My hand wandered down to the dagger at my side, my fingers skimming over the pommel to the grip.
“Bokkan!” he exclaimed, coming forward with a wide smile on his face. But it didn’t reach his cold, black eyes. His arms were spread wide as though he intended to embrace the daemon holding my hand.
Bokkan stopped a few feet away and tucked me behind him. I stepped to the side so I could see around him, but stayed slightly back. If he had to defend himself, he needed room to move.
“Karaj,” Bokkan responded, his tone even. When the daemon tried to get closer, Bokkan lifted a hand. “That is close enough.”
The fake smile fell off Karaj’s face, and his arms dropped. “Is that how you greet an old friend?”
“Most of my friends do not try to stab me in the back for profit.”
I fought to keep my face placid. But my fingers wrapped around the hilt of the dagger, ready to pull it free.
“I had no hand in that, Stonesword.”
“So you say.”
Bokkan’s muscles were rigid as he stared down the other daemon. The silence stretched between them.
Finally, Bokkan asked, “Why are you here, Karaj?”
Those soulless black eyes flicked to me for a split second, but it was answer enough. At least for Bokkan.
“Do not look at her.” He snarled. His voice dropped into a deeper register, so low that I could almost feel the vibrations throughout my body even though we weren’t touching.
“I heard you acquired a human, but I did not believe it,” Karaj replied, sounding relaxed. Casual.
But his body language was anything but casual. His posture reminded me of a tiger poised to pounce. Only I wasn’t sure whose face he wanted to rip off—Bokkan’s or mine.
“She is my honored guest. Not an acquisition.”
Karaj stared into Bokkan’s eyes. “I heard that as well. That Lady Venna challenged her, and the human somehow managed to defeat her.” His head cocked to the side. “That she cheated in order to win.”
Bokkan released a harsh bark of laughter. “If you truly believe the challenge was unfairly influenced, ask Guldan or any of the men who watched. I believe most of them were there yesterday. Leda was unarmed and won the challenge with honor. She even allowed Venna to leave with her life. Something I would not have done if a male had challenged me for Leda.”
I glanced up at Bokkan’s stiff back.Was that something that could happen? Could another male daemon challenge him for me?Anxiety washed through me at the idea. I needed another weapon. Something small enough I could hide beneath my clothes, but still lethal to a daemon. A smaller knife that would be easier to hide. Maybe some poison. I’d love a sword, but most of the daemon blades were too heavy for me and balanced for someone with much longer limbs.
“Is that what you’re planning to do?” Bokkan asked. His question was little more than a growl.
Another fake jovial expression appeared on Karaj’s face. “Of course not, friend. Why challenge you for your property when I can buy it from you?”
“I told you, Leda is not my property. She is my honored guest.”
“From what I understand from the slave master, your commander purchased her at the auction a few days ago. I believe he said that your men had invested their earnings in buying a female to serve the barracks.”
“That money was returned to the men. Leda is not a slave here.”
“Then perhaps I should ask her if she would be interested in coming to work in my home.”
Those cold black eyes dropped to my face. I stared back at him, feeling the hair on my nape lift. There was no way in hell I was going anywhere with this daemon. He gave me the heebie jeebies with his dead eyes and false happiness.
Before I could not-so-politely decline by telling him to fuck off, Bokkan shifted in front of me, blocking me from Karaj’s sight. And Karaj from mine.
“What part ofhonored guestconfuses you, Darkblade?” Bokkan asked.
“The part that she is a guest at all. Humans are either slaves or servants here. They have no rights as guests. So, which is she?”
I stuck my head around Bokkan’s side so I could get a clear view of the other daemon. Bokkan ignored me and took a deliberate step forward.
