Free The Queen's Blade Prequel II - God Touched by T C Southwell Page B

the door. She sank into the
solitary, overstuffed chair, gasping, while he lighted the
lamps.
    Blade drew
aside the curtain that hid his copper tub, still half full of tepid
water from his afternoon bath and only a little soapy.
    “ First you'll wash off that stink before it makes me
sick.”
    “ It's not my stink; it's –”
    “ Spare me the details.”
    Lilu levered
herself out of the chair and went behind the curtain, which he
pulled back into place with a vicious hiss of rings on bar.
     
     
    Lilu tugged
off her frock and climbed into the water, which was not too cold,
although it made her shiver. Choosing a frey flower scented soap
from the selection, she scrubbed herself all over, including her
hair, glad to be rid of the smell of her clients. She listened to
the soft sounds Blade made moving around in the room, wondering
what he wanted. When he had entered the room at the whorehouse, her
heart had almost stopped in delight, wonder and horror that he
should find her there, naked and abused.
    It made her
ridiculously happy to see him again, and her heart still hammered.
Was she wrong about him? Did he, in fact, have a use for a woman?
Even if he did, however, he would not choose to lie with an ugly
whore when he could undoubtedly have any woman he wanted, even
rich, beautiful ladies. From the way he had averted his eyes and
his distasteful expression at the time, she doubted it. Did he feel
sorry for her? Was he capable of such feelings? She would find out,
she suspected, when she got out of the bath.
    A soft towel
hung on the railing beside her, and she dried herself and donned
the frock again, wishing that she had a clean one. As she emerged
from the alcove, the baby kicked, making her grunt and clasp her
belly. Blade sat in the chair, staring into a roaring fire, a cup
of wine in one hand. A thin mattress lay on the floor beside the
hearth, and she wondered where it had come from. She had not heard
him leave the room, but perhaps he had. She sat down on it, combing
her hair in the fire's heat to dry it.
    Blade watched
her with frigid eyes, sipping his wine, and gestured to the bottle
and cup on the table beside his chair. “Have some, if you
want.”
    Lilu crawled
to it and poured a cup, settled back to sip it and found that it
was a rich, musky red variety, expensive. She gazed at him, amazed
to be here in his room, so unexpectedly and after not seeing him
for two moons. He looked healthier, his gaunt, pale look gone.
    “ You're looking well,” she ventured.
    He scowled at
the fire. “And you look worse, if such a thing is possible. Why do
you continue to work there, even now?”
    “ It's the whorehouse or the street, and the street's
worse.”
    “ You must like being a whore then, or you'd have chosen
something else.”
    She shook her
head. “I never had a choice. My father sold me into service when I
was twelve.” She sipped her wine, listening to the snap of the
fire. “Thank you, for what you did to Tromar.”
    “ Tromar? Who in Damnation is he?”
    “ The drover. I know what you did, so it's no good denying
it.”
    He shrugged.
“I have no idea what you're talking about.”
    “ You did a good job on his nose. What did you use, a
faggot?”
    A slight smile
tugged at his lips. “You're dreaming. I don't go around beating up
bear kin for the sake of whores.”
    “ And all his front teeth are missing too. He looks worse than I
do now.”
    “ At least he doesn't have to rut with men in a dark broom
cupboard to earn his keep.”
    “ You must have put the fear of Tinsharon into him. He never
came back.”
    He sipped his
wine. “I tire of your delusions, I really do.”
    She sighed,
giving up. “What do you want with me?”
    “ I have need of a whore.”
    Her heart
pounded. “You do? I... I didn't think you would...”
    “ What?”
    “ Find me... interesting.”
    He chuckled,
shaking his head. “I don't. I could - can have any woman I want, so
I don't need to lie with dirty harlots.