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“No,” Kerik says firmly. “No. You have not said the words that mean the test is over. My Master told me to refuse all offers of warmth. So my answer must be no.”

“Very well,” Perl says. He pulls back. Kerik moans at the loss of Perl’s touch, but he can still feel his own sweet fire inside himself.

Perl stands and Kerik looks up at him. He reaches out and takes hold of the hem of Perl’s jerkin. Perl looks so beautiful. His eyes the colour of the bright blue sky of Attar in high summer. He feels so good.

Kerik throws his body forward. He wraps his arms around Perl’s thighs and sobs against the leather of his breeches. “I will do it,” he sobs. Tears of misery and relief are flowing down his face. “I will do it for you, Perl. I will complete any test. You deserve to have someone on your side here even if it is only a spoiled wretch like me.”

Perl reaches down. He takes Kerik by the chin. “Kerik Darekul?” Perl says. His voice sounds thick like he is holding back emotion.

Kerik swallows. “Zai, you are beautiful. It is not my taste but I would kneel before you if you truly wished it.”

Softly, Perl says, “But I know you do not.” And softer still, he says, “Thrall, you have pleased me.”

Those words are the finest sound Kerik has ever heard. And as Perl speaks them he drops to his knees before Kerik on the icy floor, both of Kerik’s hands tight in his own. And Kerik lunges forward and smashes his mouth into Perl’s, seeking heat, seeking safety, some kind of confirmation this is truly over.

Perl makes a soft noise of surprise and shock, but he opens his mouth, welcoming the kiss. Kerik presses his tongue between Perl’s lips, crushing into Perl’s body. Perl’s mouth feels like fire. He’s trying to consume it, like he wants to suck all the heat from Perl.

Their mouths are still connected when Kerik passes out.

19

PERL

Perl slides an arm under Kerik’s knees and lifts him up, carrying him out of the ice cell.

He emerges to cheers from the parlour.

Kerik stirs and murmurs to the leather covering Perl’s chest, “Take me to bed. I’m so cold.”

Perl kisses him on the head. “I will. You can rest now.”

Exeinil rushes up to him in a swirl of silk. “My favoured,” she gushes. “Truly, what a thrall.”

“This was too much,” Perl says through his teeth. “He barely survived it.”

“But it did survive it.” Exeinil strokes a hand along Kerik’s arm. She looks up at Perl and her eyes dance with tears. “And who could doubt now that you are truly one of us.”

Perl narrows his eyes at her. “I’m taking him to my chamber. Send some spicewine and furs.” He walks out of the hall.

In his chamber he tumbles Kerik onto the bed. The spicewine is already there, steaming in a flask on the table. There are four large furs on his bed, two glossy black and two softer and pure white.

Perl raises the chamber’s temperature and lowers the ice light with a wave of his hand. Kerik coos softly as Perl wraps him in the furs, before fetching the spicewine and joining Kerik on the bed, putting the flask to his lips.

Kerik splutters at first, spitting the blood-red liquid onto the white fur, but after a moment he understands and drinks his fill of the hot wine.

When Perl puts the flask aside, Kerik is looking at him with his dark eyes wide. He looks more lucid than he has since Perl left him in the ice cell. “Perl,” he says and his voice is sweet, all his cocky bravado gone, “can I ask you something?”

Perl smiles. “Anything. After what you just did for me, anything.”

“Who are your parents and why does your name mean shame?”

The question hits Perl like a slap. His voice is shaky when he says, “How did you…?” Because, although he was not surprised when Kerik learned one of his secrets, this other is one that the Ice Court is forbidden to speak of. When he enhanced Kerik’s abilities to speak Magaar with magic, he intentionally did not give him any words of Old Magaar. He did not want Kerik to understand the meaning of his name.

“Diamanda,” Kerik says softly. “When she brought the spicewine. If she had offered it to me I would have taken it. I was desperate. I would have done anything for that wine. But she did not offer it. Instead she told me that you needed me. That I was here to save you. And she told me to ask you about your name.”

So that was what Diamanda meant when she said she was going to encourage Kerik when she took in the spicewine.

Perl swallows.