Iryana had been raised without the propriety of much of the ketsan, and she had gotten used to seeing the soldiers in the hall at night. There was also not a lot of privacy in the barracks—in the fort in general—so people seemed far less worried about others watching them. Still, in the hall she wasn’t expected towatch.
Darish pulled one woman into his lap, his shirt somewhere on the floor while the courtesan kissed down his chest. Her lips traced the magic-forged tattoos decorating his bulging muscles. Iryana could only see the woman’s bare back and her dress pooled around her waist.
Iryana realized that she and Karvek were now the only two fully dressed.
Despite the countless hours she had spent alone with Karvek, she knew nothing about this side of him. Hadn’t even known therewasthis side of him. She struggled to figure out what to expect, what he would expect.
“Do you—” she hesitated, not sure if she really wanted to hear the answer, but she had to saysomething. Her skin was crawling. “Do you, uh, prefer to watch?”
He chuckled. “No, this isn’t for me. It keeps my officers happy.” He raised a sharply arched brow as if to ask if it would keep her happy, too.
“Why don’t you take part then?”
“My tastes aren’t particularly conducive to a group atmosphere. I like to control… everything.”
She swallowed. She’d known this about him, his desire for dominance. Hadn’t thought about it in this context though. Images of Karvek and thecontrolhe’d prefer flashed through her mind, and Iryana fought for a clear head.
Everywhere she looked was skin. The room reeked of sex, moans rumbling under the sensual melody of the music.
Would he ask her to join him afterwards? Was she willing to say yes if it got her closer to the well? Could she stomach it? He was a murderer; she’d seen him covered in blood. She wasn’t sure if she could pretend well enough to get past that.
She was almost willing to get up and dance herself, if just to give herself something to do. Thankfully, he changed the subject.
“You did well in Midmarket, Iryana.” He smiled at her, eyes lingering more than usual. “You were very helpful.”
The memory of Karvek kneeling in blood, his blade stabbing at the man, came to her mind like a flash of lightning. She fought to keep her face neutral.Play the game, she pleaded with herself.
“I want to find my place here.”
“Yes, I’ve seen that.”
“I wish it didn’t take so long to be initiated,” she hedged. “To feel like I really belong.”
“Oh?”
Before she could answer, a thud echoed around the walls as a wild-eyed soldier charged into the room. A few of the courtesans gasped, but the officers didn’t seem to be paying attention to the intrusion.
“What is it, Sheshar?” Karvek asked calmly.
“Why was the King Commander’s representative here? My captain refused to give me an answer, so I’ve come to you for one. You promised us we were outside his control.” The man sneered. “I’ve heard about your time with his daughter, but I never thought you’d want to crawl into bed with the rest of them too.”
Iryana’s interest piqued at that.
“Don’t bore us,” Karvek ordered harshly, leaning forward. “Why are you here?”
Sheshar straightened. “You made a lot of promises to convince us to come here, to join you. Were they all lies? Tricks? I’m here to demand you answer to them, General.”
Now the room stilled.
Iryana was curious herself, but she wouldn’t have dared demand an answer like the man, Sheshar, was doing. She knew some of the soldiers, mainly the ones Karvek had brought with him, were frustrated that Karvek had entertained the King Commander’s representatives. She didn’t fully understand what issues they had with him. Other than trying to take control of them, the King Commander’s rules for the brigades seemed reasonable to her.
Darish stood, fastening his pants before stepping toward the man, but Karvek waved him back.
Standing, Karvek slid against Iryana’s side, nearly knocking her off the chair. She caught herself, watching with wide eyes.
“After everything we’ve done for you, you haven’t told the King Commander he can go fuck himself!” the soldier spit out. “We deserve an explanation.”
Karvek gestured toward the soldiers at the door, and they pulled the door shut and barred it.
