Page 14

Next to me, Revik’s breath stopped.

He exhaled seconds later, but still wouldn’t look at me.

It struck me that he’d never seen me pull out this particular bag of tricks.

We’d talked about it in the planning sessions, but I’d kept the specifics vague. I couldn’t help wondering how he might be reacting to it now?partly because I couldn’t help putting myself in his shoes.

He’d also done time “selling it,” as the seers phrased it.

I was pretty sure I knew how I’d react to seeing him pull out the stops to try and draw in a client. Even the thought of it brought a coil of angry jealousy to my belly.

I felt him react to that, too, albeit from more of a distance.

And again, I reallycouldn’t think about himright now. Not like that.

I focused back on the men around the table.

Our booth was situated furthest from the bar, tucked discreetly against the wall of the lounge. To my left and behind our seer host, a fire flickered over white stones inside an open grate, its light reflecting against the mirror-like surface of water in the white, stone basin.

With the fire directly behind him, I could barely make out Dulgar’s face.

Sparks of reflection touched those metallic gold eyes, but that was all.

I tracked the course of the basin around nearby booths and tables, my consort cloak still firmly in place, my consciousness split as two more big guys in suits shepherded everyone else out of our part of the room. They emptied the surrounding booths, then all five guards just stood there in an immovable line.

I was still staring at them when our host spoke.

“Illustrious brother. Esteemed and most beautiful sister.” He smiled, staring at me for a beat too long. “I hope you know, you are both not required to sit here through the entirety of this discussion.” Those gold eyes flickered to Revik, then back to me. “…As much as it pains me to say it, we can provide much better amenities for our beloved sister in other areas of the hotel.”

I pretended not to understand him, but continued to look around, a slightly interested and slightly bored expression on my face. When I finally turned back to face our host, I saw those gold eyes watching me.

An openly predatory stare rose behind his opaque irises.

This dick was starting to remind me of Ditrini.

I felt a reaction off Revik at my thought, and promptly dimmed it.

If Dulgar heard, he didn’t appear to mind.

His eyes drifted below my face, lingering on my cleavage displayed by the low-cut dress. He took his time on the rest of me, focusing on where my fingers drummed lightly on my thigh, just at the top of my leather boot. I didn’t watch the entire course of his stare, but felt his light probe mine, lingering hungrily around the structures of the Lao Hu.

He seemed particularly fascinated by those Ditrini spent the most time honing in me.

Feeling another flicker of pain off him, a stronger one that time, I had to fight not to flinch. The courtesan smile hovered at my red-lipsticked mouth.

I didn’t look over, but I felt another flicker of something dart off Revik’s light.

Then someone leaned down in front of me, placing drinks on the table, in front of each of us. The drinks glowed even outside the firelight, light blue and frothy, with glass swizzle sticks that had gold eyes painted at their ends.

It reminded me of going to Mexico with Cass, what felt like a few hundred years ago now. Even just the bare edges of that memory brought a different kind of pain to my chest. Remembering my last conversation with Cass, in that Barrier-sealed tank on the aircraft carrier, I bit my lip, covering it by taking a sip of the frothy drink.

Revik’s eyes darted to mine, even as he sent me a hard, warning pulse.

Finishing my sip smoothly, I didn’t change expression as I lowered the glass, setting it back on the polished black table.

“Is the drink not to your liking, sister?” Dulgar asked.

I turned, and the gold-eyed seer smiled, licking his lips.