The hush that fell upon the room was deep and rife with speculation. It ran across the silence like electricity, and oddly seemed to take in me as much Saska. But that was no surprise given I was by her side, acting as escort.
It was a position she entrenched by holding out her hand for me to take. I did so, and we walked down the stairs at a slow and regal pace. If Saska sensed the tense anticipation in the room, she didn’t show it. Indeed, what little could be seen of her expression through the mask was serene and remote.
Marcus approached us as we reached the bottom of the stairs. He bowed slightly, and then said, “Lady S, I am so glad you’ve decided to join us.”
“Are you indeed?” Saska murmured. “Here I was thinking you’d rather be rutting with the cow who coveted my place.”
It seemed I wasn’t the only one who wasn’t afraid to speak their mind.
“There has never been anyone else in my heart, m’lady,” he returned, just as softly. The fury and distaste I could see in his eyes did not spill over into his expression or his words. “But no man would or could have remained celibate for such a length of time. Nor, indeed, any woman.”
It was a none-too-subtle reminder that she was pregnant with another man’s child. It didn’t infuriate her, as I’d half expected. It did the opposite. Waves of horror seemed to flow from her and, just for an instant, I thought she was going to turn and run.
Then she glanced at someone over his shoulder and abruptly straightened her shoulders. “Just so, my lord. Perhaps if you’d be so good as to reintroduce me to everyone?” She slipped her hand from mine, but not before she’d squeezed my fingers lightly and whispered, “Thank you.”
As the two of them walked away, I found my gaze searching the nearby crowd, wondering who Saska had glanced at. There were no familiar figures and no one that stirred unease, either in me or in the wind.
I frowned and went in search of Trey, but once again found myself being stopped by the young Lord Tavish. “Lady N,” he said, with a grand flourish. “It is the following night, and I am eager to resume our conversation.”
He was, I couldn’t help but note, rather intoxicated. He’d obviously been gathering courage in the richness of wine, and it made me rather suspect he had not indulged in the type of conversation he was hoping to get from me. Perhaps virginity was more highly prized here in the Reaches than it was in the outer bailey.
I tucked my arm through his and lightly guided him forward. His body was trembling at the light contact and I couldn’t help but wish Ava were with me. She would have relished teaching Tavish the fine art of seduction.
“I am afraid, my dear Lord T, that I am not the woman you should be seeking for the type of conversation you desire.”
I said it as gently as I could, but nevertheless felt the surge of frustration and annoyance in him.
“But you must, because if you do not, my father—” He clammed up suddenly, and heat touched his cheeks.
“Your father will what?” I prompted.
He took a deep breath and blew it out softly. “My father sees the benefits of having Lord Kiro in his debt.”
“But why—?” I stopped abruptly. Trey had mentioned rather casually that Kiro might fancy Tavish for himself. He obviously knew far more than he was admitting. “Your father surely wouldn’t agree to such a liaison if you yourself are not amendable.”
“You don’t know my father,” he said, rather gloomily.
“Then get yourself to both a lady and lord of ease who have studied the finer arts of Astar or the god Drago; lose that which your father plans to barter and enjoy yourself in the process.”
Astar was the goddess of female sexuality and empowerment. Her followers believed a woman should fully explore the pleasures of both her own body and those of her sisters before ever indulging in those of the opposite sex. Such intimate knowledge empowered us in the presence of a man, and made us more able to guide him toward greater pleasure for us both. Her counterpart was the god Drago, whose followers not only believed that a man must spread his seed as far as possible, but that pleasure could and should be taken in whatever form it presented, be it man or woman.
I’d undertaken Astar’s initiation rites as soon as I’d come into puberty, and while I was no priestess, neither I—nor indeed, anyone else in the Nightwatch—could ever be accused of not following the teachings of either god as fully as we were able.
“Laying with a lady would not temper Lord Kiro’s desire.”
“Perhaps not, but there are plenty of gentlemen within that quarter who would offer a similar service.”
He frowned. “I know, but I dare not—”
“Then choose someone within this room other than me. I’m sure there are plenty here, of both sexes, who’d be willing to spend time with a Rossi lord.” I paused, and then added softly, “And after all, does your brother not have a hetaera?”
“Lida?” He snorted. “Even I know that woman is nothing but a schemer. Marcus had best watch his back, because she’s not one who’ll take being scorned lightly.”
That raised my eyebrows. “He no longer lies with her?”
“Not since his lady’s return.”
“He must love Saska greatly.”
Another snort greeted that statement. “He does nothing of the sort, but there are formalities that must be observed, and my brother has always fallen on the side of doing what appears to be right.”
“Have you managed to talk to her yet?”
“No. But she’s come back mad if the whispers of the serfs are anything to go by.” The drink, it seemed, had loosened his tongue greatly.
“What do they whisper?”
“That she hears nonexistent voices, and goes on and on that she can’t do what they ask.” He shook his head. “It was bound to happen, of course, given she was lost for so long.”
“She can’t have been too lost if she carries the child of another.”
“That’s true.” He considered this for a moment, and then said, “Do you think, perhaps, she was not lost but rather sent to a sanitarium?”
Given Kiro was suspicious of her sudden reappearance, I very much doubted it.
Someone cleared their throat behind us. I looked over my shoulder, and was somewhat unsurprised to see Kiro himself. Tavish went red, bowed to us both, and yet again retreated.
I raised an eyebrow as I turned to fully face Kiro. “You seem to have an unusual effect on the young Lord T. It’s almost as if he doesn’t wish to be in your presence in any way, shape, or form.”
“That’s certainly not my wish nor my desire.”
“And yet it’s your desire that scares him.”
His gaze narrowed. “The young Lord T has obviously been very loose of lips this evening.”
“Drinking too much fine wine will do that.” I tilted my head and studied him. “Tell me, Lord K, what does it take to loosen your lips?”
“More than you have, my lady.”
“And yet, here you are, dogging my steps because of some ill-defined secret you think I keep. A lesser woman might perhaps believe that you merely use it as an excuse.”
The smile that teased his lips hinted at amusement, but it failed to touch the darkness in his eyes. “Your Lord T is right—you are an unusual woman. I look forward to further ripostes.” He retrieved a small vial of reddish liquid from his pocket and offered it to me. “Place this in Pyra’s wine. It will release any disinclination to answer questions, but will take an hour to make her pliable for questions.”
Once I’d plucked it from his hand, he bowed lightly and disappeared. I caught a fresh drink from a passing tray waiter, downed it quickly, and then claimed another. It made my head buzz a little too much, but at least it went some ways to drowning the knowledge that Trey had been discussing the possibility of my seducing Pyra with Kiro.