Rosa stared at this new development, unexpectedly intrigued, as Tristan seemed to melt into Salvi, his eyes fluttering shut, his mouth kissing back with fluid, familiar eagerness — but then he suddenly, visibly stiffened, and shoved Salvi away. And Rosa could hear Salvi’s growl of disapproval, or maybe frustration, and when Tristan spoke a few breathless words of Aelakesh, Salvi frowned, and then — looked straight across atRosa. His eyes dark, irritated, dissatisfied.
“You shall not be vexed, woman,” he said, curt, “if I have Tristan here, ach? Shall this frighten you, or aught else?”
Rosa’s face swarmed with heat, but she was already frantically shaking her head, waving the question away. “No, no, of course not,” she replied, too quickly. “My apologies, I don’t wish to be rude —”
She belatedly fumbled to blow out her candle, plunging the room into utter darkness. To which there was a satisfied chuckle from the bunk opposite, a sound of quiet movement. “Ach, you could have watched,” came Salvi’s voice, husky, smug. “Now, any other fool excuses,sæti?”
There was no audible reply, but Rosa could hear more movement, the sounds of skin and furs sliding, of more fabric being thrown to the floor. And then a harsh, strangled moan from Tristan, and Salvi’s low, triumphant laugh in return.
“Gott,” Salvi breathed. “Þú ert svo fallegur, sæti.”
Rosa now knew enough Aelakesh to recognize that for what it was —you are so beautiful, my sweet— and Tristan’s soft answer was just as heated, earning a half-laugh, half-groan from Salvi. And then it was only breathless moans and Salvi’s rasping praises, the sounds of skin stroking and slapping, rising harder and louder until Tristan’s voice arched into a howl, and Salvi’s into a deep, guttural snarl.
Then it slowly settled into just their breaths, heaving together, almost as one. Leaving Rosa oddly breathless herself, blinking up into the darkness, and again feeling that inexplicable, compulsive twist in her belly. John would return, in the morning. He had work to do. She was only a pet, and that was all…
It took Rosa too long to fall asleep again, even with the soft furs over her, with both her hands crossed protectively over her waist. John would return. He wanted her just as much as Salvi wanted Tristan. And of course he wouldn’t tell her everything about his work, about awar, she was only a…
Rosa’s dreams were tense, uncomfortable, full of libraries, students, a certain handsome lord — but when she finally jerked awake the next morning, John was indeed waiting there, just as he’d promised. Sitting at the opposite end of the bed, and holding his usual bottle of milk, alongside a full bowl of what appeared to be fruit and seeds, drizzled all over with thick, golden-brown honey.
Rosa snatched it from him with genuine delight, and it soon proved to be the single most delicious meal she’d ever eaten in her entirelife. And once she’d demolished it all, and John had finished the latest chapter ofThe Lady Bright, she thanked him by shoving him back onto the bed, kneeling between his legs, and enthusiastically dragging out an entirely different kind of sweetness. Swallowing it all down without missing a drop, until her stomach felt very near to bursting.
“Hungry little pet,” John said, as he drew her up again, and ran both hands over her slightly rounded waist. “It pleases me to see your little belly so full. You shall drink more of me tonight, ach?”
The heated promise of that stayed with Rosa throughout the rest of the morning, even as John once again went off to his mysterious work, leaving her to study in the library with Tristan and Simon. Tristan was sporting a new set of angry-looking teeth-marks on his neck, but beyond his flushed ear-tips, he didn’t make any reference to the night before, and instead meekly informed Rosa that he and Simon would be working on a letter for the next while, and perhaps she would prefer to continue on her own projects instead?
Rosa would, of course, and she worked with fierce concentration throughout the morning, enough that she scarcely noticed the abrupt appearance of Salvi, several hours later, coming in to watch over Tristan’s shoulder. At least, until Salvi bent his head to Tristan’s wounded neck, gently kissing it with lips and tongue — and Tristan actually growled at him, loud enough that Rosa jumped, and Simon’s head jerked up to glare over at Salvi with a surprising vehemence.
“Go away,fjandi,” Simon hissed. “Little teacher no want you. No want Ka-eshliar.Vow-breaker.Son-killer.”
Salvi immediately growled back, his body snapping tall and rigid behind Tristan. “He’s Ka-esh too, you giant lout,” he shot back. “And if he doesn’t want me, why does hereekof my scent today?”
The last bit came out with a vicious satisfaction, but across from Rosa Tristan winced, while Simon snorted, loud and derisive. “All orcs need fuck,” he snapped. “It no mean hetrustyou. It no mean he want you botheringwork.”
Something cold prickled in Rosa’s belly — was that true ofallorcs? — and her eyes searched Salvi’s taut, pale-looking face, the unmistakable unease on his mouth.
“Of course Tristan trusts me,” he said, with a joviality that didn’t at all match his expression. “We’ve been together since we were orclings. Kin-brothers for life. Right,sæti?”
His hand dropped to squeeze companionably against Tristan’s shoulder, and in return Tristan gave a quick, jerky nod, his eyes intent on his paper. To which Simon only snorted again, crossing his arms over his huge chest.
“Helie,” he said, pointing a claw at Tristan. “Andyoulie,fjandi. As all Ka-esh. I hear what you do to kind little teacher. I hear how you make him your mate, how he spurn all others for you, even your false Priest. And how you next cast him away, forwoman. Forson. And next” — he leaned forward, lunging his finger toward Salvi’s chest — “you and false Priestkillson! Betray little teacher, fornaught!”
Rosa couldn’t seem to stop staring between the three of them, while the chill in her belly wrenched colder, deeper. “Wait,” she said, without meaning to. “You two used to bemated? And then you” — she frowned up at Salvi — “youleftTristan?Him? For awoman?”
There was a collective grimace from both Tristan and Salvi, and a visible swallow in Salvi’s throat. “We had not,” Salvi said thinly, “spoken vows.”
“But I thought Ka-eshdidn’toften speak vows,” Rosa countered, her voice flat. “Aren’t you supposed to show your affection through your — actions?”
Her traitorous brain had darted to earlier that morning, to John bringing honey on her breakfast — but that secretly thrilling thought was immediately thrust away by Simon’s loud, bitter laugh. “Ach,” he hissed. “No speak vows, these liar Ka-esh, so naught to break. But this stilldone. He stilllie. He play at love for kind little teacher, until he findwomanto fuck! And when she swell with son, hekill it!”
Good gods. Tristan was looking almost deathly ill, blinking rapidly down at his paper, and behind him Salvi bobbed on his feet, his claws out, his mouth nearly spitting with rage. “You gigantic bullshittingass,” he snarled. “You have no idea what you’re talking about. We Ka-esh need sons just as much as the Skai do, and you fucking know it. At least wecontributeto this mountain, and our people’s continued existence, rather than running around like senselessbarbarians, starting unnecessary conflicts, and leaving scores ofdead womenin our wake!”
Simon’s growl was steadily deepening, his huge body rising to loom over Salvi’s, his teeth bared and deadly. “Skai fight anddieto saveyou.Skaikeep weak Ka-eshsafe!”
“Well, maybe we don’t need you anymore,” Salvi shot back. “For once, thank the gods, the brains are finally running the show!”
Simon made a deep, gravelly sound much like a bark, terrifying enough to make the hair on Rosa’s neck stand up. “Liars,” he growled. “Thieves. Hard orcs. Blame Skai, but break ownvows, and kill ownsons. Fail even with these greatbrainsto keep many moremenaway from mountain! Men who not just roam. Men who nowstay. Men who make anarmy!”
Many more men. Who nowstay. Anarmy. Rosa’s body had wrenched very tight and still, her eyes locked on Simon’s face, and she scarcely caught Salvi’s snarled reply, something about Simon being half the cause for this mess in the first place. Because her heart was pounding, her gut lurching, more men, maybe more ofDuke Warmisham’smen,here, and wait, hadn’t John said, just last night…
