mattress reliably develops lumps around a certain Flight Leader .”
Sophi propped her chin on his chest and regarded him. “I know of ways to fix that lump,” she offered in a halting voice.
He laughed a loud. “Sophi.” His arms tightened around her, then released. “Another time and place, when I can return the favor properly.” He pushed himself upright. “Up with you, woman.”
Quite happy to accede to his wishes, she pushed the covers away and stood. He swung his legs over the side of the narrow bed and sat rubbing sleep from his eyes. She moved to the small cabinet where she had placed her meager toiletries and started to work the tangles from her hair.
She watched in the mirror as he pulled on his leathers. You are most pleasing to the eye, Commander DeStroia.
Eric caught her watching and winked. “I’ll see about getting us some breakfast, then we must be away, Sophi.”
“I’ll join you in a few minutes, Commander.” The door clunked softly shut behind him.
She grew pensive as she worked through her hair , then began a tidy braid. Perhaps he can give me what I thought never to have—a home, a husband, children. The one bright spot in her time living in the palace was playing with the children of her brother and the High Lord. The twins, Lilly and Riccio were adorable little monsters. Perhaps some of my own aren’t too much to hope for.
With a rueful flip of her braid, she collected her belongings and stuffed them into her pack. Her eyes scanned the room for anything left behind. The rumpled covers of the bed drew her gaze and a frisson of happiness ran through her. Perhaps it isn’t too much to hope for after all. She closed the door behind her and went to join the commander.
Chapter Seven
S ylvester Contradina loathed his aunt with unrelenting thoroughness. He feared her in equal measure. Today, thankfully, the hood of a coarsely woven cloak obscured the gruesome, twisted wreck of her once-beautiful face.
“Get off your kneess, Ssylvesster. Your phony obeissance failss to impress me.”
He fought to conceal a shudder at t he hoarse sibilance of her speech. It reminded him of the ruination of her once-luscious mouth, now a blackened, gaping maw of rotting teeth and receding gums.
“I hold nothing but love for you, dear aunt. I am wounded that you doubt the affection I hold for you.” Rising, he bowed and risked a glance toward her face.
The green phosphorescence of her artificial eyes flashed from the depths of her hood and a skeletal hand stretched out, palm up. “Liar. Give me the report.”
He pulled opened the royal dispatch pouch and handed her the sealed packet.
Again, green flared from the shadows of the hood. “And the courier?”
“Dead. As you ordered, dear aunt.”
“What have you done with the other? The Osshtessh woman?”
“She awaits your pleasure in the lower room .” He thought the green burned a little brighter in the gloom of her hood. He could not prevent an inward shudder. “I have laid out the instruments you asked for. I’ll be at the Half-Cross Tavern if you need me.”
Her hoarse laugh chilled him. “ Sspineless worm. Nothing like Hugo. My brother wass a man. A few sscreams never bothered him.”
“Yes, Aunt.” He bowed and fled.
Allegra descended to the soundproofed lower room and entered, throwing back her hood. The slender, sun-browned woman chained nude to the far wall gasped in reaction.
“ Yess. Not sso pretty, am I?” She laughed hoarsely at the horrified revulsion on the face of her prisoner. She selected a razor-sharp scalpel from the assemblage of instruments arrayed on a low table.
“Hmm. Eudora? That’ss your name isn’t it? Eudora? What message do you carry to Doral DeLorion, Eudora? More important, where iss hiss ssister?” She snaked the gleaming blade tip between the woman’s breasts. Blood welled in a horizontal figure 8. Her victim choked back a sob of pain but did not speak.
She shrugged. “How deliciouss.
Sophi propped her chin on his chest and regarded him. “I know of ways to fix that lump,” she offered in a halting voice.
He laughed a loud. “Sophi.” His arms tightened around her, then released. “Another time and place, when I can return the favor properly.” He pushed himself upright. “Up with you, woman.”
Quite happy to accede to his wishes, she pushed the covers away and stood. He swung his legs over the side of the narrow bed and sat rubbing sleep from his eyes. She moved to the small cabinet where she had placed her meager toiletries and started to work the tangles from her hair.
She watched in the mirror as he pulled on his leathers. You are most pleasing to the eye, Commander DeStroia.
Eric caught her watching and winked. “I’ll see about getting us some breakfast, then we must be away, Sophi.”
“I’ll join you in a few minutes, Commander.” The door clunked softly shut behind him.
She grew pensive as she worked through her hair , then began a tidy braid. Perhaps he can give me what I thought never to have—a home, a husband, children. The one bright spot in her time living in the palace was playing with the children of her brother and the High Lord. The twins, Lilly and Riccio were adorable little monsters. Perhaps some of my own aren’t too much to hope for.
With a rueful flip of her braid, she collected her belongings and stuffed them into her pack. Her eyes scanned the room for anything left behind. The rumpled covers of the bed drew her gaze and a frisson of happiness ran through her. Perhaps it isn’t too much to hope for after all. She closed the door behind her and went to join the commander.
Chapter Seven
S ylvester Contradina loathed his aunt with unrelenting thoroughness. He feared her in equal measure. Today, thankfully, the hood of a coarsely woven cloak obscured the gruesome, twisted wreck of her once-beautiful face.
“Get off your kneess, Ssylvesster. Your phony obeissance failss to impress me.”
He fought to conceal a shudder at t he hoarse sibilance of her speech. It reminded him of the ruination of her once-luscious mouth, now a blackened, gaping maw of rotting teeth and receding gums.
“I hold nothing but love for you, dear aunt. I am wounded that you doubt the affection I hold for you.” Rising, he bowed and risked a glance toward her face.
The green phosphorescence of her artificial eyes flashed from the depths of her hood and a skeletal hand stretched out, palm up. “Liar. Give me the report.”
He pulled opened the royal dispatch pouch and handed her the sealed packet.
Again, green flared from the shadows of the hood. “And the courier?”
“Dead. As you ordered, dear aunt.”
“What have you done with the other? The Osshtessh woman?”
“She awaits your pleasure in the lower room .” He thought the green burned a little brighter in the gloom of her hood. He could not prevent an inward shudder. “I have laid out the instruments you asked for. I’ll be at the Half-Cross Tavern if you need me.”
Her hoarse laugh chilled him. “ Sspineless worm. Nothing like Hugo. My brother wass a man. A few sscreams never bothered him.”
“Yes, Aunt.” He bowed and fled.
Allegra descended to the soundproofed lower room and entered, throwing back her hood. The slender, sun-browned woman chained nude to the far wall gasped in reaction.
“ Yess. Not sso pretty, am I?” She laughed hoarsely at the horrified revulsion on the face of her prisoner. She selected a razor-sharp scalpel from the assemblage of instruments arrayed on a low table.
“Hmm. Eudora? That’ss your name isn’t it? Eudora? What message do you carry to Doral DeLorion, Eudora? More important, where iss hiss ssister?” She snaked the gleaming blade tip between the woman’s breasts. Blood welled in a horizontal figure 8. Her victim choked back a sob of pain but did not speak.
She shrugged. “How deliciouss.
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