Page 67 of Bred

Intoxicating.

That would be my life. When I was a royal surrogate, that exotic scent would follow me everywhere.

The young man’s handsome face peered back at me. “Hurry up, girl. Don’t keep Artin waiting.”

I swallowed hard, wiped my palms on my bodice, and walked toward the room with as much boldness as I could manage. They didn’t have to know I was afraid.

Was I afraid?

Of course I was.

No one knew where I was… if something happened—

Stop it.

Walk.

I didn’t look at him as I entered the room, but he chuckled when I flinched as the door slammed shut behind me.

A woman with long dark blue hair sat at an elegantly carved wooden table piled neatly with stacks of scrolls, parchment, green glass inkwells, and long quills made from fanciful feathers of birds I’d never seen before.

My mistress’ most expensive quills were made from ruffed pheasant feathers and I only knew that because of the hushed tones that the other girls spoke in when they described the finery, they were permitted to dust when they entered her bedchamber.

“Artin?” I said. “I was sent to see you—”

“I know,” the woman said, but she didn’t look up from the letter she was writing. “Royal surrogates. I didn’t realize how quickly the months were passing until the proclamations were sent out.”

She set down her quill with a heavy sigh and dusted the parchment with fine sand before handing it to a servant who stood nearby.

The young man who had brought me to her lounged against one wall. I didn’t like the way he watched me. His eyes were hungry.

A weirwolf looking for a meal.

“What’s your name, girl?”

“Liana,” I replied.

The woman made a face. “I see. You have Tannyl’s recommendation?”

I pulled the parchment out of my pocket and held it out. Artin crossed her arms over her chest and stared at me. Feeling like a fool, I stumbled forward and dropped it on the table in front of her.

She picked it up with two fingers and frowned delicately at the goblin’s deceptively beautiful script.

“And what did he tell you?”

“About what?”

“About— Nothing? Did he tell you nothing?”

I swallowed hard. The scent of the candles was making me feel dizzy. But I couldn’t remember if I’d eaten anything that day…

“He gave me some tea,” I choked out. “I want to be a surrogate.”

“Yes, I gathered that,” Artin said with a small smile that faded away so quickly it was as though I had imagined its presence. “And you drank it all?”

“Down to the last leaf,” I replied quickly.

“Good. Then you will be ripe,” she said.