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“I didn’t, actually,” I replied from my workbench. “She took off with Rogue.”
“With Lord Rogue?”
“At least, so I believe.”
“She did not!”
“The circumstantial evidence is pretty compelling.”
“Tell me.”
“There’s nothing to tell.” I tried to concentrate on the spell I was working up for the upcoming battle. I didn’t want to be winging it this time. Dancing along the line Falcon drew would make it interesting.
“Then it won’t take long.” Starling plopped her butt down next to my grimoire, like a kid waiting for a fairytale story.
“Why is it that you’re all ‘whatever my lady wants’ until you’re bugging me about something?”
Starling grinned happily at me and wiggled her rear farther back. “Mother told me my primary responsibility is taking care of you, whatever that takes. What happened?”
My gut clenched, thinking about it. I rubbed my hands over my face and into my hair, massaging my scalp. “No, we are not having this conversation.”
“Gwynn.” Starling reached out and lightly touched my wrist, a glancing touch and retreat. “Trust me. Maybe I can help you.”
It was on the tip of my tongue to tell her I didn’t need help. The incident still burned bitterly in my heart. I found myself picking at it in my mind, replaying the images and waiting for them to hurt less. Remembering how I’d come for him like that. Wondering exactly what had happened. Why he left.
Was it the lightning?
And why the hell did I even care?
“Rogue was here…” Starling prompted.
“And he was mad at me.”
Starling nodded, biting her lip with one pearly eyetooth.
“Because I wouldn’t…we had this deal where…” I stood up, started pacing. “Look, it’s a long freaking story, Starling. Suffice to say that I chose not to put out and give in to whatever the hell his diabolical plan is, and Dragonfly stepped up to the plate, as it were.”
Starling held up a pale hand, as if to halt my tirade, though I’d already finished.
“You’re saying Dragonfly had intercourse with Lord Rogue?”
“I don’t know. I left the tent.”
“So you didn’t see.”
“Not exactly, but he made it clear what direction things were going. She was kneeling down, you know. All eager to…”
“Oh.”
“Exactly.”
“And then what?”
I sighed, rolling my shoulders. “Umm. I left, he came after me a while later, we talked about some stuff out by the oak tree. He left for good, and when I got back to the tent, Dragonfly was a gone Johnson.”
“I’m sorry.” Starling said it quietly, her chocolate-brown eyes grave.
“No. Not at all. I refused his attentions so he was free to go elsewhere. That’s how it works.”
