Honor's Price by Alexis Morgan

stared up at the ceiling and waited for sleep to claim her. It was moments like this that she most often missed Armel and his warm touch in the night.
    But for the first time since his death, it wasn’t his handsome face that eased her mind. Instead, Kane’s stern visage followed her over the edge into slumber.

Chapter 8
    â€œH ob, I’m not sure I made the best decision about hitting that guard last night.”
    The gargoyle whined in sympathy and tunneled his head under Kane’s hand for a good rub, the contact a comfort to them both.
    Kane continued his monologue. “Yet I cannot bring myself to regret it. The bastard had it coming.”
    After leaving Theda’s quarters, Kane had meant to retire to his own, but at the last minute he’d returned to where the drunken guard remained sprawled on the floor. Rather than leave him there, Kane had sought out two of the other guards and ordered them to drag their friend to one of the cells located near the barracks.
    The fool, whose name was Gart, was to remain there to be dealt with when he sobered up. Kane had yet to decide what his punishment should be. It all depended on whether Gart remembered what he’d been doing when Kane had interrupted him.
    Kane scratched his avatar’s chin and smiled. It was certainly tempting to turn Hob loose in the cell with the fool. Seeing what was left of their compatriot after Hob finished with him would definitely discourage such behavior in the other guards.
    However, Keirthan would see Kane’s defense of the woman as a weakness, one he wouldn’t hesitate to exploit. By the bastard’s own example, the guardsmen all knew that Lady Theda and the others were not to beaccorded the same respect as the wives and daughters of the visiting nobility and merchants.
    Instead, Kane would fall back on military discipline. For his first official order, he would make it clear that public drunkenness would no longer be tolerated within the halls of the duke’s home. It wasn’t much, but at least he’d have grounds for punishing anyone else who dared to assault any female member of the household.
    Time to start the day. “Hob, I have to send you back now.”
    The gargoyle shot him a reproachful look as he waddled over to where his shield stood against the wall. Kane murmured the spell that sent Hob back to rest on the curved surface of the shield. To anyone else, he looked like an especially detailed painting of a mythological creature. No one would suspect that he was real.
    He wished he could let Hob join him in the practice fields, but that wouldn’t be wise. Keirthan was already intrigued by Kane’s past. If the blood mage learned that Kane’s boon companion was straight out of the most distant myths, there was no telling how he’d react.
    When Kane stepped outside of his office, Markus was waiting for him. The sergeant didn’t look happy, no doubt having learned about Gart as soon as he went on duty. It would be interesting to hear what he had to say on the subject.
    Kane walked past him without stopping. “I haven’t eaten yet this morning. If you have something on your mind, we can talk as we walk.”
    As captain, Kane was within his rights to have his food brought to him, but he’d always found it useful to spend time in the common areas with those under his command. Markus fell into step beside him but didn’t immediately speak. Fine. Kane would wait him out. He owed the sergeant no explanations.
    They’d almost reached the door to the mess before Markus spoke. “Looks like Private Gart had a rough night.”
    â€œHe did.” More so than Markus knew.
    When he spoke again, the sergeant’s voice was completely devoid of emotion. “In the past, we would have dragged him back to his bunk to sleep it off.”
    â€œSince it’s happened before, obviously that policy isn’t working.” Kane sat down at the table in