Harlequin Nocturne May 2016 Box Set by Susan Krinard Page B

I’m not on the menu.”
    He spoke before he thought, but Isis only smiled, closed-mouthed. “Only if you wish to be,” she said. The words were laced with innuendo, and Daniel thought she wasn’t entirely speaking of blood.
    Considering how he’d behaved before, it was a brave thing to say, putting her pride at risk again. She’d forgiven him his previous rejections, but he couldn’t give her what he sensed she wanted now: that he surrender himself, accept her help in matters too personal to share with anyone.
    â€œI think I should stay here tonight,” he said. “I have a feeling you’re neglecting other work because of me.”
    â€œPerhaps I am,” she said, her voice soft with disappointment. “But I have a proposal for you, and I must speak to you in private.”
    â€œCome to my room,” Daniel said.
    Isis followed him to his room and leaned against the door. Carefully avoiding the bed, Daniel stood close to the opposite wall and waited tensely for her to speak.
    â€œWe have not yet completed your tour of the city,” she said. “You cannot judge us without seeing all of it.” She took a deep breath. “I wish you to visit the towers.”
    Daniel’s heart beat a little faster. She’d said that visiting the towers wasn’t encouraged for newcomers, but how often did the Opiri welcome human visitors of any kind? The Opir gang had claimed that any citizen could, by law, visit any area of the city.
    But he suspected that, except for the servants, humans very seldom went to the towers Hugh had mentioned. If they did, they’d leave with information the Opiri might not want spread throughout the human wards.
    Of one thing Daniel was certain: Isis still hadn’t heard of the incident with the Opir gang, or she’d surely never have made the offer. And she’d only encourage such a visit if she believed that Daniel’s opinion of Tanis would only improve as a result.
    â€œWhat do you want me to see?” he asked.
    â€œYou clearly still harbor many doubts about the Opiri here,” she said, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm, “and I know that that doubt extends to those like me and Bes as well as Hera and Ishtar. Several of my peers would be glad to speak to you in a private setting.”
    If he were to believe Hugh’s warnings about facing repercussions from the fight, Isis was essentially suggesting that he walk right into the lion’s den. It was certainly a quick way to find out how Tanis’s justice system worked...or if it worked at all.
    Not with Isis there to protect me , he thought ironically. He knew she’d step in if he got into trouble, and he didn’t want that. He didn’t want to put her in the position of opposing her own people if the Council decided to punish him.
    â€œThere’s something I have to tell you first,” he said, getting directly to the point. “When I met with the humans in Bes’s ward, a group of Opiri came by the tavern to make trouble. One of them attacked a man there.”
    Her eyes darkened in shock. “Opiri attacked humans?”
    â€œAnd I retaliated.”
    â€œYou fought Opiri?”
    â€œThey had no reason to be there except to harass the people who live in the neighborhood.”
    He told her briefly what happened, and she folded her arms across her chest, shaking her head slowly. “I cannot believe such a thing has occurred,” she murmured. “You defeated two Opiri?”
    â€œArrogant, overconfident Opiri who didn’t expect any resistance.”
    â€œWhy did you not report this to Bes or the Lawkeepers?” she asked.
    â€œI was told that some blame might fall on the humans involved. I couldn’t risk that.”
    Isis straightened. “The Opiri were clearly at fault. I would never allow the humans or you to be—”
    â€œI didn’t want you interfering,” he