Rise (The Order of the Krigers #1)(8)

“Stop scowling,” the woman chided. She cinched up the back of the dress, but it still hung loose on me. “That’s the best that can be done,” she mumbled. “You need to be on your way.”

Anders opened the door and poked his head in. “Let’s go.” He now wore a gray knit cap and a black sweater that complemented his eyes. I hurried down the hallway after him. He paused before a door. “I sincerely hope you’re a good actress,” he said, “because if you’re not, we’re both dead.”

What had I gotten myself into now? He opened the door, and we stepped onto the landing of the second floor. On the level below, a soldat stood guard by the door while half a dozen others roamed about the room. It was easy to pick them out since they wore the standard red uniform of the army. Several tables were occupied by men drinking, while a dozen women meandered around, all scantily clad and not at all bothered by the presence of the king’s men.

My eyes bulged. “Is this a brothel?” I asked, horrified.

Anders leaned down close to me. “It is,” he whispered in my ear, sending shivers down my spine. “And we just bedded. So I suggest you start playing the part, and lead me downstairs, woman.” He swatted my bottom.

My entire body heated up from utter and complete embarrassment. There was no way I, a sixteen-year-old girl who had nothing to entice a man with, could pull this off. My free time was spent learning to fight, not wooing men. The girls my age who did this sort of thing didn’t look or act like me. Then again, it wasn’t as if I was a harlot—I just had to pretend to be one.

Rolling my shoulders back and standing tall, I held onto my green dress, trying to still my sweaty hands as we headed down the stairs. A couple of tables had been flipped upside down, and two soldats stood at the bar questioning patrons about me. The only way out of this alive was to play the part. Reaching back, I grabbed Anders’s hand and batted my eyelashes at him like girls my age did when flirting. Luckily, the king’s rules about not laughing or showing public affection were only enforced outside. The corners of Anders’s lips rose as he fought a smile. My face went flaming red.

At the bottom of the stairs, he slid his hands around my waist and nuzzled his head to my neck. “Sit in a dark corner,” he whispered. “Don’t let them see your face. As soon as they leave, we’ll exit through the kitchen.”

There were many dark corners to choose from. Heading to the nearest one, Anders sat on a chair and pulled me onto his lap. There had better not be anyone here from my apartment building.

“This isn’t going to work if you keep acting like a stiff board,” Anders mumbled. “At least pretend you’re an alluring woman who has bedded dozens of men.”

If there hadn’t been soldats crawling all over the place right now, I’d have punched Anders right across his face. What infuriated me the most was that he was right. Not having any idea how to act, I observed the people around me. At the table next to us, a man sat on a chair drinking from a pewter mug, while a woman straddled him, playing with his shoulder-length hair.

Anders didn’t have enough hair to run my fingers through, and there was no way I was going to sit astride him while wearing a dress. Anders laughed, throwing his head back.

“What?” I asked, appalled he’d been able to read my mind.

His hands slid on either side of my face. I tried pulling away, but he drew me closer. “Stop scrunching your nose as if you’re disgusted.” He moved his lips to my right ear. “And if you’re not going to play the part, then I will for the both of us. There’s no way I’m going to be taken before Morlet to be executed like a dog.” He kissed my neck.

I froze. I’d never been kissed by a man before. There wasn’t time for such trivial activities or things like courting. Work, training, and taking care of my father were all I did. Anders’s lips left a hot trail along my skin. “What are you doing?” I hissed. There was no need for him to go that far. He could pretend to woo me without actually pressing his soft, tender lips to my neck. My eyes fluttered closed as warmth spread through me.

“Believe me,” he murmured against my skin, “I’d prefer not to have to do this either.”

My eyes flew open, and common sense returned.

“Sorry to disturb you,” a man said from behind me. “But we’re looking for a girl, about sixteen years old, wearing pants and a vest, maybe a jacket. She has long, brown hair. Have you seen anyone matching this description?”

Anders peered up at the soldat. I used the opportunity to snuggle closer to him, hiding my face against his neck.

“Been here all night,” Anders lazily replied. “Haven’t been paying attention to those wearing pants, if you know what I mean.”

The man chuckled. “I do.”

“And that sounds like a boy,” Anders commented. “Are you sure it’s a girl you seek?”

“Yes, because of the long hair. She was probably dressed as a boy to disguise her identity. We’ve been rounding up all the sixteen-year-old girls matching that description. Got over twenty already.”

My hands tingled as fear radiated through me. What would Morlet do to all those innocent people? Would he kill them?

“Well,” Anders said, “if I see any girls that age out and about, I’ll be sure to report them.”