Disclaimers: Same thing that everyone else says applies here. Language, Violence, Naughty Bits, blah blah blah.


Chapter 53

"You made it back in time!"

Neeshka was bouncing happily, her face glowing with excitement. "In time for what?"

"The party, remember? The solstice is tomorrow. Don't tell me you forgot."

"Sorry," I said, tossing down my pack. "Got a little distracted by the undead guy who was holding the last of my shards."

"Oh, you found it?"

I tossed it to her and her nimble fingers plucked it out of the air. "Wow," she breathed. "It's all tingly." She tossed it back to me. "Now on to more important things."

Neeshka put her arm over my shoulder and started leading me up to my room. "What more important things?"

She winked conspiratorially. "Both Bishop and your friend Gavin are back in time for the party as well."

"That's more important?"

"No, the important thing is figuring out what you are going to wear tomorrow!"

*****

The music could be heard in all parts of the keep. Neeshka had managed to find a group of musicians that were still unbooked this holiday and it wasn't hard to figure out why. Why they most certainly were not the best group in existence, they had to be the most enthusiastic. After a few mugs of the solstice cheer that Khelgar had whipped up people no longer seemed to even hear any of the missed or incorrect notes.

The furniture in the great hall had been cleared away, making room for dancers and there were plenty of those. Neeshka had been concerned about the ratio of the male soldiers to the much smaller number of females so she had sent out a few envoys to some of her old contacts. I had never even seen the majority of the women down there, but the distinction between the local girls and the much more flamboyant friends of my little tiefling was clear. I had a feeling that those women didn't come from the local temple charterhouses. The men seemed happy though and I wasn't of a mind to say anything to ruin that.

My elbows resting on the railing, I was keeping an eye on everything from the balcony ringing the upper level of the hall. The soft patter of leather boots came from behind me.

"I told you I would come back to make the report myself."

I glanced over my shoulder and grinned. "Gavin. Glad you could make it back in time for this. Are you enjoying yourself?"

He gave me a mock frown. "I'm afraid not."

"Really. And why is that?"

Gavin heaved a dramatic sigh. "Because the prettiest girl here is hiding her self way from all the fun."

I laughed. "Still think you're charming after all this time don't you?"

"Of course I'm charming. That's why you won't be able to resist me when I ask you to dance."

"Is that so?"

He pulled me away from the railing. "Come dance with me," he said in a cajoling tone.

I cocked my head in consideration. "I'll think about it."

"What? Is holding up that railing more important that having fun?"

I shrugged and he looked me over carefully. "I know what's wrong," he said. "This is the first time you've been out of armor in a while isn't it?"

My cheeks flushed and I turned back to look over the banister. "I don't know what you mean."

He rested his hands on my shoulders and leaned into my ear, his warm chest pressing lightly against my back. "Being out of that armor makes you feel naked doesn't it?" His mouth hovered over my neck. "Makes you feel vulnerable?" I shivered slightly and felt his lips twitch into a smile.

"You're treading dangerous waters my friend," I warned softly. "And I've already told you I'm not going to swim in those currents with you."

"Seeing you like this makes me willing to risk the undertow." Gavin's voice was a husky murmur, his tone seductive.

I turned away from his embrace and laughed, cocking an eyebrow. "'Risk the undertow?' That's a line I hadn't heard from you before. I'm impressed. How long have you been saving that?"

He looked embarrassed. "I should have known sweet words don't work on you. Well, it was worth a try. You do look great by the way."

I glanced down at the burgundy velvet dress that Neeshka had found somewhere. It was much lower cut than what I was used to, and it didn't help that the little fiend had somehow managed to talk me into wearing a black leather corset over the sumptuous fabric. My chest was threatened to escape if I took to deep of a breath. Luckily, or not, depending on how I felt at the moment, she had laced the deceptively delicate looking ribbons so tightly that breathing too deeply was an impossibility. I had worn armor than had shrunk that allowed me more freedom than this outfit. I did have to admit though the red and black looked rather striking against my pale skin, with my green eyes and dark hair. That was probably why I didn't fight harder to be allowed to wear my armor.

"Thanks, you don't look to bad yourself."

He smoothed a hand down his midnight blue tunic and flashed me a cocky grin. "I know. Now, why don't the two best looking people here go dance."

I placed my hand in his held out palm and rolled my eyes. "Confident and delusional. It's funny how time doesn't change some things."

Gavin tugged me down the stairs and drew me to the dance floor. The musicians were starting up a spirited, if off-key, reel just as we got there. With a hand at my waist and one gripping my fingers, he led me around the floor, weaving in and out of other couples. "I remember teaching you to dance," he said with a smile of remembrance. "You've gotten much better since then."

"Hardy," I snorted. "I'm just following you and trying not to trip on my feet."

"When I said you'd gotten better, I merely meant my toes weren't broken yet. By now you would have steeped on them several times."

"Ha Ha," I said dryly. "Aren't you amusing."

"Uh oh."

"What's wrong? Is Khelgar getting into a drinking contest with the soldiers again?"

His arm spun me out and pulled me like a top back to him, my back against his chest, his arm around my waist. "Looks like someone else isn't having fun."

I looked in the direction he was pointing me and noticed Bishop leaning casually against a wall, one foot braced against the stones, a glower marring his handsome face. One of Neeshka's friends sauntered up to him and whispered something in his ear. He returned with something that had her flouncing off in a huff looking offended. "Naw, he always looks like that." Gavin twirled me back around and I could almost feel a stare burning a hole in my back.

"You sure? Because it looks as though he is contemplating the best way to kill me and dispose of my body without getting blood on any of the dancers."

"He wouldn't do that."

"No?"

"Of course not. He wouldn't care how much blood got on anyone else."

"Well that's comforting." He pulled me closer and his mouth moved against the loose curls of my hair so that no one could see what he was saying. "Be careful. I don't trust him."

"You don't trust him, or you don't like him?" I asked lightly.

"Both." He frowned. "I don't know what exactly is between the two of you, but he's always watching. His eyes are…" Gavin looked for the right word. "Possessive, whenever he looks at you."

"See that's where you're wrong. Bishop doesn't give a damn about anyone other than himself."

We made a wide arc around another group of dancers. "Word around here though is that you slept with him anyway."

I raised a brow. "Jealous?"

Gavin's frown deepened. "Yes," he said honestly.

"You have no reason to be."

"So you didn't sleep with him?"

"No, I did. But there's just nothing between you and I that gives you any right to be jealous."

"Damn it Kat, you know I cared for you."

I reached up and touched his cheek. "I know," I said softly.

"Looks like the lady isn't enjoying your company," a deep voice said behind us. "How about I step in and show her how to have fun."

We both turned to look at the burly farmer. His cheeks were ruddy with drink and his eyes were much too shiny. Gavin and I glanced at each other and shrugged. He handed me to the man with a mocking bow. "It's your funeral," my ex-lover said dryly.

The farmer's big hands wrapped around my waist and he spun me back into the crowd of dancers. I kept up as best I could, but it appeared he couldn't dance any better than I could though he was much more enthusiastic about it. I could feel the velvet of my dress crushing under his sausage like fingers, dampening under his sweaty palms. His breath stank of ale as he grinned at me. "A pretty thing like you should be in the arms of a real man, not that skinny little twig." As he spoke, I had a sudden concern that my eyebrows might melt from the alcohol fumes.

I made a non-committal noise and tried to put a little distance between me and the drunken fool that was gripping me. I felt his hands start to drift from my waist down to my backside. I thought longingly of the dagger strapped to my leg. One more inch and I'll cut off your dick and sew it to your forehead.

He obviously didn't see the warning in my eye because his hand drifted down and squeezed my butt as he leered at me. I shifted and prepared to lift my skirt in front of everyone to get at the blade when the man suddenly released me. He began backing away quickly, a frightened look on his face. I was left alone in the middle of the dance floor, confused and relieved. Familiar arms pulled me around and I found myself pressed hard against an equally familiar chest.

"If you wanted to dance, you could have just asked me," I muttered, my voice muffled against forest mottled leather armor.

Bishop gave me a hard look as he led me through the dance steps. "If you preferred, I could leave and let him get back to fondling you. Doesn't matter to me either way." He pulled away as if to leave the dance floor.

I tightened my grip on his hands to hold him back. "No. Thanks for scaring him off. That seemed more efficient than what I was planning on doing."

"And what were you planning on doing?"

"You know, cutting little bits of him off till he got the hint. I was afraid that some of the other people here might take exception to that though. It is the holidays."

We danced for a while before Bishop spoke. "I don't trust him."

"The farmer?"

"No, your mentor." He spat the words like they left a foul taste in his mouth.

"Well you don't trust anyone so how is he different?"

He glared over my bare shoulder. "I know shit when I smell of it. He's full of it."

I choked on a laugh. "I could have told you that."

"He's hiding something," Bishop muttered darkly.

"We all hide things."

"You're not." To emphasize his point he eyed my exposed cleavage coolly. "Where did you find that dress? Steal it from one of the doxies?"

I felt a flush creep up the back of my neck and it was my turn to try and leave the dance floor. His fingers squeezed my hand tightly and the hand at my waist clamped down. I was effectively trapped as he hauled me closer to him. "You've been giving everyone a show with that dress, so why don't you just take it all the way off? It would be less suggestive."

"Well well, I would have never guessed that you of all people would be a prude," I said as I glared at him. The music swelled as it neared the end of the song. The last part of the dance called for me to place my hands on his shoulders and for him to lift me. His fingers met together at my back as he palmed my waist. My feet left the ground and as the music ended, I waited for him to set me back down. I looked down into his face, suspended in the air. "Or is that just your way of telling me I look nice?"

Instead of setting my down on my toes, he let me slide down the length of his body. My thighs rubbed against his as I came down, my nipples hardening as they brushed against his chest. I couldn't disguise the shiver of longing that tremored through my body and into his hands. This shiver put any that Gavin had ever caused to shame. A dark promising smile spread across his lips and I could feel the evidence how much he actually liked my dress. Everything around us disappeared and in that moment, I knew exactly how the deer feels before the wolf's teeth close on its throat.

Bishop bent his head and bit lightly on my shoulder with his strong white teeth. "It has its uses," he murmured against my skin. The ring of the bite stood out like a brand, a mark of possession. Air tickled over my flesh as he pulled my scent in through his nostrils.

There was a silent presence at my back but Bishop didn't bother to raise his head from my shoulder. "Get your own, old man," he growled.

"I had my own, and she was taken from me," said a quiet and distinctive voice. "But this one will never belong to rabid dog like you. I taught her better than that."