Page 29 of By the Horns (Royal Artifactual Guild #2)

Twenty

Raptor

Rooster:

Our nest was searched recently due to an anonymous tip, which is ironic. Someone’s investigating my team at the same time I am. Nothing was found, given that we handed the artifact over to you. Makes me wonder what their goal is, though.

Still monitoring the situation. I have it all under control.

—R

I plan on waking Gwenna early the next day for training, if for nothing else than to see the sleepy, grumpy expression on her face when I rouse her.

She’s normally the one who wakes up earlier than all of us, and says it’s been brought on by years of working in a household and rousing before dawn.

So today I get up while it’s still dark outside and give her bed a quick shake.

She doesn’t fling her arms out or bolt upright like most would at such an unexpected interruption. Rather, her eyes fly open and she looks around, her body still. I wave a hand at her in the darkness.

I’m rewarded with the charming scowl I’d hoped for. “It’s dark out.” Her voice is a low whisper. “What do you want?”

“I think we should get out of here for training before someone else tags along.” I thumb a gesture at the two bunks at the far end of the room, indicating Arrod and Hemmen.

Her eyes widen and she sits up, nodding.

Gwenna grabs her bag and pads away to the garderobe, no doubt to change into her uniform.

I dress, too, but it’s easier for me because I don’t care if the others see me naked.

Once I tuck in my guild shirt, I fasten the lightweight fledgling sash to my shoulder.

It feels odd, given that I’ve been used to wearing my regular artificer sash with its many pins denoting the discoveries I’ve made. I’m eager to have it back.

When I’m ready, I glance over at the other beds.

Kipp’s bed is empty and neatly made, and I suspect I’ll find him in the kitchen again.

Beyond his bed is Hemmen’s bunk, with its occupant snoring and clutching a book to his chest, two others by his pillow.

On his other side is Arrod, who sleeps sprawled on his belly, still dressed in last night’s clothing.

Guessing from his appearance, he reeks of alcohol and late-night choices.

Good. If he’s nursing a hangover, it means he’ll leave me and Gwenna alone. I don’t want either of them tagging along.

I shut the doors to the sleeping quarters with a gentle hand and head for the kitchen.

I run into Gwenna in the hall, and she quickly deposits her bag just outside the room before marching back to the kitchen.

I follow her, amused at her authoritative manner.

She bustles about in the kitchen, slicing bread and fruit.

Then she hands me one plate and adds a bit of honey to hers.

“We’ll eat a quick bite first, if that’s all right. ”

The plate she gave me is full of fruits and nuts and a huge chunk of bread.

I grin at her because she’s already memorized what a Taurian likes to eat.

She’ll make a good mate to someone someday.

Then I squash that thought because she wants to be an artificer, and most men won’t want their wife to work.

They’ll expect her to make a home and produce babies.

She needs to marry an artificer if she marries anyone, I decide.

Someone who understands the job and won’t expect her to put aside her wants and needs for him.

She needs a Taurian, who will appreciate her generous curves and tart tongue.

But when I mentally go through the list of Taurians in the guild, I find myself growing jealous at the thought of one of them getting Gwenna’s smiles.

Sarya, I remind myself. You want Sarya.

I’m starting to wonder if I do, though. I don’t know anything about her other than she was bossy in bed and didn’t pause at my knot or my size.

She might hate animals, or she might eat nothing but red meat.

She might be one of those types that interrupts a person all the time, or insists on being right in every conversation.

I don’t know her even though we had intense, explosive sex.

Perhaps I’ve been chasing after the wrong woman all this time. But it’s not as if I should be chasing Gwenna right now, either. She’s a fledgling in my Five and off-limits until we graduate.

Perhaps my cock needs to calm the muck down.

But it’s my nature to constantly be thinking about sex, given that the god’s hand is always upon me.

The potion quiets some of the constant need, but when it wears off, my thoughts veer in sultry directions, and right now, I’m appreciating Gwenna as she slices a bit more bread, her arse outlined deliciously by her guild pants.

“Kipp’s asleep,” she whispers as she takes her plate and sits next to me at the table. “I cut him up some breakfast, too. Hopefully he’ll get to it before the others wake up.”

I grunt and eat my food, staring at my plate because I want to watch her eat and I know I shouldn’t. If she licks her fingers once, I’m going to grab her and pull her pants down.

And mucking hells, where did that idea come from? I shove the last of my bread into my mouth and gesture at the hall. “Hitting the necessary first.”

I go into the garderobe and stare at the last bit of my potion, considering.

Do I take it? Or do I continue to have filthy thoughts about the wrong woman?

In the end, I put the potion back in its hiding place under the sink and splash cold water on my face instead.

I’ll be cranky as all hells, but I won’t be numb below the waist, at least.

Soon, Sarya. I promise.

We meet up in the hall, and I watch her brush crumbs off the corners of her mouth as we approach the front of the dormitory. “So where are we heading today?”

I’ve thought about that for a bit. I open the front door, glancing over at her. “We’ll see if we can get on one of the obstacle courses and take it at a more forgiving pace….”

I trail off as the door opens and reveals Hawk, his fist up as if he was about to knock on the door. He blinks at the two of us and then grins. “Well, this is fortuitous.”

“Is it?” I ask. I’m curious as to what’s going on and why he’d be on our doorstep so early, but I’m also slightly annoyed, because whatever it is, I suspect it means I’m not going to get to spend time with Gwenna.

And I don’t trust anyone else to watch her closely enough to keep her safe.

Hawk doesn’t notice my shitty mood. He just grins and cocks his head, indicating the buildings behind him.

“I need several strong backs to dig out Drop Seventeen. No one’s injured or in the tunnel, but the path is collapsed and there’s a team scheduled to descend there on Firstday.

Head Guild Master Rooster is paying double time to any Taurians who want to make a bit of coin, and I thought of you. ”

Ah. Normally I’d be glad, because these kinds of jobs are how Taurians make coin on the side.

We’re the backbone of the guild and do all the heavy lifting.

But digging in the tunnels means that Gwenna can’t go.

Then again, why not? If I’m there to supervise her, what’s the harm?

“I’m a fledgling,” I point out to him. “Does that matter?”

“Not to me. And if it bothers Master Jay when he returns, I’ll tell him it was my idea,” Hawk offers. “I’ve also got Osprey and Gyrfalcon, but I could really use more.”

I nod to my friend. “I’ll go…but I need Gwenna to come along.”

Hawk does a double take. “What?” His gaze flicks over to her and then to me. “I don’t think—”

“If you say she can’t come because she’s a fledgling, I’ll remind you that I’m one, too.” I give him my most cheerful grin. “And she’s not going to wander off, because she’s got a brain. She needs experience in the tunnels, and what better time than for her to go with several veteran Taurians?”

Gwenna’s mouth drops open. “You want me to dig?”

“No, I want you to hold the lamp and our canteens and basically observe,” I point out. “I promised I’d keep you at my side all weekend, and that means now, too.”

Her jaw snaps shut and she glances over at Hawk. “I don’t want to be a bother….”

“You always say that, and you never are,” I reassure her before Hawk can reply.

“And if it’s a problem, Hawk will just have to find others to help him.

My priority is spending time with you and helping you get ready for the tests.

That hasn’t changed. This will be excellent on-site training, if you ask me. ”

And I look at Hawk, daring him to object.

He crosses his arms over his chest. “Oh, do I get to speak now? Since you’ve already decided everything?”

I grin at my friend. “She won’t be a problem. Gwenna’s excellent at hiding in the fringes.”

I’ll keep her safe…and keep an eye on her. If she’s the thief, she won’t have time to plot. And if she isn’t, then it’s for the best that she stick with me anyhow. Really, this is better than an obstacle course.

When Hawk throws his hands up, I know I’ve won. “Come on,” Hawk says. “There’s a lot of digging to be done between now and Firstday.”