Page 11 of By the Horns (Royal Artifactual Guild #2)

Six

Raptor

Recruitment day is always a brutal sort of thing.

There are so many hopefuls that crowd into the Great Hall who don’t get picked for one reason or another.

Perhaps there’s a personality clash with a master, or there’s a prior obligation of some kind that they think they can still manage while being enrolled.

Recruits don’t realize just how much work becoming a fledgling entails.

You can practically hear the dreams crashing to the ground around you.

It’s common for some of the guild members to come and get a good look at the soon-to-be fledglings.

I’ve always crowded inside the hall with all the others to check out the competition.

I imagine some get a vindictive sort of pleasure at being one of the few who have passed the tests, and some are probably reminiscing about their time as a fledgling.

I’m usually not all that sympathetic to those who are turned away.

It’s just part of guild life. You either get in, or you don’t.

Some try again, some don’t. But the woman and slitherskin standing in front of Hawk are so earnest and hopeful that it pains me physically when Hawk turns them down.

I knew he would, and yet it’s still difficult to see.

Hawk is under instructions from Head Guild Master Rooster to take on five new repeaters so he can keep a close eye on things.

I know from talking to Hawk that both of these two were the terrible Master Magpie’s students last year and got into trouble when Aspeth did.

Aspeth was removed from the guild entirely but was so knowledgeable about Old Prell that the archivists snapped her up.

It didn’t hurt that she was a holder’s daughter, either.

Having holders owe the guild is always a good thing.

The others on her fledgling team weren’t as lucky as Aspeth.

They were going to be expelled, but the group had managed to find a few Greater Artifacts, which made the guild quite a bit of coin.

There’s a guild rule that any fledgling who finds a Greater Artifact is automatically made into a full-on artificer, but that couldn’t happen with these students due to the trouble they were in.

They were stripped of fledgling status and demoted to repeaters instead of being kicked out entirely.

The little round woman and the lizard must have been expecting to serve with Hawk again.

He had a motley crew last year and word got around, especially after Master Magpie was removed from the guild and Master Hawk took her place.

Anyone who came from that old fledgling team would have a difficult time getting someone to look past the rumors of stealing to consider them.

The fact that it’s a woman and a slitherskin? Not gonna happen.

Which makes me want to take them both under my wing.

It wouldn’t be a bad thing, I reason. I’m supposed to get friendly with all the repeaters anyhow, right?

I eye the unlikely pair. I know a bit about them from Hawk’s stories of the craziness that happened last year.

The slitherskin is named Kipp. He never talks, but he’s competent for his small size.

Arrogant, Hawk had called him. Good with blades but he knows it.

I’m amused that such a tiny creature could be an artificer.

I doubt he even comes to my waist. Any knife he wields will be little more than a toothpick.

Still, a small size can be useful. He can get into places others can’t.

I’ll be curious to see if he’s a liability or an asset.

Is he the one Rooster is looking for? I wonder.

I contemplate the slitherskin while he stands next to the human female.

If I’m honest, it could be him. There are no slitherskins currently on the guild’s roster.

It’s entirely believable that he’s simply going to remain in the ranks of the repeaters and work on getting rich from the inside.

If he can get into small spaces, perhaps he’s the one sliding into the guild’s locked vaults and stealing what’s there. It bears watching, certainly.

My gaze moves to the human female. She’s a bit younger than Hawk’s wife, Sparrow, if I recall correctly.

Can’t remember her name. She came with Sparrow from the hold, but she was a maid or a servant or something.

I’ve seen her with Sparrow several times and remembered her because she’s built just how I like them.

She’s short, but a tasty treat. Her breasts are overflowing handfuls, and her hips are nice and thick in the trousers she wears.

Her waist nips in, emphasizing the exaggerated curves of her form.

Her hair is dark and pulled back into a no-nonsense bun at the back of her head, and when she moves, it’s with both purpose and skill.

There’s no awkward clumsiness to her motions, which I find appealing.

Five hells, if it weren’t for the fact that I’m already half in love with the missing Sarya, I’d say this one is just my type.

I can’t stop eyeing that delectable backside of hers.

Good thing I’m here only to flirt and get to know everyone.

I want to save myself for Sarya, to show her that I’m committed, but I can’t seem to find her, no matter how hard I search.

I don’t want to give up, but I’m getting discouraged.

I suppose in the meantime I can devote myself to the guild’s secret plan.

I can toy with a pretty female, get her to spill her guts… but that’s as far as it can go.

As I approach, I hear Hawk speaking to the pair.

“If it were up to me, you know the two of you would be my first choice,” he’s saying, and I’ve never seen the bull look so damned uncomfortable.

“But Head Guild Master Rooster has asked that I take on an entirely different roster this year. It’s my first time as a master and he wants me to prove myself. You understand.”

“Of course we do,” the woman says, her tone all business. “Can you recommend anyone in particular that we should approach? Given that we’re”—she gestures at herself, and then at her slitherskin companion—“a bit out of the ordinary?”

Hawk tugs on his nose ring. “I’m sorry. I’m not allowed to steer potential candidates. I’m happy to put in a good word for both of you with any master who shows interest, though.”

“Right.” Her tone is brisk again, without showing a hint of disappointment. I catch an almost imperceptible tightening of her shoulders from behind, as if she’s bracing herself for the future. For disaster.

Time to make myself known.

I stride forward through the crowd—which always seems to part when a Taurian is on the move—and stand behind her.

Her scent drifts through the air, sweet and clean and oddly familiar, but I can’t place it.

I lean forward, looping a casual arm over her shoulders, and rap my knuckles on the slitherskin’s shell.

“Looks like we rejects have to stick together this year.”

Half expecting the woman to jump, I’m impressed when she simply looks over her shoulder at me.

A flush on her cheeks and the dilation of her pupils are the only giveaways that my nearness has affected her.

She flicks her gaze over me and arches a brow of disdain.

I feel as if I’ve been caught by a maid after I’ve dared to touch a particularly pricey lamp at the master’s house.

I love it. Makes me feel naughty.

I grin at her, leaning in and ignoring the scowl Kipp sends my way. “I couldn’t help but overhear the two of you.”

“Of course you couldn’t,” she replies, her voice tart. “You’re standing practically on my arse.”

Is Hawk paying attention to this? When I glance over to catch his eye, he’s gone, though. He cuts through the row of statues to go and talk to a particularly sweaty and nervous-looking younger man.

“But it’s a very nice arse,” I offer, turning back to the woman. When she snorts, dismissing me, I try another tactic. “You’re here for recruitment day, aren’t you?”

Her eyes widen, just a fraction, as if she’s surprised by my words.

Why do they surprise her, I wonder? The woman’s gaze flicks back to the nearness of my chest as if she’s debating my too-comfortable approach.

Then, with a delicate pinch of her fingers, she plucks my hand off her shoulder and slithers out of my grasp.

“I’m not telling you anything. What with you having no manners and all. ”

Clutching at my chest, I pretend to stagger. “I’m wounded, lady. Truly wounded. Here I thought I’d spotted two kindred souls.” I flick my black repeater sash. “Given that we’re all in the same situation.”

Her gaze flicks to the guild sash that marks me as a repeater, and then she glances down at Kipp. His mouth is flat and he licks his eyelid, which could mean anything. But she looks over at me again and lifts her chin in that pert way of hers. “Kipp says you’re a rude shit.”

“He said all that, eh?” I cross my arms over my chest in the classic Taurian intimidation move, enjoying myself immensely. I love it when a woman isn’t afraid of my size. “What else did he say?”

“I can’t presume to speak for him,” she continues in that no-nonsense sassy voice, and for a moment she sounds just as bold as Sarya. “But I imagine he’d tell you to muck off so we can get on with our business.”

“You’re looking for a teacher, aren’t you? So am I.” I twirl a finger, indicating the three of us. “Thought we might stay together, seeing as how we three stick out a bit with this crowd.”

“Oh.” Again, she seems surprised, and her cheeks flush with color. “You want to team up?”