Page 50 of By the Horns (Royal Artifactual Guild #2)

Thirty-Eight

Gwenna

You don’t have to bring your books, Hemmen,” Arrod complains as we all head to the King’s Onion. “We’re not that boring to talk to.”

Hemmen just clutches his books to his chest. “I’m exchanging them with a friend. He’s meeting me there.”

Arrod nudges him, causing Hemmen to stumble and frown.

Normally I’d probably snipe at them—or even tease Hemmen, who’s been growing on me.

But all I can think about right now is that I’m in trouble somehow.

I pointed my team toward the wrong artifact, and now Master Jay is meeting with the guild and Raptor’s been silent since returning.

It was his suggestion we go to the tavern to spend time together, but he doesn’t seem to be in a social mood.

Worse, he’s not talking to me at all.

We head inside, and Hemmen and Arrod move toward our regular table. I glance over at Raptor as he heads straight for the bar. He’s the one who normally gets the drinks and brings them back to our table, but it feels different today. Wrong. Kipp hesitates, giving me a questioning look.

“You feel it, too, huh?” I purse my lips and incline my head at Raptor. “I’ll talk to him. See what is bothering him.”

He narrows his eyes at me as if trying to figure me out, and then nods. He pats my leg as if to reassure me, then trots over to join the others.

I glance at Raptor. He leans against the bar, his tail utterly still.

Normally it flicks back and forth in a casual sort of way, and wildly when he’s irritated.

The fact that he’s holding it straight tells me that he’s deliberately trying not to show what he’s thinking.

Which means he’s probably pissed at me for some reason.

I mean, I know the reason. I’m just wondering how he knows that I’m the one who messed things up.

I walk slowly up to the counter and stand next to Raptor. He’s chatting with the barmaid Naiah, who turns her smile toward me when I approach. She taps the bar and steps back. “I’ll get that tray of drinks and snacks now.”

“I’ll be here,” Raptor drawls, and his tone is more friendly than it has been in hours. Then he glances over his shoulder at me, and his expression shutters again.

Well, that’s not a good sign.

I sit on the closest stool and pretend to be calmer than I actually am. “Are you going to tell me what’s bothering you, or am I going to have to guess?”

“Depends. Are you going to tell me how you knew that artifact was there?”

“I didn’t.”

He turns and gives me a sharp look. “You did, and it’s clear I’m going to have to get it out of you the hard way. I know how to make you spill your secrets, Gwenna.”

Instead of getting irritated at his tone, I get…aroused. The last time he tried to get me to spill my secrets, he fingered me within an inch of my life. If this is a threat, it’s not working. “Do you, now….”

Raptor’s eyes narrow. He studies my face, then his gaze falls to my chest. I glance down, too, and my nipples are obvious through the thin fabric of my guild tunic. So much for subtlety.

“You and I are going to talk in private,” he growls at me, leaning in close. “Wait here.”

“You’re not the boss of me.” It would sound more effective as a comeback if I wasn’t breathless.

This time he gets in my face, his big nose a handspan from mine. “Wait. Here.”

“Or what, you’ll spank me?” Gods, I really am the horniest wench around.

Distracting him with sex sounds like a fantastic idea, though.

If I can get him off, maybe he won’t ask how I’d known about that column.

Maybe I can get him to focus on other things, and then when I lie about how I had no idea what was up there, it won’t seem so damn obvious.

The barmaid returns with the tray of drinks and food.

Raptor takes it, shoots me one last glare, and then marches over to our regular table at the back of the tavern.

He sets it down, all but shoving Hemmen’s books off the table, and then leans over to speak to the others.

I wish I could hear what they were saying, but when they all look in my direction and then back at Raptor, they’re not smirking. That’s a good sign, I think.

Then the big Taurian is stomping back through the tavern, his hooves crashing on the floorboards as he makes his way back to me.

The tavern is only half-full due to the early hour—the dinner rush isn’t here yet.

I get to my feet to meet Raptor, but he turns to the barmaid instead, putting a few coins on the table and giving her a look.

“Room seven” is all she says, scooping up the coins.

Wait, we’re getting a room? I open my mouth to protest, but Raptor grabs my hand and heads toward the stairs at the back of the tavern’s main room.

I have no choice but to follow him, dragged along behind with his tail swatting at me.

“The others are going to think we’re sleeping together,” I protest even as I follow him up the stairs.

“I thought we weren’t supposed to let anyone know—”

“I told them I’m taking you to the clinic. You’ve got food poisoning.”

I frown, because surely they noticed we’re heading up the stairs instead?

Yet when I glance one last time back at their table, they’re not looking in this direction at all.

Following along after Raptor, I try not to frown at his back.

Here he’s been telling me this whole time that we should be careful not to be seen in a compromising situation together, and today he’s dragging me up the stairs.

“I thought we were supposed to be cautious when we’re together. ”

“Fuck all of that,” he growls, and storms onto the next landing.

With no choice but to follow behind and inwardly cringe at his bad mood, I let him lead me past door after door in the inn part of the tavern. He finds number seven, flings the door open, and then tugs me inside before I can breathe.

I stare at him, wide-eyed, as he slams the door shut behind him. “This isn’t like you, Raptor.”

“Good,” he growls, stalking toward me. “Now we’re both pretending to be something we’re not.”

“What are you talking about?” I lift my chin, determined not to let anything on.

Normally when Raptor touches me, I lose all sense of who I am and start babbling anything and everything.

I’m not going to let that happen today. I can’t.

He’s far too close to knowing the truth about who I am, and I can’t trust him to keep that secret.

I might like him. I might be falling for him.

But I don’t know that I can trust him, and the realization stings.

Will it always be like this? Even if I fall in love and someday get married, will I have to keep secrets?

Forever? Or do I just keep adding to the list of those who know my secret, until it feels as if half the city knows that I’m a mancer and it makes it to the wrong ears anyhow?

I’m suddenly so very tired.

Raptor stands in front of me, all looming Taurian.

It’s times like this that I’m reminded just how very large he is compared to me.

I’m barely five feet, and he’s so much taller that I don’t even reach his shoulder.

Instead, I find myself staring at his pectoral area.

It’s a very fine pectoral area, don’t get me wrong, but it tells me nothing about what he’s thinking right now.

He tips my chin up with his fingers. “When I chased you in here, I expected you to wear a lot of expressions…but sadness wasn’t one of them.”

I lick my lips, though I’m truly tempted to lick his thumb instead. “What were you expecting, then?”

“Deceit. Because you knew that body was there, and I can’t figure out how for the life of me.”

A body.

Of course there was a body. I should have guessed, since the spirit of the dead person was pushing me toward that direction.

I’m silent. Do I lie and continue with the charade?

Or is he going to see right through it? Do I get brave and confess the truth and let the gods decide my fate? In the end, I chicken out. “What body?”

Raptor looks disappointed for a moment before his expression hardens again. “The one with the artifact. You pointed that pillar out when no one else saw it. What I want to know is how you found that man when he’d been missing for longer than I’ve been alive.”

My jaw drops. He’s been dead for that long?

He tips my chin back, holding my mouth open. “Aha. So you do know something. Last chance to tell me or I’m going to be very upset with you.”

I push his hand off my face. “Threats get you nowhere.”

“Don’t they?” Instead of backing off, he strokes my hair, his expression thoughtful. It’s both a tender gesture and an unnerving one. He reaches for the bun I always wear at my nape and pulls the biggest pin free. “I know how to make you talk, Gwenna.”

He tosses the pin aside, and it clinks to the floor. His gaze never leaves mine.

Am I supposed to be afraid of him? For some reason, I’m not. For some reason, I’m incredibly turned on instead. Raptor might not keep my secret, but physically harm me? Never. “You’re talking out your arse.”

He pulls another pin free. “I can make you talk,” he states again. “And it will be just as enjoyable as last time, when I had my fingers sunk deep into that sweet, wet cunt of yours.”

I suck in a breath. “I…I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh please.” He chuckles, tossing the next pin aside. As if it has been timed, my hair tumbles free about my shoulders, and he eyes it, raking his big hand through. “I can smell your arousal, Gwenna. Remember that a Taurian has senses far better than any human’s.”

My pussy clenches at his words. It takes everything I have not to lean forward, to beg him to touch me. “You can smell me?”

“Aye. Smells so sweet and honeyed I want to dip my muzzle into it.”

The breath catches in my throat. Goddess Hannai’s tits . I want that, too. So much. But does he want to touch me or torture me? I straighten, lifting my chin in what I hope is horny defiance. “So what’s stopping you?”