Entreri lay in bed beside Drizzt, the elf resting in his arms—a perfect fit. He didn't bother stifling a sleepy yawn when his bedmate pressed closer, soft and warm. Nor did he complain when the drow insisted on kissing him. He rolled his eyes when his hand was clutched in a tight grasp.

Drizzt laughed and kissed him again, then rolled over, letting go of his hand to pull the blankets over his shoulders. Entreri, mourning the loss of his favorite source of warmth, captured the elf in a hug and burrowed against him, smiling when he heard a quiet chuckle.

Waking was an unusually slow process for Artemis Entreri. So caught up in the dream, it took him far longer to open his eyes than was normal. But when he finally did, he sat up and groaned, his palms pressed against his eyelids. This hadn't been the first dream he had had involving he and the drow in an unnaturally close position. There had been many in the past, typically after a duel with the elf, but they had become alarmingly more frequent since he had actually slept with him.

He sighed helplessly, then stood and reached for his clothes. Drizzt. He still plagued his every thought. Entreri had promised to get him out, and he meant to make good on his vow—but he had no idea how to go about it. Any little plan he could think of he almost immediately dismissed. They were all too ridiculous, too complicated, too full of holes.

He belted his sword and dagger around his waist, concealing them beneath his cloak as he stepped into the hall. It would be a long day, waiting until nightfall to carry out the only credible plan, and he didn't want to spend all day alone in his room.

He wandered the streets of Waterdeep, looking into shops only because he so desperately needed a diversion. He crept through alleys, through crowded streets, never looking anyone in the eye. He was too lost in his own contemplations, trying to fathom why he was involved in this situation, wondering why he cared so much and was willing to work so hard to free a man he thought he hated.

He slumped against the slimy brick of an alley when the sun began to set. The sky above him was bright with blood, seeming to herald bad luck. Without consciously doing it, his hand moved to his dagger and clutched the handle tightly.

He closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them it was dark as pitch. Only a few stars peeped out from the heavy clouds that had formed. Unable to see the moon, he couldn't tell how long he had slept. He rose soundlessly to his feet, a shadow against shadows, berating himself for dozing off in an alley. He tucked his cloak around him like a shroud and lifted his hood. He felt a pair of eyes watching him from the mouth of the alley, but he didn't turn to acknowledge their owner.

The brothel looked deserted but he knocked anyway. He waited for what felt like hours, until he finally heard heavy footsteps inside. He tried to keep his hands off his weapons as the door was cautiously opened. The familiar beady eyes peered out, looking him up and down, trying to discern whether or not he was a lawman.

He must have passed the test, because he was asked, "Who do you want?"

"The drow." Relief overcame him; he hadn't been recognized, either.

"You're in luck. He's here tonight. Do you have the payment?"

The assassin obediently dropped the coins into the master's waiting hand. The man turned around, and Entreri quickly, silently palmed his dagger. He threw it, with nothing more than a slight hiss of air to give warning, aiming squarely at the master's back. It struck home.

And bounced off.

The dagger clattered to the floor, unnaturally loud in the unsettling peace the house offered.

Entreri cringed, understanding what had happened.

"Who sent you?" the master asked, not turning around.

"What?"

"Who sent you?" he repeated.

"I...I don't understand."

"Everyone knows I run the best house in the city. The other proprietors want my workers. This isn't the first time someone's come in and tried to kill me." He finally turned. "Now tell me, who sent you?"

Entreri was speechless, indecisive and uncertain. He couldn't leave, not without Drizzt. What was he supposed to do?

The master stalked over and wrenched his hood from his head. He didn't seem surprised when Entreri's face was revealed. "I knew you'd come back. Did the drow put you up to this?"

"No," Entreri replied. When the other man turned to the stairs, he shouted it. "No!"

"Leave. I'll tell him you were here."

Entreri stood rooted to the spot. Finally, after long minutes, he turned away, shoulders bowed under a great weight. He looked back as he walked down the empty street, his footsteps echoing on the cobbled stone. Drizzt was still inside.

Drizzt fought back a miserable sigh and reluctantly opened his eyes as a heavy body fell into bed beside him. He was in the master's bed, wrapped in warm blankets and furs. He buried himself deeper, hoping to hide as he heard the man's erratic breathing behind him. He already ached from earlier activities, and the thought of more of the same had him wincing.

A hand shoved against the small of his back, and he rolled over, glaring.

"You're pretty when you're mad," came the condescending reply, spoken in a mocking tone. The hand pushed the blankets away and pulled him close against clammy flesh. A finger ran up his throat and lifted his chin, and before the drow could do anything, warm lips shoved against his, forcing his neck back at an uncomfortable angle. Drizzt fought while he could, until he was completely pinned down by the crushing weight, his wrists aching in the vice-like grip of the fingers clutching them.

He wrenched his head to the side, effectively breaking the kiss and earning a threatening growl from the master. Rather than face the angry glare, Drizzt closed his eyes, trying to remember the way Artemis had been with him, holding him that second night and comforting him, his skin warm, his voice soothing...

"Your friend was here."

His eyes snapped open and searched the man's face. He was telling the truth.

"When?" he dared to ask.

"Just now. Tried to kill me."

Drizzt rolled out of bed, grabbing his clothes. Maybe Artemis was still down there, maybe he had a chance—

Fat arms wrapped him in an embrace that felt like a poor parody of Artemis's. "He's not here. He left. He decided he didn't want you." The arms rocked him gently and the voice cooed in his ear. "Poor Drizzit... But you have me. You know that. I'll keep you safe..." A soft kiss to the tip of his ear, fingers sliding strategically over his stomach, and Drizzt was powerless. If Artemis didn't want him, he was trapped here forever. Tears stung his eyes.

"I want you. I'll keep you. You'll be happy, I promise."

Drizzt shivered and lay down on the bed, long arms wrapping around the master as the man lay on top of him. Some very distant corner of his mind was screaming at him, telling him to stop, but he couldn't.