Bound. Jen Colly

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      “Not a fan?” He combed his fingers through his wild and wavy hair to regain some order. “It’s not like we’ll be seen together.”

      “I suppose not,” she relented.

      He shrugged. “Seemed appropriate for a prison visit.”

      Her eyes flashed wide. “Wolfe told me that the assassin died in prison, but… It was you?”

      “You didn’t tell her?” he asked Wolfe.

      “No. We’ve been busy. The how of his death was just a detail at the time.”

      No reason to deny the facts. “Yeah. My hand, my knife.”

      Her head tipped and she glared at him. She was mad. “Was it necessary to slit the throat of my prisoner?”

      Keir stilled. He’d been prepared for this fight, and was not about to back down to the indomitable lady of Galbraith. “The man tried to kill you, Lady. He deserved far worse than what I had time for.”

      “You didn’t answer my question.”

      “He knew me. If I’d stuck a dagger in him and walked away, he might have had a chance to talk to your Guardians, and if he told them I still lived, your Guardians would hunt me down. I’d be executed, and you’d be dead in less than a week without me around to save your hide.” A smile twitched at the corner of his lips. He’d left her no room to argue about his methods. He was right, and they both knew it. “But enough about me. How was your meeting?”

      “Eventful,” Wolfe supplied, but backed off when the lady’s icy gaze landed on him.

      “Demons may roam Paris. One demon entered Balinese and attacked the man who trains their Guardians. Then it was brought to our attention that the man who had Spirited into my home and attempted to assassinate me had been killed, his throat slit in a locked and guarded cell. Three impossible events. The council should have been utter chaos, arguing over how best to protect our own city from the demons outside, or from the assassins Spiriting about. Not one of them acknowledged the danger. They listened to the representative from Balinese, nodded their heads, and quickly moved on to their own personal agendas. Skeffington flat out asked our guest if he would be interested in marrying me to create a bond between Galbraith and Balinese.” She took a long, deep breath, a quirk that seemed to calm her nerves and end her runaway speeches. “I dissolved the council.”

      “Interesting.” Keir crossed his arms over his chest and sank further into the chair. “Was there a plan behind your decision to fire your advisers and smite tradition? Or were you just pissy today?”

      She met him head on. “I refuse to be lectured any longer by men who care nothing for this city or the people who live here.”

      He smiled, broad and shameless. “Pissy it is.”

      “Keir, leave it,” Wolfe cautioned. “Maybe ending the council can help us find our mysterious them.”

      “If being in the midst of those rats for every ridiculous meeting didn’t produce a suspect, then being out of their chauvinist circle couldn’t possibly help.” Arianne rubbed her temples, the stress of the night no doubt gathering into another one of her headaches. This wasn’t the worst situation they’d been in, but certainly not the best.

      “Wolfe’s right. Someone wanted you dead before, but without the buffer of the council, you’re in complete control. This is exactly what they don’t want.” He leaned forward. “I’m willing to bet they’ll be furious when they find out what you’ve done, if they don’t already know. They’ll act fast and get sloppy.”

      “You hope,” the captain said.

      “I’m counting on it,” Keir said with a sharp nod. “And Lady, I’m sleeping on the couch in your room.”

      “Actually.” She straightened her shoulders. “You’re going to Balinese as my emissary.”

      Keir bolted to his feet, anger in each heavy step that brought him face to face with his lady. “Less than twenty minutes ago you dismissed your council. For that act alone, someone will want your head. I’m not leaving.”

      “I need you to do this for me,” she said evenly.

      His jaw locked so tight his words slipped through his teeth. “Not leaving.”

      Arianne didn’t back down. “I trust only you and Wolfe. As my captain, Wolfe cannot be gone for several days. It would raise suspicion, and I need him by my side. You must go.”

      “Send a Guardian,” Keir demanded.

      “Exactly which one of that easily persuaded herd should I trust to speak in my name without starting a war?” She glanced at Wolfe. “No offense, Captain.”

      “I don’t trust them,” he admitted.

      They had a point. He’d grown up slipping money to Guardians to look the other way while his father committed one illegal offense or another. “Have this man from Balinese take your message back with him.”

      She shook her head. “Why would an official from Balinese make such a dangerous journey through Paris and a possible demon infestation, after such a long silence between our cities, and not bother to obtain proper documentation from his lord? I have no letter from Lord Navarre, no seal of Balinese, nothing but this man’s word that what he says is true. I don’t know him, and I won’t trust him.”

      She had no intention of changing her mind. Looked like he was going on a trip. “What do you need me to do?”

      “Convey my concern for the reappearance of demons, and for the safety of Balinese. Offer our aid, if needed.” Lady Arianne moved swiftly to her writing desk, produced a piece of paper, filled his name in the blank, then signed the bottom. Two quick folds, and then she stamped the rose stamp of Galbraith into the red wax, the excess oozing from the edges. She handed the paper over to him. “Your identification papers. Balinese will not know of your past crimes, not that it would matter. As my emissary, they cannot touch you. Leave tonight. The sooner you go, the sooner you’ll be back.”

      Keir nodded, still processing the swift change of plans. He would do anything for her, but leaving her life in jeopardy was not going to happen. “So Wolfe’s sleeping on your couch. Right?”

      “Wolfe.” She turned to her captain. “Don’t you dare give them the pleasure of assassinating me.”

      A slow, genuine smile spread across Wolfe’s face. “Can’t wait for them to try.”

      “Captain,” she said sharply, and Wolfe snapped to attention. “Since you’re staying, kindly remove your shoes. I don’t want to hear you plodding around my home.”

      Arianne left them and closed the double doors of her bedroom behind her while Wolfe obediently kicked off his shoes.

      Keir could only imagine how difficult it was for a woman like her to live in a world of men. As far as he was concerned, she was entitled to her headaches and brooding thoughts, her biting words and coveted time alone.

      “How far apart have the attacks been? Monthly?” Wolfe pulled the tie from his long hair, combed his fingers through it, СКАЧАТЬ