“However, by working together, weak mages, moderate, and strong ones can summon and bind very powerful beings. But we need to know which one we want to make a bargain with. To do that will take time. This project will not be ruined by acting rashly or hastily. Now, keeping in mind everything I have imparted to you, watch carefully while I summon the first demon to be interrogated . . .”
TEN
This time, when she surfaced from the depths of sleep, Rexei knew where she was, who she was with, and what position she had taken. Well, maybe not the latter. She remembered going to sleep next to Alonnen, each in their own half of the bed, and not snuggled with him in the middle of it, but she knew who he was and that they were in a bed in a room in the best brothel in Heiastowne.
They hadn’t started out in bed together, but after listening to the head of the Mages Guild squirm and shift for roughly two hours on the not-quite-long-enough couch, Rexei had given up and ordered him to share the bed. She had pointed out that they were both in undershorts and shirts, that they were quite capable of sleeping chastely, and that she trusted him . . . and that he could trust her in return, “ . . . honest!” That had provoked a chuckle from him and convinced him to join her on the feather-stuffed mattress.
It had not been meant as a ploy to get him snuggled up along her side, with that long nose of his pressed into the side of her neck . . . except . . . Wait . . . did I pull him over to me? I think I did . . . Yeah, I did! He was snoring something awful, Rexei recalled, staring up at the whitewashed ceiling over the bed. The air was cold on her face and head, but she wasn’t quite ready to get up and tend the coals in the iron stove off to the side. I remember I poked him, and he rolled toward me, and he almost shut up. So I poked him, he rolled back, it got worse . . . so I pulled him back over to me by his shirt. Yeah.
So this is all my fault.
Staring up at the ceiling, she was very aware of how much of Alonnen’s body touched hers. By luck and the grace of his position, her arm hadn’t gone numb under the weight of his shoulder and cheek. One of his arms had wrapped around her ribs, with his fingers tucked under her back, no doubt enjoying the warmth of being draped between her flesh and the feather-stuffed mattress. His chest and stomach warmed her from ribs to hip. And his right thigh lay atop hers, almost wrapped around it.
That meant his groin was snugged against her hip, replete with the distinct lump of his masculinity. Rexei waited for the fear to rise and grip her with panic at that awareness . . . but . . . it didn’t. Not more than the briefest of surprised twinges rose before fading within moments. I’m not scared he’ll . . . do things to me like those men did to Mum. I guess this means I trust him. My face is hot. Am I blushing? Why am I blushing? Maybe we’re sharing too much body heat? I . . . he’s waking up?
Holding herself still, she waited for him to process where he was and who he was with, too. It didn’t quite work out that way. He breathed deep, sighed, mumbled something, and snuggled closer. The lump against her hip hardened. Another breath, and his hand shifted. Feeling her blush deepen, Rexei cleared her throat. Loudly. Before those fingers could completely cover her breast.
He stilled, drew in a third breath, and cautiously lifted his head, pushing up a bit on his other elbow. “Uhh . . . sorry? I . . . Gods, that’s cold!”
She had to agree; when Alonnen lifted himself up, that allowed a rush of cold air to fill in the gaping tunnel created by the change in position. Shivering, she reached up with her free arm and pulled the covers close. “I’d hope the fire hasn’t gone out, but I fear it did.”
Grateful she wasn’t screaming at him, Alonnen cleared his throat. “I’ll take care of that, then. Sorry about hugging you for warmth and . . . so forth. Should’ve stuck to the couch . . .”
“I still trust you.” The words blurted out of her even as Rexei hugged the quilts to her chest. Not because she feared what might be exposed—she was wearing her linen undershirt, after all—but because the room was cold, and he was moving to get out of the bed, which meant cold air was moving to get in and take his place.
Alonnen stilled, pondered her words, then nodded slowly. “Good. I’ll, ah, try to remain trustworthy . . . if I don’t freeze to death. It’s rather bright in here, isn’t it?”
Craning her neck, Rexei peered at the windows beyond the bed frame. The curtains had been closed when they had entered and were still closed, but a great deal of light was seeping around their edges. A glance at the clock mounted on the wall showed it was only mid-morning.
“Well, it’s daylight, but that is a lot of light. I’d say the storm broke,” she offered, twisting to follow his movements as he padded to one of the windows. The maneuver had the added benefit of wrapping her up firmly in the bedding, cutting off further drafts.
Pushing the curtain aside, Alonnen squinted and shielded himself from the bright sunlight with a hand, then closed the curtain, found his tinted viewing lenses, and tried again. Squinting through the blue-hued glass, he peered at the world outside.
“We’re not going anywhere for a while,” he stated. Drawing the curtains shut again, he shook his head. “There’s a full foot of snow outside, and no one’s cleared the streets yet. No wonder it’s bloody cold—keep my spot warm for me, will you?”
“If you insist,” Rexei found herself teasing. “But I’ll require a tithe in exchange for all this warmth. Once I figure out what that should be, I’ll let you know.”
Alonnen tried not to shiver. He hurried to the refreshing room and used it, since it was too cold not to feel the need, then returned to the stove. Peering inside, he jiggled the handle to sift the ash out of the bottom, and unburied a few peach-glowing embers. Heaving the coal bucket up to the door, he used a bit of magic to move the black lumps around, spreading them evenly over each other and the remnants of the fire. Once that was done, he hurried back to the bed.
“C’mon, give me some room. I’m not getting out of this bed again until it’s bloody warm,” he ordered, climbing in beside her.
She let him tug the covers over, but the cold air got to her, too. Scrambling free, she used the refreshing room as well, then hurried back. It was horribly cold in the room, not much different than her own bolt-hole would have been, but Rexei took great comfort in the fact that she didn’t have to get up and go to work cleaning the many public rooms of the temple this morning.
“I am so very glad I got to quit the other day,” she muttered, trying not to let her teeth chatter. Tugging the bedding a little higher, she gave up trying to be polite about sharing the warmth and just rolled herself right up against the older mage’s side. “I don’t have t-to try to slog through the snow to the temple, and I don’t have to scrub any stone floors in f-freezing-cold temperatures.”
Alonnen twisted onto his side, wrapping her in his arms as well as the blankets and quilts. Their knees bumped, tangled, then intertwined when he pulled her close enough to rub her upper arm and her back for warmth. “Neither of us have to go anywhere. Not until the roads are cleared. And as neither of us is in the Roadworks Guild . . .”