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“Looks that way,” Brown Eyes replied.

Layala bit her lower lip to keep from blurting anything out. She figured the maidens would be quiet.

“Yes,” Thane answered. “I’m sure he’s eager to meet them.”

“He is up with Lorabell, and we all know his number one girl doesn’t like to share her bed time.” Both guards laughed and Thane joined in as if he knew exactly why.

“Perhaps he’ll have a new number one girl, or two,” Piper said in such a seductive voice even Layala was surprised. “But we’ll never know if we’re kept down here waiting.”

Brown Eyes slid his arm around Piper’s rump and pulled her into him. “You know, what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him. We could take one of the rooms real quick.”

His following wink was particularly atrocious. Maker above, did he think he was charming?

Thane noticeably stiffened and let out a long but quiet breath.Keep it together, Thane,Layala thought.

With a giggle, Piper gently pushed his hand off her. “I came here for Lord Brunard but thank you for the offer.”

He grabbed a handful of her ass and said, “He lets us indulge from time to time. If you want to, that is.”

“But that decision is his, isn’t it? And hers,” Layala said, hoping to draw their attention away from Piper. “Not yours. So you shouldn’t touch her like that unless she asks.”

“We got a feisty one.” Brown Eyes released Piper. “Bet you’d be a wild ride.”

By some miracle Thane kept silent and only clamped his fists at his sides.

Blue Eyes tapped Brown Eyes’ shoulder with the back of his hand. “She’s right. I don’t want to lose house privileges. Best leave them alone. Remember when you grabbed Grinella’s tit in front of him and he almost cut your hand off?”

With a grumble, Brown Eyes backed off, opening a gap for them to pass. “How could I forget? Move along, ladies.” Stepping quickly, they started for the stairs at the end of the foyer. “Hey, who are you anyway? I haven’t seen you before.”

“Keep walking,” Thane whispered from behind them.

“Stop.”

“Go on ahead,” Thane said. “I’ll catch up.”

Layala felt the heat of his body from behind her disappear. She peeked over her shoulder to see Thane twist around to face them. Piper wrapped her hand around Layala’s wrist and kept up her steady pace. “Let him handle it.”

“They might recognize him,” Layala hissed.

“Then I guess he’ll get the fight he wanted.” They made it to the first step and slowly began their ascent. Layala gripped the gold railing, unable to look away from Thane below.

“I’m from Quindar, same as the girls. They needed someone to escort them here and that’s what I’m going to do.”

Layala waited in moments of heart-pounding silence. Thane sounded so confident she didn’t know how the guard would suspect anything else. The lie rolled off his tongue like the utmost truth.Believe him. Your life depends on it, you stupid prick.

The guard gave him a wary nod. “Right… well, put in a word with the redhead for me, will you?”

“I’d be happy to,” Thane said.

By the time Layala and Piper reached the top level and stood in front of the double doors with twin rearing black bears burned into the wood on either side, Thane already hustled up the steps. He took them two at a time and before she knew it, his hand rested on her shoulder. Thankfully there were no other guards on this level to deal with.

“Now for the really fun part,” Piper said. “Let me do the talking.”

Chapter26

Piper pushed down on the flat, gold door handle. With a quiet click and a groan, the doors slowly swung inward. To the left was an unlit fireplace with a mantel made of iridescent blue stone the likes of which she’d never seen. Unlike the simplicity of Thane’s room at Castle Dredwich, this chamber was filled with shelves of statues and vases full of blooms, and artwork depicting war but somehow in a beautiful way. As if the warriors were in a dance rather than a sword fight, with the light pastels and puffy white clouds and blue skies. A sofa and loveseat circled around a silver rectangle rug. On a table in the center were a plate and a half-empty glass of wine and an old book with loose pages sticking out. Airy white curtains to an open balcony shifted and danced in the breeze.

Why was it so quiet? And where was Brunard? The right side revealed an archway opening into another part of the chamber where she spotted the end of a bed. The thick beige posts were etched with whorls and berries and leaves.