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“I’m sure Magnus knows how to get over the mountains without using the pass,” Peter said, though his tone was anything but certain. “We’ll ask him when there’s a break in the meetings.”
The rest of the meal was conducted in relative silence. The thought that Conrad might be lost to us for good was a hard pill to swallow.
Even harder than that was what I knew had to happen as soon as the meal was over.
“We really need to get back to Master Daron’s,” Hayk said as all of us rose from the table and headed out to the garden.
“He’ll understand what happened and why we’re late,” Billie said, but it sounded like she was trying to convince herself.
“We’ll all walk you back,” Lefric said, glancing to me in particular as we started down the hill through the garden to the harbor gate. “I’m sure he’ll be fine with things if I explain. I’ve got a pretty large purse of coins with me.”
The fact that none of us made a joke about those being coins in Lefric’s pocket or if he was contemplating another orgy was a sharp indication of what everyone was thinking. That and the way they all kept looking at me and Hayk as we held hands and walked down the path to the waterfront.
I didn’t know what was going to happen. The closer we got to Master Daron’s brothel, the more anxious I grew. I felt like I was about to lose everything. It was a far worse feeling than being captured by General Rufus’s soldiers, worse than fighting our way out of Seymchan or attempting to treat Ludvig’s wounds or feeling forced into agreeing to be Dmitri’s pup. It was the worst feeling I’d ever had in my life, and I was certain I would double over and be sick before we even got to the brothel.
The only thing that stopped me from being sick was the bizarre sight of a brothel near Master Daron’s in what looked like complete disarray. People swarmed all over the place, men and women, some of the men in uniforms. An older man was arguing with some of the officers, and several of the whores were being taken away in shackles.
Billie gasped and reached out to grab Hayk’s arm on the other side from me. “That’s Master Rafe’s brothel!” she squealed. “Lord Vikhrov must have already given the order for the other spies in that notebook to be rounded up.”
“It looks like it,” Lefric said with an excited smile.
We all sped up, though as we approached the other brothel, some of the officers forced us to walk clear of the front gate, where what I assumed were prisoners were being lined up. A man who I assumed was Rafe Foulkes was in chains, but all the arguing in the world wasn’t going to save him from Lord Vikhrov’s wrath once he dealt with the spies.
Master Daron’s brothel was just past Master Rafe’s, and once we made it through the crowd of people around one brothel, we were met by a crowd of onlookers at the other.
Master Daron was among them, watching the unfolding scene with a broad smile, but as soon as he saw Hayk and Billie, that smile dropped.
“You!” he shouted at the two of them, taking a step forward to meet us. “I told you to be back last night. You’re late, and I do not stand for tardiness or disobedience from my whores.”
“It was my fault,” Lefric spoke up before Hayk or Billie—or even me, because I felt the need to say something immediately—could do anything. “They were up at the Hakobyan estate with me, and I don’t know if you heard, but the estate was under lockdown last night as the spy plot was uncovered. Actually, Billie and Hayk played an important role in foiling the plot.”
Master Daron and several of the other whores from his brothel, turned to Hayk and Billie in shock.
“Is that true?” Master Daron said, sparks of avarice in his eyes.
I caught my breath, already certain that the plan Lefric might have had to convince Master Daron to let Billie and Hayk go as heroes would backfire.
“It is,” Lefric continued, beaming. “They helped us figure everything out. Actually, they’re responsible for Master Rafe being uncovered as a spy. So surely, that’s heroic enough for you to release them from their contracts, right?”
Master Daron stared at him for a moment, then burst into laughter. “You must be joking.”
My heart sank even farther. I gripped Hayk’s hand hard, feeling like I was about to lose him.
“I’m not joking,” Lefric said, more confused than anything else. “Billie and Hayk would like to be released from their contracts.”
“Never,” Master Daron said, still laughing.
Lefric’s jaw dropped, as if he were shocked to be dismissed so quickly.
“We really would like to be released,” Hayk said, dealing with his employer—or perhaps he should be called his owner—from a more confident place of strength. “It seems that there might be a place for us in the Wolf River Kingdom,” he went on, sending a quick glance to me. “We would very much like to go there.”
We hadn’t talked about this tactic, but I approved. Therewasa place for Hayk in the Wolf River Kingdom. That place was by my side, and in my bed. I didn’t know what my place was, but I was certain that it was by Hayk’s side as well.
But Master Daron just kept laughing, as if the joke got funnier and funnier to him.
“You cannot simply walk out of a contract two-thirds of the way through,” he said, as if Hayk were an idiot. “I can still get at least two years out of that tight ass of yours. Or perhaps not so tight anymore.”
I glowered at the man for his rude joke.
