“Master Dorian?”
“I asked you a question.”
“Master, it’s nearly midnight, I was trying to sleep.”
Entering the room, the light flared. He stood in the center, hands on hips, staring at me. “What did I tell you?”
I ran a hand down my face. “Master Dorian, could we please discuss this in the morning?”
“I gave you an order.”
I dropped my head back and stared up at the ceiling, groaning. “Please, Dorian, I need my sleep.”
I slapped my hand over my mouth.
He had never given me permission to address him informally. It was a massive breach of etiquette, even if I was only half awake.
There was dead silence in the air, but no sense of anger.
A voice came from the foyer along with the sound of indelicate feet pounding through the dormitory. “Mistress Kimber! Mistress—”
Dressed in full livery, one of the university students I’d come to know over the past month slid to a stop in front of the open door. He stared at Master Dorian and didn’t know what to do.
“Maytan, why are you here? It’s so late.”
“Mistress, Master, I am sorry. The meter has sounded.”
Fear shot through me, and I jumped out of bed, holding the sheet around me. “What? No. There has to be a mistake.”
“We’ve checked over and over. Everything is working properly. It says four hours.”
I glanced at Master Dorian. He looked troubled by this as well. “You’re doubly sure?”
“Absolutely. The professor said to invite you down to the lab if you need confirmation.”
“No, I trust you. I can’t make heads or tails of that thing. Thank you for the warning, Maytan. Please have the professor send a brief in the morning about the implications of this.”
“Of course, your grace.”
He bowed and hurried away.
Master Dorian continued to stare at me. “You did not answer my question.”
I walked to the chair where I had laid out my clothes for the next morning. I’d really had enough of his bullshit, and I wasn’t going to kowtow anymore.
Dropping the sheet in defiance, I stood there naked and stared at him in the doorway.
“I am not going to answer your question, Master Dorian. I am tired of you treating me horribly. I might be the youngest and most inexperienced master in this temple, but I am a master. As I recall, you did not vote against me. Now, if you don’t mind, please leave. I need to get dressed and figure out what I can do to do stop this next set of tremors.”
“You have power—”
“Ihadenough power yesterday to stop one. If there is another coming, I need more power. I don’t have my bedmates here to insure that.”
He stared at me.
His gaze washot, lustful.
For a heartbeat, I thought he might take me to my bed and do the job himself.
