"The name comes from the Lord of Valtham," Cassian murmured against her pulse point. "It is a reminder of who commands that territory. Governments may change, rulers may come and go, and mortals may redraw their borders as many times as they please, but none of their politics can challenge the dominion of the one who claims Valtham."
His lips barely brushed her skin as he continued, making it unnecessarily difficult for Cixi to concentrate on anything he was saying. "The Valtham royal family has ruled the city for nearly a thousand years. Even now, their hold over it is as absolute as it was centuries ago."
Cixi drew a ragged breath, trying to steady the ridiculous hammering of her pulse, then lowered her chin to look at him. His unnaturally bright eyes glowed with that hellish brilliance again, beautiful enough to make staring at him feel dangerous. She forced herself to focus on the conversation instead.
