Page 19 of Kept

Laurent went to the bed and flung himself down on his back. He put his forearm over his eyes and heaved a sigh that lifted his chest.

“Ignore him,” Varick said, kissing my neck from behind as he unbuttoned my gown. “He needs a moment.”

“Fucking Lar Guna,” Laurent muttered.

Varick finished with the buttons and pushed my gown to the floor. “Let’s not talk about him.” He went to the chair and sat. He folded his arms and jerked his chin at me. “Take the rest off.”

Lust crackled through me. Doubt rushed forward in its wake. “Maybe we shouldn’t.”

Instantly, I had the undivided attention of two disgruntled-looking males.

“Why not?” Laurent demanded. He’d pulled his arm down, all signs of fatigue gone from his face. Now, he looked like a child who’d been given a toy and then had it snatched away.

“The last time we did this,” I said, “I pulled Sithistra into your bedchamber and murdered my brother.”

“You defended yourself,” Varick said. “It was far from murder.”

Maybe, but it still felt like murder. The result was the same. Rolund was dead. I didn’t necessarily mourn his loss, but I wished someone else had caused it. His killing was a burden I had to bear. Another injustice he’d thrust upon me.

Laurent studied me. “You don’t know if the sex caused it. You didn’t farsee when we fucked in the Sanctum.”

My face heated, the memory of Laurent thrusting inside me while Varick took his ass romping through my mind.

Laurent’s smile was slow and wicked. “Oh, princess, if you don’t want to fuck, you really shouldn’t stand there in your chemise with your pretty cheeks going all pink. It reminds me how much I enjoy having that luscious pussy of yours wrapped around my dick.”

Varick stood and came to me. Not for the first time, I marveled at how he towered over me. I was tall for a female, but he was still a giant in comparison. Which made it that much sweeter when he cupped a gentle hand under my chin. Distantly, I recalled him touching me in the same spot the first time we met at the Rift. He’d been angry that day, and he’d gripped me hard after I tried to slap him. Varick and I had come a long way since then. I knew in my heart nothing could make him touch me in anger ever again.

“We don’t have to do it, halfling,” he murmured. “But you won’t be alone this time. You have both of us, and I’ll call you back with my Voice if you leave us.”

My resolve weakened. Not that it had been all that strong to begin with. “What if I pull another place into the palace?”

“Then we stop,” Laurent said, strolling from the bed. He bent his head and kissed my cheek, filling my senses with cinnamon and the dark, spicy scent I recognized as the herbs the priests of the Sanctum mixed into the blood candles. “We can also just go to sleep.” His silver eyes smiled. “Although, the first option promises to be far more fun.”

They bracketed me, their body heat caressing my skin. I looked between them and heard myself whisper, “I don’t want to sleep.”

They exchanged a look, and I could have laughed at how obvious they were. If my elven gifts disappeared tomorrow, I would still have power—at least over these males. Somewhere along the way, I’d gone from being a pawn to a player in the game the three of us played. The rules were still shifting, but the ground under my feet felt a lot firmer than before.

Varick reached around me and grabbed Laurent’s chin—and he wasn’t gentle about it. “Go back to the bed.” As my body flashed cold and then hot, he released Laurent and fingered the strap of my chemise. “As for you…” His callused finger brushed my skin. “I’m going to sit down, and you’re going to take this off. Leave the stockings.” He flicked the strap off my shoulder and went to his chair.

I turned my head in time to see Laurent stretch sideways on the bed and prop himself on one elbow. His eyes flashed pewter in the candlelight. “I wouldn’t recommend keeping the general waiting,” he murmured.

My throat went dry, and my hands trembled as I pulled my knee-length chemise over my head. Per Varick’s order—and Laurent’s reminder—I wasn’t wearing drawers. That left me in just my stockings, which was somehow more decadent than full nudity. It was funny how two thin pieces of silk and some lengths of ribbon could make me feel more exposed. I suspected Varick knew that.

He sucked in a sudden breath, his golden gaze locked on the juncture of my thighs. It stayed there for a moment before he met my eyes and growled, “You’re bare.”

I nodded. My face heated, and I resisted the urge to cover my sex.

Varick looked at Laurent on the bed. “You knew about this?”

“Of course I did.”

I frowned at him. “You didn’t say anything.” I’d wondered about it when he got on his knees this morning, but then he’d done such wicked things with his tongue, and it hadn’t seemed important. Still… “I wasn’t sure you noticed,” I added, hearing irritation in my voice.

His lips curved. “I noticed, princess. I just knew it wasn’t for me.”

Varick crooked a finger at me. “Come here.”

Face burning, I went to him. He spread his legs wider, snagged me by the hips, and pulled me between his knees. He stared hard at my sex, his eyes lightened to pale gold as he took in my denuded mound and smooth lips. His hands looked obscenely large as he smoothed them up to my waist, which he spanned easily. Tiny white scars marred his knuckles. Every soldier had them—sword marks from training or defending himself in battle. Varick didn’t need a weapon to crush me. His hands were plenty capable of doing the job. He would have killed Lar Guna if Laurent ordered it. He obeyed Laurent without question.

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