Page 202 of Blade of the Nightking

The woman looked him over thoughtfully. “You have a strong build. Imposing. Powerful.” Her gaze swept down the length of him. “You'll require a companion capable of handling everything you're likely to demand of them.”

She beckoned to two robed figures, one female and one male, who stepped forward almost eagerly.

“Kanteya is exceptionally talented with her mouth and blessed with a flexibility her patrons greatly appreciate. Priyam is obedient, and well suited to those with more… vigorous tastes." She winked. “Or both, if that's more to your liking. They complement each other beautifully.”

She turned her attention to me, and I had to stop myself from bolting. “And you⁠—”

A low growl rumbled from Rìan. “Two rooms.”

Her gaze returned to him, utterly unbothered by his tone. She rubbed her manicured hands together thoughtfully before tapping the counter with a long crimson-painted fingernail. Rìan reached into a pocket and retrieved a handful of gold coins, slamming them onto the polished surface.

She nudged the coins apart with a delicate finger and tutted. “One room.”

“Two.”

“One,” she snapped, steel entering her voice. “Eight marks buys one room. One room, two hot meals, and a companion for the duration of your stay.”

Rìan fumed for another heartbeat before finally grunting his agreement. She swept the pile of coins into her palm and tucked them somewhere within the folds of her robes. “Follow me.”

She pushed away from the counter and we trailed her through the pleasure house, up a sweeping carpeted staircase, and into a long hallway lined with stately doors. From beyond them came the muffled sounds of pleasure—the thump of furniture against walls, the wet slap of flesh, breathless cries.

The woman stopped at the final room and unlocked it before dropping a solid gold key into Rìan's outstretched palm. His fingers closed around it and he moved to push past her into the room. One long leg slipped through a slit in her robes, barring his path and revealing smooth, tanned skin all the way to her hip, where a delicate golden chain encircled her thigh. Rìan stopped short.

“Just so you know,” she said huskily, green eyes sparkling with amusement, “I’m also available tonight.”

Rìan inclined his head in acknowledgment. Seemingly satisfied, she slowly pulled the door closed behind her. The latch clicked shut.

I rounded on Rìan. “Are you mad?”

He pulled back the hood of his cloak, revealing dark hair still damp from the rain, a faint white crust of salt lingering at his temples.

“A brothel?” I hissed. “You brought me to a brothel?”

Wordlessly, he pulled the baldric over his head and set his sword against the wall.

“Of all the places in Illyra, this was the best you could come up with?”

Rìan occupied himself by unfastening the assortment of knives and sheaths strapped to his body, laying them in neat rows across the sideboard with methodical precision while I paced the length of the room, growing more agitated with every passing second.

“And what exactly do you intend to do when you choose your companion? Because if you think for one second that I’m going to sit quietly in this room while you bring some stranger up here and⁠—”

I stopped abruptly. His eyebrows flicked upward, waiting.

My stomach dropped. “We're sharing a room?”

“I only had enough gold for one.” He ran a hand through his wet hair. “The rest is at the bottom of my pack. In the Wildlands.”

I gaped at him for a moment, my ears ringing.

Then I whirled around.

“But… there's only one bed.” My voice rose an octave.

My eyes swept the room in a panicked search for another, and that was when I truly noticed everything else.

An enormous bed dominated the center of the chamber, piled high with crimson silk pillows and framed by gauzy curtains. Long ribbons of black and gold silk hung from the ceiling beams, disappearing into polished brass rings. A velvet swing suspended from thick chains occupied one corner beside a chaise lounge piled high with cushions, all of it reflected in the mirrored wall opposite.

My gaze moved to the thick bedposts. Metal restraints had been built directly into the wood.