Derek was still speaking when he looked down and realised Kira had fallen asleep against his chest.
Her breathing had gone slow and even, her hand still loosely curled in the front of his shirt. A small, tired smile tugged at his lips. He slowly laid her down on the sofa, careful not to wake her.
For a long moment he just watched her, tracing a gentle finger over her eyebrows, smoothing the faint worry line that had formed there.
"You're far too beautiful for my peace of mind," he murmured.
She didn't stir.
His security had been breached tonight for the first time since he took Dravengard. By rights, he should be sitting her down and asking her hard questions. Where she had been. Who she had spoken to. Whether she knew anything. That was what the King in him demanded.
Instead he was choosing to trust her.
"Goddess help me, I am choosing to trust you, Kira."
