Ravyn lifted his head, his red-rimmed eyes searching Voren's face. The tears had dried on his cheeks, leaving salt trails that caught the dim light. His expression was raw, unguarded, stripped of every mask he had ever worn.
"I know it's not that simple." His voice came out hoarse, scraped clean by hours of sobbing. "There's a catch. What exactly do you want?"
What Voren was requesting of him was too little. Ravyn had benefited greatly from Voren's generosity over the years, had taken and taken and given nothing in return. He knew better than to believe in gifts without strings. Nothing in this world came free, least of all from a king.
Voren smiled. It was a small thing, barely a curve of his lips, but it held the weight of absolute certainty.
"You're right. But honestly, the catch is simple."
He leaned forward, his gaze locking onto Ravyn's with an intensity that made the other man's breath catch.
