbs us, least of all that rich-looking cunt.”“You got it,” Iyen replied with a nod. She gave Kalliope a sympathetic look and a smile, and then she swiftly disappeared down the hallway.
Sjan-dehk turned back to Kalliope and forced himself to remain calm. If she was like a ship adrift and lost, then he was akin to an anchor, and his arm, the chain linking the two. Even if he hadn’t a clue as to what to do – and he really didn’t – he wouldn’t make things any better by letting that uncertainty show on his face. Or in his demeanour.
“That should keep her busy for a while,” he said with a slight grin that didn’t last long. Scratching the back of his head, he continued.
“Alright, maybe I’m wrong. Maybe he’ll never leave you, and maybe the scars he left are too deep to heal.” Unconsciously, his thumb rubbed small circles on her cheek, rough calloused fingertip brushing over supple skin.
“But I remember Dai-sehk, Sada Kurau’s surgeon, I mean, he said that the scars that form over wounds are tougher than the skin they used to be. And he’s good with this medical stuff, so I’d say he’s right. So who’s to say that you can’t come back stronger after what that cunt did to you?”He gently pushed her head until their gazes met once more.
“If he won’t leave, if he wants to be a damn termite in wood, then let him stay. He did nasty things to you? Then spite him. Make him watch you become stronger than when he first met you. Let that bastard cunt know that despite all his efforts, he couldn’t bloody break you.”Once again, his body moved on his own, and his hand found hers.
“This sort of thing, I know it’s easier said than done, but you don’t have to do it alone.” The words were just flowing out of him now, as if he just knew what to say on instinct.
“Abyss be damned, if nobody will help you, then I will. If you fall, I’ll pick you right back up. Carry you, even, if I have to. Or just bring you back with me to the Commonwealth. He’ll have to be crazy to follow you all the way there.”He paused, and the weight of his words finally caught up with him. A flush came over his cheeks and sheepishness pulled on his features. He was making a lot of promises; promises that might land him in at least some trouble if he tried to keep them. And yet, he knew that he meant every word, consequences be damned.
“Take your time. We can go when you’re ready.” He gave her a mischievous grin.
“I wasn’t joking, by the way. I’ll carry you to dinner if you need me to.”Kalliope’s breath hitched as Sjan-dehk’s hand remained steady against her cheek, his thumb tracing small, grounding circles that sent warmth seeping into her skin. She should pull away. She *should.* Every instinct, every scar, every whispered warning carved into her soul screamed at her to retreat, to rebuild the walls that had kept her safe for so long.
But… she didn’t.
Instead, she let herself feel the callouses on his palm, the heat of him bleeding into her frozen skin. His words lingered in her mind, weaving through the cracks in her armor and settling deep in the places she thought long dead.
If he wants to be a damn termite in wood, then let him stay. Spite him. Make him watch you become stronger.Her throat tightened, and her eyes burned, but she refused to let the tears fall. Not yet. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had looked at her and seen
strength. Not a weapon. Not a tool. Not something to be broken and molded into obedience.
Just... her.
Her fingers twitched in his grip, and for a moment, she allowed herself to lean into him, just enough to feel the solid strength beneath the warmth. His words were reckless, foolish even. He didn’t know what Hafiz was capable of. He didn’t understand how deep the scars ran or how the shadows of her past clung to her, threatening to pull her back at every step.
And yet... he was still here. Still offering to carry her, to catch her, to stand between her and the darkness that had haunted her for so long.
Her eyes flickered toward the hallway where Iyen had disappeared, doubt twisting in her gut. Why would a man like Sjan-dehk—a captain, a warrior—make such promises to someone like her? Someone broken. Someone tainted.
Someone who could never be enough.
Because he already has someone, the voice in her head sneered.
You saw it in the way she looked at him. The way he brought her here. You're just a moment of pity, a burden he's foolish enough to try and carry.Her heart clenched painfully, and her fingers began to slip from his...
But then he spoke again.
If she fell, he would pick her up. He would carry her
Her breath shuddered, and the war inside her raged—fear and longing, doubt and desperate hope, all colliding and tearing her apart from the inside out.
Would it really be so terrible... to let him catch her? Just this once?
Her gaze lifted slowly to meet his, searching the depths of those dark eyes for the lie, the trap, the hidden cruelty she’d come to expect from people who spoke sweet words and offered soft touches.
She found none.
Only warmth. Only sincerity. Only... him.
Her resolve cracked, and before she could stop herself, her trembling hand tightened around his, clinging to him as if he were the only thing keeping her from drowning.
“You don’t know what you’re promising,” she whispered, voice raw and unsteady.
Sjan-dehk swallowed, and he had to will himself to not avert his eyes. It was one thing for him to know that he had made grand promises with neither much thought nor a plan as to how he was going to keep them, but to hear the same thing – well, more or less – from her mouth made it all the more apparent just how foolhardy he was. He didn’t even know who this Hafiz was, only that he looked and sounded like he was high on the Alidashti ladder of nobility. Was he going to risk crossing swords with such a man for Kalliope? A woman he had only known for, at most, all of a week?
Well, yes.
That answer came quickly to him. How could it be any other? The way she looked at him, green eyes peering right at his soul; the way she clung to him, as if he would float away if she didn’t, it all made him want to protect her. To help her, one way or another. It was a strange feeling, to be so protective – beyond what duty of morality required of him – of another, but Sjan-dehk wasn’t about to fight it. To keep Kalliope safe felt right to his heart, and that was good enough for him.
“I’m... I’m not someone you save, Sjan-dehk. I’ve been broken and remade into something... ugly. Something dangerous. And he... he’s in here.” She tapped her temple with her free hand, her eyes glassy and distant.
“No matter how far I run, he never leaves.” Her breath hitched, and her head tilted slightly into his palm, desperate for the comfort, the grounding.
“But... I want to believe you. I want to believe that I can be more than what he made me.” A broken laugh slipped from her lips, barely more than a breath.
“I think... I think I’ve forgotten what it feels like to be safe.” Sjan-dehk smiled at her. Not a grin, or a smirk, but a soft, gentle one.
“Guess it’s about time you started remembering, then.”Her gaze softened, vulnerable and fragile in a way she hadn’t allowed herself to be in years.
“But if you meant what you said... if you really won’t let me fall... I...” Her voice faltered as her heart pounded against her ribs, terrified of what it would mean to trust him. To let herself feel.
Her body felt heavy, exhausted from the weight of carrying her fear and pain alone for so long. And here he was, this reckless, stubborn captain, offering to bear it with her. Her fingers tightened around his for a moment, and before she could stop herself, she pulled that hand from his grip before she leaned forward, slowly, hesitantly closing the space between them.
“What’re you–” Sjan-dehk started, but then his breath hitched in throat when she started leaning closer and closer to him. He didn’t pull away. He couldn’t, entranced as he was by her eyes, her pretty face, even the faint scent of her, growing stronger with each passing moment.
Her arms slipped around him, tentative at first, as if afraid he might pull away—or worse, that she’d wake up and this moment would shatter like all the others. But when her forehead rested against his shoulder, something cracked open inside her. Her grip tightened, clinging to him as if he were the only thing tethering her to reality. The warmth of him seeped into her, steady and grounding, and for the first time in what felt like forever... she let herself
breathe.Carefully, gingerly, almost as if he were afraid she would push herself away if he moved just that much too fast, or touched her with anything more than gentleness, Sjan-dehk wrapped his arms around her. One hand cradled the back of her head, fingers acting on their own as they brushed through her hair. He dipped his head and closed his eyes, savouring the press of her body upon his; the warmth of her breath against him, and simply just her.
“You’ll be alright.” Those words came out in a quiet whisper, and without much thought. And yet, he meant it. Kalliope would be alright. Hafiz would not have her, break her, or do anything to her, not without Sjan-dehk having a say in the matter. At that moment, there wasn’t a thing of which he was more sure.
“I don’t know how to let you in,” she admitted, voice barely a whisper.
“But... I’m tired of fighting alone.” A pause. Her breath shuddered against him as she soaked in his warmth, needing him in a way that terrified her.
“...I’ll also let you carry me to dinner,” she murmured after a moment, her voice trembling with something that almost—
almost—resembled humor.
“But only because I want to see the look on everyone’s faces when they think I’ve finally seduced Captain Sjan-dehk.”A small, teasing laugh slipped from her lips, and she squeezed her eyes shut against the tears threatening to fall.
Sjan-dehk chuckled. Slowly, he peeled himself away and looked at her with a mischievous shine to his eyes.
“Glad to see your humour’s back,” he said, rocking himself back onto the balls of his feet. He reached for her cheek again – it just felt like the right thing to do – and caressed it for a moment longer.
“You don’t have to fight alone. Nobody should.” He pulled his hand back, giving her a warm smile that turned into a grin.
“And you can take your time letting me in. I can always shout from behind the door while waiting, like this.”He turned his head to look down the hallway.
“Iyen!” His voice echoed off the walls.
“Time for us to go!”“You didn’t have to shout that loud,” came Iyen’s reply, followed by the sound of her approaching footsteps.
“But alright, I’m ready when you are, Sjan-dehk.”Sjan-dehk turned back to Kalliope.
“Now, let’s see…” he muttered before hesitantly wrapping his arms around her. He tried a few times in different positions, until he got it right, supporting her by her shoulders and behind her knees. Standing up slowly, he took some time to balance himself, in the process tucking her closer to him. All the while, Iyen stood beside them, lips pulled into a wide, cheeky smile.
“Isn’t this sweet?” Her teasing words came out in a melodic voice. [color=228B22][i]“I’m jealous. You never carry me like that, Sjan-dehk.”
“Yes, I have,” Sjan-dehk replied.
“Can’t remember when, but surely at least once.”“You slung me over your shoulder like a sack of rice, Sjan-dehk.”“That’s just a difference in style,” he countered before looking down at Kalliope. His cheeks were a deep red – he could feel it – just by how close she was. He swallowed and cleared his throat, tightening his grip on her shoulder and holding her more securely. He took a tentative step, then another.
“Hope this isn’t too uncomfortable for you.”“Just... don’t let go.” Sjan-dehk nodded and picked up the pace.
It was the smallest surrender, fragile and uncertain. But for the first time in what felt like forever, she allowed herself to lean on someone else.
And Gods help her... she prayed he wouldn’t break her the way the last man had.
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