Broken by the Horde King (Horde Kings of Dakkar #4) - Zoey Draven Page 0,81

with something on the workbench. Even I heard his thoughts. Even I knew that Essir didn’t believe me. Because piki have been—and always would be—solely for the Morakkari of the horde.

I sighed.

“It’s getting late,” I said once I finished organizing my cabinets. “Both of you should return to your volikis and take your evening meals. I’ll clean up here, lysi?”

It took a little while to convince them both but eventually, I found that I had the mokkira’s voliki all to myself. I took comfort in tidying it and pride in cleaning it. For the frost, it was all mine. For the frost, I could make my mark in this horde.

But it will come to an end, came my treacherous thought.

All the more reason to savor it, I knew.

Once I finished, the sky was dark and the fires were blaring throughout the horde. More and more of the fire basins were being fed throughout the day as the chill started to stick. I shivered, wrapping my furs around me tighter, as I made my way towards my voliki.

The Dakkari that I passed inclined their heads, murmuring my title in respect, and I returned their greetings with a small smile. I wasn’t used to the attention, especially since back at the saruk, I’d been nothing more than an apprentice. No one had looked at me twice, though most were friendly enough.

I’d only been at the horde a handful of days but my feet led me to my voliki, as if I’d walked that path all my life.

Only…my voliki wasn’t there.

Frowning, I spun around, flicking my gaze at my surroundings.

Nik, this was definitely where my voliki was supposed to be. Though it was dark, I spied the outline of it on the earth, a round dome in that glaringly empty place.

Neffar?

What was happening?

I sensed movement behind me. When I turned, I saw the darukkar that had been trailing me lingering behind the nearest voliki. I sighed. I knew that Kiran had assigned him to look out for me and I had known I was being tailed since the second day at the horde.

And this darukkar wasn’t exactly discreet.

“Do you know where my voliki is?” I called out, feeling a little ridiculous since the warrior was obviously trying to hide from me.

After a brief moment of silence, the male shuffled out from behind the nearest voliki, his shoulders going back, though I spied a tinge of embarrassment on his features.

“The Vorakkar,” was his response.

My frown deepened. “The Vorakkar?”

“Lysi,” the darukkar replied. “He had your voliki dismantled this afternoon.”

He what?

But why?

I swallowed, confusion furrowing my brow. “Then where are my things?”

The darukkar jerked his head in the direction of the back of the encampment. And there, on a slight incline, was Kiran’s own voliki. Underneath the entrance flap, I saw a glow from within. Through the venting hole at the top, dark smoke swirled upwards towards the clear night sky.

My heart leapt in my throat.

Every time I thought I had him figured out again…he went and did something like this.

As I’d realized this morning, Kiran was charmingly arrogant. Only, right now, I didn’t find him quite so charming. Especially since he’d dismantled my voliki and hadn’t told me.

And I intended to tell him so right when I figured out what the vok was going on.

With that thought in mind, I straightened my shoulders and stalked towards his voliki.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Licking my lips, I prepared myself for a fight when I heard angry, quick strides approaching my voliki.

Blowing out a long breath, I leaned further back in the bathing tub, my arms draped along the edges, as I fixed my gaze on the entrance flap in anticipation. Beneath the water of my bath, my cock hardened, resting against my belly.

She didn’t bother to announce herself, as was expected. Anyone else would’ve been punished for it and she knew that.

Instead, she pushed underneath the entrance, her gaze flicking around my voliki, a frown on her lips.

Then she froze, her eyes going wide, when she found me lounging in the bath, my gaze fastened on her, waiting for her to speak.

But she surprised me.

I’d expected her to spin around in embarrassment. While Dakkari were not shy about nudity, Maeva had always been so, though she’d been raised Dakkari.

Except she didn’t break my gaze. Instead, she acted as if she hadn’t stormed into my voliki while I was bathing and, after clearing her throat, demanded quietly, “Where is my voliki?”

My seffi wasn’t so unaffected by me, however. I spied that