Page 33 of Ballad of Nightmares

“You know he does that,” Rolfe grunted.

“I’m not sure,” Millie said. “This feels different. Maybe he is… But he’s pretty worried.”

“Why would Firemoor attack the Spine?” Rolfe asked through a full mouth of food. “What’ve they got Fire would want to take?”

Sam thought of the General now in charge of Firemoor, or rather had appointed himself in charge of it. General Prei. His fist curled at the thought of him.

“Probably more about power and territory,” Sam said. “Prei has been getting bolder and bolder since the Fire King’s death.”

“Speaking of his death,” Millie said, turning to Sam. “How are things with your little girlfriend?”

Sam gave her a small smile and took out his phone as he leaned forward and took a bite of the fry Millie had plucked between her fingers. “Let’s find out,” he said. He started to open up the phone to text her but noticed Ana had texted him only a few minutes prior.

I have an errand to run at lunch, Ana texted.But Jay is giving me the rest of the day off.

Sam’s smile widened.Is this your way of asking me on a day date?

It’s my way of saying you have a longer chance at engaging my mind and seeing if you deserve my pretty little cunt again.

I can already taste my victory,wicked girl, he replied.I’ll pick you up at three.

“So. Someone got his dick wet,” Millie said, brow arching at Sam.

Sam put down his phone, trying to hide the smirk on his twisting lips. “Jealous, Mills?”

“Of your dick? Maybe. It’s a nice dick. I could do loads more with it than you ever could,” she winked. “Funnily enough, I don’t need a nice,thickcock to make my women scream.”

“Neither do I,” Sam snapped back. “Although…” He reached out to her, his fingers brushing her arm, and Millie grabbed the lip of the table, the hair visibly rising over her skin. He smiled as he let the feeling of himself sliding in and out of Ana take over, pushing that feeling into Millie, and as her bottom lip sagged, he took his hand away.

“It does feel fucking fantastic inside her,” he whispered in her ear.

Millie’s eyes slid to his. “Sotight,” she mused. “Tell me, Samarius. Have you been dreaming about fucking her all morning? Is that why you put poor Rollie here up to physical labor today?”

Sam took a large bite of his sandwich and shook his head. “Tried to entice him into doing another stain glass piece.”

“Oh, Roll, you should,” Millie said as she turned to him. “The ones in the cathedral were beautiful. We should take a walk down. I miss the place.”

Sam’s chin jerked toward the rummage of food. “Pack up.”

As Rolfe started cleaning, Millie turned to Sam. “Another date today?” she asked.

“Thinking the art museum uptown,” Sam replied. “See what history she’s been taught. Last night was fun, but there’s more to her than her body. She’s smart enough to have woven herself into kingdoms and monarchies thought impenetrable. I want to know how she’s done it.”

“She’s not exactly going to just tell you,” Millie said.

“She will,” Sam assured her.

Millie paused, her eyes dancing over him. “Why do I get the feeling you’re up to something more than biding time before killing her?”

“Patience, Millie,” he drawled. “I need her alive. For now.”

Rolfe stopped moving, and Millie stared at him.

Sam chuckled softly at their expressions and pushed off the table. “Imagine the things she knows about these kingdoms. She’s forced herself all the way to the top, something our spies have been trying to do for centuries. Sure, we have a few that have managed it, but they’re forced to kill themselves off after a while, constantly working their way up and up again in different legions and parts of the realms. She clawed her way up those ladders, every time, in less than a year.”

“None of our spies look like her,” Millie said.

“Maybe it’s time they did.”