She nodded. Unnerved by the fact that the two men were so unison that their voices sounded like one. Yet, both their mouths had moved.

"Give us the coin." The brown eyed one said.

"And we'll find your woman." The other supplied. Speaking as the other stopped as if perfectly orchestrated.

Like they have one mind.

She pulled the coins from the pocket of her scanty overdress. Holding her hand out over theirs.

Greedy light filled their gazes and as they reached, she withdrew the coins to clutch them near her chest.

Leaving their outstretched palms empty.

"I want her brought back unsullied."

"She'll be suitable to work." They responded together.

Kareni was clever enough to notice their evasive answer but knew how hard it'd been to find these two to hunt her down.

No one else can promise me they'll even find her.

The girl had proven particularly elusive thus far.

Kareni was somewhat skeptical that even these two would, but she had enough spies and assassins at her disposal that she was confident she'd find them.

And I'll get the chit, one way or another.

"You'll bring her straight to me."

"Straight as an arrow." They responded.

Though they weren't promising any time frame.

Deliberately toying with their words. She was quickly growing impatient with them.

"Find her. Bring her to me straight away."

"Coin." Their hands outstretched. Fingers swiping beckoningly toward her.

Impatient shits.

She dumped them in Reimus' hand.

He quickly shuffled through them with a finger before glowering at her. "This is two shy."

"Have one of my girls." She nodded beyond the door. Adding. "We'll call it even."

The two gave each other a long look. "Fine. But don't come crying when she's screaming..." Virius warned.

Kareni eyed them but waved them away.

He heard a scuffle outside her door where they must've chosen a woman.

None to kindly, from the sound of it.

They were dragging her down the hall. She was sputtering at their sudden aggression. Wondering why.

Because they're Feral Fey. Kareni thought. Glad she was long past the days of servicing those she didn't wish to.

And Feral Fey certainly fall in that category.

She was scribbling out a note to one of her affiliates to have some human men standing by in-case she needed them for a retrieval.

She didn't trust the fey men.

She was distracted when she heard one shrill, short, shriek. Immediately silenced.

What are they doing to her? She lifted her head to wonder.

Shaking it she resumed writing. Hearing a thud against the door she assumed they'd pushed her against the wall.

The girl will be fine. She assured herself and dipped her quill to resume writing.

Kareni had long ago lost any sense of feminine tenderness.

It's not suitable to this line of work.

I was aggravated that Gray had refused to come again. Making me turn molten at his touch then smacking my ass and sending me on my way.

He untied our hands and climbed into his clothes.

I grabbed the shredded, dirtied tunic and went to put it on but he batted it out of my hand in what seemed a very childish maneuver.

"You, Bastard!" I squawked.

He shook his head, discontentedly. "You were once a princess. I'm not letting you wear that, Baby Girl."

"I do have a name, you know."

Something he's never said. Not since... I caught that thought and cut it off in the making.

Enough of that!

"So I am to stroll about naked then?" I turned one way, posing like a nude statue before turning the other.

"Keep taunting me, Woman." He said dangerously. "I'll throw you right back on that bed."

I grimaced and stopped.

"Remember," He cautioned. "I haven't been sated yet. I can make you rise over. And over. And over again." He emphasized cruelly. Reminding me he was far from tired.

Because he only makes me peak.

He returned to stand over me. Staring down into my face. His hand lifted leisurely, and he twirled his fingers in a graceful movement that suddenly had a shimmering fabric weaving between them as if it were falling. But his hand turned and caught it. Gripping it in a tight fist.

I recognized it as a lady's dress. I gave him a quick look. "Where'd you have that?"

I knew it had to be close for him to summon it like that. Making it materialize from wherever he'd stashed it.

It was the most lovely turquoise shade. Made of some fine fabric that had me yearning to feel it against my skin.

"It's just going to get ripped off me." I fingered it between my thumb and finger.

There was a quick flash of something on his face. Something that wasn't anger but tightened his features briefly. He looked away then back at me. "Not if you would go back with me."

"Do you honestly think, Gray that you could keep all of that Army and the King from turning me into a puppet for their cocks?"

He winced and gave a long-suffering groan at my terminology. Massaging his temples as he turned away. "You were a lady once."

"Yes." I stared meaningfully at his back. "Once..."

I didn't have to say more for him to turn back to me. Tossing it against my chest. "Just put the damn thing on. I'll find you a cloak."

"And will you have that delivered as well?" I cocked a hip like a fine maiden ordering something from the dressmaker.

His eyes narrowed. "I should smack that perfectly rounded ass of yours and steal that venom tongue right out of your mouth."

Someone always wanting to rip my tongue out.

"Do you know...I've been threatened with that twice in the last few days."

"Can't say I'm shocked." He said dryly.

"Everyone always wants to rip out my tongue." I boasted.

"I didn't say rip it out." He gave me a pensive study.

"I said steal it." He gave a great chomp of those perfect white teeth. Clapping his jaws together in a way that had me flinching. Noting the fine points of his canines.

Designed for feeding.

I couldn't meet those penetrating blue eyes, so I chose to take that moment to climb into the dress. Smoothing it down my hips just to feel the fabric under my palms. I inspected the way it fit, tighter around my waist then swaying out comfortably over my hips.

As if it were sized for me.

"How'd you get the size right?"

"I told her to make it about this big." He gestured across from this abdomen and linked his thumbs and long pointer fingers.

"And about this big." He curved his palms into a rounded shape a bit higher.

"And about this big." He swayed his hands out in a triangle and down. Indicating my hips. "She figured out what I was saying."

"Smart woman."

"Yes." His gaze dropped over my figure, taking his time gliding back up. Lingering on my lips in a way that had me unconsciously parting them in invitation.

He looks at me like he's memorizing every detail.

Don't know why he needs to now! He clearly already had my measurements mapped out.

"You do look damn fine in that." He said approvingly.

I gave an overly exaggerated curtsy. "I'm glad you approve, Liege."

His eyes went hooded and his jaw ticked. "You're so good at being snide."

"It's a gift." I inspected my fingernails to avoid his sharp look. "Can I go now?"

He sighed. Boots thudding over the floor as he abruptly returned to stand over me. His feet nearly positioning atop me as he stood close enough to lower his nose to brush mine. "You go when I say you can, as you know very well."

"That's why I asked." I said balefully.

He straightened. Eyeing me down his aristocratic nose.

Trying to remind me I'm beneath him? I wondered.

His face was impossible to read.

He dropped a quick kiss to my forehead, gave me that smack on my tail and strode from the chamber. Only stopping in the doorway to put a masculine hand on the frame to look back at me.

"Truce is over, Baby Girl. Better run like hell. I'm returning to my men, and we'll be coming after you."

"You won't catch me." I boasted.

Hoping to convince myself more than him.

He's damn hard to dodge.

"Better hope I don't catch you alone again. I won't be nearly as nice as tonight." He gave me a deliberate wink.

"Would it really stop you, if I had someone with me?"

I really doubt it. But curiosity drove me to ask.

"A woman perhaps. I don't like witnesses." His voice dropped in warning. "If you've a man, you know very well I'll throttle him and send him on his way."