To Seduce An Assassin (The Omaja Series Book 2)(51)

“These latches are in perfect shape. I don’t see how they could be working loose on their own.” He finished latching the last window and struck a flint to light the candle. He held it up as he searched all around the room. “Whoever your visitor was, he’s not here now.”

Graciella ventured inside the room, darting nervous glances at all the shadowy nooks and crannies in the room, especially around her armoire. She bent low to look underneath her bed, then straightened, wringing her hands. “Sire, I wonder if…there is someplace else I could sleep tonight?”

“Of course. Do you want to use Yajna and Jiandra’s room tonight, until we can prepare another suite for you tomorrow?”

“Honestly, I don’t want to be alone on this side of the palace.”

“I can understand that.” He glanced down at the flame of the candle. “Would you…like to stay in my room?”

She took a deep, shaky breath. “Do you have any other bedrooms on your side?”

“Not with furniture.”

“Could I get a cot?”

“A cot, in an empty room?”

“Yes, just a servant’s cot would be fine for tonight. I’ll bring the filstoc fur with me.” She turned to gather it up from her bed. “Should I bring my own pillow?”

“If you wish.”

She scooped up the most comfortable one, then hurried to his side. “Can we go now? This room is making my skin crawl.”

“Of course,” he said, and she followed him outside.





Ten


Yavi closed her bedroom door and offered to carry her armful of bedding for her. She gave him the heavy filstoc but hung on to her pillow, clutching it to her chest. That was just as well, because her nightgown left little to the imagination about the shape of her breasts underneath. The effects of the Tongkat had thankfully died down somewhat, leaving him in a less painful state of arousal than he could have been in at the moment. He would have suspected all of this was another ploy on her part to tempt him, but her white face and trembling frame told him she wasn’t acting. And how did she know about the name Uman? Jiandra could have mentioned it to her, but if that was the case, and Graciella had invented this elaborate scheme to be with him tonight, why hadn’t she taken him up on his offer to let her sleep in his room just now?

As they made their way down the passageways to his wing, he darted a sideways glance at her face. Her eyes were puffy and red from crying, and he suspected the ghostly encounter wasn’t the only thing distressing her tonight. It was likely she still felt guilty about causing his “illness” with the spice cake laced with Tongkat.

When they reached the door to his bedroom, he pushed it open. “Why don’t you wait in here where it’s warm while I go find Liel and see if he can rummage up a cot?”

She swallowed and peered timidly into his room. “All right.”

“I won’t be long.” He strode past her into the room and placed the bundle of white fur at the foot of his bed.

She waited outside, fidgeting.

“Come on inside. You can bar the door from the inside while I’m gone if you like.”

She shuffled into his room, hugging her pillow to her breasts. “The bar won’t keep that thing out.”

He smiled gently. “I know; I just thought it might make you feel more secure.”

“Sire, I—I’m not sure I can sleep in a room by myself until daylight. Can you, perhaps…put the cot in here, with you? I promise not to make any noise or be any trouble.”

“Of course. That was my suggestion in the first place.”

A bit of relief was evident on her lovely face. “Thank you.”

“Will you be all right until I get back?”

“Yes. I just need to get a grip on myself. I’ll go stand by your fire, see if I can stop shaking.”

He stepped past her to examine the embers. “The fire’s almost out. I’d better re-kindle it for you.”

“No, no—it’s fine. I don’t want to trouble you.”

“It’s no trouble.” He stoked the embers and bent down to toss on two more small logs. “There, that should get it warmer here in a moment. I’ll return shortly.”

She nodded, watching him as he left and closed the door. He hurried down to the servants’ quarters and rapped on Liel’s door.

“Liel, it’s Yavi.”

“Yes, Sire?” Liel’s sleepy voice answered. A moment later, he opened the door. He’d put on a dressing robe over his pajamas.

“I need a cot.”

Liel rubbed his eyes. “A cot, Sire?”

“Yes. Do you have an extra one down here somewhere?”

“Yes, Sire, of course.”

“A good, clean one if you can manage it. One that doesn’t smell.”

“Yes, Sire.”

“Bring it up to my room.”

“Yes, Sire. Right away.”

Yavi smiled as he made his way back upstairs to join his frightened little guest. Liel was the perfect steward. Faithful and discreet, and he knew when not to question why.

When Yavi opened the door to his room, he found Graciella standing in front of his fireplace with the filstoc wrapped around her shoulders, her pillow lying on his unmade bed. Something about seeing it there provoked some arousing images, but he managed to stifle them. “Everything all right while I was gone? No demon-children blowing open the windows?”