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“It must be nice tobe home, here, where you belong.” Seamus offered. “Though since you are sooften busy on the Earth Plane and might have forgotten where your suite is,these guards will escort you there.”
“Whilst theseguards take the Valkyrie to a guest room.” Vanessa pointed out four guards whowere not only bigger than the rest but had unsheathed their swords.
Fighting the urgeto roll her eyes, Shaw managed to keep a placid expression on her face. Didthey really think she couldn’t take four measly guards? Although she wouldn’t,since they were Kaleb’s people and just trying to do their job. Crap, she wasgoing to have to employ techniques other than violence to stick with Kaleb.Moving forward, grabbing his gorgeous face and giving it a squeeze, justbecause she could. “And spend a minute away from my Wookums? I don’t think so.Where he goes, I go.”
“She is myConsort.” Kaleb managed to remind everyone from between painfully smooshedtogether lips. “Slavishly devoted to me.” Ouch, another squeeze, but damn if hedidn’t like being manhandled by Shaw. “And can’t keep her hands off me,obviously.” He managed to pucker up and make a kissing sound.
Dropping her holdon his face, Shaw looked towards the captain of the guard. “Lead the way.”
The processionwound their way through wide Palace corridors made of white marble and accentedwith a lot of silver. All the while the political advisors were reeling offitems for tomorrow’s schedule that Kaleb was expected to oversee.
Lord Luciferbelow. They needed to find a way to ditch their guards and escape this Realm.Kaleb assumed Shaw was thinking the same thing, but all she did when theyfinally reached his suite of rooms was to slam the doors in everyone’s facesand stretch, yawning. Her cocktail dress melting away to be replaced by a blacktank top and tiny black sleep shorts with what looked like white sheep all overthem.
“Come on…YourHighness.” Shaw smirked as she said the title, waving her arm at themassive four poster bed that took up a good portion of the room. “Let’s hit thehay.”
“You don’t thinkwe should be thinking about escaping?”
“Those guards areon high alert right now. Plus, I’m tired, and that bed looks all kinds ofperfect.”
“Um… okay.” Kalebdidn’t want to presume. “So the two of us are going to… share the bed… and…?”
“Get some shuteye.” Shaw sauntered up to the side of the bed closest to the doors and flungback the beyond high thread count sheets. Lying down she issued a deep thankfulsigh. Now this was a comfy mattress.
Kaleb hurried tothe bathroom, brushing his teeth before changing into some navy silk pyjamabottoms. Wondering, hoping, that he might be about to get very, very lucky withone prickly but insanely gorgeous Valkyrie.
Those thoughtswere put on pause when he returned to the bedroom to find Shaw had called oneof her halberds and it was now dividing the middle of the bed. “By Lucifer’sleft ball, you don’t think that’s going a little far? You could have just askedme to keep my hands to myself, you don’t have to bring deadly weapons to bed withyou. I do understand and respect boundaries.”
“This?” Shawabsently reached over to pat the halberd fondly. “It’s not for you. It’s forthe assassin I’m pretty sure will be sneaking in here around three in themorning.”
“Oh. Well… thankyou.”
Yawning, Shawopened her eyes to give Kaleb a green-eyed glare. “Although, if you do forgetabout boundaries, I’ll use it to detach whatever crosses the great divide.Night.” With that she shut her eyes.
Damn it, what wasit about this Valkyrie? Kaleb was finding he liked everything about her. Evenwhen Shaw was grouchy and even more so when she was mean. Not only amusing himbut firing his blood. It took a stern mental lecture to calm his good-to-gocock down. Reminding it about Shaw’s final warning did the trick. Re-growing ahand was one thing, but re-growing a cock? No thank you. That was a lifeexperience Kaleb could do without.
Chapter Eight
They’d been wokensoon after the two moons disappeared beneath the horizon to find three servantslaying out breakfast for them on the balcony. Shaw wasn’t a fan of the scent ofsulphur, but the vast array of platters arranged on the large table helpedprovide a distraction. Changing into her usual attire of shit kicker boots,black trousers and matching leather waistcoat, she’d hurriedly sat down andbegun loading her plate.
It had taken Kaleba little longer to join her. He’d disappeared into the walk in wardrobe,emerging wearing navy trousers, and a surprisingly casual dark purple Henleythat did excellent things for his eyes. Navy suede sneakers completing theensemble.
She appreciatedKaleb’s silence as they ate. Guessing from his bleary eyed expression and theway he gulped down coffee, as if it were a life giving elixir, that he wasn’tso much doing her any favours but more that he wasn’t a morning person. Eitherway, she’d take the blessed peaceful moment and eat.
The peaceunfortunately didn’t last very long, Kaleb’s political advisors bustling in,once more backed up by a platoon of Palace guards. Insisting that it was timefor Kaleb to do his duty. Gleefully reminding him that his morning would bespent listening to petitioners from the general populace.
A short time laterShaw had to admit to being surprised, she’d really thought she’d be boredtoday. But here she was, propping up a wall at the rear of the throne room,watching Kaleb be all… Kingly, and she was finding herself vastly entertained.
Shaw normallyliked to be in the thick of things. Like tussling with an Gxthian assassinwho’d snuck into their suite ten minutes after the clock struck three in themorning. Sending him hurtling over the balcony railing to the lava pits belowwas as effective as decapitating him, and a lot less messy. But not half assatisfying.
Yet, peculiarly,Shaw found herself… happy to watch Kaleb do his Kingly thing. Finding the proceedingsnot just amusing but educational. He had a unique way of mockingly manipulatingpeople that she found… admirable. Damn it.
The first twopetitioners for the day, as outlined by the head steward, had a petty grievanceregarding the sale of a house. In particular, it was claimed by the buyer thatthe boundary lines of the property had been misrepresented.
Before anyonecould plead their case, Kaleb waved a hand, announcing in a loud cheerful tone.“Hang them both. Next… wait, wait, I’m only kidding. We don’t hang anyoneanymore, do we? Ten years each hard time in the lava mines. Next.”
The bewilderedsteward spent the morning trying to corral and lead Kaleb into making what hedeemed sensible resolutions. Kaleb’s political advisors bustling around behindthe throne, futilely attempting to whisper advice into Kaleb’s ear that he wasclearly choosing to ignore. But as far as Shaw was concerned, in his own uniqueway, Kaleb was speedily knocking it out of the park.
The Demons withthe property border issue had been given a choice. Either the Court Accountantwould walk the property and for every inch of land missing, the offending Demonwould have to pay up a commensurate amount of flesh… physically carved from hisbody. Or, he could reimburse the second Demon the cost of the missing land,along with a hefty bonus for being -acheating prick- Kaleb’swords. Graciously offering the services of the Court Surgeon if the Demondecided to go with the first option.
