The King and the Matched Set

Ashley struggled in Arkady’s arms, just to be difficult. They both knew he had half a dozen ways to get Arkady to let go instantly, the least of which was asking for it, but Ashley didn’t actually want to be released. “If you lived and hadn’t come back for me?” Ashley hissed. It seemed to him that his objection to Arkady being alive should be self-evident. “Then you could go rot.”