Iron Crowned Page 0,64

parting retorts to Dorian filled my head, I shoved them aside. He thrived on that kind of attention. It would only make him feel more important, and I wanted it made clear that I really was done with him - even though the cold reality of what was happening made my heart break.

Kiyo and I began to follow Dareth without comment, but then I paused. Reaching toward my neck, I ripped off the necklace I wore, the one with Dorian's ring. I tossed it at his feet, meeting his gaze with a message I hoped he understood. He did. His answered mine with green fury.

"I said get out of here."

I turned away, letting Dareth take us to the castle's front doors. As soon as we were outside, I heard him giving instructions about the revoking of our hospitality. I imagined the other guards shared his shock, but I walked on without looking back. Once Kiyo and I had traveled far enough that the land shifted and put us in Maiwenn's kingdom, he turned to look at me.

"Are you okay?" he asked, worry in those dark eyes.

"Fine," I said flatly. I was confident my anger was justified ... but leaving Dorian still hurt. He'd dismissed me so easily, once he'd realized I'd slept with Kiyo. I'd expected something ... something more emotional, I guess. Some sign that I'd meant more to him than a useful consort. I should have known better. "Let's go back to Tucson."

I'd kept Volusian and Deanna away while we'd met with Dorian but brought them both back now. I told Deanna to come to my home tomorrow and that we'd start working on her problem then. To Volusian, I gave orders to return to the Thorn Land. He would tell Rurik to go to Dorian and then wait until word came back from Katrice. I had no doubt that word of my being banned from Dorian's would spread around quickly enough; I didn't want to see the reactions of my people when that happened.

Kiyo and I crossed back to Arizona at a nearby gateway, going to his place instead of mine so that he could redo my stitches. He was as good as any 'real' doctor, and I didn't want to have to explain my new cuts and bruises to someone else. A slew of cats and dogs greeted me when I entered his apartment, making me feel oddly nostalgic.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Kiyo asked later. I was lying stomach-down on his bed while his needle went to work on the cut.

My cheek rested on a pillow, my only view being his dresser as I tried to stay still. "Fine."

"You keep saying that, but what went down was pretty serious." I could imagine the frown on his face. "I didn't expect him to pull hospitality."

"He knows we slept together," I said. "Guys get upset when their girlfriends do that." I'd broken up with Dorian in my head the instant I found out about the deception, but as far as he was concerned, I'd cheated on him. Maybe I had. But betraying someone who'd deceived you didn't seem like that much of a betrayal.

"Yes," said Kiyo. "Yes, they do." He tied off his thread and re-bandaged it all. "Please, please do not pull these out again. The fact that this isn't infected is a miracle."

"I won't," I said, sitting up and carefully putting my shirt back on. "I don't plan on getting in any fights for a while. I'm staying out of the Otherworld until they really need me, and investigating Deanna's murder should only involve questions. Actually, I'm hoping to pass it off on someone else."

"She won't like that," he said.

"It'll get it done," I said. "And she'll like that. Probably even faster than if I did it."

I started to stand, but Kiyo caught hold of my hand and kept me down. His expression turned sly. "You want to stay for a while?"

I shook my head, smiling faintly. "I've got some things to do. Besides, just because we did what we did doesn't mean ... well, it doesn't mean things are the same again."

His mischievous smile faded. "You're right. A lot kind of got rushed. I suppose we should ... I don't know. Do you want to go on a date?"

"A date?" I laughed in spite of myself. It seemed so out of place after what we'd been through these last few days. Too ordinary. "Dinner and a movie?"

"Something like that. I could pick you up